Seattle Mariners fans head to Arizona spring training
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Fans watch the Mariners take on the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday in Peoria, Arizona. Photo: Justin Kaufmann/Axios
Baseball fans from Seattle and across the country are flocking to the desert as the Cactus League season kicks off throughout the Phoenix area.
The big picture: This year marks the 79th season of the Cactus League — Major League Baseball's Arizona spring training circuit — with 15 teams playing at 10 stadiums just miles apart.
Zoom in: The start of Cactus League play is like a baseball pilgrimage, with nearly 6 in 10 attendees coming from out of state.
State of play: The Mariners share their spring training complex in Peoria, Arizona, with the San Diego Padres.
- Mariners fans packed the stadium there on Tuesday afternoon.
What they're saying: "The sun in shining and everybody is together to enjoy Mariners baseball," Katrina Bell told Axios.
- Bell travels every year from the Seattle area for spring training. "It's also a smaller venue, so it's not so much for everybody."
- Chris Schimschat has been a fan of the Mariners since 1977. He grew up in the South Sound but moved to Alaska, where he still watched the games on TV.
- "People come from all over the country for this," Schimschat told Axios. "With 15 teams there are a lot of options, and there's a lot of golf here, too."
If you go: Ticket prices vary by park. You can get a $21 lawn seat for a Mariners game in Peoria, but be prepared to pay $35 for a lawn seat to see the Dodgers in Glendale.
- Also, some ballparks charge for parking, while parking at others is free.
The bottom line: For baseball fans, it's less about standings and more about sun, nostalgia and the promise that this might finally be their year.
