SPRING TRAINING A DESERT VACATION DESTINATION
MICHAEL RAWSON
SPORTS EDITOR
Be they diehard baseball fans, bandwagoners or merely fans of hot sun and a good time, gather up the friends, relatives and kids and head East to Arizona: It’s time for spring training.
Every year before Opening Day, Major League Baseball players pack their cleats and bats and head to one of two warm American locales to train for the real season. While traveling to Florida—where fifteen teams, such as the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox, prepare for the year—may be unrealistic, Southern California teams play in our neighboring state. The Padres share the Peoria Sports Complex with the Seattle Mariners in Peoria, the Angels play at Diablo Stadium in Tempe, and the Dodgers go halves at Camelback Ranch in Glendale with the Chicago White Sox.
Getting to Phoenix couldn’t be easier: Head south from CSUSM to Interstate-8 and go East. Past Yuma, both the 85 North and 95 North will run into Interstate-10. The I-10 East runs through the center of all playing fields.
The hometown Padres head into this spring training with much heavier expectations than last year. Picked by most critics to finish in last place before the season, the Friars rode their excellent pitching and wizardry on defense to finish within two games of the playoffs last year, falling on the last day to the eventual World Series champion San Francisco Giants.
Several new faces will be on hand in Peoria this year. Wily veteran Orlando Hudson joins the infield, while youngsters Jason Bartlett and Cameron Maybin look to make their mark on the starting lineup. Old-timers Aaron Harang, Ryan Ludwick and Brad Hawpe have their sights set on returning to All-Star form.
Spring training runs from the last weekend in February to end of March. Several games are played every day. Occasionally, teams divide into “split squads,” with half the roster playing at home, and half the roster playing an away game against a different team. If planned right, fans can see two games played by their favorite team and simultaneously experience different venues.
Teams have historically kept ticket prices low for spring training, and while the ceiling has recently gone skyward, dirt-cheap entry can still be had. Luxury tickets at brand-new Camelback Ranch are $45, but most parks offer lawn seating for between $5-$10.
Reserving room reservations in advance always keeps the price low, but lodging can always be found at a reasonable price. Road-trippers with deep pockets can take advantage of deals like the “Steal Third” deal at the plush Wigwam Resort: Reserve two nights, get one free. Of course, the first two nights run at around $250 each.
Nothing during the regular season compares with spring training in terms of interactivity. Players are closer and more available for autographs, and often stop to casually converse with fans. The atmosphere relaxes, the grub satisfies and the beer flows as it rightly should. Combined with the sunshine and the crack of the bat, nothing beats spring training for Spring Break.
Photos courtesy of Geoff Baker