Our latest ebook is now available for Kindle and Nook users: The Complete Guide to Spring Training 2013 / Arizona. This book is both for the hardcore baseball fan – who goes to spring training to scout out their favorite team in depth – as well as the more casual fan who heads to spring […]
Tag Archives | cactus league
Prepping for spring training
Our day was spent on a vitally important task: putting the final touches on the many, many listings on our Spring Training Online site, so now you have the tools to begin planning your February and March travels. To be honest, its been hard to track all the schedule and reporting-date changes and additions to […]
Spring training brings $632 million to Phoenix economy: studies
Spring training in Phoenix pumps $632 million into the local economy year-round, according to studies released by the Cactus League Baseball Association and Elliott D. Pollack & Co. From the Arizona Republic: The study found that 56 percent of the 1.7 million fans attending games this past spring were out-of-state visitors and the median stay in […]
Cubs, Mesa break ground on new spring-training facility
The Chicago Cubs and the city of Mesa yesterday broke ground on a new $99-million spring-training complex, slated to open for the 2014 season. Take a peek at the new renderings. The ballpark, to be designed by Populous, will hold 15,000 fans and include a videoboard, shaded seats and luxury suites. The new complex will also include […]
Peoria to spend $48 million on upgrading spring-training complex
Peoria (Az.) will spend $48 million on upgrading the spring-training complex for the San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners as part of a lease extension running through 2034. Spring training has become a big business, with demanding — and receiving — first-rate complexes. The Peoria Stadium complex was considered state of the art when it […]
Cactus League facing uncertainty, financial issues
With Oakland and Milwaukee potentially relocating and tourism taxes coming up short, Cactus League officials are working to identify new sources of revenue to pay down spring-training-ballpark debt. While it’s highly unlikely either team will leave the greater Phoenix area — Oakland is negotiating a move to HoHoKam Park once the Cubbies depart and the […]
Don’t look now, but spring training is around the corner
Oh, the weather outside is frightful, but spring training is around the corner. Time to make your plans, as tickets are going fast at some spring-training ballparks. At least, that’s the report from Scottsdale, where Salt River Fields general manager David Dunne reports that opening day and some weekend games for the Arizona Diamondbacks and […]
Regents approve Sun Devils move to new Cubs training facility
The Arizona State Sun Devils baseball team will be sharing a new Mesa spring-training facility with the Chicago Cubs starting in 2014, as the move was approved by the Arizona Board of Regents last night. The move will cost the athletic department $2 million for the construction of a team clubhouse. In return, according to […]
Future of City of Palms Park still under debate
Though many in Fort Myers would like to see another MLB team train at City of Palms Park, that’s not happening any time soon, and Lee County is struggling to find a future use for the ballpark — with an outdoor pool again at the top of the list. It’s no secret Fort Myers and […]
Parsing the spring-training attendance numbers
With Spring Training 2011 now over, it’s time to look at the winners and losers in the annual tune-up to the Major League Baseball season, with over 3.5 million fans attending games in Florida, Arizona and other exhibition venues. There are actually a few different sets of spring-training numbers floating around out there: MLB tallies […]
Ricketts: Not so fast on Wrigleyville West
Despite telling Mesa voters that development would be part of the mix at new Chicago Cubs spring-training complex, owner Tom Ricketts now says Wrigleyville West will need to wait until the new ballpark opens — if it happens at all. The issue is pretty simple: early feedback indicates there’s little demand from retailers and restauranteurs […]
It’s truck day!
At MLB clubhouses across the nation, the same scenario will be played out in the next few days: large trucks bearing lots of equipment will heading to Florida or Arizona, to be broken out for spring training. Yes, friends, it’s Truck Day! At least for the Red Sox, who not only have made Truck Day […]
Feeding frenzy expected for Cubs spring facility work
When the city of Mesa releases a “request for qualifications” notice in coming weeks, we’ll see a feeding frenzy as architectural and construction firms jockey for position — and we hear the process is expected to be wide open. Discussions of the new facility were fast and frequent at the Winter Meetings, as lots of […]