Clearwater travel guide for Phillies fans

00:00:04
Speaker 1: Hi, This is Kyles forber and welcome to the Philly Show. Hi, everybody, Welcome to the Philly Show.

00:00:11
Speaker 2: Rubin Tomorrow, Junior, Jim Salisbury, I'm Todd's lucky Jim and I are in Clearwater.

00:00:16
Speaker 1: We got Ruben back. Ruben. We missed you, buddy.

00:00:20
Speaker 3: I missed you guys more and in fact, I'm I'm still feeling the fomo. You guys look awfully warm there. It's still freezing here, and I have to say that I'm very dedicated to this podcast. I know it's away for a couple but I'm in a hospital right now. My partner just got a surgery, but I got a little time. She's doing fine. Laurie's just fine good. But uh, you know, I figured, hey, I got to jump on with you guys.

00:00:45
Speaker 1: Eventually. I can't let you go three of those damn episodes without me. Chi two is plenty to the Max. Two's the Max. We got you back. We're happy to have you back. Uh, it is great down here.

00:00:59
Speaker 2: The weather's people have been kind of complaining the past couple of days have been cool, but it's been amazing, especially when you look back home and see it says feels like eleven degrees.

00:01:07
Speaker 3: Uh yeah, yeah, the wind chill it's about forty three cool.

00:01:13
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's like seventy six here. And so games start this weekend. Great for league. Schedule starts this weekend.

00:01:19
Speaker 2: The Phillies open up Saturday in Lakeland and then the home opener is Sunday against the Orioles I think at bake Care Ballpark. And we love coming down to Clorad Rubin, were you like a newborn when he came down.

00:01:32
Speaker 1: To Clearwater for the first time? You've been coming down, I was a newborn. I think it's uh, I think I counted them.

00:01:37
Speaker 3: I think it's probably somewhere between forty five and fifty actual appearances in Clearwater for me and I just turned sixty, so that's amazing.

00:01:49
Speaker 1: So that's amazing.

00:01:50
Speaker 2: We wanted to talk about Clearwater Day because people come down, they come down every year, or maybe some people are coming down for the first time, and since we're so we come down here all the time, and we wanted to maybe give people some tips for travel. It's a travel guy, you know, I watched I used to watch a lot of Anthony Bourdain.

00:02:08
Speaker 1: You know, Jim is a guy, freeri guy.

00:02:10
Speaker 2: He likes to do the restaurant, you know, recommendations, Rubin, you know, we we want to we want to share the love when and in the knowledge.

00:02:18
Speaker 1: That we have with everybody about clear Water. Happy to do that. Yeah, so let's start with you, Rubin.

00:02:25
Speaker 4: I think this is year seventy nine for the Phillies down, Is that right?

00:02:28
Speaker 1: Okay? Yeah, it's it's amazing, It is amazing. It's a great Uh.

00:02:33
Speaker 3: It's a great wedding between Clearwater and Philadelphia, no question about it. And it's a great love affair between the two. But I will tell you that there's several places. I mean, over the years things have transformed quite a bit. If I was gonna stay here somewhere the uh, there's a couple of places as far as hotels are concerned, the was it the Opal Sands and the Sand Pearl. Both of those places are luxury, luxury spots. There's a Marriotta on saying key, I like a lot that you know, we get a chance to be a fantasy camp. As far as staying places, I mean, there's other great places.

00:03:08
Speaker 1: There's some sneaky places in dun Eden and such.

00:03:10
Speaker 3: But if I was going to stay in Tampa, I'd stay at this place called the Addition.

00:03:17
Speaker 1: Uh. Probably some of these people have heard about its high high falut and high end.

00:03:22
Speaker 4: Uh.

00:03:23
Speaker 3: But as far as food is concerned, I'll start off with Tampa Tampa. If you want the full experience, you go to Burns Steakhouse. It's, you know, the total experience. Uh, it's pretty aggressive. But if you're a cool cat lea myself, you go to Ocean Prime. Ocean Prime is where all you know the stuff's happened. I think that's a good one as well. Down in clear Water if you're hanging out down there, I mean there's so many places you guys will probably ch end up chiming, and obviously the Beach Comber. I mean that's one of the best, literally one best restaurants I've been to for years and years and years.

00:03:59
Speaker 1: Then there.

00:04:02
Speaker 3: Frenchies, the original if you want to have a nice group of sandwich I've already been there twice when I scooted down there during a fantasy camp.

