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Spring Training


LDF

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Spring Training is a lot of fun. Especially if you are coming from a colder climate. I was there for the opener last year, 2nd game got rained out I think the only one all spring. The opener was a beautiful 75 degree partly sunny day and I got Jose's autograph pre-game. Eaton interacts with the fans a lot as well.

 

The park itself is kinda out there, glendale is NW of Phoenix in the middle of desert really. That said, it's a gorgeous stadium and you just buy a cheap seat and move up the ushers encourage it. We had lawn tickets they were like 13 bucks or so, we moved front row in the later innings. The lawn area is cool though as well. Nice place. Dodgers fans are a wacky, wierd, wild bunch, at least the ones that make it to spring training.

Edited by chitownsportsfan
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QUOTE (chitownsportsfan @ Jan 28, 2015 -> 02:36 AM)
Spring Training is a lot of fun. Especially if you are coming from a colder climate. I was there for the opener last year, 2nd game got rained out I think the only one all spring. The opener was a beautiful 75 degree partly sunny day and I got Jose's autograph pre-game. Eaton interacts with the fans a lot as well.

 

The park itself is kinda out there, glendale is nw Phoenix in the middle of desert really.

 

that was some of the things i wanted to ask. how are the hotels and it appears as a car is needed.

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QUOTE (LDF @ Jan 27, 2015 -> 09:38 PM)
that was some of the things i wanted to ask. how are the hotels and it appears as a car is needed.

 

You def want a car. as for hotels it's not that expensive. Check hotwire you can probably find a place for around $100 a night that's pretty decent, like a Marriott or thereabouts. You could go even cheaper and be fine. I stayed at a place the first two nights I was there (rest of trip was with a friend so that was nice) for like $50 a night that was OK. Even the s***ty hotels usually have a pool down there, land is cheap.

 

I did it on like a $500 dollar budget not including airfare

Edited by chitownsportsfan
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QUOTE (chitownsportsfan @ Jan 28, 2015 -> 02:44 AM)
You def want a car. as for hotels it's not that expensive. Check hotwire you can probably find a place for around $100 a night that's pretty decent, like a Marriott or thereabouts. You could go even cheaper and be fine. I stayed at a place the first two nights I was there (rest of trip was with a friend so that was nice) for like $50 a night that was fine. Had a pool, so that was nice.

 

It's def worth it IMO if you can swing it financially. It's not that expensive but it's not cheap either. If you are planning on going, book ASAP, I'm sure places are filling up.

 

it is getting the car that will be a problem. :lol:

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I've gone three times, and am going back this year. I've already got tickets for Sox vs Cubs on March 19th.

My suggestion is to go towards the last two or three weeks if you want to see the regulars play more and the starters pitch more innings. First two weeks Sale, Shark and Quintana will pitch two or three innings tops.

By the third week of March they'll be going six.

It's a great trip. I recommend seeing as many parks as possible. There are some night games so you can see the Sox in the afternoon, cool out at your hotel, then see a night game.

All of the parks are within a 45 minute drive of each other. It's a baseball junkies dream.

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I've got family in AZ, so I go to Spring Training every year for vacation. I have tickets to both Cubs Sox games (my grandpa, who is in AZ, is a Cubs fan) and I am stoked. It's my girlfriends Spring break and she is going too. After I purchased airfare and game tickets, I found out I was getting transferred to a new store that was opening in late March. I almost thought I was going to have to cancel the trip.. but my boss was really cool about it. THANK GOODNESS!!! I haven't been this excited about ST in a few years and I would have been very bummed out if I had to cancel.

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QUOTE (Chilihead90 @ Jan 28, 2015 -> 01:10 AM)
ST is one of the traditions I will make for my family if I end up buying one when I'm older. I've been to ST in Arizona once and Florida once and they were some of the best vacations I ever had.

 

Wait. You are going to buy a family? I don't think think that is how it works man

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QUOTE (LDF @ Jan 27, 2015 -> 06:38 PM)
that was some of the things i wanted to ask. how are the hotels and it appears as a car is needed.

Car is needed. Everything is close but not walking close and there isn't good public transportation. That said, if you wanted to just stay in Glendale, you could see plenty of action without needing a car. I think there is pretty much always a game (whether it is a Sox home game or a Dodgers home game) and the minor league fields are always hustling and bustling with activity, including minor league exhibition games as well.

 

Fantastic experience. I might be biased cause I've been to Arizona a ton for spring training but it is 1000% times better than the grape fruit league. Here, the farthest drive is 1.5 hours (Tuscon) and outside of the minimal teams in Tuscon, everyone else is within 30-45 minutes of each other and a lot of stadiums within 10 - 15 minutes of each other. On top of that, the weather is usually fantastic and Phoenix has awesome awesome food.

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QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Jan 28, 2015 -> 10:50 AM)
Phoenix has awesome awesome food.

 

Are there any places in particular you'd suggest? There are some places that I've found to be good, but I'd always like to try some other stuff too!

 

 

To anyone going to AZ:

 

If you're willing to make a 45 minute- 1 hour drive up north, and you love "western" style towns, Cave Creek is a fun, touristy kind of place to go. The Buffalo Chip hosts bull riding events, and it's always bustling with people on weekends. The Horny Toad and Cave Creek Smokehouse both have awesome food. It's a fun little town.

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QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Jan 28, 2015 -> 11:50 AM)
Car is needed. Everything is close but not walking close and there isn't good public transportation. That said, if you wanted to just stay in Glendale, you could see plenty of action without needing a car. I think there is pretty much always a game (whether it is a Sox home game or a Dodgers home game) and the minor league fields are always hustling and bustling with activity, including minor league exhibition games as well.

 

Fantastic experience. I might be biased cause I've been to Arizona a ton for spring training but it is 1000% times better than the grape fruit league. Here, the farthest drive is 1.5 hours (Tuscon) and outside of the minimal teams in Tuscon, everyone else is within 30-45 minutes of each other and a lot of stadiums within 10 - 15 minutes of each other. On top of that, the weather is usually fantastic and Phoenix has awesome awesome food.

 

Yep, Spring Training is better in Arizona, things are just closer together and the weather is better imo. South and even mid Florida in March can get pretty steamy. I went on a couple trips down to Florida for college ball spring training (where our DIII team would get whooped by all the JUCO guys aiming to get drafted) and the weather at mid day was often sweltering.

 

Arizona is that nice dry heat and Phoenix area in late February through March is about perfect, a lot of mid 70s.

 

We didn't make it to the new Cubs park (another rain out, literally the only time it rained during ST 2014 was the one day on the one week I was there, but hey what can you do) but I've heard it's very nice.

 

If you're into hiking and recreating Phoenix area is a paradise that time of year as well. On my "must do" for any recreation person is Camelback Mnt in Phoenix. It's a demanding (but short) 1800 foot ascension over about 1.5 miles and at the top you have a commanding view of the entire "Valley of the Sun".

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