Spring Training
Dave · January 25, 2005 at 10:53 am · Filed Under Mariners
While it is unlikely that any of the three of us are going to make it to Arizona for spring training, we’re certain a large number of you guys will be going down to Peoria and enjoying the sun in March. So, as a service to our readers who enjoy meeting other readers, and because of multiple requests, I’m creating this thread as a Spring Training Information catch-all. If you’re going and want to meet up with other USSM readers, just drop the dates that you’ll be in AZ in the comments, and you guys can use this thread as a way to organize and communicate with others.
We’ll put this on the left navbar and leave it up through spring training. Enjoy.
Comments
29 Responses to “Spring Training”
Last week in March. Staying at Residence Inn. I don’t drink, but I’ll buy you a beer.
Hey Dave! ‘waving’ My tentative vacation dates are March 24-April 1, but I might tweak those. March 24 I’ll be in Las Vegas, then March 25-26 I’ll be in Mesquite, Nevada running either the TriState Marathon or Half-Marathon. The rest is fairly wide open, albeit Death Valley beckons. The M’s play in Las Vegas on April 1, but tickets are like $35 or something. So I might just travel down to Peoria on Monday or Tuesday. I’ll be the one with the wool Jackie Stewart-type cap in 90-degree weather.
does Fanfest count? that’s about all I can afford this year…
I don’t think I will be in Spring Training, but I am really hoping Felix is in for Tacoma Opening Day and that the USS Mariner contingent can make it down. I was quite annoyed that he never pitched up here in Vancouver when he was with Everett.
Last year we got tickets from Priceline – Round Trip airfare Seattle-Phoenix for two adults, 3 nights at the Homestead Suites for $390. We also bought lawn tickets for night games in Peoria, for $5, got to watch Jake Peavy v Greg Maddux. That and a neat autographed ball.
Going to be down there March 9th-13th for the Cubs, Rockies, and Rangers. Should be a blast! Anyone still looking for a hotel room – everything in Peoria is booked solid BUT there is a Ramada Limited that is listed as being in Glendale but is in fact a half mile from the sports complex, on the other side of the Arrowhead shopping center. I made reservations yesterday, so if anyone’s looking I’m sure they still have room.
Glendale? Thanks for the tip. Yeah, I’m doing FanFest too. I have a race in Olympia on the 29th, so I guess I’ll be there on Sunday, Jan. 30. The same wool Jackie Stewart-type cap applies, but not the 90-degree weather.
Chris,
Just in case you hadn’t heard at the time, Felix – along with some other members of the 2003 AquaSox – had a visa problem which precluded his entry into Canada. He’s almost certain to pitch on Canadian soil this season, though. Will it be Alberta, Ontario or both?
I’ll be down there March 23-26, catching 4 M’s games. I’ve already got game tickets for this year, but so that I can be prepared for next year, here’s a question: How does one get good seats for games in Peoria? The last couple years I’ve purchased tickets the moment they go on sale to the general public, and for games at other stadiums, I end up with terrific seats. But for Peoria I always end up with seats in the second tier. Clearly they’re pre-selling or reserving huge blocks of the best seats, but I’ve been unable to find out where they’re going, and how I can get my hands on them. Any help would be much appreciated!
The Trappers are gone and moved to Round Rock, where the Round Rock Franchise was moved to Corpus Christi, so Ontario.
Also, for player sightings, I saw a bunch when I went to Nevada Bob’s driving range, which is southwest of Peoria off the beltway around Phoenix (can’t remember the number, my 1996 atlas doesn’t have it. I think it is AZ-101) off (I believe) the Indian School Road exit. Just drive west about 3-4 miles down Indian School (or whichever road. It’s near there and in the phonebook). Good place to hit golf balls at night, by the way, down near Maryvale.
I just sit on the lawn at Peoria, it’s great out there. Although you kinda have to sit in the shadow of the light standard when it is 100 degrees as it was last year.
“But for Peoria I always end up with seats in the second tier. Clearly they’re pre-selling or reserving huge blocks of the best seats, but I’ve been unable to find out where they’re going, and how I can get my hands on them.”
I think the block seat sales go to the various package tours. FWIW, having used Spring Training Tours, the ‘offical’ ST tour outfit, I can say that even *their* seat location varies depending on home or away or who the visiting team is…
Really? I have had no trouble getting seats a few rows back behind home plate. You just have to buy early.
My folks were down there on ’03 and happened by the will call the night before a game and a whole block of tickets right behind home plate had opened up. A lot of the good seats are saved for the organization, and when they don’t have takers they let them go. I’m content to try my luck or sit out on the lawn or in the bleachers.
I live in San Diego and am looking to make a roadtrip during a weekend (I work at a college). I’ve never gone before. I have friends that live in Tucson, and I hear that it isn’t too far from Peoria. Any suggestions? Go ahead and email me at *h*a*h*a*o*n*u*@hotmail.com (- all the *’s) if you have suggestions for a first timer.
I live in Phoenix and absolutely recommend “Monastary Too”, the bar just next to the Peoria Sports Complex. It’s a mostly outdoor bar with volleyball courts and is one of the most relaxed bars around. One of the fences that fences in the bar is also the outfield fence for the M’s practice field. Grab a beer, watch BP, and just enjoy the Arizona sun.
