Arizona Spring Training - PICS

It's that time of year again! My favorite month in Arizona has got to to be March. Weather is usually great, so lots of outdoor activities, IMHO, the best one involving beer and hot dogs.

So, for the rest of the month, I will be giving info and pictures of Spring Training here in Arizona, my goal being to attend at least one game in each of the 8 different locations here and in Tucson, sampling the regional food of the home teams where available.

Here is the link to the official site if you want even more info:

http://www.cactusleague.com/

PLAY BALL !


So far:

Hohokam Stadium - Cubs
Phoenix Muni - A's
Surprise Stadium - Royals

SF GIANTS at CHICAGO CUBS

MARCH 01, 2OO7



http://www.hohokamstadium.com/Home.aspx



I wanted to start things off with a bang, so I got over to Mesa this afternoon to catch a few innings of the Lovable Losers and the Unlovable Losers.




Hohokam stadium is smack dab in the middle of Mesa, and is probably the most popular ticket in town this time of year. Cubs fans certainly are loyal, and there were plenty of them (over 8,000 in attendance) out here to watch their team and catch some rays.






I grabbed Red Hot Chicago Dog from the stand and a cold beer (only 12 bucks!) and had a seat out on the grassy outfield area.




There was plenty to look at besides baseball, but I tried to remain focused....




One of the cool things about spring training is how close you actually get to the game and the players.






Of course, not everyone found the game particularly interesting.




I decided on the Red Hot for obvious reasons, but there were other things being offered as well.






As far as my beer selection went, well I almost had one of these...



I decided not to, as I have had Old Style plenty in the past, most of the time not by choice.

I probably did not do much better with my Bud Light, but it was such a bargain at 7 bucks, how could I resist? (A 12 oz serving of the Old Style was going for $4.50, the Bud was 22 oz.)




Anyway, It was a great day to be at the park, afternoon temps were about 64 degrees. Unfortunately the Cubs lost miserably 9-2. Bonds did us all a favor and didn't show up. I was prepared to throw a few boos his way, as most everyone else was I suppose. Zito looked good, he better for the kinda $ he's raking in.

I think the ghost of Harry Carey is lurking (staggering?) about somewhere in this park, cuz I'm sure as I was leaving I heard a "Holy Cow" come from somewhere over by the Old Style stand!

Double D - I love this kind of report! Keep 'em coming as I'll be checking this out every day. We did the Cub's convention this year again and ate lots of dogs but it was indoors in January and cold outside. The Cub fans are a loyal group. You do have a good eye for the camera shot!

om man, do i love baseball!!
DD, keep the pictures coming!!
hubster listens to the games at work
and your pics add to his pleasure.
you rock dude!!

Oh, boy! Baseball time again...
I'm having flashbacks to Spring Training 1985, when my mom and I went to Hohokam Park still high on the Padres 1984 playoff victory over the Cubs. Some of the Padres' fans (those not as polite as we) were still chanting "40 more years!"...
(...there will be no mention of Detroit Tigers to rain on my happy memories here, thank you...)
You are so very right about the up close aspect of the spring training parks. That's also what I like about going to Lake Elsinore to watch the Storm. We like to see how our predictions pan out for the up-and-coming future big leaguers.

Alright D Dog, no fair getting to the park this early in the spring training before me! I will be there sooooon. Great pictures though. I can get to the park in Maryvale and Glendale better but will also try to get to Hohokam park this year also. Have a great time this spring training season!

David O.

quote:

Originally posted by boyardee65

Alright D Dog, no fair getting to the park this early in the spring training before me! I will be there sooooon. Great pictures though. I can get to the park in Maryvale and Glendale better but will also try to get to Hohokam park this year also. Have a great time this spring training season!

David O.

Let me know when you're coming down, I'll try to meet up with you for a game. Have you been out to see the Royals or Rangers in Surprise yet? Great Stadium for a game.

DD

quote:

Originally posted by desertdog

quote:

Originally posted by boyardee65

Alright D Dog, no fair getting to the park this early in the spring training before me! I will be there sooooon. Great pictures though. I can get to the park in Maryvale and Glendale better but will also try to get to Hohokam park this year also. Have a great time this spring training season!

David O.

Let me know when you're coming down, I'll try to meet up with you for a game. Have you been out to see the Royals or Rangers in Surprise yet? Great Stadium for a game.

DD

Haven't been out to Surprise to a game yet but am looking forward to it as soon as the damnable wind dies down. I only have weekdays off as I am in the " business." As you well know, there is no such thing as a weekend or holiday off in this business!

Chicago Cubs at Okland Athletics

Saturday, March 03, 2007



Phoenix Municipal Stadium

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/spring_training/y2005/index.jsp?c_id=oak


Another great day for baseball, the weather was about 68 degrees and although it was a bit windy, it did not affect the game or the crowd.




Phoenix "Muni" is considered to be in the city of Phoenix, but it is closer to downtown Tempe than it is to downtown Phoenix.

The city of Phoenix spent about $8 million renovating the park a couple years ago, and although it still does not have grass seating in the outfield like most other parks, it will hold about 8500 fans+ standing room tickets quite comfortably.




