When the spring months arrive, many baseball fans travel to watch their favorite teams train for the upcoming season. Contributing writer David DeVoss recently visited Arizona to see 15 different teams play in and around the city of Phoenix. Keep reading to learn about his experience, as well as his recommendations for local entertainment and can’t-miss restaurants.

“Baseball begins in the spring, when everything else begins again,
and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings….
You count on it, rely on it to buffer the passage of time, to keep the memory
of sunshine and high skies alive….”
-A. Bartlett Giamatti, former commissioner of baseball

People can argue about the relative popularity of all the sports played in this country, but for native-born Americans, baseball will always be the national pastime. The feel of a freshly oiled glove, the smell of outfield grass, the crack of a line drive, and the unmistakeable super sweet taste of Topps bubble gum. They all live forever in our memories, if not our souls.

As we grow older we lose sight of baseball’s simple pleasures. We witness the arrogance of owners and agents, the greed driving cable television deals, and the blast of ego music ushering players’ parade to the plate. Often the baseball beloved by kids and their parents is all but lost in a fog of sabermetrics, Tommy John surgery, and drug testing.

Tempe Diablo Stadium where the Los Angeles Angels play

There is a place, however, where you can go to recapture the joy and simplicity of baseball. The time to plan for that special trip is now—for next March, before the baseball season officially starts. It’s Arizona’s Valley of the Sun. It happens every March, where 15 major league baseball organizations gather for spring training. It’s a time for warm afternoons, cold beer, and people from throughout the U.S. who share a love of the game.

Arizona’s month-long Cactus League differs from Florida’s Grapefruit League in that all 15 teams play within a 25-mile radius of downtown Phoenix. Baseball clubs love the proximity. In Florida, the Detroit Tigers have to drive 256 miles when they play the New York Mets in Port St. Lucie. In Arizona, the Tempe-based Los Angeles Angels are no more than 35 minutes away from all the other Cactus League clubs.

The Valley has ten baseball complexes, most of them shared by two teams. The stadiums seat around 11,000 but can accommodate many more on grassy lawns around the outfield where tickets are as low as $5. Because the games are training exhibitions with plenty of substitutions, players often spend time talking to fans and signing autographs before and after games. During the games, teams like the A’s and Cubs have past All Stars in the concession areas talking with families and giving tips to Little Leaguers.

Father and Son meet A’s Greatest Pitchers

A Cactus League game is more party than serious sporting event. Instead of asking fans to sing God Bless America—a meaningful exercise after 9/ll that now seems affected—Cactus League stadiums play Louie Louie. The atmosphere promotes social interaction. Fans from Milwaukee, Cleveland, or Dallas, who might never speak to each other inside the massive parks where the Brewers, Indians, and Rangers play, mingle freely to see if they have mutual friends back home.

Spring training facilities usually pair teams from different leagues. The Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Indians share the Goodyear Ballpark. The Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox both call Camelback Ranch home. Salt River Field, where the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies train, is beauty incarnate. Families camped on the grassy outfield berm have free sunscreen and access to Maine lobster bisque and rolls. The Cubs play in Mesa’s Sloan Park, which resembles a mini version of Chicago’s Wrigley Field and feels like a month-long Cubs Convention.

All 10 parks are surrounded by practice fields which come alive every morning when rookies and veterans alike practice. Fans can visit the fields and talk to the players once their work is finished. Shared by the Seattle Mariners and San Diego Padres, the Peoria Sports Complex is especially welcoming. Volunteer retirees shuttle fans in golf carts between fields where young rookies will confide their hopes and anxieties.

Spring training pumps well over $400 million into the Phoenix area economy. Many of the games are sellouts; hotels are full. The occupancy rate at the Hyatt Place near the Cubs’ Sloan Field soars to 97 percent during the month of March. “By December more than 60 percent of our rooms already are reserved,” says Hyatt General Manager John Bersch.

Warm weather and warm people make spring training a delight for the entire family. Most parks have small diamonds beyond the outfield where young children can play ball supervised by a stadium employee. A. Bartlett Giamatti would like Arizona. It’s certainly a perfect beginning for the baseball season.