00:04:10
Speaker 1: And uh, I mean there's just so many other.

00:04:13
Speaker 3: Really cool state place Salt Rock Billy Galachi in the Indian Rocks Villa Galachi's that's just tremendous Italian joint but those are the those are some of the some of the places I'll kick around. I know you guys will talk a little bit about some of the other ones.

00:04:36
Speaker 4: You mentioned. Burns and uh so it's not clear Water. It's a famous steakhouse in Tampa, yep. And Tom and I actually have some experience there.

00:04:47
Speaker 1: Right, Yeah, I have been there back when we worked at the Inquirer.

00:04:51
Speaker 4: Our boss Jim Jenks would come down and take us to dinner once the spring, and we ended up at Burns a couple of years because he was a big fan of it, and we just absolutely blew it out. It got to the point one night where he turned to me and he said, hey, give me your company credit card. We're gonna have to split this bill. And three weeks before turning in the receipts, how much we murdered it. Don't you remember that?

00:05:16
Speaker 1: I do remember this now. Yes, yeah, you could have to bring you have to bring the brook the Brooks brink, you know the brink. You got to back it up. Well.

00:05:29
Speaker 2: So I always get people ask me when they come down. Should I stay near the ballpark, Should I stay near the beach?

00:05:35
Speaker 1: Where should I stay?

00:05:36
Speaker 4: Yes?

00:05:36
Speaker 1: I mean, what would your advice be yeh. It depends what you like.

00:05:39
Speaker 5: You know.

00:05:39
Speaker 4: I'm probably a pretty good source on that because I've been coming down here like thirty years, and about half the time I stayed on the beach and the other half of the time I said, I'm staying right next to the ballpark, so i can roll out of bed and be at the ballpark. This is a wealth of hotels around the ballpark, pretty affordable, and there's a bunch on the beach if you if you want that lifestyle, well, so you know, either way, just be prepared. If you're on the beach, you can hit some traffic, you can hit some parking issues, but you know, it's a spring break destination. The weather it's great. It's a vacation spot. When you're out by the ballpark not as much of a vacation spot. You know, hope people live out this way. And but either way, I don't think you can lose. They're both really good locations to put your head down.

00:06:22
Speaker 1: It really depends on kind of what you're looking for.

00:06:24
Speaker 2: Yeah, if you're looking if you just want you just want to come do baseball, you want to get here at ten am for the workouts. The minor leaguers when they start working out the big leaguers take up. Go over to Carpenter Complex, and you want a short walk from the up from a hotel to the ballpark here at bake Care Ballpark Carpenter Complex.

00:06:40
Speaker 1: Maybe that's the way to go for you. If you just want to go to watch.

00:06:43
Speaker 2: Workouts, game, eat bed, repeat the entire week, you do that. But for me, I always say, if you want to just do get the whole experience, the beach is obviously the way to go. And you know, Ruben mentioned some hotels. There's a bunch of hotels down there. Depends on kind of what your price point is, of course, but you know, you go down the beach and stroll the beach, get a coffee in the morning, make your way over the ballpark in the afternoon, watch a game, go back, get dinner, check out some bars again, stroll the beach. It's a great atmosphere down there on Clearwater Beach. So that's always something that I recommend for people. And we've got more on Clearwater. If you're coming to Clearwater, stay tuned.

00:07:21
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00:08:23
Speaker 2: We're back if you stay at the ball near the ballpark, or if you stay at the beach and you're coming to the ballpark. Another thing I always get asked about is where should I sit? Where should I eat? What should I do? How do I get autographs? You know, have any tips for the bag care? Ballpark, spring training? Great for the experience. Reuben, what would be your tip to somebody who says, I'm coming to the ballpark for the first time? What do you got for me? Where should I go? Where should I sit? What should I do? Well?

00:08:50
Speaker 1: It depends on the age range, right.

00:08:52
Speaker 3: I think if you're looking for autographs, we would hang out by the left field line and hopefully you know some of the guys after the game.

00:08:58
Speaker 1: They'll after that, yeah, the four or five innings.

00:09:02
Speaker 3: That was one of the things I talked about all the time when I was a GM that, you know, you can really change a player, a fans life in a lot of ways. Just go walk down the line, sign a few autographs. Doesn't have to be all of them, can't be all of them. They just have time to do all of them. But if they sign a couple of them, they can really change some folks lives and you can gain a fan or two on the personal level. And I think that's a good spot and again, I think it depends on the experience you want. There's berms out there in left center, left, all the way in around the outfield. It's really spectacular and you can walk the entire you know environ, you know, all the way around. It's circumforts of the ballpark and not miss a beat. Much like ciszens Bank Park, but in a totally different atmosphere.

