Thursday, March 8, 2007

Baseball!

Wow, it's been 2 weeks since I last posted. Alison is kicking my ass this month. So I'll post today about something that nobody is going to care about.
Spring Training has started back in the ol' A.Z. and we're missing out on it this year. This is very sad. Not that I took nearly enough advantage of having 12 major league teams in my vicinity when I lived there; I only saw something like half of those teams play, and that in only 4 different stadiums. I wish now that I had gone to all (10?) of the stadiums just to see what they're like. I have been to the following:
1. Tucson Electric Park (Tucson), home of the White Sox (until next year, when they will move to Goodyear) and the new, aesthetically-different Dbacks. Also, the Tucson Sidewinders play there during the year.
2. Hi Corbett Field (Tucson), home of the Colorado Rockies since they came into existence in 1993. Before that, it was the home of the Cleveland Indians. Also, the Tucson Toros used to play there, until the Dbacks came into being, the Sidewinders were created to be their AAA team, and TEP was built (1998). I remember those days!
3. Phoenix Municipal Stadium (Phoenix), home of the Oakland A's. This stadium is really close to Tempe and ASU's campus. Also, apparently the Phoenix Firebirds used to play here before moving to Scottsdale. They were the AAA team for the Giants.
4. Tempe Diablo Stadium (Tempe), home of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim which is in California located on the Pacific Coast of the United States of America in the Western Hemisphere of the planet Earth in the Solar System in the Milky Way in this particular Universe.
The following stadiums I have not been to for spring training:
1. Scottsdale Stadium (Scottsdale), home of the Giants. I have been to this stadium, but only for the World Baseball Classic, where I was embarassed to see fans make fun of the poor South African team, which lost badly to the U.S. all-stars. Jerks.
2. Peoria Sports Complex (Peoria), home of the Seattle Mariners and San Diego Padres.
3. Maryvale Baseball Park (Phoenix, home of the Milwaukee Brewers.
4. HoHoKam Park (Mesa), home of the Chicago Cubs.
5. Surprise Stadium (Surprise), home of the Texas Rangers and the Kansas City Royals. I've never been here, but I saw it being constructed back when I was working.

So now what? I'll have to go back some time and check out the rest of these, plus the one they're building out in Goodyear for 2009, when the Los Angeles Dodgers will be coming out to Arizona. I hear tell that the Indians will be coming out too. The White Sox are also moving up to Goodyear with the Dodgers. I haven't yet found out whether the Indians are going to be moving into TEP.

I guess the upshot is that I miss it, and I didn't take enough advantage of it when I had it. That's always the way. Now I'm just looking forward to the good old Omaha Royals, who I grew up watching in the beautiful Rosenblatt Stadium. They're coming to Albuquerque to play against the Simpsons inspired Isotopes twice this year. I'll be sure to wear my Omaha gear!

2 comments:

Alison said...

1. TEP
2. Hi Corbett
3. Hohokam
4. Scottsdale
5. Surprise

Apparently I haven't been to that many either. In defense, you can't go wrong with the 1st 4. Great stadiums for spring training all. The lawn at Scottsdale is great but a bit pricey.

And unlike Matt, I did take advantage of spring training, and I miss it so. What is March without spring training? Isotopes games start the first weekend in April!

Karen said...

I think I win!!

1. TEP
2. Hohokam
3. Scottsdale
4. Surprise
5. Tempe Diablo
6. Phoenix Municipal

I am not sure I have room to miss spring training what with my missing ALL SPORTS in general :(, especially my beloved basketball.