From Mesa To Glendale, We Searched The Valley For The Most Fan Friendly Cactus League Spring Training Venues In Arizona
Blogger's Note: Wish these reporters would get out more to see what's around the stadiums, but hey it's all good and about baseball, right?
Good job covering the fast food concessions inside the parks tho and of course freeway access.
By Rene Gomez
Modern Times Magazine
March 15, 2016 — Spring is in the air and that means the Cactus League will bring exhibition baseball to fans across the Valley. Locals and tourists come from all over to take in the games and see bask in the glow of the burgeoning MLB season.
In order to help you make the most of the 2016 Spring Training Experience, we took a look at the 10 Cactus League ballparks to find out which ones are most worth your time and hard-earned money. To separate the best from the rest, we examined the stadiums themselves along with surrounding activities and amenities, like restaurants, bars and shopping centers among other things.
Out of the 10 stadiums evaluated, five made our list of best Cactus League ballparks.
No. 5 Hohokam StadiumHohokam is one of the oldest sites (1977) for spring training baseball games in Arizona, but it did undergo a complete rebuild in 1996 and reopening in 1997. The Oakland Athletics call Hohokam their spring home, and they were the original tenants upon the original park’s opening. When the Chicago Cubs moved to Arizona, they took over the lease and quickly became one of the most popular, if not the most popular, Cactus League attraction.
Oakland has since returned to Hohokam after the Cubs left the park for greener pastures, and the fans have followed as the A’s essentially upgraded from dilapitated Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
Inside the park, Hohokam offers very good options for concessions as one can find Ike’s Sandwiches—which is a bay area staple—and the Mustache Pretzel food truck. The A’s are the only team that will allow the fans to shag fly balls during batting practice, so the experience is incomparable to any other in town. Hohokam is also the most economical of the stadiums on this list—which is always a welcome attribute—as lawn seats are only $10, and the most expensive ticket is $35 for infield box gold seats. The location is not ideal, but there is freeway access using Loop 202 to get to other parts of the valley for post-game entertainment. Fans can also stay relatively close by heading to downtown Mesa’s various restaurants and bars or travel a little bit more to find Mesa Riverview’s entertainment district, which has a movie theater and shopping in addition to a variety of restaurants and bars.
Hohokam is located at 1235 North Center St., Mesa.
No. 1 Sloan Park
The Cubs moved from Hohokam to the Cactus League’s newest spring venue in 2014, and this ballpark is not the best just because it is the newest but also because it hosts the Valley’s most popular non-hometown team. The Cubs are the favorites to win the World Series, and they have been the most popular spring training team for decades dating back to Harry Caray and beyond.
Many Illinois residents also own property in Arizona and they travel specifically for Cactus League baseball to see their beloved Cubs. Sloan Park may just be the future of how spring training facilities will be made since it was made to be more than just a baseball attraction . Future building plans include a smaller replica of Wrigley Field’s surrounding shops and eateries, but as of now children can enjoy the mini Wrigley Field inside the park.
Sloan Park arguably has the best concessions options as its “Taste of Chicago” stands feature Chicago culinary staples such as Italian beef sandwiches, Italian-style hot dogs and (of course) pizza. Healthy options are also available as one could purchase salads, fruit and yogurt or a veggie and dip platter to nosh on. The Sheraton is within walking distance and has a lovely lounge inside for visitors and hotel guests for convenience after the game. Also within walking distance is Mesa Riverview’s selection of entertainment, and a couple minutes west is Tempe Marketplace.
If heading out of Mesa is your plans, then Loop 202 and 101 are nearby.
The Cubs moved from Hohokam to the Cactus League’s newest spring venue in 2014, and this ballpark is not the best just because it is the newest but also because it hosts the Valley’s most popular non-hometown team. The Cubs are the favorites to win the World Series, and they have been the most popular spring training team for decades dating back to Harry Caray and beyond.
Many Illinois residents also own property in Arizona and they travel specifically for Cactus League baseball to see their beloved Cubs. Sloan Park may just be the future of how spring training facilities will be made since it was made to be more than just a baseball attraction . Future building plans include a smaller replica of Wrigley Field’s surrounding shops and eateries, but as of now children can enjoy the mini Wrigley Field inside the park.
Sloan Park arguably has the best concessions options as its “Taste of Chicago” stands feature Chicago culinary staples such as Italian beef sandwiches, Italian-style hot dogs and (of course) pizza. Healthy options are also available as one could purchase salads, fruit and yogurt or a veggie and dip platter to nosh on. The Sheraton is within walking distance and has a lovely lounge inside for visitors and hotel guests for convenience after the game. Also within walking distance is Mesa Riverview’s selection of entertainment, and a couple minutes west is Tempe Marketplace.
If heading out of Mesa is your plans, then Loop 202 and 101 are nearby.
Tickets range from $15 lawn seats to $45 infield box seats.
Sloan Park is located at 2330 W. Rio Salado Pkwy., Mesa.
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