Designed by an orthopedic hand surgeon, patented Bionic Gloves are ergonomically designed for maximum comfort and performance.
Baseball's past, present, and future are ready for you to
see and be part of at the Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory.
Interested in purchasing the 2009 A Fan's Guide To The Ultimate Spring Training Experience? The 170-page,
annually-updated guide includes everything you need to plan a trip to any ballpark in Arizona, including local airline, rental
car and hotel information, plus parking and seating/ticketing details with Web links to every team to buy tickets
online, review ballpark seating maps as well as map out schedules. The unique history of each ballpark, plus the best
seating options and best way to secure autographs are included, plus, free e-mail advice from Joe on planning your trip! Just
visit the Buy Joe's Guides page to purchase, or to learn more, visit the About Joe's Guides page.
This page is to intended to inspire those "thinking about" going to Arizona
for Spring Training 2009 – whether for the first time or for a follow-up visit. Ask any family member, friend or colleague
who’s ever experienced Spring Training, and they are bound to make you feel jealous, telling you stories of incredible
intimacy, affordability and a renewed appreciation for everything that is baseball.
So what are you waiting for?
Joe’s annually updated Spring Training guide, available at the Buy Joe's Guides page, isn’t about sitting on the back porch dreaming of going "next year" – isn't about planning
to realize dreams NOW. What’s holding you back? Is it time? Sure, everybody has to work and support a family, totally
understood. But do you know you could attend three games over a mere weekend in either Phoenix or Tucson?
Is it money? Yes, you might have to get on a plane, rent a car, book a hotel
room – but Joe’s guides make that process so easy it’s scary. Ticket prices? Can you sweat paying $10 to
sit up close to the action or like $5 just to get in the joint? Parking? Joe’s guides provide tips on securing free
street parking. Worst case? It’s $3-5 to park.
Here’s what it is: you should be Arizona in 2009, that’s what!
Spring Training is a time for unsung players to rise to the occasion to earn
a spot on a major league roster to get to "The Show." Division III and Independent League castoffs, who at age 28 or 29, finally
"catch" the eye of a General Manager.
Unlike the regular season, it's not unusual during Spring Training for players
to move about along the same paths as fans to get from point A to point B with no fences, ropes, security guards or other
obstacles.
The fact of the matter is this: Spring Training is one of the few institutions
that hasn’t changed in a world where change – and speed – rule. It remains sports best kept secret –
the ultimate fan-friendly adventure that delivers incredible intimacy and affordability.
The content here provides a glimpse into why planning a trip to Spring
Training in the Grand Canyon State is so worthwhile. Realize your dreams today! You can also learn more at the About Joe's Guides page.
JOE'S ARIZONA’S BEST FOR 2009 – AND, WELL, WORST…
*This list does not include the new ballparks likely to open
in Glendale and Goodyear in 2009 for the Dodgers and Indians, respectively.
In preparation for Spring Training 2009, Joe presents his shameless
attempt at giving ‘People Magazine’s 50 Most Sexiest’ and that infamous ‘Worst Dressed List’
a run for their rankings! A Fan’s Guide To The Ultimate Spring Training Experience,
available for purchase at the Buy Joe's Guides page, has all the insider scoop on each Spring Training site in the desert, from Phoenix
to Tucson. But this below list gets the juices flowing, leaning
heavily on a ballparks' fan atmosphere, followed by its intimacy and accessibility.
ARIZONA’S TOP 9 TO PLEASE ITS BAKERS DOZEN
1. Surprise Stadium at Billy Parker Field (Royals &
Rangers)
Why It’s Numero Uno: Modernity meets intimacy for Royals and Rangers fans. This ballpark has been such a big hit, the
Phillies fairly new complex in Clearwater, Florida is
modeled after Surprise.
2. Scottsdale
Stadium (Giants)
Why It’s Numero Dos: Not as much intimacy as Surprise, but plenty of characters, from young, plastic surgery cuties
to old-timers. Oh, and some guy named Bonds just happens to hit here. BUY YOUR TICKETS! Sellouts common!
3. HoHoKam
Park at Dwight Patterson Field, Mesa
(Cubs)
Why It’s Numero Tres: Still thirsting for a pennant has its rewards, sort of – desperate Cubs fans make
HoHoKam Spring Training’s largest, and often, loudest, ballpark.
4. Tucson
Electric Park (Diamondbacks
and White Sox)
Why It’s Numero Cuatro: Oh, those Catalina Mountains as the outfield backdrop are magic on a warm sunny day or cool spring evening
in Old Pueblo.
5. Peoria
Stadium (Padres and Mariners)
Why It’s Numero Cinco: Ichiro, Ichiro, Ichiro...Ichiro, you are unbelieveable!
6. Phoenix
Municipal Stadium (Athletics)
Why It’s Numero Seis: Simple, quaint – and got to love the mysterious Papago
Park hovering in the distance. Boo: you MUST pay to park your Dodge Neon
Rent-A-Car or risk getting towed!
7. Tempe
Diablo Stadium (Angels)
Why It’s Numero Siete: While the fan atmosphere has improved in recent years thanks to something called a World Series
title in 2002, this place doesn't have a history of being the most riveting venue to see a game.
8. Maryvale Ballpark, Phoenix (Brewers)
Why It’s Numero Ocho: If only the Brewers weren’t, well, weren’t the
Brewers! When was the last time they made the playoffs? ’82? Wasn’t that when the VCR first came out
and now even that’s obsolete?
9. Hi-Corbett Field, Tucson
(Rockies)
Why It’s Numero Stinko: Why do you think the Indians left in 1992? Welcome to baseball at the equator…At
least Rockies fans can rest on the satisfaction that, well, hey, Willie "Mays Hayes" once got a really good nights' sleep here.
