A MONTH THAT IMPACTS THE VALLEY — AND BASEBALL FANS

There’s nothing quite like kicking back on a balmy spring day at one the Valley’s 10 Cactus League baseball stadiums. The smell of fresh-cut grass … stadium vendors barking out “beer here” … kids lined up hoping to get their favorite player’s autograph.

Yes, there are no two bigger little words that warm the hearts of sports fans in Arizona once March rolls around than spring training.

For the second year AZ BIG Media rolls out “Play Ball!” — a guide to 2013 Cactus League spring training.

Within these pages you will learn facts about your favorite team (the Valley is home to the defending World Series champion San Francisco Giants … hooray!); find out where to eat, play and stay near your favorite spring training stadium; and most important — pick what games you want to attend. Play Ball! includes each teams’ home schedule and on page 8 you will find the Cactus League daily schedule for all teams.

What also makes spring training special to Arizona is its economic impact. The Cactus League, the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority, the Arizona Commerce Authority and the Arizona Office of Tourism released the results of two year-long studies. Those studies show that the Cactus League is a grand slam for our economy. The studies showed that the overall economic impact during and after spring training is $632 million, including $422 million during the season itself. Th at amount ($422 million) is an increase of $112 million from fi ve years ago when the last study was conducted, Cactus League officials said.

So … grab your scorebook, slather on that suntan lotion, dig out your favorite jersey or T-shirt, get comfy in your seat and let’s … Play Ball!

Peter Madrid

Peter Madrid, Editor

 

Other Play Ball Resources

Play Ball Digital Issue | Spring Training Stadium Guide | Spring Training Schedule
Where to Stay | Where to Play | Where to Eat
Play Ball Home

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