Baseball season may not start — officially — until next month, when Major League Baseball’s overseas games launch in Tokyo. But Feb. 20 marks the first day of spring training, when pre-season play sends athletes to the dugout and fans into overdrive.
Whether you’re planning a trip to Arizona to watch it all unfold — or mystified by the mania but loving the idea of Southwest sunshine in the middle of winter — here’s a primer on where to eat, sip and stay.
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I say Arizona, because that’s Cactus League territory. The Grapefruit League does its spring training in Florida, and that’s all fine. But Arizona is where all the West Coast favorites play, from the San Francisco Giants and the Athletics to the Los Angeles Dodgers and Angels and the San Diego Padres.
The action unfolds at nine stadiums spanning the Phoenix metro region — in Tempe, Peoria, Mesa, Goodyear and Scottsdale — as Bay Area fans rush to the region to enjoy a rowdy, sports-heavy celebration with plenty of rivalry matchups.
So, how do you round out a spring break weekend? Here’s our pitch.
Pick a home base
Close to the action is the name of the game. Choose hotels near the stadiums you most want to visit. Because teams have their own “home” stadiums, you can pick your city of choice by where your team will play most.
For example, the Giants, Rockies and Diamondbacks all play ball in Scottsdale between Scottsdale Stadium and Salt River Fields. In a desert city perhaps best known for its luxury spas and endless golf courses, a stay at W Scottsdale in the heart of downtown puts you close to restaurants, bars, shopping and more. The hotel’s Triple Play Spring Training package, which runs through March 31, includes baseball swag for visitors.
Hotel Valley Ho, Andaz Scottsdale Resort & Bungalows and Mountain Shadows Resort Scottsdale all offer discounted hotel packages with food and beverage credits.
These sprawling resorts offer plenty of additional amenities. You’ll find four swimming pools, a fitness center and two golf courses at Boulders Resort & Spa, for example, where the hotel’s Grill Kitchen & Bar offers a spring training menu with hot dogs styled after Cactus League teams.
A bacon-wrapped Diamondback dog, for example, is topped with onion, tomato, green chiles, salsa and mayo. The Chicago-style (of course) White Sox dog sports onion, tomato, mustard, pepper, sweet green relish, a pickle spear, celery salt and poppy seeds. And Mariners fans can dive into a Seattle Dog with cream cheese and sauteed onions on a pretzel bun.
At Mountain Shadows Resort, guests can play an abbreviated round of golf between games at the par-3 Short Course with views of the Camelback Mountains. At Andaz, the emphasis is on the Palo Verde Spa.
And if you’re bringing the kids, Great Wolf Lodge has all sorts of kid-friendly attractions, including its signature indoor water park.
Pre (and post) game favorites
You can hardly enjoy baseball on an empty stomach. The popular and extremely lively brunch spot, Hash Kitchen, boasts a bloody Mary bar and live DJ spinning records while you nosh avocado toast and sip mimosa flights. There are seven Arizona locations in all, with two in Scottsdale.
Then book a pre-game bar crawl with Arizona Party Bike, whose tours dovetail with spring training games. You can ride through town in style and still show up 15 minutes before the first pitch is thrown, delivered right to the stadium’s front door by your brew bike driver.
Bet you didn’t know that theater and baseball could mix. Enter “Batter Up: Cactus League,” starring baseball obsessive Brett Moore onstage at the Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts on select dates in March.
If watching your favorite players on the field inspires your own dreams of athletic prowess, book a time slot at one of the local batting cages. D-BAT Scottsdale is an indoor facility with cages and a pitching mound. It’s just one of many in Scottsdale and the surrounding baseball towns, including Mesa, Phoenix and Peoria.
Celebrating after the game? Poppy’s Office is one of the region’s many — many! — speakeasies and our favorite, thanks to the sports memorabilia integrated into the atmospheric decor. Disguised as an office in a Scottsdale strip mall, the space opens to a dimly lit bar with an impressive list of cocktails and mocktails that are nothing short of a home run.
