Another home run for ballpark designer HOK, Surprise Stadium provides the Royals and Rangers with one of the premier spring training facilities in baseball. Groundbreaking for the stadium was done in style on May 21, 2001 with Hall of Famers George Brett and Nolan Ryan on hand for the ceremonies. The joint tenants christened the park on February 27, 2003 with the Royals taking a 6-3 decision.
The Royals and Rangers are both in their eleventh seasons in Surprise. The Royals trained in Ft. Myers, FL from 1969-87 and Baseball City, FL from 1988-2002. The Rangers/Senators trained in Pompano Beach, FL from 1961-86 and Port Charlotte, FL from 1987-2002. The Rangers dugout is on the first base side and the Royals is on the third base side. Both teams use the complex as the home for their teams in the Arizona League (rookie level) in June through August. The Stadium is also used for the Arizona Fall League.
Surprise Stadium FAQs
The Royals 18 game home schedule started on February 23 against the Rangers.
The Rangers 17 game home schedule started on February 22 against Kansas City.
Royals in 2012
Regular season: 72-90, third place in A.L. Central
Spring Training: 16-16
Rangers in 2012
Regular season: 93-69. A.L. Wild Card
Spring Training: 12-17-1
Surprise Stadium: 15960 North Bullard Ave.Surprise, AZ 85374
Capacity: 10,714
Dimensions: LF 350’; CF 400’; RF 350’
Tips: Bring plenty of sun screen and lots of patience to weekday games at Surprise Stadium. The traffic can be brutal leaving the ballpark just as rush hour heats up. Bell Road is a nightmare…..The Royals have two night games that start at 7:05; March 25 against the Dodgers and March 27 against the Cubs. The Rangers have one game under the lights. In a marquee match-up, they take on the star-studded Angels at 7:05 on March 21. All other Surprise games begin at 1:05 with the exception of the Royals March 29 contest against the Indians which stars an hour earlier.
A nice touch….. The Rangers and Royals each have six and one-half practice fields. One field for each team is lighted. These lighted fields have the exact dimensions of the club’s home parks—Rangers, Ballpark in Arlington and Royals, Kauffman Stadium.
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