00:09:43
Speaker 1: I think the berm is really cool to be.

00:09:46
Speaker 3: Hanging out out there in left center field or right field.

00:09:49
Speaker 1: I mean, there's a lot of space out there.

00:09:51
Speaker 3: You can watch the pictures warm up and left field they have the bullpens up there, and I don't want to take all your under but the Tiki bar, man, if you're looking for a beverage to hang out and just watch a game and maybe get pelted by a home run left that's a pretty good spot too.

00:10:09
Speaker 1: In fact, I will tell you a quick story about the Tiki.

00:10:12
Speaker 3: When they first started a Tiki some of our players were like and like, when we open up in two thousand and four, I think it was same year we open up Citizens Bank Park.

00:10:22
Speaker 6: Some of our players were like, you know, finish their game, wash up, slide out, slide out, and then all of a sudden they'd be having a cocktail or two during Right now.

00:10:34
Speaker 2: Is where we saw a lot of the two thousand and four Phillies enjoying their post game. You know, they don't do that anymore though, it would be started to get to be too crazy. But yeah, that first year, Ruben, you're so right. I forgot about that. Their players would come down here. We're worth sitting right now down the left field line and have a couple of pops, or you know, just enjoy the cool of the evening and.

00:10:54
Speaker 1: Right easy, careful.

00:11:00
Speaker 4: That's one thing I would mention. If you're staying, where are you're staying. You're staying in the beach by the ballpark. There's the famous breakfast place Lenny's, walking distance of the ballpark, the clear Water Institution. It's almost like walking into Little Philly because you just feel like you're in Philadelphia. There's so much Philadelphia field within the restaurant. If you want to continue that Philadelphia feel inside the ballpark. Delco's Cheese Steaks right behind home plate from Delaware County, Ed Crowley, Cindy. They're great people. They make a great cheese steak, and you know sometimes they send it up to the press box. But they are really really good. And one other little tip I would give, you know, the real baseball junkies out there, pay attention to you know, when the team goes on the road, there's always some activity here at the complex. Some guys stay behind and there's minor league action. But if you pay attention to the Twitter accounts of the folks who cover the team, you can often get a little tip on what's going on on that particular day. You might have, you know, a big league starter pitching three or four innings at the minor league complex, and you can, you know, go over there and hang out by the Chanling fence and watch a major league starter perform in a minor league setting. I remember way back when Andy pettitt uh pitched over at the complex when he was with the Yankees. You know, Kurt Shilling would go over there at times. Roy Halladay, Bryce Harper would stay back a few years ago and get four or five, six, seven at bats in a minor league game by leading off every inning. And I think those are real for for a baseball fan. They're kind of neat, up close and in person experiences where you get to see you know, a star big league er, you know, forty feet away, and it's pretty exciting. So pay attention to that stuff always, you know, remember that next stor I'm sorry, the.

00:13:01
Speaker 3: Con Schwebard just take like twelve or fifteen at bats in one day. He needed to get, you know, if he needed to get into a rhythm. And I mean you can sit there and watch major leaguers. I think it's a great point, Jim. There's a there's a whole lot of stuff going on at the at the Carpenter Complex and and uh, it's it's something all the I guess it's the Paul Owen's facility at the comp Carpenter Complex. A lot of people being honored there, and David Montgomery's building is over there.

00:13:27
Speaker 1: Pretty cool. Yeah, good stuff to at least observe. What about okay, so what about people that you mentioned the burm?

00:13:34
Speaker 2: Ruben, if you had that nice you know, you want to get that nice tan going, you sit out in the burm, right, But if you're like me, you don't want anything.

00:13:43
Speaker 1: You don't have any melanin in your skin. You have no melaniy skin.

00:13:46
Speaker 4: You a parton.

00:13:47
Speaker 2: So Ruben would send me out to die you know, but for me, where should I You know, you really kind of want to.

00:13:52
Speaker 1: Sit right along the third baseline.

00:13:54
Speaker 2: I guess during the day, well, I guess I'm trying to think where you want to sit during the day.

00:13:58
Speaker 1: But I'll tell you what I on that bring a lot of I'm bringing the stun block.

