A visit to Maryvale Stadium to watch the Brewers!

On Saturday March 6th, Nick, Ben, and I took a trip over to Maryvale Stadium in central Phoenix to catch a game between the Brewers and Angels.  Oh, and there was a Robin Yount bobblehead giveaway!

Maryvale Baseball Park was built in 1998.  It has some great features and being in central Phoenix makes it easily accessible for everyone here in the Valley of the Sun.

We got to the park early (obviously to make sure we received a bobblehead!):  Here we are outside the park before entry:

Maryvale stadium has a slanted lawn out in left field which is great for catching HR's. The Brewers have some superstars in Prince Fielder and Ryan Braun. We were hoping to catch a few batting practice balls but they were just finishing up as we arrived into the ballpark.










There are lots of great food options at the park.  Of course they have the traditional hot dogs and nachos, aka Nick and Ben's favorites.  But they also have some BBQ from the local Bill Johnson's, some great fresh cut french fries, noodles and some other fun items.

Local food vendors.



Really tasty fries!


Like all the Cactus League ballparks every seat is a great one.  That day the boys and I purchased lawn seats.  Maryvale has a feature I absolutely love that a lot of the other ballparks don't have.  There are areas down both the 1st and 3rd base sides where the lawn seats are shaded!  Just a great place to go if you have kids.  It gets really hot sitting out in the lawn area in the direct sun so we really enjoyed being able to be in the shade.

Shaded Lawn Seats!

I love that the Brewers really embrace their fun sausage loving image:

The folks at Maryvale Baseball Park and the Milwaukee Brewers really do a tremendous job with the park and it's a great place to watch baseball.  They have some really fun promotions during spring training so make sure you get out there and catch a game!

Friday Night Spring Training!

Most Spring training games here in Phoenix are held during the day but there are 3 or 4 night games each week.  On Friday night, March 4th some co-workers and I were able to enjoy a game under the lights.  It was a real treat to watch the Los Angeles Dodgers host the San Francisco Giants at Camelback Ranch in Glendale.  A great rivalry, a great ballpark, and the World Champion Giants in one night!

Camelback Ranch is a beautiful new stadium that is shared by the Dodgers and the White Sox.  There are 5 Cactus League stadiums that have 2 teams calling it home.  It's a great business model for the stadium as it insures a game every day.

A nice feature here is the left field bar seats.  These are available on a first come - first serve basis.  If you are in the stadium, you can grab these seats.  Just get your food and beverage first!

We arrived a bit early to check out the stadium.  It's amazing at how green they are able to keep the grass out here in the desert.  The field looked incredible against the beautiful background of the stadium:

Everyone wants to know about the food and beverage options available at the ballparks.  Camelback has both a Dodger Dog and a Chicago Dog, along with all the basic nachos, burgers, etc.  They have a few other non-traditional items such as noodles, tacos, and bbq.  The beverage selection is outstanding.  Lots of great microbrews to choose from:  Otter Pond, Sam Adams seasonal (noble pils), Shock Top, Full Sail, and some others.  They have a great beer selection at this ballpark!

These fans had flown in from CA the night before, just to catch this game!

The view from every seat in the ballpark is fantastic.  There are truly no bad seats. 



The view from our seats.

The group enjoying a beautiful night at the ballpark.  The highlight of the evening was an opposite field HR by Buster Posey that cleared the bullpen, a monster blast!

Whether you are there to watch the Dodgers or the White Sox, or even some visiting team, Camelback Ranch is a great place to catch a spring training game.  Be sure to get out there this spring!


Dinner Party at Cibo!

If you have a group of 20 or more and are looking for a great spot for a dinner party in the Phoenix area, then look no further.  Cibo is the place!

On a beautiful Thursday in early March our group spent an evening socializing and dining at this oasis in the downtown Phoenix area.  In addition to their website you can find them on Facebook: Cibo Pizzeria, and also on twitter: @cibopizzeria.





For groups of this size the restaurant has a separate space called the Carriage House that includes a fenced in patio area.  The patio is a simple space with lighting and seating that sets a great mood for the evening.  Our group arrived at 6 pm with the temperature still in the high 70's, and enjoyed some drinks and conversation before dinner.

