Spring training suggestions and info?

Is absolutely a BLAST!!! Know that Pitchers & Catchers this year is Feb 20, with position players arriving a week later. There are NO Angels games until the first Monday of March. There’s nothing like going to Tempe Diablo and smelling that fresh cut grass after a winter.. Now, lets answer what I can from my experience. Yes, I’m going again this year. Normally go for a least a weekend, and then I can’t stand it and have to go and do what I call my “fly by”— I get on the first plane out of Orange County, go to the stadium, see the game and then get back on a plane and fly home..

Depending on what you like, will determine when you go to spring training. The first couple weeks or so, you’ll see the 25 man only for the first couple innings of any game. Then there’s the replacements and more replacements.. If you don’t mind watching the minor league kids, and just want a baseball fix, going earlier in the month is normally less crowded (maybe NOT this year!!!). If you just want to see the normal 25 man roster, you go later in the month, since that’s when those guys are more stretched out and they play more innings.

Where to stay: Many options are available. You want to stay somewhere in the “Tempe-ASU” part of the city, since that’s closest to the stadium. If you go on Hotwire or Priceline, there’s a 3.5 star Sheraton close to the park and you should be able to get it cheaper there. The rooms normally go for over $150 there, but we have gotten it closer to $60 a night thru Hotwire/Priceline. If money is no object, stay at the Marriott Buttes. This is the hotel right over the left field wall at Tempe Diablo. REALLY nice hotel/resort, but VERY pricey. If you look on Hotwire, if you find a 4 star in that neighborhood, and in the amenities it says RESORT, that’s the Buttes. Sometimes, closer to the date, you can get a GREAT deal there and book it for around $75 a night..

I’ll let someone else tell you about what all there is to do around Tempe.

ALL facilities for Spring Training are located at Tempe Diablo. This means minor league camp, too!! There are “lower” fields located on the other side of the parking lot from Tempe Diablo. Admission is free if you want to watch drills and stuff down there, or depending on when you go, there are games there, too. If you want to go down and watch when the Angels have a road game, you can go into the stadium and watch for free, too. Know that for road trips, only a few of the 25 man roster actually go, and most of them are at Tempe Diablo, normally having a simulated game with some of the minor leaguers. Practice fields (the lower fields) are always open to the public.

I can give you a normal timeline, too. Depending on how early you want to get up while you are on vacation… Players arrive about 8am. The walk for them from the main stadium to the lower fields starts approximately 930am. You’ll see more of the minor leaguers first, but then you’ll see the big boys, and NOT all of them. Normally, the starting 9 stay in the regular stadium. Game days, the stadium itself opens 1 hour before the game. If you are an autograph seeker, you’ll want to go down towards section 22, which is where the clubhouse entrance is. The players walk thru there all the time, or if it’s early in the season, once they are done playing, some will stand there and watch the game and chat with the fans. By the way, the Angels dugout is on the 1st base side of the stadium.

Hell, I just realized I need a life. I know all this without looking.