This is a wonderful time of year to live in Arizona - it's 74f outside with wall to wall bright beautiful sunshine! What makes it more wonderful is that MLB Spring Training is just around the corner!
For those of you reading overseas who are not so familiar with Major League Baseball, Spring Training is a month/6 week long 'warm-up' session consisting of a series of practices and exhibition games that precedes the start of the regular season on April 5th.
Spring training allows new players to audition for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play. Spring training has always attracted fan attention, drawing crowds who travel to the warmer climates of Arizona and Florida to enjoy the weather, to get up close and personal to the stars and watch their favorite teams play while sat on grass embankments enjoying a cold beer, warm sunshine in small, cozy stadiums.
The 15 teams that play in Arizona will soon be arriving at the various sites around the Phoenix area, and Tucson. Here's a list of the 15 Cactus League teams...
Arizona Diamondbacks: Tucson Electric Park, Tucson
Chicago Cubs: HoHoKam Park, Mesa Chicago White Sox: Camelback Ranch, Glendale
Cincinnati Reds: Goodyear Ballpark, Goodyear
Cleveland Indians: Goodyear Ballpark, Goodyear
Colorado Rockies: Hi Corbett Field, Tucson
Kansas City Royals: Surprise Stadium, Surprise
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim: Tempe Diablo Stadium, Tempe
Los Angeles Dodgers: Camelback Ranch, Glendale
Milwaukee Brewers: Maryvale Baseball Park, Phoenix
Oakland Athletics: Phoenix Municipal Stadium, Phoenix
San Diego Padres: Peoria Sports Complex, Peoria
San Francisco Giants: Scottsdale Stadium, Scottsdale
Seattle Mariners: Peoria Sports Complex, Peoria
Texas Rangers: Surprise Stadium, Surprise
The first game is March 3rd, and the last is April 3rd. I plan on getting out to a few games again this year, especially as the Mrs is out of town for 10 days in March!
Here's the full schedule if you want to make some of the games yourself!
Ahh, spring training. When every team has an equal chance. Even Royals and Pirates fans can dream. But really, there's nothing better than going to the park in beautiful weather....
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