00:14:01
Speaker 4: They have sun block stations. You can get scorched in about an hour. But I will say this, those sections behind the third base dug out, behind the phillies stung out one fifteen one fourteen. You get late in the day, the sun disappears behind the building, you might want to have a sweatshirt with you. You can get you know, a little little breezy, a little chili. So if you're in the sun, you're gonna be fine. But sometimes you get a little cool if you get a little pool front coming through.

00:14:29
Speaker 2: But that's you're right, Ruben. I like the autograph advice because that's a big part for kids. Sometimes it's for adults, but a lot of times because I was a kid that loved to get autographs. I would stand along the rail at at County Stadium when I was a kid and try to get autographs, and all I can say is try to be played.

00:14:46
Speaker 1: Try to be played to me.

00:14:47
Speaker 2: I think sometimes guys you have luck, as I've seen people have luck getting an autograph if you may know something about the player. I remember one time I was a kid and Tim mccarverer was broadcasting, he might have just started his broadcasting career. And Tim McCarver is on the field. I go, mister McCarver, mister McCarver, can I get your autograph? He goes, you probably don't even know who I played for. I said, you played for the Phillies and the Cardinals. He goes, oh my gosh, and he came right over and he signed his autograph. So you have, you know, don't be afraid to let them know that you actually know who they are. I'm not surprised to hear that Tim McCarver, what a gentleman he wants.

00:15:20
Speaker 7: Yeah, that was that was. That's great advice, Todd, and I'm one of the things. Just understand that you're not going to be able. They're not going to be able to sign every autograph. It's just not going to happen.

00:15:31
Speaker 3: But if you're kind and you ask them in a you know, a really cool way, like Hey, mister mister Stott or you know, mister Boehm or mister Harper. You know, you may get you may get lucky. And just don't be too disappointed if you don't get that autograph, because it's gonna happen, and they're asked for them all the time.

00:15:51
Speaker 1: There are some guys that are much better at it than others.

00:15:54
Speaker 3: But uh, but again, don't be too disappointed if they can't get to you.

00:15:58
Speaker 1: Yeah, but this really is a great place.

00:16:00
Speaker 2: If you guys were going to send anybody to any other great for League ballpark, let's just say on the west.

00:16:05
Speaker 1: Coast of Florida. Where would where would you send him?

00:16:08
Speaker 2: If then you want to take a road trip and meet Georgia m Steinberg and fields right across the way in Tampa. You got I don't know what it's called now, t TD Bank Ballpark in TD Stadium in Duneed, and that's where the Blue Jays play.

00:16:19
Speaker 1: That's probably where I would send you. Everything else is kind of drive.

00:16:22
Speaker 4: Frankly, I would send you right over to Duneedin to see the Blue Jays. It's a really small town. It's it's sort of an old spring training feel. They've you know upgraded the ballpark nicely, very compact, right on top of the action. And after the game you can walk to Main Street and Dunedin and there are a bunch of eateries, a bunch of places to have cold drink. Really, Dunedin is a fun, beautiful spot, great restaurants over there. One of my favorite places is the Duneed and Smokehouse.

00:16:56
Speaker 1: And yeah, we ate there the other night. And one of the talk his favorite places over there to set with Seven Sun Brewery or what are you talking about Seven Sun Brewery?

00:17:04
Speaker 4: But I was talking about honw oh oh.

00:17:06
Speaker 1: I'm sorry, Yeah, the honw the Ho new in Danedan.

00:17:08
Speaker 2: It's a Hawaiian joint, tremendous pokey bowls, just great seafood.

00:17:13
Speaker 1: Danedon is kind of my sleeper pick.

00:17:15
Speaker 2: I always tell people, obviously, if you're staying in clear Water, there's a lot of great stuff on Clearwater Beach. There's a lot of great stuff up and down the beach. But I really love going to Dunedon. I think it's great. If you're like a micro brewery fan, they have like seven micro breweries within a mile walk of one another, so if you want.

00:17:30
Speaker 1: You can make a day out of it. Yeah, I really don't have that. I've never done that, Ruben.

00:17:34
Speaker 2: I've never taken the whole seven seven bar tour, but I've checked out a couple of them here and there on occasion.

00:17:41
Speaker 1: So let's let's talk about food. Ruben. You started talking about some restaurants.

00:17:46
Speaker 2: Jim, where would you send people, and if so, say they're staying in clear Water right, where would you send them?

