Spring Training in Arizona

It’s time for baseball! Okay, it’s not the regular season yet, but thousands of baseball fans will make the annual journey to Arizona to see their favorite teams play during spring training games in the Phoenix area. 2011 will see fifteen teams warming up for this years’ season and there are some exciting new developments - one is the opening of a new $100 million training complex and stadium located on the Salt River - Pima Indian Community on the outskirts of Scottsdale which will be shared by the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies teams.

The new complex - Salt River Fields at Talking Stick - covers an area of 145 acres and will feature an 11,000 person capacity ballpark as well as 12 practice fields with clubhouses, offices and training facilities. The new facility is likely to be successful, since it offers lots of shaded seating, easy access and cheap ticket prices. Admission will cost $8 - 15, with a range of seating choices. The complex will also highlight the art, history and culture of the local tribes with a number of exhibits and installations.

Interestingly, the original inhabitants of the area were ball game fans before the white man ever set foot in the region - there have been over 200 ancient ball playing fields unearthed by archaeologists in the Arizona. The setting for the stadium affords breathtaking views of the mountains surrounding the ancestral lands and should make the perfect backdrop for the spring training games.

Arizona hotels, restaurants and related businesses will receive a welcome boost, though sadly, there will be no more spring training for the moment in Tucson as the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies teams both move north to the new Scottsdale facilities. The loss of revenue for hotels in Tucson is likely to be significant, so it might be a good time to check for cut-rate deals if you’re planning a trip to the southern part of the state.