Cactus League Basics

I%26#39;m thinking about going to Phoenix in March to visit family and catch a little baseball. Any general advice on spring training for someone who has never been?

How early do I have to buy tickets? Am I too late?

Best teams and/or stadiums (we%26#39;ll be in Scottsdale, but wouldn%26#39;t mind a little travel if it%26#39;s worth it)?

And websites or books to check out?

Any other general advice?

Cactus League Basics

Just wanted to say there is a new baseball museum in Mesa regarding the Cactus League. I heard about it on tv. I let the big baseball fans fill you in.

Cactus League Basics

Google Cactus League and you%26#39;ll get all the pertinent information about schedules, stadium locations, etc.

It appears you%26#39;re a Cubs fan, so you%26#39;ll need to know that HoHoKam Stadium in Mesa, where the Cubs train, is the toughest ticket around and gametime traffic is a bear. But tickets are available. Weekday games are a better bet, but are still pretty popular.

Personally, I don%26#39;t care for HoHoKam, just because I don%26#39;t like crowds and the stadium, while nice, is nothing remarkable.

Since you%26#39;re staying in Scottsdale, you should go to Scottsdale Stadium, the home of the Giants. Nice facility. Parking is tough, but the area around the stadium has lots of shops and restaurants, so you could park a distance away and not simply trudge through a huge parking lot.

Scottsdale is usually pretty busy, too.

The newest stadiums are on the west side. Glendale (Dodgers) and Goodyear (Indians) open facilities this year. I can%26#39;t speak to any amenities in those areas, though I%26#39;m sure the stadiums will be top-notch. It will be interesting to see how the Dodgers draw since this is their first year in AZ. I would suspect they will get LOTS of fans.

Also on the west side are the Peoria Sports Complex (Padres and Mariners) and the Surprise Complex (Royals and Rangers). I haven%26#39;t been to Surprise, but it gets good reviews. The Peoria facility is very good and has lots of restaurants and bars within walking distance.

The Brewers train in Maryvale. Good stadium, scruffy neighborhood. No problem in the daytime (it%26#39;s not THAT bad), but nothing in the area to reccomend. The best part of Maryvale is the crowds are thinnest here.

I%26#39;ve saved two favorites for last.

Phoenix Municipal (As) is an older park, but well-located near the Phoenix Zoo. It also has smaller crowds. It may be easier to see the Cubs here when they visit the As. Unlike most other parks, Muni has no grass outfield seating, and there are no restaurants or shops within walking distance, but the view from the stands is great. Parking is plentiful.

Diablo Stadium in Tempe is where the Angels train. It%26#39;s an older but nicely upgraded stadium and there are grass outfield seating areas. Crowds are reasonable. Not much in the surrounding area except homes and one very nice resort. Parking is good.

The Diamondbacks, Rockies and White Sox train in Tucson (for now).

Most venues will have game day tickets unless it%26#39;s the weekend. Your best bet is to buy off the Internet.

As for general advice, take plenty of sunscreen and use it. If you like grass seating, take blankets or low chairs. Check the Cactus League website for policies on brining in your own food and water. There are restrictions - usually you can bring in unopened bottled water and maybe a few other things. One thing about Cactus League stadiums is that each - like many in the majors - has some sort of specialty (i.e., bratwurst at Maryvale) and you may as well try it. And what could be better than a grilled dog and a brew (or soda) watching a ballgame in 70 degree weather?

I%26#39;m sure after two months of subfreezing Chicago weather, you will be more than ready for the Cactus League. You can%26#39;t help but have fun.

Thanks Doug - that%26#39;s *exactly* the information I was looking for.

Just got back from AZ and visited 3 stadiums. First saw Dodgers at Brewers (Maryville) on a Saturday. Parking was $6 and there was plenty. Despite the Saturday and the Dodgers, it was not sold out, but close. Lot of grass to sit on, and a lot of shade along the 1st base side if you want shade. Neighborhood isn%26#39;t the greatest, but felt fine during the daytime. Don%26#39;t worry about it. Park is a nice place, kind of a different look on the inside. Almost as many Dodger fans as Brewer fans. Kept the Brewer tradition with the sausage race, and also singing ';Roll Out the Barrel'; at the 7th inning stretch. Keeping with the Brewers, a lot of beer was being consumed, but I didn%26#39;t notice any obnoxious drunks. Though I had a good time everywhere, I most enjoyed this game/environment of the 3 I visited.

On Sunday went to A%26#39;s at Angels at Diablo Stadium. Got there an hour ahead of time and got grass seats. Not a lot of room on the grass. Place was packed. Lot of Angel fans all dressed in red. Super nice ushers everywhere-mostly older retired folks I imagine. I heard the stadium was old, but didn%26#39;t look it. Parking was $5, but was a little on the slow side for leaving. Game was straight baseball. Hardly any music, no weird fan games or anything like that between innings. If you want shade, choose the 1st base side, home plate is in the SW corner.

On Monday went to Royals at White Sox at Camelback Ranch. This is a new facility that the WS share with the Dodgers. It is new, and it is nice. Beautiful facility surrounding the main stadium-park like setting. You pay for it too. Tickets seemed kinda pricy-highest of the three days. As it was Monday for Royals/WS, it had a pretty sparse crowd. Sun everywhere, as home plate is in the NW corner. Only the top couple rows behind the plate had shade for the whole game, though it started to shade the upper rows of the first base side in the later part of the game. This also was all baseball--no minor league shenanigans going on. Both the Royals and WS were very accommodating for autographs on this day. My son got about 12 autographs without a whole lot of effort. Parking was $5, and was plentiful, and I imagine it would be even if there were a full house.

Three games in 3 days. Good times!

just back and caught a game in peoria as well as two in goodyear. both stadiums are very nice, peoria seems to have more access to players for autographs as well as more food choices. goodyear is brand new with less vending. I had tickets ahead of time but could have gotten them at the gate. I was surprised that the ticket prices and vending prices were not any cheaper than what I pay in cleveland at progressive field. Parking at both were 5$. I did see that there were a few sold out games this past weekend, I imagine that is normal as we get closer to the real season as well as being spring break time.

There is an industrial park adjacent to (just south of) Tempe Diablo Stadium where you can park on the street for free.