00:17:53
Speaker 1: Well, where are your favorites? I know where your favorites are.

00:17:55
Speaker 4: Yeah, my favorite some more kind of low key places like I'm a big hole in the wall guy. Although if I have an opportunity to go to that Island Way Grill, I would never turn it down. It's a really good restaurant. Reuben likes that place. You love that place you know right by the ballpark, place called Pete and Shorty's, nice little place to hang out. Yeah. I like the didn't even Smoke House. I'm trying to think. I like that pomp Pavilion. I like Frenchies up on the beach. Uh. There's just a lot of good spots. I mean, there's a great bunch of great pizza places down here. Paul's Pizza of Chicago is one of my favorites. Jim laughs because he doesn't think I like it. I've only been there once and I don't remember eating there, so I can't pizza.

00:18:42
Speaker 3: The Palm pavilion sadly got washed away, and I don't know if it's back.

00:18:46
Speaker 1: That's the palm is back. The palm is back. I told that I was told it was going to be shut down completely. That's back.

00:18:54
Speaker 2: I emailed that if it's if it's not, as of this moment, it's going to reopen. I actually shot them a no goodness about a week ago. They said we are planning open by the middle of the month. I have not been there, but yeah, I think it is open reopened, right.

00:19:06
Speaker 1: I know.

00:19:07
Speaker 2: Clear Sky Cafe is another place that a lot of us love, a lot of the Phillies broadcasters love about that has reopened as well, which is great news. Great breakfast, the great, great breakfast. I saw Halt Cogan having some breakfast there one day, brother.

00:19:24
Speaker 4: I've seen years ago. I saw Randy de Macho Man Savage down on Indian Rocks Beach, but a couple of them that Columbia is a great restaurant too, And I was going to mention another fun place. The Needon's a fun place to poke around. So it is Safety Harbor, which is very close. A lot of action over there. If you want to get away from the beach to see something different, that's a that's a really neat spot to go to as well.

00:19:56
Speaker 1: I agree with you.

00:19:57
Speaker 3: I agree with you guys on Dunne and I actually stayed there sometimes from part of the spring, and it's to sort of get away from a lot of the hustle and bustle. But there's always always some great spots there. There's a couple of great Mexican places down there, really, and I don't know, off the top of my head, I don't know what the names of them are, but I hit a couple of those that were great. And listen, there's so many different space places north side of Clearwater, south side of Clearwater.

00:20:28
Speaker 1: I mean, there's a number of places to really enjoy it.

00:20:32
Speaker 2: It's a great The Bait House is another place near Clearwater Beach. It's just off the beach near the roundabout. It's in the marine right on the marina. That place is fantastic. I actually wrote the other day or a couple of weeks ago. If you haven't checked it out. I do this thing called the Phillies be newsletter for MLB dot com, and I did a Clearwater travel guide, and I talked to all the broadcasters other than Krooky couldn't get a hold of Krooky, and I got them to all give their top three restaurant and recommendations. So Rubin you again gave Beachcomber, Salt Rock Grill, and Indian Shores and Bill Galacci and Indian Rocks Beach all tremendous places.

00:21:06
Speaker 1: But yeah, Bathouse and clear Water is a great spot.

00:21:09
Speaker 4: And let's let's not forget. Clear Water is the home and you can't miss it when you're drive into town. It's the home of the original Hooters.

00:21:17
Speaker 1: That's it is.

00:21:19
Speaker 4: It's it's been rebuilt, There's there's.

00:21:21
Speaker 1: History, there's history here. What else would you guys do?

00:21:28
Speaker 2: So, uh say, a couple of guys are coming down, a couple of gals are coming down, just you know, adults, what would you have them to do besides baseball, besides eating, besides drinking. And if you had a family coming down, what would you would you have any recommendations for any of them?

00:21:43
Speaker 4: I'd probably go on a five or six mile jog on the Penelas Trail myself.

00:21:48
Speaker 3: Well, you look like you've been jogging quite a bit, Jim, congratulations.

00:21:53
Speaker 1: Thank you yogging. He's been yogging.

00:21:59
Speaker 3: Maybe I know that they rebuilt they totally rebuilt the new with aquarium or the aquatic area in clear Water. They rebuilt it completely, the one right there on island, on island way Ally Island estates. I guess that's been I mean totally revamped. I mean it used to. Who was the famous dolphin that was there with with no tail?

00:22:22
Speaker 1: Winter the dolphin.

