Baseball fans from around the state and beyond, along with the Phoenix area’s 10 baseball facilities, continue to wait for word on when Major League Baseball’s spring training may begin. The Cactus League was scheduled to start Feb. 26, and organizers are standing by expecting to hear “Play ball!” sometime this month for the 15 teams that call Arizona their spring training home.
Currently, Surprise Stadium has tickets on sale for games from March 8 to March 26. “Surprise Stadium is ready to host spring training when games are able to start,” said City of Surprise Sports and Tourism Director Kendra Pettis. “We remain hopeful and look forward to welcoming the Texas Rangers, Kansas City Royals and all of our fans back to Surprise.”
Cactus League Executive Director Bridget Binsbacher has expressed great disappointment that the season did not begin as scheduled. “Spring training is a major tourism driver in Arizona, and our stakeholders are counting on a strong 2022 spring training season after enduring two COVID-disrupted seasons. We are also disappointed for the many out-of-state fans whose travel plans have been impacted.”
Organizers say as much as 60% of the fan base comes to Arizona from outside of the state, and while the games attract these visitors, cities and towns all over Arizona benefit while they are here. That overall economic impact is reportedly in the hundreds of millions of dollars. According to a 2018 study conducted by Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business, the Cactus League industry contributes an estimated $644 million annually in economic impact in the state, a number that is expected to grow.
The Phoenix metropolitan area has the greatest concentration of professional baseball facilities in the country. The Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Colorado Rockies, Kansas City Royals, Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners and the Texas Rangers all call Arizona their spring training home.
“During the last two seasons, our facilities have learned to be prepared for unforeseen challenges,” said Binsbacher. “We remain hopeful for a settlement and look forward to welcoming the teams and their fans back to Arizona soon.”
The dispute between Major League Baseball owners and the players’ union, the Major League Baseball Players Association, has been ongoing since Dec. 2. Issues include compensation for young players and an expanded playoff season.
By Bonnie Stevens, QCBN
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