 |
Above: The classic Arizona Biltmore in Phoenix is a luxurious home base.
Below: Chicago Cubs fans enjoying a game at HoHoKam Stadium. Mesa CVB photo |
 |
Friends and family are in Missouri shaking off winter’s final grip, but I am in Arizona for Cactus League baseball, and I’m as giddy as a Cubs fan in April. For baseball fanatics, winter is a lonely stretch that cannot always be warmed by the Hot Stove League.
Fans who make the pilgrimage know spring training is better than a winter tonic. It’s a pick-me-up that couldn’t possibly be bottled, and baseball clubs have become quite sophisticated in calling their fan bases to the Valley of the Sun.
A Cardinal fan in another nest
As a (World Series champion) St. Louis Cardinals fan, I’ve had the good fortune to visit spring camps in St. Petersburg and Jupiter, Fla. Spring training in the Sunshine State dates to the early 1900s with the Cincinnati Reds (1908), the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians (1913). The St. Louis Browns and St. Louis Cardinals flew south the following year, and more teams followed.
Minor league teams played exhibition ball in Arizona around the same time, but it wasn’t until 1946 when the Grand Canyon State made a pitch to major league teams, with colorful Indians’ owner Bill Veeck moving his team west. St. Louis baseball historians know Veeck as the last owner of the St. Louis Browns (1951–53).
The Indians and New York Giants came to Phoenix to train, and the mighty New York Yankees traveled west in 1951, as did the Chicago Cubs, leaving their camp on California’s Catalina Island.
Today, there are 15 teams with spring training facilities in the Valley of the Sun. According to league officials, more than 1.59 million fans attended games in March 2011, generating nearly $362 million in economic impact for Arizona. That’s more than Albert Pujols’ latest contract.
Initially, the desert soil felt odd as I mingled with rival Chicago, Cincinnati, Milwaukee and Kansas City Royal fans. Proudly wearing my Cardinal red, I take a little bit of good-natured ribbing in the stands and soon join a few thousand baseball fans soaking in the sun and scribbling numbers on their scorecards.
Arizona scores big with Spring fans
In addition to sunny skies, 80-degree days and cool nights, the great thing about Cactus League spring training is the proximity of camps. Eight municipalities and the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community host major league teams, and each is 30 minutes or less from Phoenix. Here, it’s completely possible to watch an afternoon game, have a great dinner and catch a contest under the lights. Now that’s baseball heaven.
With a lineup that includes luxury hotels, along with amazing culinary and recreational opportunities, the Cactus League knocks it out of the park for great times in March. Let’s go around the horn and see where three Midwestern teams train for the season in Arizona.
Chicago Cubs and White Sox
The Cubbies’ home field is HoHoKam Stadium in Mesa, which opened in 1976 and was enlarged in 1997. HoHoKam seats 13,000 and includes one practice field and one practice infield. The team ranked first in the Cactus League last year with an average game attendance of 10,892 fans.
Next to the stadium, fans will find practice fields at Fitch Park. Snag an autograph or watch pitchers and catchers work out in February.
Future plans include the opening of “Wrigleyville West,” a $119 million sports, entertainment and retail destination in Mesa that will include a new stadium. It’s expected to open for games in 2014.
The Chicago White Sox train in nearby Glendale at Camelback Ranch, the largest stadium in the Cactus League with a capacity of 13,500. It’s a honey of a complex that opened in 2009. Thirteen baseball fields, picturesque walking trails and landscaped grounds make up this baseball paradise.
Scottsdale and a venerable Cactus League hangout, the Pink Pony Restaurant, are in between the Chicago camps. The restaurant originally opened in 1949 and was in danger of closing forever. But fans Danny Little (commercial real estate manager) and Tim Smith (general contractor) bought the restaurant, made some tasteful and necessary upgrades and reopened the historical restaurant and bar in February 2011. Check out all the baseball memorabilia on the walls. The food is tasty but the atmosphere and camaraderie among patrons are the real draw here.
A great lodging choice is the Scottsdale Princess (AAA Five Diamonds) with its gorgeous Spanish colonial architecture, lush grounds and first-rate dining option. Other possibilities for your home base in Scottsdale include the Hyatt Regency at Gainey Ranch with its Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired architecture (his Taliesin West is in northeast Scottsdale and is open for tours).
Kansas City Royals
The City of Surprise hosts the Royals for Cactus League ball. Surprise Recreation Campus has a pretty park that can hold up to 10,400 fans. It’s just 45 minutes northwest of downtown Phoenix, which offers a huge variety of dining, entertainment, and recreational opportunities, including Phoenix Municipal Field, home to the Oakland Athletics.
Fans who want a diversion from all the ballparks have many cultural and recreational choices in Phoenix. The well-known Heard Museum that interprets Southwest Native American culture, history, and art should not be missed, and visitors can easily spend an entire morning or afternoon here. A beautiful outdoor courtyard is perfect for enjoying a light snack or beverage and soaking in those glorious rays.
A gem of a museum that is not as well known, the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) in Phoenix features fascinating exhibits of instruments from every country in the world. Some 12,000 instruments are at the core of this collection. What stopped me in my tracks was the piano on which John Lennon composed “Imagine.”
Fans who visit the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix will truly appreciate the diversity of desert landscapes that are everywhere in Arizona. The 145-acre garden is beautifully designed using four loop trails and showcases 50,000 surprising plants. There’s also a Butterfly Pavilion and herb garden. Don’t miss browsing in the Garden Shop before you leave for a game.
Motel lodging is available in Surprise, but if fans want to experience historical luxury that gives a nod to the early days of the Cactus League, check out the Wigwam Resort in Litchfield Park, an affluent western Phoenix suburb. Championship golf, a Red Door Spa, seven restaurants, four pools, and more than 300 guest casitas are part of your stay at the Wigwam, which last year unveiled $7 million in renovations.
For an interesting lunch or casual dinner, try Arrogant Butcher in CityScape, a mixed-use high-rise development in downtown Phoenix. The food is plentiful and delicious in this hip eatery developed by local food entrepreneur Sam Fox.
Get a quick bite before a baseball game at Honey Bear’s BBQ & Soul Food with three locations in Phoenix. The Van Buren Street spot is close to Municipal Stadium. Tender Tennessee-style barbecue, hearty sides, and cheap prices draw the crowds in here.
Springtime baseball is filled with promise, and Cactus League action is a solid hit with fans who follow their team to Arizona.
Deborah Reinhardt is a long-time baseball fan and managing editor of AAA Midwest Traveler.