Baseball aside
While you’re in town, you can also focus on some of Arizona’s other great adventures. Western culture is a big draw here, and you can get your fill at Western Spirit, Scottsdale’s Museum of the West. Current exhibits include Hopi pottery, more than 200 paintings by female artists of the Southwest and works by John Ford Clymer, who painted the American Indians, pioneers and fur trappers of the 19th century.
Frank Lloyd Wright’s winter home, Taliesin West, is here too. The distinctive, historic structure served as Wright’s desert laboratory, an institute where he and his architecture apprentices lived and worked.
Looking for a new perspective? Consider booking a hot air balloon ride. Morning tours are available for early risers, but it’s the sunset excursions that are truly spectacular. Enjoy the vibrant pink skies of a desert sunset, followed by charcuterie and sparkling wine.
Outside Scottsdale
If you land in Tempe to watch the Los Angeles Angels, then spend your days on Tempe Town Lake and your evenings barhopping.
In Mesa, the Cubs play at Sloan Park while the Athletics play at Hohokam Stadium. And the Mesa Arts Center, Arizona Museum of Natural History and Golfland Splash get a lot of play after the final run.
In Surprise, where the Rangers and Royals compete, the aquatic center, tennis and racquet complex and Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium and Safari Park are great first picks.
And while the final day of Arizona spring training is March 25, some hotel packages are good through the 31st, making this an ideal escape for spring breakers as well as sports fans. Play ball!
If You Go
W Scottsdale: The “Triple Play Spring Training” package, which runs through March 31, includes a $50 food and beverage credit and baseball swag. 7277 E. Camelback Road, Scottsdale; www.marriott.com
Hotel Valley Ho: The “Play Ball” package, valid Feb. 19-March 31, includes a 20 percent savings on rooms, a $50 daily food and drink credit and a welcome amenity. 6850 E. Main St., Scottsdale; https://hotelvalleyho.com/.
Andaz Scottsdale Resort & Bungalows: Spring training guests receive a $100 resort credit. 6114 N. Scottsdale Road in Scottsdale; www.andazscottsdale.com
Mountain Shadows Resort Scottsdale: The “Ballpark” special, valid Feb. 19-March 31, offers 20 percent room savings, a $50 daily food and drink credit and a welcome amenity. 5445 E. Lincoln Drive, Paradise Valley; https://mountainshadows.com/
Great Wolf Lodge: 7333 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale; www.greatwolf.com/arizona
Boulders Resort & Spa: 34631 N. Tom Darlington Drive, Scottsdale; www.hilton.com
Hash Kitchen: Opens at 7 a.m. daily with multiple locations in the Phoenix metro area; www.hashkitchen.com
Arizona Party Bike: A two-hour Spring Training Pre-Game Bar Crawl includes two stops in Old Town and drop-off at Scottsdale Stadium for $49; www.arizonapartybike.com.
Scottsdale Center for the Performing Arts: Tickets to “Batter Up: Cactus League,” which runs March 13-16, are $26.50. 7380 E. Second St., Scottsdale; https://scottsdaleperformingarts.org/
D-BAT Scottsdale: Half-hour cage rentals start at $25 per half hour. 9109 E. Talking Stick Way, Suite 1A, Scottsdale; www.dbatscottsdale.com.
Poppy’s Office: Opens at 4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday at 34522 N. Scottsdale Road, Suite 160, Scottsdale; https://poppysoffice.com/
Western Spirit: Museum of the West: Tickets are $12-$28. The museum opens at 9:30 a.m. Monday-Saturday and 11 a.m. on Sundays at 3830 N. Marshall Way, Scottsdale; https://westernspirit.org/
Taliesen West: Tickets are $22-$44, with special family tours available for $15-$30. Reservations strongly recommended. Open daily at 12621 N. Frank Lloyd Wright Blvd. in Scottsdale; https://franklloydwright.org/.
Hot Air Expeditions: Morning rides are $229 for adults and $179 for children. Afternoon rides are $249 for adults and $199 for children. 702 W. Deer Valley Road, Phoenix; https://hotairexpeditions.com/.