 |
More PubClub
Phoenix:
° Scottsdale
Bars
° Phoenix Open
PubClub
Sports:
°
Ballparks and Beer Fenway Park
° Ballparks
and Beer Wrigley Field
° Ballparks and
Beer Denver
° Ballparks
and Beer San Francisco
°
Final Four Party Guide
CITY GUIDES:
°
Amsterdam
° Australia
° Boston
° Chicago
°
Denver
° Florida Visitor's Guide
° Ft. Lauderdale
°
Greek Islands
°
Hawaii
° Jacksonville, FL
°
Key West
°
Las Vegas
°
London
°
Los Angeles
°
Montreal
°
Mexico
°
New Orleans
° Pamplona/Ibiza
°
Paris
°
Phoenix/Scottsdale
°
Prague
°
Portland
°
San Diego
°
Seattle
°
San Francisco
° South Florida
°
Tokyo
°
Toronto
°
Vancouver
SPECIALS:
°
The Bartender
°
Pub Journals
°
Profiles
°
AVP
° Bay to Breakers
° Jazz Fest
° Jimmy Buffett
°
Ski Resorts
° Street Scene
°
Top Party Schools
NO LAST CALL!
°
Home Page
° Sign up to be
a "PubClubber"
° Contact Us
Stadium guide,
photos and tips for a big-league experience at Spring Training in Arizona.
|
 |
Spring Training
A Guide to the
Arizona's Cactus League Baseball

It's fun to spend
a day in the sun at the intimate Spring Training venues
The crack of bats, the pop of baseballs
hitting leather gloves, the sights of sitting in the sunshine on a beautiful
day watching a big-league sport in a small-league setting.
This is Spring Training in Arizona's Cactus League. Phoenix, Mesa,
Peoria, Scottsdale, Tempe and even a town called Surprise are host to
12 major league teams playing in nine stadiums in the beautiful Western
desert.
The relative compactness of the area makes this a far better place
than Florida's Grapefruit League to see a multitude of games and teams
in a short timeframe. While Florida has teams spread out all over the
state, those in Arizona are confined to basically a single city and
its suburbs.

Batter up! Places like Scottsdale Stadium are great for sliding into
a seat.
And it's a hit among fans. Each March, snowbirds flock down from cold
northern cities anxious for a bit of the good 'ol summertime in the
springtime. Southern Californians known for their love of
carefree days in the sunshine slide into town for a day, days
or a weekend. It's even a big attraction for locals, who turn out to
see the scene. There are six games nearly every day of the week, top
pros play alongside prospects and the relaxed pace of practice and even
games creates an atmosphere so fine that fans don't care if they ever
go back. Batter up!
Many of the people are found at the 12,500-seat Hohokam Park in
Mesa. They have winged it here to avoid the winter winds of Chicago
(though they might be quite surprised to learn it snowed in Phoenix
in January '07). They are joined by others from the area or all over
the place, displaced Chicagoans who want to see if this is the year
their beloved team finally has the tools to make it to the World Series.
This makes Cubs' games the toughest ticket in the towns. Everyone, except
of course anyone with a billygoat, wants to see the Cubbies.


Ballparks and beer, an American tradition, is especially refreshing
at Spring Training.
One of the more pleasant places is Scottsdale Stadium. Spring
home to the San Francisco Giants, it's mere walking distance of downtown
Scottsdale's many restaurants and bars. And since afternoon cocktails
are a favorite locals' pastime, this enables game-goers to easily indulge
in a little of the area's culture.
Of prime local interest is Tuscon Electric Park, home of the
hometown Arizona Diamondbacks. They share the facility with the Chicago
White Sox. For those looking for a fly in/fly out day at the ballpark,
Tempe's Diablo Stadium is just minutes from Phoenix's Sky Harbor
Airport. And don't think people from Orange County don't do just this
it's where to catch the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
So for taking one's self out to the ol' ballgame, there's not place
like Spring Training in Arizona.
|
SPRING
TRAINING STADIUMS,
CACTUS LEAGUE
Arizona Diamondbacks/Chicago White Sox. Tuscon
Electric Park, 2500 East Ajo Way, Tuscon (520) 434-1000. Tickets:
$5-16.
Chicago Cubs. Hobokam Park. 1235 N. Center
Street, Mesa. (800) 905-3315. Tickets: $6-26.
Colorado Rockies. Hi Corbett Field. 3400 Camino
Campestre, Tuscon. (520) 237-WINS. Tickets $4-17.
Kansas City Royals/Texas Rangers. Surprise Stadium,
No. Bullard and Bell Rd.. Surprise. (623) 594-5600. Tickets: $7-22.
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Tempe Diablo
Stadium, 2200 We. Alameda Dr., Tempe. (480) 350-5205. Tickets:
$5-25.
Milwaukee Brewers/Oakland A's. Maryvale Baseball
Park Phoenix Municipal Stadium. 5999 E. Van Buren Phoenix. (800)
225-2277. Tickets: $6-25.
San Francisco Giants. Scotttsdale Stadium.
7408 E. Osborne Rd., Scottsdale. (800) 225-2277. TIckets: $8-28.
Seattle Mariners/San Diego Padres. Peoria Sports
Complex, 16101 N. 83rd Ave., Peoria. (800) 409-1511. Tickets $6-23
Los Angeles Dodgers. Two games @ Phoenis Municipal
Stadium, March 20 vs. White Sox and March 22 vs. Angels. 5999
E. Van Buren St., Phoenix. (602) 493-2255. Tickets: $6-21. NOTE:
The Dodgers will move to a new stadium in Glendale in 2009.
|

From
behind home plate at Maryvale Baseball Park for an A's game.
SPRING TRAINING TIPS Practices start either at 8 or 9
in the morning and usually go until about 1 p.m...Most games begin at
1:05...Daylight Savings Time, which begins March 11, is not observed
in Arizona...One cool tip is to check out the "B" Games, morning
encounters that feature rookies and other prospects trying to make the
big-league club...Be prepared for the SUN. It is WARM in the Arizona
desert, so bring sunscreen and drink plenty of water...Players with
high numbers 60s, 70s are unlikely to make the big-league
roster...Approach players for autographs. Some my comply and some may
not, but it's certainly more a relaxed environment to ask than a big-league
game...Best place to stay and play? That's easy. Old
Town Scottsdale.
© 2007. All rights reserved.
The
Phoenix Open Scottsdale's Biggest Party
Phoenix/Scottsdale
Bar Guide
PubClub Home Page
|
|
|