It was a hot contest category, but fans of the Tampa Bay Rays and southwest Florida have voted sunny Charlotte Sports Park in Port Charlotte, Florida their favorite spring training destination in USA TODAY's 10Best Readers' Choice contest.
Only 500 votes separated 2nd-place finisher Goodyear, Arizona from the top finisher. Goodyear Ballpark patrons - many of them Ohio-based fans of the Indians and the Reds - voted like mad for their winter getaway spot in the greater Phoenix area.
Scottsdale's beautiful new Salt River Fields landed in 3rd, while southwest Florida got a triple-play by taking 4th, 5th and 6th places.
20 original nominees - all in Florida and Arizona - were selected by a panel of experts: the MLB writers from USA TODAY.
The full list of winners in the 'Best Spring Training City' contest category for 10Best Readers' Choice are as follows:
- Charlotte Sports Park - Port Charlotte, Fla.
- Goodyear Ballpark - Goodyear, Ariz.
- Salt River Fields - Scottsdale, Ariz.
- McKechnie Field - Bradenton, Fla.
- Bright House Field - Clearwater, Fla.
- Ed Smith Stadium - Sarasota, Fla.
- Tradition Field - Port St. Lucie, Fla.
- Cubs Park - Mesa, Ariz.
- JetBlue Park - Fort Myers, Fla.
- Osceola County Stadium - Kissimmee, Fla.
Congrats to all the winners, and thanks to the MLB fans who put them there. And now . . . play ball!
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The Experts
Bob Nightengale
Robert (Bob) Nightengale, a graduate of Arizona... Read More
Robert (Bob) Nightengale, a graduate of Arizona State University, has been covering baseball since 1986. He previously was a baseball beat writer covering the Kansas City Royals for the Kansas City Star, and the San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Angels and Los Angeles Dodgers for the Los Angeles Times. He also was a columnist for the Sporting News. He joined USA TODAY in 1998.
Bob Nightengale
Robert (Bob) Nightengale, a graduate of Arizona State University, has been covering baseball since 1986. He previously was a baseball beat writer covering the Kansas City Royals for the Kansas City Star, and the San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Angels and Los Angeles Dodgers for the Los Angeles Times. He also was a columnist for the Sporting News. He joined USA TODAY in 1998.
Paul White
Paul White is a veteran newspaper writer and... Read More
Paul White is a veteran newspaper writer and editor who covers baseball for USA TODAY Sports and has been involved in the launches of both USA TODAY and Baseball Weekly (now USA TODAY Sports Weekly). He joined the original USA TODAY staff several months before the national newspaper's September 1982 debut. White coordinated major changes in baseball coverage, including the innovative new boxscore that has become the standard for the industry. He has been covering baseball for 24 years including every World Series and All-Star Game over that time. White lives in Reston, Va.
Paul White

Paul White is a veteran newspaper writer and editor who covers baseball for USA TODAY Sports and has been involved in the launches of both USA TODAY and Baseball Weekly (now USA TODAY Sports Weekly). He joined the original USA TODAY staff several months before the national newspaper's September 1982 debut. White coordinated major changes in baseball coverage, including the innovative new boxscore that has become the standard for the industry. He has been covering baseball for 24 years including every World Series and All-Star Game over that time. White lives in Reston, Va.
Ted Berg
Ted Berg is an MLB writer for For The Win and USA... Read More
Ted Berg is an MLB writer for For The Win and USA TODAY Sports. He spends lots of time at baseball games for work but still spends practically every one of his vacations traveling to baseball games. When not sampling minor league concessions around the country, he lives in New York City with his wife.
Ted Berg

Ted Berg is an MLB writer for For The Win and USA TODAY Sports. He spends lots of time at baseball games for work but still spends practically every one of his vacations traveling to baseball games. When not sampling minor league concessions around the country, he lives in New York City with his wife.