The Brewers have had the most nomadic existence of any team in the Cactus League. They began as the expansion Seattle Pilots in 1969 when that franchise played their first game at brand new Tempe Diablo Stadium (then called Pilots Field). In 1970 the Pilots spent spring training in limbo as they went through the exhibition season not knowing where the team would end up when the regular season started. Court battles played out throughout the spring as the players and coaches waited to learn their fate.
The bankruptcy court ordered that the team be sold to Milwaukee Brewers Inc. for $10.8M. Meanwhile the Pilots gear had been packed on a truck after their last spring game and the truck went to Utah to await instructions whether to go to Seattle or Milwaukee. When the sale was completed on April 1, the truck and the equipment headed for Milwaukee. It was much too late to have new uniforms ready for opening day, so when the truck arrived, the uniforms and caps were stripped of their Pilots logs and the new Brewers name was hastily applied. The Brewers opened the season under new manager Dave Bristol on April 7 in front of 37,237 fans at County Stadium. The Pilots saga had ended and the Brewers story began.
The Brewers continued to call Tempe their spring training home through 1972, but problems with the ballparks private management company forced the club to a new stadium in Sun City that was built by Del Webb. They stayed there for 13 years. In 1986 the Brewers moved to brand new Compadre Stadium in Chandler. The park was the first to have lawn seating on an outfield berm. That feature has become standard in every new ballpark built for Cactus League teams since.
In 1998, the Brewers were on the move again. As part of an effort to revitalize the Maryvale area of Phoenix, developer John F. Long donated 56 acres to build Maryvale Baseball Park and a adjoining complex featuring eight fields, two half-fields, a clubhouse and training facilities. The Brewers signed a 15-year lease that will keep them in Maryvale through the 2012 spring season. The architect for the park was the award-winning firm of Ellerbe Beckett of Phoenix.
Maryvale Baseball Park FAQs:
The Brewers open their 16-game home schedule on March 6 in a split squad contest against San Francisco.
Maryvale Baseball Park
3600 North 51st Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85031
Capacity: 8,000 (7,000 fixed and 1,000 lawn)
Dimensions: LF 350’; CF 400’; RF 340’
Tips: If you aren’t a sun worshiper, Maryvale Ballpark provides more shaded seats than most other Cactus League parks, Of course if you are so inclined, there is plenty of sun on the lawn and the right and leftfield bleachers…… Two games to circle on the schedule are Friday March 12 and Wednesday March 31 against the Chicago Cubs. The battle of the Midwest always draws big crowds when these division rivals hook up…..If you want to get a look at the hometown Arizona Diamondbacks, you won’t be able to do it at Maryvale Ballpark until April. The snakes make an stop there on April fools day. The only meeting between the clubs in Tucson is on March 28…..All games at Maryvale Ballpark start at 1:05.
Brewers in 2009:
Regular Season; 80-82, 3rd place, NL Central; ERA 4.83; BA .263; HR 182.
Spring training, 22-10; 7th place in Cactus League
ERA: 4.63; BA .280; HR 50
More about the Brewers….
In all of baseball, only the Kansas City Royals (56) hit more spring training home runs last year that the Brewers (50). Corey Hart led the Brewers with seven home runs; Prince Fielder and Casey McGehee each had six. J.J. Hardy was the club’s top hitter, .403 (27-67) and on the mound, Dave Bush posted a 3-0 mark in 33.2 innings.
Follow the Brewers with the MILWAUKEE BREWERS EXAMINER
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