grapefruit league

American  

noun

Baseball Informal.

1. a series of training games played by major-league teams before the opening of the season (so named because they take place in the citrus-growing South, as in Florida).

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Etymology

Origin of grapefruit league

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

Still, after experimenting with the idea of ABS at various levels of the minor leagues over the last half-decade, MLB decided to give it a trial run in spring training this year, installing the Hawk-Eye technology at select Cactus and Grapefruit League ballparks — the Dodgers’ Camelback Ranch facility among them — in its most ambitious effort yet to make balls and strikes reviewable.

From Los Angeles Times

He likes the proximity of the Cactus League parks as compared to the distance in the Grapefruit League in Florida.

From Seattle Times

Michael Harris led off the first inning of the Braves’ Grapefruit League opener and homered on the first pitch he saw from Tampa Bay’s Nathan Wiles.

From Seattle Times

Burnes worked one scoreless inning for the Baltimore Orioles and struck out the first two batters he faced Saturday in the 2021 NL Cy Young Award winner’s Grapefruit League debut.

From Seattle Times

He went to camp with Baltimore in 2021 but had a 7.94 ERA in Grapefruit League games with fastball velocity in the mid-80-mph range.

From Seattle Times