Spring in Arizona might be the most beautiful time of the year, offering daytime temperatures that can reach the high 70s, the sun will shine almost every day, and in rainier years, wildflowers will blanket the mountains and desert, creating an oasis of beauty that has to be seen to be believed. And in the spring, in March to be more specific, 15 major league baseball teams step up to the plate in 10 different Metropolitan Phoenix area stadiums, delighting fans from all over the world, with many choosing to stay in our Paseo Homes AZ Spring Training sanctuaries. Spring in Scottsdale may be your favorite time of year, but if you aren’t sure your life journey should bring you to our desert town, this intro to Spring Training in Arizona should help you decide.
Guide to Spring Training in Arizona
If you’re new to the whole Spring Training thing, you may not know that the MLB uses the month of March to get ready for the summer season. There are two leagues, the Grapefruit League in Florida and the Cactus League based right here in the Phoenix area. Each league offers the spring home for 15 Major League Baseball teams, all playing their hearts out during the month of March. The Phoenix area offers 10 stadiums for their 15 teams, with a few of the teams sharing stadiums and all of the teams giving our hometown the best month of its life. Experience the crack of the bat, the sounds of crowds roaring, and the taste of cold beer and hot dogs, just as you would during regular season games, only in a more casual, more intimate arena.
Spring Training Hits Differently
If we had to choose something we love most about Spring Training, it would be the overall feel of the games played there. The players are friendly, less standoffish than they are during the regular season, and at all the stadiums the chance that you will get your favorite players autographs are extremely probable. The games generally don’t start until 1:05 in the afternoon, but most of the stadiums open at 9 am offering autograph sessions until noon, so don’t forget to bring a sharpie and something for them to sign. Pro tip: Don’t bring a bat, they will confiscate that at the gate, but anything else is fair game.
The Teams and Their Stadiums
The 15 teams that play here aren’t just from the west, although Colorado, California, Texas, Washington, and of course, Arizona do make their appearances in the shadow of the mountains. Below, we have listed the teams that play here and the stadiums they play at, and who knows? Maybe your team will be one that you can see playing during your Arizona vacation!
Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies, Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, 7555 N Pima Road
Salt River Fields at Talking Stick isn’t just home to our hometown heroes it is the first stadium built on tribal land, honoring the people who live here with a roof that was inspired by a Native American ramada and designed to provide shade for nearly every guest in the park.
Cleveland Guardians and Cincinnati Reds, Goodyear Ballpark
It’s Buckeye nation in Goodyear Ballpark, with both Cleveland and Cincinnati stepping up to the plate. The food served at this stadium represents Ohio and includes Skyline Chili Dogs, and Cleveland Polish Boys, it also offers a kid’s zone that will help give your tiniest travelers a place to burn off their excess energy.
Kansas City Royals and Texas Rangers, Surprise Stadium, 15850 N Bullard Avenue
Offering a family fun pack that includes four lawn tickets, drinks, hot dogs, and popcorn, we have learned that there is nothing more fun than spending a spring day picnicking in the ballpark with the entire family. For those staying in our pet friendly sanctuaries, pup night happens twice during the month, nights when fans are encouraged to bring their pooches along for the game.
Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers, Camelback Ranch-Glendale, 10710 Camelback Road
This stadium stands out in a sea of stadiums, offering walking trails, a lake, and a river that is used to irrigate the landscape. Taking selfies next to giant Tommy Lasorda and Frank Thomas bobbleheads is a much-loved tradition at this park, and its All-You-Can-Eat Bullpen Patio offers unlimited hot dogs, popcorn, soft drinks, bottled water, and nachos.
Seattle Mariners and San Diego Padres, Peoria Sports Complex, 16101 N 83rd Avenue
The Peoria Sports Complex really loves children, offering Peoria Cove and its Shipyard, a play area with a ship’s theme and a splash pad that is the most popular spot for tiny fans. Dogs are welcomed every night for an additional $5 ticket fee.
