Colorado Rockies news: A guide for a Spring Training trip

Pitchers and catchers officially report to Spring Training in less than a month with the Rockies players starting the season’s preparations on February 15th. The long offseason finally seems to have the light at the end of the tunnel getting closer and closer and baseball games will be played in six weeks time if only the Cactus League and Grapefruit League games. While the players use Spring Training to get up to speed and ready for the regular season, it also is a great time to beat the cold and take a trip down to the desert for spring break, a week off of work, or satisfy that baseball itch. Here are some tricks and tips if you’re planning a trip down to Arizona for Spring Training.

Flight or Drive?

The first thing you need to determine for your trip is how you are getting to the destination, either driving or flying. Like many Rockies fans based in the Denver area, the drive to Phoenix will take about 13 hours, which does not include other stops for things like food and gas. Driving will take more time, adding at least two extra days to drive, but is definitely cheaper than booking a flight, especially if there a many people in the group. Driving also gives the benefits of having transportation while in Phoenix and avoids having to rent a car. Flying on the other hand will be less time consuming but will be more expensive. The best time to book a flight is about month to six weeks in advance of the trip to find the best price on flights. Likewise, booking your flight on a Sunday is the best day of the week to find cheaper flights. Other ways to keep your flight price lower is to book on less popular days of the week, meaning flying back home on Monday or Tuesday will be cheaper than a Sunday. Sticking to the middle of the week will be your best bet for flight prices.

Hotels

After getting to your destination, lodging is important to make your stay comfortable. Although most travel advice says to book a hotel only two or three weeks ahead of your trip, for Spring Training this year, getting a hotel as early as possible will be important. Not only is Spring Training going on, the World Baseball Classic will also be in Phoenix at the same time between March 10-15 as well as spring break may make hotel availability limited around those time. Other things to consider for lodging is location. Where will you be spending most of your time? If Rockies Spring Training is your goal, finding a spot near Salt River Fields in Scottsdale is the best place to look. With so many facilities within a close distance, finding lodging with easy access to the interstates and highways may be a good way to go as well.

Tickets

The Cactus League is unique in the fact that fifteen teams at ten Spring Training facilities all within the Phoenix metro area, as you can see on the map below. This means that you can go visit a number of teams and facilities all during one trip. Finding games and teams you want to see are the biggest part for finding tickets to games. Most games start in the afternoon, 1 pm local time start, but occasionally games are played in the evenings, especially on the weekends. Good planning could allow to go to multiple games in a day if you wanted.

For those interested in going to a Rockies Spring Training game, tickets can be relatively cheap. The least expensive are general admission tickets in the lawn, which start around $15. In the seated areas, tickets can be anywhere from $22-30 at the cheapest on Ticketmaster, but cheaper tickets may be found on second hand sites and closer to the event day.

Other things to do

While Spring Training and baseball may be the main focus of your trip, there will need to have other things to do to fill the time between ball games and evenings. Just a five minute drive from Field Salt Rivers is a TopGolf location where you can play golf games even for those who aren’t big golfers. Right next door is the Talking Stick Resort and Casino where you can test your luck at the casino or visit restaurants and bars. For those who are into hiking, Camelback Mountain is a 1.14 mile hike, or South Mountain Park are good options to being outside in nature. Another option for those with kids is the Phoenix Zoo. If none of these fit your fancy, sitting by your hotel’s pool and enjoying the warmth and the sun is also a good option!

Other things to consider

One of the best ways to get the most out of your trip is to check around to see if there are special events going on at the same time will help find things to do. Likewise, checking the weather before you leave will help you pack the correct clothes. Although it’s usually warm during the day, the desert may still be cold so having a jacket packed is important too. One last time is to try to branch out and go to different Spring Training facilities even if your team isn’t playing. Spring Training allows you to see different teams and players from all around the league. And the best tips is to make sure you have fun!

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Kris Bryant played just 42 games for the Rockies last season after signing a 7 year, $182 million deal last offseason. The former MVP has his first season in purple pinstripes derailed by a back injury early on and plantar fasciitis and a bone bruise injury that ended his season. Bryant says that the injuries are behind him and he is ready to get back into baseball after missing most of the season. The outfielder will be ready for Spring Training and will be able to play without restrictions once the team begins training for the 2023 next month. Bryant will bring a boost to the Rockies lineup that missed his ability to get on base and his power in the middle of the lineup in which the team struggled mightily last year.

The Northern Colorado Owlz, part of the ten team, independent Pioneer Baseball League, based in Windsor Colorado announced that Frank Gonzales will be the manager for the 2023 season. The team moved from Orem, Utah to Windsor prior to the 2021 season and plays in an independent league that also includes the Grand Junction Rockies. Frank Gonzales has coached in northern Colorado for many years, starting at Fort Collins High School in 2009. Most recently, Gonzales was the pitching coach for the Rockies’ Triple-A affiliate in Albuquerque. He has past Pioneer League managerial experience, leading the Grand Junction Rockies during 2016-2017. “Knowing the baseball and the community of baseball in Northern Colorado was very inviting,” Gonzales said in the Owlz release. “I’m excited about the community opportunity.”

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