Today the A's were playing the Cubs, and there wasn't a seat left in the place. Of course, both teams were well represented...





(BTW, Is it true that by wearing you ball cap backwards, you reduce your I.Q. by as much as 75 points? )

We got to the game a bit early, and had a hankerin' for a dog and a brew. This stadium does not have a signature item on the menu, so we went with Hot Link Sausages and a Kona Longboard Lager.







They did have sauteed onions available so I got a few of those along with mustard on my dog, had a seat and got busy. Interestingly, I noticed that the sauteed onions had slices of bratwurst mixed into it. Not sure why, just thought it odd.


In left field, they have a grassy beer garden area set up, that's where we snagged our grub. Since it is elevated, if you get a decent position you have a good view of the game.



Kinda neat to go down to the field to watch and talk to the players as they warm up.






Mike Piazza had a good day, here he is on first, he eventually scored.




LENS ENVY....




All in all a good day at the ol' ball game. We left early, had other errands to run before getting home, but the game went into extra innings...

Great photos, D-Dog. Last year I chaperoned a trip to Peoria, Az and saw 5 Mariner games in 5 days . it was relaxed, a lot of fun , and I got to meet some of the players.

My nephew reported Wednesday for Rockies camp. I think that's in Tucson. Bring on the season.

Enginecapt, really, he's a Rockie? What's his name? We've been Rockies fans since day one.

D'dog, I'm still building up the courage to ask if I can move in with your family!. An Old Style, Chicago dog and the Cubbies. It just don't get any better!!!!!!
Dean

You won't know him. He's still toiling down on the farm. From what I understand they all report to the same place for spring.

quote:

Originally posted by Pwingsx

Enginecapt, really, he's a Rockie? What's his name? We've been Rockies fans since day one.

It's great to see that there are some other Rockies fans out there!!! I grew up in Colorado Springs and have been a fan since they got the team. Even though they are always in the cellar we still love them! The Skysox are the farm club for the Rockies and are housed in Colo. Spgs. We used to get snowed out of games every spring there!!!
Still, gotta love the home town team!!!

David O.

I'm a diehard, David. My favorite player is still Walt Weiss.....sigh....

I really should consider stepping into the new millenium, huh......nah.....

desertdog-
I had the pleasure of attending some Cactus league baseball just last year. I saw home games for the Brewers in Maryvale and the Royals in Surprise. My buddy and I had had a great time at both. The stadium at Surprise was especially nice. Even though my favorite team (Pirates) trains in Florida, I would be more likely to go back to Arizona for spring training in the future.

It looks as though the Dodgers will be moving out here in a couple years, as well as the Clevland Indians. Sorta feel bad for Florida folks, apparently Dodgertown is quite a treasure. I would like to get down there and catch a game before they leave in 2009.

It's a shame, but with pro sports these days, it's all about the bottom line, tradition be damned.

I wonder why exhibition football is not held in similar esteem. It's a rhetorical question, mostly, but I must be one of the few who does not care for baseball, but instead I get a similar rush in late July when football camps start. The NFL is supposed to be the national sport, but it seems more people on Roadfood prefer baseball!

tamandmik-
Two reasons come to mind. First, for many of us in the north, seeing baseball training camps open and the games start is a sure sign that Spring is right around the corner. And as I look at the white out going on outside my window, who isn't in favor of that?

Secondly, most pro football teams have their training camps very close to home. But to travel to Arizona or Florida to see your favorite team is a much bigger event.

I can tell you that the opening of training camp for the Steelers is positioned somewhere between Christmas and Thanksgiving in importance for us Pittsburghers.

quote:

Originally posted by buffetbuster

tamandmik-
Two reasons come to mind. First, for many of us in the north, seeing baseball training camps open and the games start is a sure sign that Spring is right around the corner. And as I look at the white out going on outside my window, who isn't in favor of that?

I know what you mean about the northern winters, having lived almost my entire life in New Jersey. I've become quite spoiled over the past 2 years.

Seattle Mariners at Kansas City Royals

Thursday, March 08, 2007



Surprise Stadium

http://www.surpriseaz.com/

Surprise, AZ is a beautiful town on the far western edge of the Phoenix metropolitan area. The town has been growing by leaps and bounds over the last several years, attracting more and more families through the addition of excellent amenities, like a water park, an outstanding library and, of course, the ball fields and the stadium for spring training.



This stadium is, IMHO the best place to see a spring training game. The facility is excellent and there is plenty of good ol' midwestern hospitality.



The Texas Rangers and the Kansas City Royals share the facility, and each team has a series of practice fields, inc. a main practice field with the exact dimensions of their respective fields back home.

The whole campus open for use by various community organizations the rest of the year.

Today the Royals were hosting the Mariners, with only about 3500 people in attendance.




It lacked the excitement of Hohokam park and the Cubs however, and there are a couple things I would change If I was running the place.

First, Kansas City and Texas are well known for their excellent BBQ. Why not offer BBQ from both regions? The stuff is no where to be found.

Second of all, how about offering a local brew from each region? Shiner Bock and Boulevard Beers come to mind.


