FunFactFriday: Spring Training

Welcome to Spring Training in the desert!
Before a team starts their 162-game schedule, players need to get into baseball shape and shake off the effects of a five-month layoff. Managers and coaches must evaluate their teams to decide who’s going to start the season. And us fans, well, we need another reason to drink beer during the day.
Hey, it’s been a few weeks since the Waste Management Phoenix Open and we are due for another excuse to party—oops—I mean enjoy a sporting event.
So, whether you are here for the hot dogs and refreshments, or you are here because you genuinely enjoy baseball in a more intimate setting, here are some fun facts regarding Spring Training in Arizona:

• A total of 15 teams call AZ home during spring training, including the Diamondbacks, Cubs, White Sox, Reds, Indians, Rockies, Royals, Angels, Dodgers, Brewers, A’s, Padres, Giants, Mariners and Rangers.
• There are 10 “home” stadiums in the Cactus League, which means teams pair up and share facilities. Five have their own. All of the stadiums are relatively close, so any team never has to travel very far for an “away” game.
• The Arizona Diamondbacks’ training facility is only 22 miles from Chase Field, their home stadium in Phoenix during the season.
• The Cactus League dates back to 1947, when the New York Giants (now San Francisco Giants) came to Phoenix for Spring Training.
• 6 out of 10 fans travel from out of town to watch Spring Training games.
• In 2017, Cactus League attendance was 1,941,347!
• There are more than 200 games on the 2018 Cactus League Spring Training schedule.
• Spring Training has a $544 million economic impact on the State of Arizona. The last Super Bowl here produced $500 million!
• The Arizona100 released a special edition dedicated to the Cactus League full of great information on each ballpark! See it HERE

Ready for the best fact of all?! Team HMA will be at the Diamondbacks v. Cubs game today! We just have to do our due diligence to make sure that Mega Dog is worth the hype.