Summer springs eternal in the Valley of the Sun, offering almost 300 days of sunshine each year, and as such, it should be of no surprise that many of your favorite boys of summer spend their Spring Training days right here in the heart of Arizona. The Cactus League (as opposed to the Grapefruit League of Florida) is comprised of 15 Major League baseball teams playing from 10 stadiums located all over the Valley, and when you choose to visit during the months of February and March, you too can be a part of the excitement. Offering the crack of the bat on a spring day, the smell of hot dogs and beer, and a more intimate game experience than in regular season, the only thing better than spending a day on the fields with your favorite team is doing that and then coming home each evening to the comfort and luxuries found in our I Love Scottsdale Spring Training sanctuaries.

These Teams Call Us Home

During the regular season, a vacation in Scottsdale may mean that you have the opportunity to watch the Diamondbacks play against one or two other teams, but in the spring, 15 teams are playing every day, and while the Diamondbacks are playing here as well, the odds of watching your favorite are much, much higher. Below, we have created a list of each of the teams in alphabetical order and the stadium in which they play.

Baseball Glove

A Is for Arizona Diamondbacks

Although their home stadium in regular season is Chase Field, the Diamondbacks will be based out of Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, located at 7555 N. Pima Road in the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community.

C Is for Chicago Cubs

The Chicago Cubs are probably the second most beloved team playing in the Valley (Of course, we love our hometown heroes more!) at Mesa’s Sloan Park, located at 2330 W Rio Salado Parkway. Their stadium was specially built for them, presenting a miniature version of their beloved Wrigley Field stadium.

C Is also for Chicago White Sox

Chicagoans adore the beautiful spring weather in the Valley of the Sun apparently; the Chicago White Sox are also based here, playing from Camelback Ranch-Glendale, located at the Loop 101 & Camelback Road.

C Could Be for Cincinnati Reds

Apparently, the Cactus League loves the letter C, and this 4th team, the Cincinnati Reds, is another popular favorite. Playing from Goodyear Ballpark, 1933 S Ballpark Way, just off Yuma Road and Estrella Parkway, their fans are especially to their team and may often be spotted with flags waving from their rental cars.

C Is for the Cleveland Guardians

Formerly the Cleveland Indians and sharing the Goodyear Ballpark with their fellow Ohioans, you know that spring is definitely a happy time for Ohio transplants to the Valley.

A Palate Cleanser

No, the Spring Training alphabet does not end at C; we have 10 more letters to go, but we thought we would take a minute or two to cleanse the palate between courses, perhaps discussing some of the things you can do when not at the baseball field. Our Scottsdale guests may want to explore the nightlife of our western town, checking out the clubs that line the streets after the day’s festivities have come to an end.

Night Life

Wine Girl, 4205 N Scottsdale Road, offers an outdoor patio during that we can promise will be packed during the beautiful days of spring; we Arizonans know the heat is coming, and in these waning days before the season starts, we want to be outside as much as possible. Of course, wine isn’t always the most popular drink for baseball fans, so head to Goldwater Brewery, located at 3608 N Scottsdale Road. Offering an everchanging selection of beers brewed right on the premises, they don’t serve food at the brewery, but they do allow you to bring in your takeout meals, and as they are located in the heart of Old Town, there will be plenty of restaurants to choose from.

Hitting Them Out of the Park

Our next group of players are mostly from the southwestern states, but there are a couple of eastern states to keep you entertained during your unforgettable Spring Training getaway in the Valley of the Sun!

Baseball Hit

C Is for Colorado Rockies

The cornucopia of Cs ends with our neighbors to the north, the Colorado Rockies. And because we believe in being good neighbors, the Rockies share Salt River Fields at Talking Stick with our hometown boys.

K Is for Kansas City Royals

Returning to our regularly scheduled program, this next team is sure to garner a lot of interest thanks to their hometown mates in football winning back-to-back Super Bowls. The Kansas City Royals play at the Surprise Stadium, located at 15850 N Bullard Avenue in the bedroom community of Surprise, Arizona.

L Is for Los Angeles Angels

Our western border neighbors from California are known to appreciate the hometown charms of Tempe Diablo Stadium, their Spring Training home away from home. Located at 2200 W Alameda Drive in Tempe, the stadium has stood in the shadow of A mountain since 1969 and is an integral part of the baseball experience.

L Is for Los Angeles Dodgers

Sharing stadium space with the Chicago White Sox, the Los Angeles Dodgers hit their home-runs at the Camelback Ranch-Glendale stadium, located at 10710 W Camelback Road in Phoenix.

M Is for Milwaukee Brewers

Why is it after all these years we can’t see the name Milwaukee without starting to sing the opening lines to Laverne & Shirley? American Family Fields of Phoenix, located at 3805 N 53rd Avenue in Phoenix is where they play, and for their sake, we hope there is no schlimazels (very unlucky person in Yiddish) in the bunch!

Breakfast Is Served

The Spring Training games starting times tend to be at 11:05 AM or 1:10 PM, so go ahead and sleep in a little later than you normally would, enjoying the soft beds in our I Love Scottsdale retreats, and then head out for a hearty breakfast at any of these Scottsdale restaurants.

