Spring Training 2010

Spring Training games begin on 3/5 and run through 4/1. As I mentioned in my previous entry, the Sox train in a new facility in Glendale, AZ. Glendale is in the Phoenix area (aka the Valley). The area immediately surrounding the Sox complex was not previously developed, so it’s fairly vacant for the time being. The closest commercial center is Westgate mall. That area has several restaurants and hotels, and also hosts the other 2 major sports venues in Glendale: the Arizona Cardinals’ football stadium and the Phoenix Coyote’s hockey stadium. Coincidentally, the Blackhawks play the Coyote’s in Glendale in mid-March.

Several other MLB teams train in the Valley, so you have the opportunity to visit multiple ballparks. Unfortunately, the metro area is very spread out and requires a car to get from place to place. Other than sports and golf, there’s not a heck of a lot to do, so it’s advisable to have a solid place to stay. Lack of activities combined with relatively warm weather means that you might end up spending a lot of time by the pool. Shiny new facilities aside, the move to the Valley was a substantial down-grade, IMO.

Just prior to the move to Glendale, the Sox trained in Tucson, which is a 2-hour drive from the Phoenix area. In sharp contrast to the Valley, the Tucson area is beautiful, and there are tons of activities for people with various interests in addition to sports and golf. Sadly, this is the last year that any teams will train in Tucson, as both the Diamondbacks and the Rockies are relocating to the Valley in 2011.

The Sox play 2 road games in Tucson toward the end of March (3/26 @Dbacks and 3/27 @Rockies), which likely will be the last Sox games ever in the city. The Dbacks’ current stadium (Tucson Electric Park) is near the airport and was shared with the Sox before they moved to Glendale. TEP also is near an air force base, so fans routinely see various military craft flying in the skies during the games against a beautiful mountain backdrop. The Rockies’ stadium is in Reid Park, which also hosts Tucson’s excellent zoo. Sox players who will remain in town for both games probably will spend the night here.

The pre-season exhibition games this year are against the Charlotte Knights and the Atlanta Braves (4/1 @Charlotte, 4/2 @Atlanta, and 4/3 @Atlanta). The Knights are the Sox AAA affiliate, and they actually play in Ft. Mill, SC. Neither city or ballpark is particularly noteworthy IMO.