Anyway, I settled for the Texas Big Dog and a Sierra Nevada, my friend a regular hot dog. Turns out he made the right choice.




My Texas Dog was on a Hoagie bun, with cole slaw, cheddar cheese and Jalapenos. If it would have been on a regular bun, it probably would have been OK, but the Hoagie Bun just fell apart and made the whole mess nearly impossible to eat.

The regular dog looked like it was the same size as the Texas dog, but was on a regular bun. Simple and I'm sure, delicious.

FOOD ENVY!




We grabbed a spot down near the field and watched a bit of the game.




My eyes began to wander out to the grassy outfield seating and I suggested we take a stroll out there. The temperature today was about 82 degrees, so there were plenty of skin being exposed to the sun.......I just hope everyone was using sunscreen!




The Royals beat up on the Mariners today, winning 11-3. I always hold out hope that KC would return to the glory days of George Brett and Bret Saberhagen, but until they can afford to spend like the Yankees, I guess the chances of that happening are slim to none.

Went to the Surprise stadium to Watch the Cubbies and the Rangers play on Friday. We sat in the out field lawn so my daughter could play and try to catch a homer. A good time was had by all but the Cubs lost 9-11. I didn't try any of the stadium food because we ate at Streets of New York right before the game. Had some really good wings and a great Margarita Pizza and plenty of beer before the game so I wouldn't have to spend so much at the park. I did end up buying a few brewskies at the park though. I had to pay 4.50 for a cup of ice. It was explained to me this way, "They charge by the cup, not the product in the cup."

David O.

I talked it over with several friends last night and we decided that we were going to visit Arizona next year for baseball spring training. Right now, six of us say we are going. I asked if they would rather go to Florida or Arizona and it was unanimous for Arizona. And this is despite the fact that our team (the Pirates) train in Florida.

quote:

Originally posted by tamandmik

I wonder why exhibition football is not held in similar esteem. It's a rhetorical question, mostly, but I must be one of the few who does not care for baseball, but instead I get a similar rush in late July when football camps start. The NFL is supposed to be the national sport, but it seems more people on Roadfood prefer baseball!

Two things: NFL = No Fun League and THUGS playing the game

Food and Baseball seem to go together better than any other sport and food combo. It just seems to be that way! Most stadiums have a specialty concession that they do well. In Coors' Field it's Rocky Mountain Oysters, in Chicago it's the Dog in Wisconsin, it's the Brat. Baseball, beer and food just seem to go together. I personally love the NFL (Denver Broncos.) I think that it is a little unfair to judge a whole sport by the actions of a few players that make mistakes. But I digress, this a thread about food and baseball NOT football. Talk to me again in Sept about NFL.

David O.

My favorite specialty food is Seattle's Safeco field's sushi stand which features the Ichiro combo. I like to have sake with it.

Call me old fashioned, but Sushi and Sake at a ball game? Only in Seattle...

I've made it out to two more games this week, Monday I took my 90 year old grandmother out to see the Royals and White Sox, here she is singing at the 7th inning stretch....



She lives in Kansas and still listens to almost every game on the radio. When Grampa was still alive they used to bet a quarter on every game, but like Pete Rose, she never bet against her own team!



On Wednesday, a good friend of mine down from Chicago invited me out to see the Cubs and the Rangers. Great game actually...got to see Sammy Sosa, (1 for 3, beat out a throw for a single) he showed some good hustle.

The score went back and forth with the Cubbies winning it in the bottom of the ninth with a walk-off grand slam by Daryle Ward. Great day for a game and what a game it was.

Since I already did pics and reports from these parks, I didn't bother to post them again...I'm running out of time to get the rest in...it's the same every year. I set my mind to seeing one game in each park and never seem to find the time to do it. Oh well, there's always next year!

quote:

Call me old fashioned, but Sushi and Sake at a ball game? Only in Seattle...

No, actually, when the Padres were still playing at Jack Murphy Stadium sushi was on the menu, as well as fish tacos. It was the subject of derision from Mike Royko during the '84 playoffs, if I remember correctly.

quote:

I set my mind to seeing one game in each park and never seem to find the time to do it.

A noble goal indeed! One which I would love to pursue when I win the lottery or retire, whichever comes first.

How wonderful that you got to spend a day with your Grandma enjoying baseball under the sun (the best way!). Time with our grandparents is special indeed, even when we kids are 'all growed up' (maybe especially then).

Well, the end of spring training is almost upon us we still have one more week to enjoy. I will try to get to one more game this week and try some of the stadium specialties. Now we can all look forward to 15-30 dollar seats and $8.00 beers. Have a great week, and I will try to post about this weeks game.
p.s. Great times with Grandma are rare indeed! I only have my Mom, my Wife and Daughter, my Bros, and their kids to take to games as most of my family is deceased. Cherish this time with her and know that I envy you(without malice.) I used to follow the Dodgers with my Gramma when I was about 7-8 years old. She was a huge fan and used to drink beer, eat peanuts, smoke, curse and just have a great time. But that was then and this is now! Times chance and those things are not P.C.
Oh well, talk to you all later!
David O.