For the second straight year, Ballpark Digest readers named Salt River Fields at Talking Stick the top Cactus League ballpark in the Best of the Ballparks vote.
In the final round of voting, fans selected Salt River Fields over Camelback Ranch-Glendale by a 76.1%-23.9% margin in the bracketed competition.
“There’s no doubt Salt River Fields and its unique design redefined how fans attended spring training games and practices,” said Ballpark Digest Publisher Kevin Reichard. “The fact that the fans chose Salt River Fields the best in the Cactus League certainly speaks to that high commitment to quality. It truly is one of the best places to take in a baseball game anywhere.”
Salt River Fields opened for spring training 2011 in partnership with the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community (SRPMIC) as the first spring-training complex to be built on Indian land in the nation. The complex includes the 11,000-capacity ballpark, 12 practice fields and separate clubhouses and training facilities for both teams. It was a groundbreaker in another important way: it was the first LEED Gold-certified ballpark in the United States.
This is not the first time Salt River Fields has recognized by Ballpark Digest: Besides winning last year’s Best of the Ballparks fan vote, Salt River Fields was chosen as the Best New Ballpark in the annual Ballpark Digest Awards in 2011, with HKS Sports & Entertainment Group cited for the facility’s unique design.
“On behalf of the Arizona Diamondbacks, the Colorado Rockies and the Salt River Indian Community, Salt River Fields is proud to be named the fans favorite Cactus League Ballpark, for the second consecutive year! SRF prides itself on a great fan experience, and we appreciate this being reflected in the fans voting,” said Dave Dunne, General Manager, Salt River Fields. “Thank you to the fans, ballparkdigest.com and springtrainingonline.com for the award, we highly value this recognition.”