00:22:23
Speaker 3: Yes, Winter the dolphin made it famous man, And they ended up like making a whole hell of a lot of money and rebuilt that whole thing. So I'm a family member, I give it a shot.

00:22:33
Speaker 1: It.

00:22:34
Speaker 4: Of course, downtown clar Water is the home of scientology.

00:22:39
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, if that's what you're into.

00:22:42
Speaker 4: I remember the first year I came down here.

00:22:43
Speaker 1: At unbelievable buildings they have there.

00:22:45
Speaker 4: Yeah, And I see all these people walking around with like navy blue pants on and light blue shirts on, and I thought it was either an umpire or a bus driver convention. They're all the scientology folks walking around downtown really fast. But they do own a lot of property downtown.

00:23:04
Speaker 1: Oh oh yeah, they do own a lot of property downtown.

00:23:07
Speaker 2: One of the places that is a downtown Going back to restaurant's Carstinos?

00:23:11
Speaker 1: Is it great Crastinos Pizza place?

00:23:14
Speaker 4: The Fort Harrison Hotel is over There was the Phillies Team hotel way back in the day, and the Scientology through bought that place. It's one of their one of their headquarters. But legend has it that's where the Rolling Stones wrote the song I can't get no satisfaction at the pool?

00:23:33
Speaker 1: Is that right? Well?

00:23:35
Speaker 3: I know my dad couldn't get any fast satisfaction at the Fort Arrison. He couldn't stay there because of the color of his skin, and they had to move out.

00:23:43
Speaker 1: That's right. Where did your dad and where did your dad stay? Down here? Room? But I think he ended up staying like in Tampa somewhere, I think, Is that right? Okay?

00:23:50
Speaker 3: I mean that was way back in this early to mid sixties, yeah, right right?

00:23:54
Speaker 1: Remember, Yeah, but.

00:23:55
Speaker 3: They but they actually pulled the whole team out because they wouldn't allow you know, folks of color and they had, you know, they had a pretty healthy contingency of folks of color at the time.

00:24:03
Speaker 2: So right right, well, I mean it's it's it is a great place, one place, one place I will recommend for kids. I've recommended this to other parents bringing their kids down. It's called Captain Nemo's Pirate crews. Oh yeah, it's a red pirate ship that that you can't You don't drive a boat. What do you do with the boat? Do you drive a boat?

00:24:26
Speaker 1: Sail it? You sail a boat, but still sail it.

00:24:32
Speaker 4: If the boat, the.

00:24:33
Speaker 2: Boat sails around the bay, it goes out into the gulf, it comes back.

00:24:39
Speaker 1: Kids love it. They have all sorts of like.

00:24:40
Speaker 2: Activities for kids and for the parents, a little beverage, a little beverage or two to help you help you one hour.

00:24:49
Speaker 1: Tour, another thing for like a real Philly.

00:24:53
Speaker 2: You know, that's a great one for kids though.

00:24:58
Speaker 1: Kids.

00:24:58
Speaker 2: I recommend that to a lot of families, and they said that was such a great recommendation.

00:25:03
Speaker 4: And if you're an old time e Phillies fan, and you know, you get down here for the first time, but you remember all the years that the team has been here, take a ride by old Jack Russell Stadium. I mean, the the actual facility has been changed, has changed a lot they've torn down the grand stand, but they've replaced it with other types of seating. Clearwater High School plays there. The playing surface is still there. The famous cinder block outfield wall and that big batter's eye all still there. Beautiful, beautiful field and it's a slice of Phillies history that you know, you might like to see.

00:25:37
Speaker 1: I think they're utilizing it for a rehab facility and or a training facility now for private for private folks. Kind of cool. Yeah, and that there's a lot of great golf here too. If you're a golfer, Ruben, where would you play in It's broke Baby Brook.

00:25:57
Speaker 4: We would be over at the Landings, which is a little.

00:26:00
Speaker 1: May say safety harbor. I mean I go to playing.

00:26:04
Speaker 2: As a public course. That's that was yeah, Donald Ross design. So that's kind of a sneaky, little cool public course. If you want to play, some golf player there a little public course you can get out.

00:26:13
Speaker 1: But there's a lot you know, tell play the bell the bell Air. You know, it's just unbelievable.

00:26:18
Speaker 3: They got to They have a brand new western course that they finished up what last year of the year before, My goodness, on the water.