As an extra added bonus, Monastary Too will buy you a cab home if you’ve had too much to drink. You can’t beat that.
I’ll be down there from March 3rd thru the 17th. We’re renting a 3 BR house in Peoria, just down the road from the Sports Complex. We do have room for some of the nights so if anybody is going during that time period and needs a reasonably priced place to stay, let me know (grandsalami@comcast.net).
I’d also receommend Monastery Too for post-game drinking, socializing, etc. For one of the weeks (early on), KJR broadcasts from there and has players come by to do live interviews and the players usually hang out and mingle with the fans. On one particular day last spring they had Boone, Gil Meche, Ryan Franklin, Ben Davis and Willie F Bloomquist. That was 20% of the opening day roster!
This will be the first time we’ve actually stayed in Peoria, but it’s really been built up so there’s enough to do. I also recommend McDuffy’s Sports Bar, which is right across from the Peoria Sports Complex.
I live in Flagstaff, AZ (Northern Arizona University.) If anyone will is interested in commuting to Peoria with me, please send me an e-mail.
ooter37@hotmail.com
This is my second ST since I moved down here from the Northwest. We’ve got tickets to the 4 weekend M’s “home” games during the season.
Last year I bought tickets on-line, and couldn’t get any of the lower level seats, so this year I decided to drive over to Peoria and buy them at the box office. While there I found out that the orders that are mailed in get filled as soon as they come in, even if it’s before they go on sale to the general public through the box office and Ticketmaster.
Also I would not recoomend going to the box office to buy tickets. I thought it would be a jump on the on-line sales as they go on sale an hour earlier. I got there an hour before opening, was the 10th person in line for a 2 window queue, and it still took an hour and a half after the windows opened. So I spend 2.5 hours in line to get tickets a half hour after they went on sale on-line.
I live in Arizona (Surprise, which is near Peoria), and I just want all you coming down for Spring Training to know that this will be a great wildflower season – we had rain at the right time over the fall and winter. If you like to hike I can give you some great places to hike and see wildflowers.
Hope the M’s give us some reasons to cheer this year.
This is going to be my first spring training (girlfriend is a grad student at ASU), so I’m really excited about it. Think we’ll probably be out on the lawn for most of the games – just as a cost consideration.
Anne, we both like to hike, so any suggestions for where to go would be much appreciated.
Will be in Scottsdale March 6-12. I will soak up the rays and the minor leaguers in the day; crush the 6-12, 10-20 holdem games at the Casino Arizona at night. My group won an auction that includes a tour of the Peoria facility with a “senior executive”, I will be on my best behavior =^)
fyi, re the Peoria complex:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/mariners/2002173729_mari08.html
About the tickets to the game, and how to get good ones…
Best bet: Find a Peoria season ticket holder. Yes, there is a group of people who hold season tickets for spring training, and yes, they are different than those of us who hold season tickets at Safeco. And just like those of us at Safeco, they sell some of their seats.
2nd Best bet: Find somebody who has FULL season tickets at Safeco, because, around the middle of December we get a priority order form in the mail for spring training tickets, and it’s first-come, first-serve – our orders get filled BEFORE tix go on sale to the general public. This year, for example, I’m going to 7 games in Peoria (Mar 5 – 12, and one game in Surprise), and the worst seat I got was 3 rows back in the section right next to the Mariners dugout. I’m not sure if the spring training priority order form goes to 40 game ticket plan holders or not, but I know that 16 game plan holders don’t get them.
3rd best bet: Wait till right before the game. Just like at Safeco, some great seats open up in the 48 hours prior to gametime. Those are the seats that are held for visiting teams and MLB people.
Okay, it’s looking like Sunday and Monday in the Grand Canyon, then Tuesday at Phoenix Municipal Stadium and Wednesday at Peoria, then probably back to Las Vegas that night. Hopefully I can get to the Las Vegas game before I leave on Friday. Hope to see some of you there. I’ll be the one in the Jackie Stewart-type cap in 90-100 degree weather. And yes, I answer to wabbles.
I have the honor of being a vanguard of the exit row on flight 726 Wednesday. I’m the dude in the Ichiro! jersey, so if you happen to be on the flight say hi. We can make plans to meet up at the Monestary 2 tomorrow night. It’s gonna rock!
oops, maybe I should say I’m a sentry of the exit row. Whatever, I’m stoked. 🙂
Jeff in Fremont,
So you took the ill-fated Flight 726. This means that you, like me had to get aboard three airplanes before we found one that worked. Better to find out BEFORE they take off, eh?
Won’t see you at The Monestary as I am taking my baseball buddy to Don and Charlies, the Nirvana of Baseball Fans. This place is an absolute must for anyone who calls themself a baseball fan. Autographed balls and pictures and jerseys of every hall-of-famer going back to the forties. It is completely stupifying.
Saw Felix Hernandez in Surpise vs. the Royals yesterday. Line score: 1 inning, 3 hits, 4 runs (all earned), 2 walks, 3 strikeouts. We thought for a muinute it was Ebbie Calvin LaLouche on the mound. Well, he won’t learn anything without a little adversity.
So now the M’s are 1-6 for the Cactus League season. Reminds me of 2001. Hmmmmmm.