Postcard from Scottsdale

All to soon, the Cactus League Spring Training in Arizona came to an end. Today was the last day of preseason games here in our fair state. Tonight or tomorrow the teams will head back to their respective cities, play a couple more exhibition games, then start the regular season on Sunday or Monday.

It is always such a sad time for diehard baseball fans like myself to see Spring Training come to an end, especially when it is in your backyard. They are so different than regular season games because they don’t count…and you get to see a lot of different players on the field…the regular players are usually done by the 5th inning. Then it’s time for the younger players to show their stuff.

When I came to Tucson, the Colorado Rockies and the Arizona Diamondbacks were the only two teams training here (the Chicago White Sox left the year before). So I went to several games every year…until both teams moved up to the Phoenix area. Now, all the teams in the Cactus League are in the same vicinity so travel is easy for them.

So even though we have no teams here anymore, a few teams like the Diamondbacks and the Dodgers normally come down and play a couple of games here. But, this year, those two teams went to Australia to play there. So, for the first time in over 50 years, there were no Cactus League games in my fair city.

I only went north once this pre-season to see a game…and happily for me, it was the San Francisco Giants, my favorite team in baseball, playing the San Diego Padres in Scottsdale. Even though they lost that day, it was still a fun time at the old ball park.

What makes these games so special is the size of the stadiums…they are very small, so you are right on top of the action. The players are a little friendlier and looser than normal so a baseball fan can have fun interacting with them. Its just a great experience that you will seldom find in a big-league ballpark. 

I also got to experience Old Town Scottsdale, something I had not done before. It is quite a place and certainly worth a visit. I was with my good friends, the Millers, from Walnut Creek, CA, so I got to experience the city with them. Always more fun when with friends. And of course, there were fellow Giant fans everywhere.

If you ever visit Scottsdale, be aware they have guys and girls running around town in golf carts. They will take you anywhere you want to go for no charge (they live on tips). It beats taxis. Our driver found out I was new to Scottsdale and gave me a great tour around Old Town.

I can honestly say I may never have had such a great day experiencing  Spring Training baseball from sunrise to sunset.

PS: This photo was not of the Giants game I attended. I forgot my camera. Dummy!