00:26:26
Speaker 1: It's spectacular.

00:26:29
Speaker 3: It's spectacul and the Pelican, My man, if you're really high falutin and you get a chance to go to the Pelican, Kyle Kyle Kendrick. Kyle Kendrick took me out there last time, and uh boy, it's plush.

00:26:45
Speaker 1: It's very very aggressive. Kyle for listening. You never call me hey here. So here's a very quick story about about it. I drove in just to check out because everybody's talking about the Pelican, how wonderful as place is. I didn't have I didn't have a tea time or anything.

00:27:02
Speaker 3: I pull in and all of a sudden, like three people were on me, Hello, sir, can we help you. I'm like, I'm just kind of pulling into the parking lot. I want to go see the golf shop or I just want to kind of do you have a tea time?

00:27:17
Speaker 1: Uh no, I don't.

00:27:18
Speaker 3: Well we we we can't allow folks who are just visiting to I'm like, okay, I'm out of here.

00:27:24
Speaker 1: Toss wow. High pollute, high pollute. That is high high pollutin.

00:27:31
Speaker 2: But uh yeah, so if you come out of clear worder, you're gonna have a great time. I guarantee, I always I do I do mean this really. I'm sure you guys get this all the time too, right, People go, oh my gosh, you're go'd being clear on.

00:27:42
Speaker 1: For sprint training. I've always wanted to go.

00:27:45
Speaker 2: And I always say the same thing, that's if you're a Philly sports fan, it really should. It really is a bucket list item. It should be a bucket list if you're a Philly sports fan. I think for me, the cool part and for a lot of people as well, is it's March.

00:28:01
Speaker 1: It's miserable up in Philly.

00:28:03
Speaker 2: You come down and it's just a sea of red and it's just everybody. It's like this big community, you know, home away from home, and it's just a fun vibe. It's just a great atmosphere. And then you leave the ballpark and then you're down at the beach and you're walking along the beach and you see Phillies fans everywhere, and I'm sure this year there's gonna be a lot of Eagles chants as well.

00:28:22
Speaker 4: There always are at games. I mean, you have a lot of Eagles chants. I mean when the Phillies are in a stretch like they are now, like they were seven to two thousand and eleven. When they're winning, this place is packed every game and every flight is packed from Philly. You hear Philadelphia accents, you see Philadelphia type of clothing, and you hear Eagles chants. But you know the people here because they love the Phillies and the games are such so popular, it's become such a destination. But it was not always this way. One of the stories I love when Larry Shank kind of tells his back in the day story and he's the former VP of PR from the Phillies, and he once told me that in the seventies when they were at Jack Russell Stadium and they weren't weren't really before they started winning, he used to drive up the Clearwater Beach and give away tickets to Spring spring breakers, trying to get them to come to games. Now you don't have that problem. A lot of these games have sold out as the place to be.

00:29:23
Speaker 1: Absolutely, there's no question.

00:29:25
Speaker 3: I wanted to echo Todd's sentiments about this being a bucket list place.

00:29:31
Speaker 1: Please come down to Clearwater.

00:29:33
Speaker 3: If you are indeed, even if you're not a baseball fan, it's just a great place, great atmosphere. I mean, obviously love to have fans come down there and enjoy my favorite game. But I will tell you that you will not be disappointed. You will enjoy the number of levels.

00:29:52
Speaker 1: Yeah, you absolutely enjoy it. It is great time.

00:29:54
Speaker 2: So I hope that's helpful to everybody down that is coming down to clear Water. If you have any more suggests or any more questions you can fill you know, obviously fire away on our social media channels at the Philly Show again if you want. If you like the Philly Show, you can go to the Phillyshow dot com, pick up a T shirt and we'll be back throughout the spring. We'll be in Clearwater. Guys are coming in and out. We'll have plenty more to come, right, guys.

00:30:19
Speaker 4: You got it? Yeah, a lot of fun. You're smelling Eli at Rubens.

00:30:24
Speaker 2: The Philly Show is brought to you by the Foul Territory Network. Subscribe to The Philly Show on YouTube and wherever you get your podcasts. If you like us, give us a review, follow us on Instagram, TikTok x, Facebook, and threads. Find Ruben's analysis before, during, and after Phillies games on NBC Sports Philadelphia on the Sports Radio ninety four WIP Morning Show and MLB Network. Find Jim at all phl y dot com. Find me at mlb dot com, The Phillies Be newsletter and MLB Network