Extra Innings

Top Golf

When your afternoon baseball game ends, drive to Gilbert, which is just south of Mesa, for some Topgolf. A three-level entertainment facility that combines a driving range with lawn darts, Topgolf players hit micro-chipped golf balls that track each shot’s accuracy and distance while awarding points for hitting targets on the 215-yard fairway. There are 102 hitting bays that are served by an attendant who brings everything from mixed drinks and milk shakes to chicken and waffle sliders and injectable donut holes served with chocolate, raspberry, or Bavarian crème fillings. Kids love this place, especially at night when the fairway targets are illuminated in different colors. There’s an indoor sports bar with lounge areas, pool tables, and enormous screens for playing video games, but the attraction here is family-friendly golf that nobody takes too seriously. Topgolf, 1689 S. SanTan Village Parkway, Gilbert, AZ 85295

Want to explore the Valley of the Sun in the morning before Cactus League games begin at 1 p.m.? Then head to the Queen Creek Olive Mill, 45 minutes south of Phoenix on Meridian Road. Operated by Perry Rea and his wife Brenda, the mill is the Valley’s most successful agri-tourism destination. Visitors can sample a variety of extra virgin olive oils, tapenades, and bath and beauty care products all made with extra virgin olive oil from the farm’s 7,500 olive trees. The Mill also serves tasty lunches both inside and out. Come early enough and they will prepare a box lunch for you to take to the game. If you don’t have time to visit the Mill you can sample and buy their olive oil at retail shops in Scottsdale and the Biltmore Fashion Park. Queen Creek Olive Mill, 25062 S. Meridian Road, Queen Creek, AZ 85142

Post-Game Spread

From sports bars to fine dining, the Valley of the Sun has some excellent restaurants, many within a short drive of a baseball complex.

Diesel Country Rock Bar & Grill

Just across from the Peoria Sports Complex where the Seattle Mariners and San Diego Padres play is Diesel Country Rock Bar & Grill, a new sports bar on 83rd Ave. Diesel has humongous burgers, fries, and salads. For dessert, try the deep fried peanut butter & jelly sandwich drizzled with chocolate sauce. Cock Diesel Country Rock Bar and Grill, 15814 N. 83rd Ave., Peoria, AZ

For the best Mexican food this side of the Distrito Federal, seek out the Barrio Cafe in Central Phoenix. Decorated with colorful murals, the café serves Chilango dishes like chilies en nogada and pescado con pipian verde. During the 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday thru Friday Happy Hour, tacos cost $2 and all tequilas are half price. Barrio Café, 2814 N. 16th St., Phoenix, AZ

Los Dos Molinos styles itself as the hottest food in Phoenix, a claim that’s probably beyond dispute. More New Mexican than Tex Mex, the restaurant’s two locations also serve the Valley’s best prickly pear margaritas. If your mouth starts to burn, order a Sombrero (two shots milk, one shot coffee liqueur) to quench the fire. Los Dos Molinos has an uptown address at 1044 E. Camelback, Phoenix, AZ and a South Central location at 8646 South Central Avenue.

Located in Downtown Tempe, the Blasted Barley Beer Company serves way more than pub grub. I liked the curry cauliflower with cheese and the sweet potato waffles. There are 30 craft beers, a dozen inventive cocktails, and bottomless mimosas if you go for brunch. Blasted Barley Beer Company, 404 S. Mill Ave., Ste 101, Tempe, AZ.

After Hours

The great thing about spring training baseball is that fans don’t really care who wins. The worst thing that can happen is that you go to an Angels game hoping to see Mike Trout and end up watching an AA prospect trying to make the 40-man roster. After the game and a nap, wait for the sun to set and then enjoy Phoenix by night.

Four Peaks Brewing Company

The Four Peaks Brewing Company is located just north of Arizona State University in a red brick 1892 dairy with wooden ceilings. Oatmeal Stout, Hefeweizen, and the brewery’s best seller, Kilt Lifter, are brewed here along with an IPA and a pale ale. The large oval bar attracts an interesting mix of locals who often buy carne asada tacos and panko-crusted calamari but mostly drink beer. Four Peaks Brewery, 1340 E. 8th St, #104, Tempe, AZ with additional locations in Scottsdale and Sky Harbor International Airport.

For something stronger than beer, go to TQLA where tequilas on tap are hyper chilled to 5° F so they go down smoothly. There’s a special tasting room for aged premium tequilas. TQLA, 1840 S. Val Vista Dr., Mesa, AZ

For more articles by David DeVoss, check out:

• How Airlines are Targeting Business Travelers and Baby Boomers
• St. Louis Baseball: A Heartland Ballpark Experience
• Discovering Iceland: Myth vs. Reality

Text and Images by David DeVoss for PeterGreenberg.com. David DeVoss is the editor and senior correspondent for the East-West News Service in Los Angeles.