US Airways - January 2014 - (Page 76)

Cactus League T Spotlight on Spring Training he ballpark organist played "Auld Lang Syne" as more than 11,000 fans filed out of Mesa's Hohokam Stadium for the Chicago Cubs' final game of the 2013 Cactus League season. 76 JANUARY 2014 usairwaysmag.com PHOTOS BY GETTY IMAGES, GETTY IMAGES/LISA BLUMFELD, JOSEPH PUN From left: Hohokam Stadium; A.J. Pierzynski of the Texas Rangers bats against the Chicago Cubs during a spring training game at Hohokam; San Diego Padres pause for the national anthem at Peoria Sports Complex This wasn't just the last game of spring training. For the Cubs, the home team of both the original and the new Hohokam Stadium, it was the end of an era. This year, good ol' Hohokam is scheduled to undergo a year of renovations, before reopening as the 2015 spring training home of the Oakland A's. Thankfully, the Cubs are not leaving town. They're just moving into fantastic new digs a couple of miles away. And so the end of one era is the dawn of another. America's pastime has been king in the Grand Canyon State for more than a halfcentury. And there's simply nothing like enjoying spring training baseball under sunny Arizona skies. It's called the Cactus League, and half of Major League Baseball's 30 teams have their preseason training and exhibition games in ten ballparks throughout the Phoenix region. This means that it's pretty much always baseball season in Arizona, and the ten Cactus League facilities are used for multiple functions throughout the year. One of the keys to the league's success has come from emphasizing its year-round impact. Recent studies have estimated its annual impact on the state's tourism industry at approximately $632 million, and that doesn't include the year-round activities and contributions of the facilities. "It would not surprise me if we are a $750 million industry in Maricopa County and the state of Arizona 12 months a year," says Cactus League president Mark A. Coronado. "Our biggest challenge is to become more politically and corporately connected so that the state legislature really understands the impact of the Cactus League, not just during the month of March but all year, and that's our mission." http://www.usairwaysmag.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of US Airways - January 2014

Table of Contents
CEO Letter
From the Editor
Did You Know?
Hot Spots: Winter Festivals
Wine & Dine: Pastries
Style Spotlight: Carry-On Essentials
Diversions: ArtistWorks
Great Escapes: Hotel Zetta
Great Escapes: Quintero Golf Club
Gear Up: Smart Kitchen
Travel Feature: Vail and Beaver Creek Ski Resorts
US Airways: The Airline's Fleet
Winter Warriors: Olympic Athletes
Celebrate Oakland, CA
Best of Health: Miami Foot & Ankle Surgery
Cactus League
Puzzles
Readers Resource Index
Your US Airways Guide
Video Entertainment
Audio Entertainment
U.S. and Caribbean Service Map
International Service Map
Airport Terminal Maps
US Airways Fleet/Customs & Immigration
Passenger Info/Contact US Airways
US Airways MarketPlace®
Window or Aisle?

US Airways - January 2014