The first time I set foot in a Cactus League spring training park, there were probably 2,000 people there, the ticket cost $3, and although it had a seat number, they were pretty casual about where you sat.
A Veteran’s Guide To Arizona Spring Training
That was March 1984, 26 years ago, the spring before the Cubs broke their 39-year postseason drought by winning the NL East. The next time I went was in 1989 -- I thought my presence alone was producing division titles, but the next 17 times, not so much.
This spring will be my 20th in the Valley of the Sun, and spring training has changed from a hangout for retirees and diehards to a monthlong event where families plan an annual vacation to see their favorite team.
If you're going to a spring game for the first time, here are some tips that will help you make your trip to Arizona more enjoyable. First of all, it'll cost you more than $3 for a game, though many lawn tickets are available for as little as $5 (in Tucson, for Diamondbacks games) and $8-$10 in the Phoenix area. You can't beat that for entertainment value -- you can't even catch a movie for less than $10 these days -- and lawn seats are one big change in the last 25 years, as teams have learned that casual fans sitting sunning themselves on the lawn, a cold beverage of choice in hand, has become an extremely popular pastime.
It used to be that Cubs spring games were almost automatic sellouts. That has changed this year, likely due to the down economy. Most other teams have plenty of seats available; you’ll find that if you go to a game where the Cubs are the visitors, Cubs fans can nearly outnumber home fans at certain parks.
And that's the first tip. Don't just go to your team's home games -- check out all the parks in the Phoenix area, all of which are within 45-50 minutes' drive. Tucson is two hours south of Phoenix, but might be worth a jaunt this year as this will be the last season of spring baseball in Tucson; the D'backs and Rockies, the final two holdouts, move to a new complex on native American land near Scottsdale next year.
And driving is a necessity. Rent a car. Phoenix public transportation, though better than it used to be, doesn’t serve the spring parks. All are easy to access and some (Surprise) have free parking.
Although tickets are relatively inexpensive, food isn't. Major league prices are in effect at most parks -- and you're kind of stuck, because most of them won't let you bring in more than a sealed water bottle. However, many of the parks have BBQ grill stands with pretty good food. My favorites for this are Tempe (Angels) and Peoria (Mariners/Padres), and Scottsdale (Giants) isn't far behind.
When you're not at a game, if you're into hiking, there are many excellent hiking trails in the Phoenix area. Warning -- don't try running up Camelback Mountain unless you're Ryan Dempster, the Cubs pitcher who likes to do some offseason workouts there. It's a challenging trail. You can also check out shopping and dining in Scottsdale, where there are both inexpensive and upscale choices, or major league hockey in Glendale, where the Coyotes play. The NBA Phoenix Suns are a tougher ticket, and pretty pricey, but if you're into basketball, that's an option. There's no NCAA regional in Phoenix this year, but in some years, that brings hordes of college basketball fans to the Valley.
One thing you can definitely do at spring training that you can’t during the season is get closer to the players. The parks are smaller, and players are more relaxed; if you catch them at one of the practice fields before a game, you might be able to pick up an autograph or three that you can’t once April begins. You can also see your team’s minor leaguers play against other squads on the practice fields most afternoons.
You can't beat the weather -- it rarely rains past the middle of March in Phoenix -- and you can't beat the entertainment value. And it doesn't really matter if your team wins or loses, because these games don't count and often players are working on things they might try during the season to see if they'll work. When they don't, expect games with scores like 20-5, which was not only the score of a Cubs-A's game I saw last year, but the time it ended -- 4:40 pm, a grotesquely long game that was punctuated by hearing Neal Cotts yell out obscenities and throw his glove at the dugout wall after allowing a home run.
That’s the kind of thing you’ll never hear or see during the season. Go and have fun. But one last word of warning: bring sunscreen. Lots of it. Trust me on this one.
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