Spring Fever Starts Now—Batter Up!

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So, you think it’s a little early for Spring Fever? Then clearly, you’re not a baseball fan.

The almost ritual pilgrimage to Arizona and Florida in late-winter when Major League Baseball starts its Spring Training season is an annual rite as quintessential as peanuts and Cracker Jacks. Spring Training leagues (the Cactus League in Arizona and the Grapefruit League in Florida) typically run early-March through early-April—sometimes right up to the start of the regular season.

Home fields for many Major League teams are in some seriously cold winter locations, so it’s understandable that the teams move to areas with milder conditions for the pre-season warm-up. For hardcore fans, Spring Training is the first chance to see traded players on the field in uniform with their new teams and to scope out new talent coming up from the Minors.

For all fans, though, the opportunities to trade wintery weather for sunny days and get their baseball fix ahead of the regular season combine for an excellent excuse to plan a Spring Training Getaway.

Keep in mind that Spring Training camps in Arizona are grouped more closely together, typically around the Phoenix area, than are the camps in Florida. So if you’re hoping to see a wider variety of teams, Arizona may be the better option.

Whether you’re heading to Arizona or Florida for Spring Training, be sure to pack along our Moon Arizona or Moon Florida travel guide to find the best restaurants, shopping, nightlife, and other attractions in the area so you don’t experience baseball burnout (as if).

Arizona’s Cactus League
Here’s a link to the Cactus League’s 2011 Spring Training game schedule, and a quick rundown of the teams and where their Spring Training camps are located:

• Arizona Diamondbacks—Scottsdale
• Chicago Cubs—Mesa
• Chicago White Sox—Glendale
• Cincinnati Reds—Goodyear
• Cleveland Indians—Goodyear
• Colorado Rockies—Scottsdale
• Kansas City Royals—Surprise
• Los Angeles Angels—Tempe
• Los Angeles Dodgers—Glendale
• Milwaukee Brewers—Phoenix
• Oakland A’s—Phoenix
• San Diego Padres—Peoria
• San Francisco Giants—Scottsdale
• Seattle Mariners—Peoria
• Texas Rangers—Surprise

Florida’s Grapefruit League
Here’s a link to the Grapefruit League’s 2011 Spring Training game schedule, and a quick rundown of the teams and where their Spring Training camps are located:

• Atlanta Braves—Lake Buena Vista
• Baltimore Orioles—Sarasota
• Boston Red Sox—Fort Meyers
• Detroit Tigers—Lakeland
• Florida Marlins—Jupiter
• Houston Astros—Kissimmee
• Minnesota Twins—Fort Meyers
• New York Mets—Port St. Lucie
• New York Yankees—Tampa
• Philadelphia Phillies—Clearwater
• Pittsburgh Pirates—Bradenton
• St. Louis Cardinals—Jupiter
• Tampa Bay Rays—Port Charlotte
• Toronto Blue Jays—Dunedin
• Washington Nationals—Melbourne

If You Go
There is no physical central purchasing site for tickets; you can buy tickets online or at the stadium box office. Tickets range in price from $6 or $7 for lawn seating to $47 for a box seat behind home plate. Ordering online may add additional fees, and budget another $10 for parking.

Arrive early at the games to find decent parking; the hours before the game can be spent watching the teams practice. High SPF sun block is a must.

Expect high concessions prices.

For more information on each team, be sure to visit the websites for Arizona’s Cactus League and Florida’s Grapefruit League.


Gayle Hart
Moon.com Content Editor