Spring Training Baseball Arizona

What’s better kicking back at your favorite stadium during baseball season? How about taking in some spring training games? Lots of people think of Florida when they think about baseball teams working out in the spring to train for the rigors of summer ball. However, spring training baseball Arizona, known as the “Cactus League,” offers up some of the hottest teams in America, and you can see them up close and personal in smaller, intimate stadiums.

Does your favorite team play in the Cactus League? Well, here’s a list of the teams that play spring training baseball in Arizona:

o Arizona Diamondbacks
o Chicago Cubs
o Chicago White Sox
o Colorado Rockies
o Kansas City Royals
o Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
o Los Angeles Dodgers
o Milwaukee Brewers
o Oakland Athletics
o San Diego Padres
o San Francisco Giants
o Seattle Mariners
o Texas Rangers

The teams play for the entire month of March, in seven different cities throughout the Phoenix and Tucson areas. Usually, spring training baseball Arizona takes place every day, so if you’re planning a trip, you’re almost certain to catch a game or two, even if it’s not between your favorite teams. Sometimes, they play a couple of dates at the end of February and the beginning of April, too.

A Little League History

The Cactus League first formed in 1946, when the Cleveland Indians went to Tucson and the New York Giants went to Phoenix to work out for a month before the baseball season opened. This first spring training baseball Arizona detoured from Florida because the Indians signed Larry Doby, the American League’s first black player, and Cleveland’s owner, Bill Veeck thought Arizona would be more open to a mixed race team. The Chicago Cubs came in 1951, and ever since then, the spring training roster has grown to 13 teams who play games every day throughout the month of March.

Smaller Stadiums with Smaller Prices

The weather in Phoenix and Tucson in March is warm and perfect for early spring baseball, and the teams play close enough to each other that it’s an easy drive from one stadium to the next. Best of all, these are small, intimate baseball stadiums; where fans can get much closer to all the baseball action, and that’s why so many people are heading for spring training baseball in Arizona. Tickets are cheaper too, and you still get to see the big players hit one out of the ballpark; only you’re more apt to catch that homer in one of these smaller stadiums.

Spring training baseball Arizona is all about seeing up-and-coming rookies make their mark, too. If you attend Cactus League games, you may see the next A-Rod or Ken Griffey, Jr. right there, warming up in the on-deck circle right in front of your seats.

Stadiums are located in the Tempe, Mesa, Peoria, Scottsdale, Glendale, and Surprise areas of Phoenix, and in Tucson, less than 2 hours south of Phoenix. Tickets are available through the local spring training baseball Arizona ballparks, and thorough the individual teams’ websites. Enjoy the Cactus League in Arizona, and see some of the best baseball you’ll ever see in March!