Mesa, AZ – While we were visiting Mesa Arizona in the spring, we decided to take in a Cactus League Game. We were staying at the Monte Vista RV Resort. From the Cactus League website: “spring training baseball under the warm Arizona sun has been a tradition for devoted fans since 1947, when just two teams, the Cleveland Indians and the New York Giants, came here to prepare for the rigors of the long regular season. Today, 15 teams train in the Phoenix metropolitan area in the greatest concentration of professional baseball facilities found anywhere in the United States. For visitors, the Cactus League couldn’t be more convenient, with short drive times between ballparks and a full range of hotel, dining and shopping amenities. Truly, the Cactus League is the premier destination for baseball lovers.” If you can’t get to Arizona, Florida has the Grapefruit League.
The stands at a Cactus League game
As we are Colorado residents, we checked the schedule and found that the Colorado Rockies practice and play at the Salt River Fields, which they share with the Arizona Diamondbacks. We found a Rockies game and ordered tickets online to be picked up at the will call window. We went to a game against the Texas Rangers.
Salt River Fields is home to the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks
The roster and scoreboard
The Salt River Fields at Talking Stick has:
- 7,000 fixed seats & 4,000 lawn seats
- A uniquely designed roof that mimics the traditional Native American ramada
- Two 85,000 square-foot clubhouses for the Arizona Diamondbacks & Colorado Rockies
- Pepsi Patio – unique rooftop hospitality space with 360-degree view located above press box
- Miller Lite Loft / Coors Light Cold Zone – large hospitality space located on 3B/1B sides of press level
- Cold Stone Kids Fun Field – free whiffle ball field located down RF concourse
- Scoreboard – High-definition 24 X 48 foot high video board featuring LED technology, one of the largest boards at any Spring Training facility in baseball
- Seven parking lots with over 3,000 spaces
- 405,000 square-foot grass multipurpose fields
- 12 practice fields
- 3 acre irrigation lake
Salt River campus
We were able to watch the players warm up
We picked our tickets up at the will call window and headed into the stadium. We attended an early afternoon game and ate lunch at the park. There were many food vendors so we had no problem finding food and everything we ate was good. We liked our seats on the third base line and enjoyed the game. There was all the usual baseball trappings including food vendors and the seventh inning stretch. Unfortunately, our Rockies lost. Having attended some regular season baseball games, I appreciated the smaller and less crowded facility. This was a great experience and we recommend it.
Home plate at Salt River Fields
Antonio Senzatela pitching
One of the practice fields at Salt River
