When the Diamondbacks’ John Hester grounded out this afternoon at Hi Corbett Field, it marked the end of an era. After more than 60 years, spring training is leaving Tucson, with the last two teams, Arizona and Colorado, moving up the I-10 to Phoenix, joining the other 13 teams playing in and around the state’s capital.
The End Of Spring Training In Tucson
↵It’s fitting the last game was played at Hi Corbett, as that’s where spring training started in Arizona, on March 8, 1946. The Cleveland Indians and New York Giants faced off there, with Bob Lemon leading the Indians a 3-1 win. But with the focus of the Cactus League increasingly in Phoenix, teams often sent their B-squads on the two-hour trip south to Tucson, and attendance numbers in the state’s second city lagged behind those further North.
↵When the White Sox moved to a shiny new park in Glendale, it let the Rockies and Diamondbacks invoke an escape clause in their contracts, and they’ll be on a native American facility in East Phoenix next season. There may be some hope, with a campaign in Tucson seeking other tenants - and not just in the US, either, with franchises from Mexico and Japan being courted. However, for now, the only pro ball game left in town will be the Toros of the independent Golden Baseball League.
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