My Spring Swing continues after scooting south, along Florida's Gulf Coast, to relatively chilly (63 degrees, windy and rainy) Ft. Myers. There, Hammond Stadium is the spring home of the Twins and the springboard to Joe Crede's Comeback Tour '09.

Crede, a Scott Boras client who puts a pen to contract and actually signs his name, had surgery after last season to (hopefully) fix chronic back problems. They plagued his otherwise pleasant and often thrilling experience with the White Sox, who said good-bye when Crede became a free agent.

The biggest unknown for Crede isn't whether his back will hold up on the parking lot with a carpet they call a playing surface inside the Metrodome. It's not whether he'll reach his bonuses on an heavily incentive-laden contract. It's not whether the Piranhas will get him.

It's what to eat in the Twin Cities.

Chicago is home to the world's best pizza, beef sandwiches, New York-quality steak, along with extensive Latino and Asian grub. Few cities can rival

Big League Stew contributor David Brown continues his spring swing through Florida's Grapefruit League with another stop in Clearwater to visit the Phillies. Because they're the World (Series) champions, they get two helpings. Dave'll be posting throughout the day — both to the Stew and his Twitter feed — plus he'll also be filing a report each night from his day's action, complete with photos, videos and observations.

Hey Brunswick Stewies!

Again, the mail is running late. We're going to keep this one short; they're kicking me out of the motel in a few hours and it's a haul to Ft. Myers down the coast. These players get started even earlier in the morning than in the regular season. It's not uncommon to see grunts out there at 6, 6:30 a.m. working out, with some players remaining well after the sun sets. They really do work for a living, despite the illusion of it only being a game. Ah, boo-hoo.

To break the monotony, sometimes guys become prank machines. That's the case with Shane

A pair of true cliches about Philadelphians: they discriminate without apology when it comes to baseball and cheesesteak sandwiches.

So, what happens to a Phillies fan when he or she lives in Florida, 1,000 miles away from Pat's or Geno's or Jim's, and the tummy starts rumbling, the hands start shaking? How does a Quaker Stater cure a steak sandwich jones in the Sunshine State?

The answer seems too good to be true: just head to a Phillies game at Clearwater's Bright House Networks Field, where the La Spada's & Delco's stand behind home plate promises to fix the cheesesteak junkie.

Rick Phillips and wife Debbie Phillips (above) have been coming to Phillies spring games for, "jeez, 12 years," Rick said. Originally from Philadelphia, he grew up adoring Phillies greats Bobby Wine, Johnny Callison and Jim Bunning.

He also loves himself a good cheesesteak, which can be hard to find if one strays too far from Philly's Passyunk Avenue. Some think it impossible, even pseudo-sacrilegious to

A trio of opinions gathered at Friday's Red Sox-Rays game in Port Charlotte, Fla ...

Pat the Bat is back in Clearwater.

For the first time since taking off in free agency, Pat Burrell roamed the Phillies spring complex in another team's uniform.

Burrell, bred to be a Phillie, is now swimming with the Rays.

Burrell, now Tampa Bay's designated hitter after signing for two seasons at $16 million in the off-season, seemed in a great mood and repeatedly accommodated fans from both sides (that I noticed) who said hello and/or sought autographs.

This is a shot I got during one of the several times he went over to sign for folks calling his name at Bright House Field.

Would he answer to "Mr. The Bat"? Nobody called him that, so I don't know.

Did you know that Burrell is especially popular with the ladies for some reason?

"We miss you, Pat!" at least one female rooter shouted out as he signed baseballs, pictures and cards near the Rays dugout before taking batting practice.

"Thank you," Burrell replied.

Just enough words, along with the deed, to get the job done.

Pat Gillick

How about a little Saturday morning Stew?

My spring fling continues around Florida, and this was the scene a little while ago outside Bright House Field in Clearwater. Fans of the World Utley Champions and their American League subordinates, the Rays, in line to buy seats to Saturday afternoon's game. Good seats, or at least a good place to stand, was available as of 3 1/2 hours before kickoff.

OMG, a raccoon chase! That wasn't here, actually.

The Phillies clubhouse was closed because Don Fehr was holding a union meeting inside. Norman Rae himself. Or maybe Norman Rae would be Marvin Miller. Milllahhhh! Anyway, I am pro-Fehr, generally, but he's kind of a professional sourpuss.

Anyway, outside I bumped into a Phillies Fan named Tom Woods, who tried (unsuccessfully!) to do a Hulk Hogan flex in a shot I was taking of the nice people standing in line. I actually hoped he would have been flexing in the shot because that kind of stuff (along with raccoon chases) is Internet Gold.

There's

Big League Stew contributor David Brown is in Florida for a spring swing through the Grapefruit League. He'll be posting throughout the day — both to the Stew and his Twitter feed — plus he'll also be filing a report each night from his day's action, complete with photos, videos and observations. His trip continues to Port Charlotte, home of the reigning American League champion Rays (and their critters). In this episode, Tampa Bay shows the Red Sox the Rays can't even be messed with in spring training. Also, what or Who is the source of light behind Rays general manager Andrew Friedman in today's postcard? That wasn't there when he posed; it just showed up on the film! A funny note about the " '09>'08" Fathead-ish decal above the clubhouse doors. The figures were, at first, applied with the apostrophes reversed, something which Joe Maddon — also originator of the "9=8" formula — spotted first, of course.

Hey Stewburgers!

This update got to the post office a little late, but neither

Rocco Baldelli got himself turned around.

“Which way do I go?” he asked, looking for the visitors clubhouse at Rays spring headquarters in Port Charlotte, Fla.

The Rays don't train at Al Lang Field in St. Petersburg anymore, as Baldelli did with them for his first five seasons in the majors. Baldelli doesn't train with the Rays anymore, period, having left for the Red Sox via free agency in the off-season.

He found the visitors clubhouse and found his former team, too, on Friday. Baldelli, usually composed, greeted his friends with a lot of emotion.

"I got more hugs today than I got in a long time,'' Baldelli said. "It was really nice.''

Aside from a long conversation with manager Joe Maddon, along with embraces with ex-teammate Carlos Pena and others, Baldelli also visited Ron Porterfield, the athletic trainer who cared for him in Tampa during the toughest of times.

Porterfield, who has been with the Rays organization since its start, used to have two jobs. He looked after all of