The drive from the Detroit Tigers’ spring training home in Lakeland, Fla., to Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota is 80 miles. If you are lucky enough to avoid the maddening traffic on I-4 West and I-75 South, this drive can be completed in 90 minutes. More likely, the trip takes at least two hours.
A fundamental aspect of the Grapefruit League — certainly in comparison to its Arizona counterpart, the Cactus League — is the long distances between complexes. The mileage alters how teams prepare. The lack of convenience influences which players go on what trips. Typically, veterans and proven stars don’t make the long drives. One day late in Miguel Cabrera’s career, the Tigers took the franchise icon to play the Pirates in Bradenton. Cabrera gazed around the old ballpark in awe. Despite spending his entire career in the Grapefruit League, he had never been there before.
Telling, then, the choice Tarik Skubal made for his final outing of spring training. The Tigers had a split-squad day. One team was playing the New York Yankees at home in Lakeland. Another was playing the Baltimore Orioles in Sarasota. The Yankees were unlikely to bring their A-lineup over from Tampa. So Skubal, who had recently reveled in the challenge of facing the Philadelphia Phillies in Clearwater, chose the drive.
“He’s crazy,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said that morning.
Read more on the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner below ahead of his opening day start against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Tigers ace Tarik Skubal’s life has changed. His pursuit of excellence is just beginning
