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Arizona's Cactus League
 Spring Training is here! For Arizona baseball fans - locals and visitors alike – Spring Training for the Major League means it’s time to gear up for some serious baseball fun. At the beginning of Spring Training, twelve teams – known as the “Cactus League” - descend upon Arizona. Nine teams head to the Phoenix area, and three teams go to Tucson, to workout and play against each other before the real season begins.
“When spring training baseball comes to mind, one can only think of sunshine, peanuts, popcorn, and home runs,” says HomeAway homeowner, Debbie Gleason. The 2007 Spring Training exhibition schedule begins on March 1, and continues through March 31.
For many baseball fans, Arizona’s Cactus League allows them to get closer to the action. “It does not get better than being one of 10,000 fans in a stadium that has no second deck and hardly a bad seat with no more than 30 rows,” says HomeAway Homeowner, Don Watz. “Up and beyond the outfield is a grass area that is $8 for lawn seats on a weekday afternoon.”
Though there are plenty of Cactus League games, some tickets are harder to acquire than others. “HoHoKam Park is probably the hottest ticket in the Cactus League, as those refugees from the cold Chicago winters are only too eager to flee to sunny Arizona,” say HomeAway property owners Chris and Dory Simmons. “And with a total capacity of 12,623 (including 8,000 fixed seats, 2,000 bleacher seats, and lawn capacity of over 2500), HoHoKam Park is the second-largest stadium in the Cactus League – allowing the Chicago Cubs to set spring-training attendance records.”
 HomeAway homeowner Joanna Hernandez points out that while the Cactus League is comprised of some of the greatest teams in American history, “…it’s spring in the desert that brings all of us here. Every day of the week you can see a completely different set of games, all while enjoying the desert life during the day, and city’s excitement at night.”
In fact, Phoenix offers a vibrant nightlife, much of it centered in Old Town Scottsdale, near the corner of Scottsdale and Camelback roads. Home to the San Francisco Giants during Spring Training, downtown Scottsdale is alive with ultra-chic bars, hopping nightclubs, and a diverse array of eateries. In recent years, Scottsdale has become so popular among the jet-set crowd, that it’s not uncommon to experience multiple celebrity sightings in one visit.
What better way to see Spring Training than to make your home plate a private house or condo rather than a hotel? HomeAway property owners, Linda and Michael Edgar write, “Fans of the Seattle Mariners and the San Diego Padres will be pleased to discover the comfort available to them in our house, just five minutes from Peoria Stadium. Many of our guests are families getting together for reunions and plenty of baseball fans who love to travel together.” Also consider HomeAway Homeowner, Dean Ripson’s comment: “Before and after the game, enjoy the privacy of our luxury home, not the cramped quarters of a hotel room.”
Even if you’re not a baseball fan, March is a beautiful time of year to visit Arizona. “My listing has always noted that the home would be attractive to Spring Training fans given that the stadiums are so close,” says HomeAway Homeowner, Lillian Habeich,“ and yet, the home offers the serenity and beauty akin to the red rocks of Sedona – right in the middle of this major metropolitan area.”
As HomeAway property owner, Leigh Gieringer, points out, “Arizona is known for its beautiful desert sunsets. Debbie Gleason suggests, “How about watching the Arizona sunset while enjoying a romantic moment with your sweetheart by the outdoor gas fireplace?”
Dory and Chris Simmons sum up Spring Training best when they say, “All in all, it’s pretty tough to beat the locale, the sunny warm days, and the month of March when the Cactus League games are in full swing – no pun intended!”
Recommended Reading:
• Read our Travel Story about Japanese Baseball
• Cactus League Stadium Map
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