Milwaukee Brewers, American Family Fields of Phoenix, 3805 N 53rd Avenue
The Milwaukee Brewers have the American Family Fields of Phoenix stadium all to themselves, offering a traditional sausage race during the 6th inning of the games played there. And if you are from Wisconsin, you will feel right at home with the food served here, including the Bratcho, kettle chips topped with bratwurst and nacho toppings.
Los Angeles Angels, Tempe Diablo Stadium, 2200 W Alameda Drive
Sitting in the shadows of Twin Peaks, Tempe Diablo Stadium is the Spring Training home to the Los Angeles Angels whose fandom is renowned throughout town. If you attend games at this stadium and you don’t try the nachos served in an Angels helmet, you are missing out on a life experience.
San Francisco Giants, Scottsdale Stadium, 7408 E Osborn Road
The best place to sit in Scottsdale Stadium is the lawn, often shaded by mature trees and offering lush green grass that is soft and inviting. Barbecue is the food theme of the day, and we can tell you that the cheesesteak cart is the star of the show.
Oakland Athletics, Hohokam Stadium, 1235 N Center Street
One of the smaller parks in the Valley of the Sun, the Spring Training experience is a more intimate one, bringing the fans closer to the players. Offering the Stomper Kid Zone in center field for kids 12, kids can play T-ball, baseball, and meet Stomper for selfies and autographs.
Chicago Cubs, Sloan Park, 2330 W Rio Salado Parkway
Our final stadium is perhaps our most famous one, Sloan Park, designed to look like a miniature version of Wrigley Field, is probably the ballpark that attracts the most tourists, both Cubs fans and those who just like the idea of appearing to hang out in one of the most famous parks in the league. Chicago food is the menu of the day and when the Cubs win, everyone in the stadium breaks out in song with “Go, Cubs, Go” being the song.
The Food
We’ve touched on the food a little in the above paragraphs, but we feel we should go into a little more detail, especially as most of the ballparks in the area have stepped up their game. Can you still get hotdogs, popcorn, peanuts, and beer while enjoying your favorite summer sport? Of course, you can, and in one particular case, as discussed above, you can even enjoy all you can eat of all of the above. Salt River Fields at Talking Stick may offer the best food selection (except for those who prefer the regional foods found in other fields), providing a menu that is filled with the unusual and delicious, including hot dogs made from elk, ostrich, and rattlesnake. Looking for a sit-down meal with views of the field? The Diamond Bar offers televisions so large, you will still feel like you are out on the field, and their food is served to diners sitting comfortably at their tables.
The Innings Festival, Tempe Beach Park, 80 W Rio Salado Parkway
Held over two weekends at the beginning of Spring Training season, the Innings Festival is a celebration of baseball that includes live music, delicious foods, and all the drinks. Three stages will feature a rotating selection of bands playing music that will make you tap your toes and sing along. Even if it didn’t offer all of the above, just spending time at Tempe Beach Park is an experience all should explore, offering Tempe Town Lake as another way to have fun, as well as a batting cage and a speed pitch “competition” where pitchers can compete against themselves and others, trying to pitch the fastest ball of the weekend. The second weekend offers more opportunities to play, eat, and drink with free merch being given out in both events.
Take Me Home to Paseo Homes, AZ
To paraphrase the popular baseball song, you will be singing all the words to “Take Me Home to Paseo Homes AZ” after each day of delightful Spring Training fun. Our properties are in all the towns of the different stadiums, enabling guests to stay close to their own heroes. You can soak in the ambience, the atmosphere of this happiest time of the year, and then add an extra element of something wonderful with your comfortable adventures in our vacation escapes. Offering a beautiful blend of creature comforts, modern conveniences, and luxury amenities, our homes will be an integral part of your Arizona vacation experience, and if you can’t make it to one of the games, never fear. MLB.TV streams the Spring Training games and the televisions in our Arizona retreats, while not as large as the ones at the Diamond Bar, offer pictures so clear you will feel like you have a seat behind home plate.
Contact us to reserve your favorite Paseo Homes AZ vacation retreat today!
