Spring Training: Arizona

re running this article from our Spring Training trip SPRING TRAINING: Arizona


Ed - In conjunction amongst Tim's Spring Training Primer study at Tim's Sports World, we're running this article from our Spring Training trip...

In the midst of Tim’s junior twelvemonth of college, nosotros in conclusion caught a break…spring break, that is.  This year, it coincided amongst Spring Training, something we’ve never done but ever wanted to try.
Tim had but turned 21, in addition to hence nosotros told him we’d accept him to the casinos of Nevada to celebrate.  After a couplet of days at that spot (Tim genuinely had some luck on the Roulette wheel), nosotros headed across Hoover Dam in addition to into Arizona.
Looking at the Cactus League schedule for that time, nosotros saw that our team…the Angels…were to survive playing the Texas Rangers at the Ranger’s facility, Surprise Stadium.  The stadium was on the way, in addition to hence nosotros stopped past times in addition to picked upwardly tickets for the side past times side day’s game.


It was an slowly in addition to quick transaction at the box role in addition to had no problems at all securing a wheelchair spot summation ii companion seats well-nigh 2/3 of the agency from habitation plate to firstly base of operations at the go past times of the plain marking seating bowl.
It’s a flake of a drive from Surprise to Phoenix.  Everything is a flake of a drive inwards Phoenix.
Our hotel would survive the Phoenix Inn in addition to Suites, a decent house amongst large rooms in addition to roll-in showers.  Now, it’s called Hampton Inn Biltmore.
For dinner, nosotros went to Coyote Grill on Bell Road inwards Scottsdale, a really skillful place…at to the lowest degree it was.  It’s straight off been replaced past times a Scottish-themed Hooter’s knockoff.
The side past times side twenty-four hr catamenia was spent lounging unopen to the pool, waiting for game time.  Tim likes to teach to games correct when the gates open, in addition to hence nosotros left the hotel unopen to 5:00 for the 7:30 game.  Good matter nosotros did because the freeways stopped a ways earlier Surprise.  Traffic was a nightmare on those surface streets that were but non designed for the amount of cars the ever-expanding Phoenix expanse was dumping on them. 
We arrived well-nigh 6:30, lay on our crimson Angels shirts in addition to hats, works life our seats in addition to settled inwards for the game. 
It’s a relaxed atmosphere at a trammel preparation game.  The managers of the teams genuinely sit down on the plain behind habitation plate instead of the dugout to amend meet how their players’ forms are. After all, these are preparation sessions for them.
While a let on of large stars accept the plain at the beginning, they are rotated off later a couplet of innings in addition to hence that novel players, rookies, in addition to nipper leaguers tin forcefulness out accept the plain in addition to survive assessed.

Still, it’s a baseball game game.  Beer, hot dogs, 7th inning stretch…that’s all nevertheless there.  The nighttime nosotros went the crowd prepare a novel attendance tape at the stadium…over 12,000 inwards attendance amongst the bulk wearing crimson in addition to rooting for the Angels.
The Angels nosotros on to win in addition to nosotros left happy.  As for the prices, it tin forcefulness out teach a flake spendy. I was expecting nipper league prices but inwards actuality, it’s somewhere betwixt what you’d pass at a nipper league game in addition to a regular flavour game.
The side past times side morning, nosotros drove over to Tempe to meet the Angels’ facility at Tempe Diablo Stadium.  There was no game but the squad was working out.  Watching the workout was gratuitous in addition to the access into the seating bowl presents no barriers to those inwards wheelchairs.  In this pre-2008 flavour workout, it was slowly to teach upwardly unopen in addition to personal amongst such players every bit Vladimir Guerrero, Garret Anderson, in addition to Chone Figgins who conduct maintain all gone on to other teams or retirement.
It’s a loose in addition to friendly atmosphere in addition to you lot tin forcefulness out genuinely chat amongst the players in addition to coaches.  Many volition come upwardly to the sidelines to autograph balls or other mementos.  First base of operations motorcoach Alfredo Griffin took a bucket of balls in addition to a Sharpie which he used to sign balls in addition to toss to fans inwards the stands 1 at a time.


It was a fun agency to welcome baseball game dorsum for the twelvemonth in addition to to teach excited for some other flavour of our favorite sport.  The Angels would teach on to win their sectionalisation but teach knocked out past times the Red Sox inwards the firstly circular of playoffs.
For to a greater extent than information, meet our Field of Dreams study on Surprise Stadium in addition to watch cactusleague.com for Arizona Spring Training information.
-Darryl
Copyright 2011 – Darryl Musick
All Rights Reserved




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