Editor's note: This is the second of 5 weekly articles on Mancations provided by producers of the Dan Patrick Radio show and its host Dan Patrick. Dan and his staff work out of a self-designated “mancave” at the show’s studio in Milford, CT.
Part 1: The Chicago Mancation Trifecta
So you and your pals are trying to figure out what to do with yourselves as the weather warms up and you are jonesing for some baseball. You've done the cliché trips to Vegas and Atlantic City. It's time for you to do what I did in March and experience Major League Baseball spring training at the Arizona Cactus League. It’s a simple mancation with a ton of upside.
The layout in the desert is very user-friendly, more so than the widely spread Florida Grapefruit League. You can check out several different stadiums and up to 15 teams in a much shorter time span. Since the games don't count toward the regular season standings, the atmosphere is laid-back and players seem more willing to interact with fans, taking time for autographs and pictures. You won’t have to battle traffic to arrive at the games on time like you do during the regular season.
From Hohokam Park in Mesa (Cubs), to Glendale Stadium (Dodgers and White Sox), to my favorite: Scottsdale Stadium (Giants), get ready to cover a lot of ground. While the teams are not next door to each other, you shouldn’t be in your car for more than 20 minutes to go from one ballpark to the next. If you plan it right, you could see 3 games in a three-day weekend or 7 stadiums in a week.
Ticket prices at these ballparks are downright cheap compared to the regular season and there isn't a bad seat in the house. For example, prices at Salt River Fields for a Diamondbacks spring training game range from $8 for a lawn seat and max out at $25 for an infield box. And if you like to sip and socialize, there is no such thing as a $10 beer at spring training. You can get yourself a good brew for as little as $3.
Tempe offers a variety of sports bars on the Arizona State campus southeast of Phoenix and perhaps you can relive your glory days of collegiate partying. If you’re looking for something a bit more legitimate and grown-up, take off your spring training blinders for a moment and take in a Phoenix Suns and/or a Phoenix Coyotes game. And if you’re into the nightclub scene, there’s Axis/Radius as well as The Martini Ranch in Scottsdale. Bourbon Street and Sugar 44 in Phoenix should be on your itinerary if you and your posse are in the mood for a trip to a true mancation venue—the gentleman’s club.
I recommend making Scottsdale your home base for the trip. The city offers a number of killer resorts that include The Fairmont, The JW Marriott Camelback Inn Resort & Spa. The Phoenician Resort and the Four Seasons Resort, if you're willing to expand your budget. For those looking for something more economical, I enjoyed my stay at The Radisson Hotel for its pool and more-than-respectable fitness center. The Marriott Suites in Old Town Scottsdale is another good option because it is centrally located, you get more room for your money, and you’re within walking distance to several good restaurants.
A bonus is the great golf available at an abundance of locations throughout the Scottsdale area. Most of the resorts have courses on site. You can play 18-holes in the morning and watch a Giants-Cubs game in the afternoon. Beat that!
So get the gang together and point the RV toward The Valley of the Sun. See you in Arizona.
Todd J. Fritz works as the executive producer for the Dan Patrick Radio Show. He’s taken mancations at the Arizona Cactus League 3 times.
