The Cubs joined the Cleveland Indians and New York Giants in the Cactus League in 1952. Except for 1966 when they trained in Long Beach, CA, the Cubs have been Arizona’s anchor team, and except for a stretch in Scottsdale, they have spent their Arizona springs in Mesa. In fact, the city has provided three different ballparks for the baby bruins; Rendezvous Park; Hohokam Park I; and Hohokam Park II. Their most recent home was constructed at a cost of $15 million and opened in 1997. Now the Cubs want a new ballpark and training facility. While physically, there is nothing wrong with Hohokam Park, it is easy to see why the Cubs want a new home.
Looking out from the stands, the park is beautiful. It has unique dimensions and angles in the outfield, a huge scoreboard and well-kept grounds. What it doesn’t have is warmth and charm befitting spring training. The concourse is outside of the seating areas which, compared to other Cactus League parks, seem miles away from the field. Hohokam Park is much more of a mini-Major League stadium than it is a cozy spring training ballpark. Couple that with the location of the park which is across from a cemetery and has one way in and one way out, and you have one of the least attractive ballparks in the league. Even so, the Cubs set a spring training record by drawing 203,105 fans to Hohokam Park last year. It is a testament to the drawing power of spring training’s most popular team and one reason why Mesa is scrambling to keep the club from moving to Florida. With that kind of clout, the Cubs are sure to get their new ballpark, it just a matter of where. They have agreed to stay in Mesa if the city can put together a financing package to build them a new $84 million facility. For at least the next two years, the Cubs will continue packing them in at Hohokam Park.
HoHoKam Park FAQs:
The Cubs began their 15-game home schedule on Thrusday, March 4 against the Oakland Athletics.
HoHoKam Park
1235 North Center St.
Mesa, AZ 85201
Capacity: 13,100
Dimensions: LF 340’; CF 401’: RF 350’
Cubs in 2009:
Regular Season: 83-78, 2nd place, NL Central
Spring Training: 18-18
Tips: Get to the park plenty early and plan on staying late. There is just one way in, one place to park, and one way out. Bring a lunch, some beverages and lawn chairs; stake out your spot and relax before game time. Save some of the goodies for after the game because you might as well have an after-game tailgate party while you wait for the parking lot to clear….If you didn’t get enough to eat before the game, try the brat with kraut. It’s one of the better Cactus League dining options.
On the road again….
The north side vs. the south side takes their show on the road when the Cubs meet the White Sox in Las Vegas on March 12 and 13 in split squad games. Fans can have one more chance to see the Cubs before they leave town when they take on the Diamondbacks in a pair of exhibitions at Chase Field on April 2 and 3.
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