The primary reason we are in Arizona in March is to see Spring training baseball of course. We bought some tickets in advance, some once we arrived and for others we are checking StubHub for good seats at good prices. The Cubs are asking $100.00 for a seat which is ridiculous for any game but especially for an exhibition game that doesn't count. So far we have been to three games, had good to great seats and did not pay anywhere near that price.
Our first game was on Wednesday March 1 and of course it was the Angels in Tempe Diablo Stadium. We were happy to see the boys deliver a victory over division rival Texas. I know it does not matter if you win in Spring but it is definitely better than losing.
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| home away from home |
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| a beautiful day for a ballgame |
Friday we went to Talking Stick Stadium here in Scottsdale to see the Dodgers play the Diamondbacks in another division rivalry. This is one of the newer stadiums, shared by Colorado and Arizona. For lunch we had a sandwich named for former D-back star Luis Gonzalez- the Gonzo chicken sandwich; fried chicken, bacon, and ham.Of course it was delicious!
We like to arrive at the games early to watch the players warm-up. on this day we were rewarded with a chance to watch the starting battery for the D-backs former Angels Zack Grienke and Jeff Mathis.
Our condo came with two beach cruiser bikes so we have been exploring the many paths on non game days. Sunday we discovered the Giants training facility which is about a half mile from the stadium where they play games. We paused in our ride to watch veterans and minor leaguers alike work on fundamental drills.
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| one of many fields |
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evaluating the talent
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As we continued our ride we discovered how close we were to Old Town Scottsdale and the Giants stadium there. So for our game today, Monday, we rode our bikes to the field. It is about three-four miles one way on a bike path that goes along a golf course. No parking problem, charge or crowd. This is the way to get to a game.
We saw the Indians vs the Giants in our first inter-league game. Scottsdale has always been a nice stadium but today there was a bonus, former players were there selling autographed items George Foster, Darrel Evans, Gaylord Perry and the Cucamonga Kid himself- Rollie Fingers. We purchased a signed ball from Fingers for Johns collection. We split a cheesesteak sandwich and garlic fries before watching the home team once again claim the victory.
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| If it is San Francisco, it must be garlic Fries |
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| Great Mustaches |
Not every day has been about baseball. As we were driving in we saw billboards about music festivals that were taking place over the weekend. Upon research and listening to the bands we decided instead to go to the Scottish festival and Highland games being held in Phoenix on Saturday. We had a great time listening to pipe, folk and Celtic bands.The Wicked Tinkers were a special favorite. We met some great people, happy to share their knowledge of Scotland and the games.
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British cars on display
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| Practicing for their competition |
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the horn is on a stand
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As I mentioned before there are trails all around our condo. Most of them we have seen so far go along a golf course or through a park. We did a 3 mile hike Friday morning before the game and saw many snowbirds- Canadian Geese are everywhere. I know many people do not consider walking a paved area in a downtown setting a hike but it is close enough for me. Besides, it rhymes with bikes.
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