The main restaurant is in the background. A restored 1913 bungalow.

                                                                              



James, reviewing the wine selections.

 

The wait staff was fabulous and did a great job of sharing their knowledge; suggesting wines and some of the local microbrews they had on hand.





Dinner is served family style inside the Carriage House. It's decorated with wine racks and artwork that contribute to the warm and relaxing ambiance.

The menu is simply terrific.  For starters we delighted in the Caprese and AntiPasto Speciale.

The main course consisted of their specialty artisanal pizzas.  The chef cooked up a variety for all of us to sample and share.

Delish!  Even better than it looks!

Dessert was the mini crepe nutella with ice cream, a savory ending to the feast we started a few hours earlier!



Mouthwatering and Scrumptious!



It was a sensational evening and everyone really enjoyed the atmosphere and the culinary delights.  Thanks to the folks at Cibo for providing a wonderful event!  Make sure this restaurant gets on your to-do list!

Cactus League 2011 Promotions!

Great news everyone!  The 2011 Cactus League opens up on Friday, February 25th with the World Champion San Francisco Giants hosting the Arizona Diamondbacks.  There are 2 games scheduled for Saturday, including a sold out Arizona Diamondbacks grand opening of the new Salt River Fields at Talking Stick. 

There are 6 games on Sunday and then all teams are in action starting Monday.

For more info on the teams in the Cactus League including schedules and stadium info, check out this great website: http://www.cactusleague.com/

Also - there are lots of great giveaways at all of the ballparks throughout the season, but here are a few special promotions worth mentioning:

On Sunday, February 27th, the Dodgers are giving away backpacks to the first 1,000 kids.  Camelback Ranch is a beautiful stadium in Glendale, very close to Westgate, where the Cardinals and Coyotes are located.  Here is more info: http://www.camelbackranchbaseball.com/

The Milwaukee Brewers play at Maryvale Stadium in central Phoenix and again this year have some fun promotional events.  On March 5th they will have a Robin Yount bobblehead, on March 21st they will have a Hank Aaron bobblehead, and on March 26th they will have an Italian Sausage bobblehead!  These are usually bobbleheads from the prior year's regular MLB season and are a great item to pick up.  They usually have them for the first 1,000 - 2,500 fans.  Call 623-245-5555 for more info.

A lot of the ballparks have events such as Kids Run the Bases days and Autograph Days.   Here are Nick and Ben running the bases after a game at the Goodyear Ballpark from last season:

Check with the stadiums for more info and stay tuned to The Scott Chronicle as well.

Arizona Dbacks FanFest 2011!



Ben & Nick


I attended the Arizona Diamondbacks annual FanFest on February 12th with my two boys, Nick and Ben.



It's a fantastic event for Dback fans as well as all baseball fans.  Being originally from the Northeast, the Red Sox certainly never did anything like this.  Dback games often have great promotions such as bobbleheads and lawn gnomes.  Teams like the Red Sox and Yankees don't give anything away, except maybe the plastic cup for the 12 dollar beers.  The FanFest is another great promotion for the team and they did an outstanding job again this year.



Augie!



The event is filled with things to do for everyone.  There is a Yard Sale where DBack merchandise from prior years is available for great prices.  We each picked up an Augie Ojeda bobblehead from the 2009 season for a buck!  We also found a couple of 1 dollar tshirts and a Chris Young growth chart for 25 cents.  Fun!



There is also an area for vendors to sell baseball and sports related merchandise.  These are your card and memorabilia collectors.  Great stuff.

There is an area with activities for the kids, from obstacle courses to pitching.

One of the treats is that the ballplayers and managers are available.  Autograph sessions occur throughout the event and the local sports radio station broadcasts all day, interviewing players, managers and executives.

Several wiffle ball fields are set up and the kids get to take a few swings with the players and feel like a real big leaguer.

It's a fun event for all and a great way to get the family excited for the upcoming baseball season!  This is our 3rd FanFest and we had a great time again this year.  This is an extra special year as the Dbacks will be hosting the 2011 MLB All-Star game!