BASEBALL IN THE DESERT
Spring training in Phoenix
With a satisfying crack, the hardball explodes off Miguel Montero’s bat. The crowd pauses for a second, then erupts in applause.
The hit line drives deep into centre field where Cincinnati Red Scott Schebler deftly scoops it up and catapults it to first base.
Montero, who’s an exceptional Chicago Cubs batter, but a slow runner, only makes it to first base.
This is Cactus League spring training action for 15 Major League Baseball teams in Arizona.
This sunny Saturday afternoon the Reds are visiting the Cubs at Sloan Field in the Phoenix suburb of Mesa. Sloan, with its many nods to Wrigley Field in Chicago, is the Cubs’ home away from home during spring training, which runs until April 2.
This day the Cubs will fall to the Red 4- 2. Cubs fans are disappointed, but hardly despondent.
After all, they’ve just spent the afternoon watching professional ball in the sun in March.
Being built in 2014 with a capacity of 15,000, Sloan is the newest and largest of the 10 spring training stadiums in the Phoenix area.
My dad, my son and I have timed our jaunt to Phoenix from the Canadian cold to be an epic threegeneration boys spring training and desert adventure.
We also shuttle over to the Los Angeles Angels’ spring training home of Tempe Diablo Stadium in that Phoenix suburb two days later to catch the Angels fall to the Chicago White Sox 9- 4.
“Spring training makes March in this area the peak of peak season,” said Toni Smith of the Tempe Tourism office when we bumped into her at downtown’s Blasted Barley Pub for pregame burgers and beer.
“The economic impact is over US$ 800 million annually with fans flocking to over 200 games to see
15 teams in action at 10 stadiums.” Spring training in the Phoenix area for teams in central and western U. S. has been a tradition since 1947.
Major League Baseball teams from the eastern half of the U. S. and the Toronto Blue Jays have Grapefruit League in Florida at the same time.
But, man cannot live by baseball alone. So, being Canadian we seek out NHL hockey and watch the Arizona Coyotes best the Florida Panthers 5- 1 at Gila River Arena.
We also trek out into the Sonoran Desert to pose with 150- year- old Saguaro cactus and drive the Apache Trail to ride the Dolly Steamboat on Canyon Lake and eat prickly pear cactus ice cream
in Tortilla Flat.
Another day there’s time to swill at three stops on the Arizona Brewery Tour and eat filet mignons at the Valley’s best steak house, The Mining Camp.
We stayed at the centrally located Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak in a twobedroom, two- storey casita where we made time to laze by the pool and share the three- meat platter and prickly pear cactus margaritas at poolside Hole- in- the- Wall restaurant.
Check out VisitArizona. com.
The writer travelled as a guest of the Arizona Office of Tourism, which didn’t read or approve of this story before publication.