Daily Dose Old Town Bar & Grill, 4020 N Scottsdale Road

Open for breakfast every morning at 7 AM sharp, Daily Dose actually has two locations, so if you are heading to Tempe Diablo Stadium to watch the Los Angeles Angels play, you may want to visit their Tempe location, 96 South Rockford Drive #105. Offering a menu filled with classic breakfasts interspersed with some innovative new meals (their peanut butter & jelly waffle isn’t just for kids!) a Bloody Mary or mimosa offers a great way to start out the day’s adventures!

Bloody Mary

Breakfast Club, 4400 N Scottsdale Road

The Breakfast Club offers three locations, the one in Scottsdale that may be closer to your I Love Scottsdale sanctuary and two in Phoenix (2 East Jefferson in downtown and 2502 E Camelback in the Biltmore area). Treating breakfast as a fine dining experience while providing a comfortable and cheerful ambience, they use farm-to-table ingredients that enhance the taste of your favorite breakfast dish. We adore their steak bene and think all the carnivores amongst our guests will too!

Soul Café, 7615 E Pinnacle Peak Road #1

Closed on Mondays, the Soul Café concentrates on serving good food for good people. Their menu offers a culinary tour through the southwest, featuring delicious goodies such as their version of chicken fried steak and eggs, the Crazy Cowboy that add green pork chili to the plate and the classic Chilaquiles that will make your taste buds sing. Breakfast starts at 7:30 AM at the Soul Café.

Back to the Ball Fields

We won’t discuss any lunch restaurants today. You will probably eat and drink your fill at the stadiums you visit each day, and we can assure you that the food served will be delicious and the drinks will be cold and refreshing. Even though summer has not taken hold here in the desert as of yet, the afternoons will be warm and the sun will most likely be shining brightly every day, so don’t forget to hydrate. Sunscreen, sunglasses, and baseball caps may come in handy as well, and who knows? The more intimate surroundings of spring training games may make it easier to have your favorite player sign your ball cap!

O Is for Oakland A’s

If nothing else, our very disjointed alphabet of baseball shows us that Californians love our desert in the spring and the Oakland A’s are our next example. They will hit the fields of Hohokam Stadium in the months of February and March, located at 1235 N Center Street in Mesa.

S Is for San Diego Padres

This last batch of not so rowdy “Spring Breakers” are spring transplants from California as well, the San Diego Padres. Playing from the stylish confines of the Peoria Sports Complex, located at 16101 N 83rd Avenue, they always put on a good show in the desert, perhaps enjoying the more arid climate.

S Is for San Francisco Giants

This baseball alphabet is definitely a little wonky, but the talents shown by players on the San Francisco Giants will make you forgive any discrepancies. We at I Love Scottsdale tend to spend a lot of our time watching the Giants in the spring, because their home stadium is one dear to our hearts, the Scottsdale Stadium. Located at 7408 E Osborn Road, the games are close enough that snarled traffic really isn’t a consideration.

S Is for Seattle Mariners

Sharing space with the San Diego Padres at the Peoria Sports Complex we are guessing that this team especially loves the dryer climate as well as appreciating the sunny days that are all too rare in their hometown.

T Is for Texas Rangers

The alphabet ends at T during Spring Training, and our final Cactus League team shares a home with the Kansas City Royals, calling Surprise Stadium their home base.

A Tour of the Valley

Another thing you can add to the long list of things we love about Spring Training is the way the stadiums are spread out all over the Valley, giving visitors a tour of the town while letting them watch their favorite teams play. Each town offers something different for visitors to explore, so although we have finished our alphabet of teams, there is still more to do during your stay in the Phoenix area, as shown below.

Casino Arizona, 524 N 92nd Street in Scottsdale

Gambling is legal on the reservation and Casino Arizona may offer a way to recoup some of your vacation expenses! Located just minutes away from Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, we don’t have to tell you what kind of fun you can have while gambling, we just need to tell you it’s there.

Arizona Broadway Theater, 7701 W Paradise Lane in Peoria

After the games at the Peoria Sports Complex, you may want to check out the performances at Arizona Broadway Theater. Offering Broadway style musicals, a restaurant, and an expansive drink menu, your night on the town will have you singing all the way home.

Phoenix Zoo, 455 N Galvin Parkway

The sun will be shining, the animals will be lively, and although it may interfere with a game or two, a visit to the Phoenix Zoo will be a memorable one.

Lions

Sloan Park, 2330 Rio Salado Parkway in Mesa

There are plenty of fun things to do in Mesa, including antiquing, dining, and exploring local museums, but honestly? Sloan Park is an adventure you won’t want to skip!

Just the Beginning

The lists above are just a small part of the fun you can have during your Spring Training adventures in the Valley of the Sun, but don’t forget about the comfortable adventures you can enjoy in our I Love Scottsdale vacation sanctuaries! Luxurious, comfortable, and often featuring crystal clear pools in the backyards, coming home to us will be a highlight of your vacation. Reserve your favorite today!

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