The Boys of Summer? More like the boys of late winter and early spring. Professional sports is a year-round pursuit now, unlike the good ol’ days when every road warrior in hockey, football, basketball and baseball had a long off-season to relax and get into trouble without intense media scrutiny.

But pro sports is a big business now. The pressure of huge contracts, major television deals, corporate sponsorships and 24-hour news cycles mean today’s millionaire athletes have to stay in top form and peak condition if they want to remain, well, millionaires. Not that anyone feels sorry for them of course. Back in the day, hockey legend Maurice Richard had to take a summer job as a machinist to make ends meet early in his career and sold fishing line after his retirement. But I digress.

To bring it back to the topic at hand, there is no off-season in sports today. (For instance, do European footballers ever get a day off? They seem to always have incessant commitments to club teams, league play, UEFA tournaments and national teams. But I digress again.) Take Major League Baseball. America’s pastime crowns a “world” champion in early November (Boys of Summer indeed) and then mere weeks later – well, 15 to be exact – while the trophy wax is still fresh, pitchers and catchers have to report to spring training.

Which in a sense, is what makes baseball so great. While the New York Yankees have barely had time to enjoy their 27th title, 29 other MLB franchises have been champing at the bit to hit the diamond and kick off another season. Spring training signals a fresh start for everyone – owners, general managers, managers, players and fans alike. A chance to start anew and earn redemption in the eyes of the baseball world. Isn’t that what sports is all about?

Spring training is one of the great all-time sports traditions and one in which fans can take part at relatively little cost. You may not always get the chance to see the likes of Roy Halladay, Albert Pujols, Joe Mauer, Ichiro Suzuki, David Wright and Derek Jeter up close and personal but cost-benefit-wise, spring training is the best bang for your sports buck. With that in mind, check out some of the best spring training destinations in MLB, from the Cactus League in Arizona to the Grapefruit League in Florida.

Fort Myers, Florida

Former Boston Red Sox All-Star Mike Greenwell had a dream to bring the team to his hometown for spring training. Four years before his retirement with the legendary club in 1996, City of Palms Park broke ground in Fort Myers. The 8,000-seat stadium is one of the best in Grapefruit League play. Hammond Stadium in South Fort Myers is the spring home of the Minnesota Twins.

Phoenix, Arizona

The capital of Arizona is a big city rarity in spring training play. After all, Phoenix has a MLB franchise in the Diamondbacks but ironically, the team’s spring home is in Tuscon. It matters not because visitors to the metropolis in February and March can catch the Milwaukee Brewers and Oakland Athletics in action. The teams play at Maryvale Baseball Park and Phoenix Municipal Stadium, respectively.

Goodyear, Arizona

Goodyear is of the fastest-growing communities in America and an All-America City Award recipient. Home to some 50,000 people, the idyllic, affluent town provides baseball fans with a great two-in-one Ohio opportunity. As of 2010, both the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Indians will share the terrific Goodyear Ballpark complex.

Jupiter, Florida

A popular, laid-back beach town, Jupiter, Florida hosts the St. Louis Cardinals and Florida Marlins at Roger Dean Stadium. The facility is first-rate and holds just under 7,000 people.

Viera, Florida

Viera is notable as a spring training destination because it has one of the most unusual ballparks in Space Coast Stadium. The name is apt – the former February and March home of the Montreal Expos and now Washington Nationals is 20 km from Cape Canaveral and the John F. Kennedy Space Center. The stadium is full of NASA-centric monuments and tributes to the U.S. Space Program.

Check out great hotel deals in destinations all over the United States.

Photo credits: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7