February 24, 2010 People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring. - Rogers Hornsby, Major League Baseball player, manager and Hall of Famer Hello spring, hello Angels Baseball! Come March, baseball fans will have a little more “spring” in their step as they welcome the Angels back to Tempe’s Diablo Stadium for the 2010 Cactus League spring training season. Even non-enthusiasts won’t be able to deny the excitement of watching big leaguers close up while soaking up the gorgeous Arizona weather, filling up on hot dogs and nachos and spending time with friends and family. We have created this edition of Connecting Tempe as your guide to Angels spring training. You’ll find everything you need, from the home schedule and information on the annual Diablos Charity Game to special promotions and stadium facts. Angels home schedule at Diablo Stadium All 17 home games start at 1:05 p.m., with the exception of the opening day Diablos Charity Game on March 4 which starts at 3:05 p.m. “SS” denotes a split-squad game, meaning only half of the team plays while the other half plays elsewhere. Keep in mind this schedule is tentative and subject to change. DATE OPPONENT Thursday, March 4 Chicago White Sox Friday, March 5 Colorado Rockies Sunday, March 7 Oakland A’s Tuesday, March 9 San Diego Padres Wednesday, March 10 Cincinnati Reds Friday, March 12 Chicago White Sox (SS) Sunday, March 14 Chicago Cubs Monday, March 15 Los Angeles Dodgers Wednesday, March 17 Arizona Diamondbacks Sunday, March 21 Seattle Mariners Wednesday, March 24 Kansas City Royals Thursday, March 25 Texas Rangers Saturday, March 27 San Francisco Giants Sunday, March 28 Cleveland Indians Monday, March 29 Kansas City Royals (SS) Tuesday, March 30 Milwaukee Brewers Thursday, April 1 Cleveland Indians (SS) Opening day about more than baseball Help make life better for Tempe’s children and enjoy an afternoon of baseball at the same time by attending the annual Tempe Diablos Charity Game and Angels home opener against American League foes the Chicago White Sox at 3:05 p.m. on Thursday, March 4. During this special game, one hundred percent of proceeds from ticket sales, parking, concessions and merchandise will go directly to support Tempe Diablos local charities for youth sports and education. The Tempe Diablos is a volunteer organization that provides and manages over 100 volunteers for the Cactus League spring training season and helps to enhance the Tempe community by providing leadership and resources that create worthwhile opportunities, especially for our youth. Last year’s Charity Game raised more than $35,000 for Diablos charities. The Charity Game will begin later than other Angels home games so that Tempe children can attend after they are released from school. Tickets for the Angels-White Sox charity matchup and all other home games are available now at Ticketmaster.com. For more information on the Tempe Diablos, visit www.tempediablos.org. Tickets, tickets, tickets! Did you know that Diablo Stadium offers the lowest ticket prices in all of the Cactus League? Tickets are available for as little as $6 for a lawn seat, and prices range up to $29 for seats behind home plate. This season, there is special seating also available in the upper pavilion. For $45, the ticket for this section includes a spectacular view of the game and an all-you-can-eat buffet with non-alcoholic beverages. Tickets are available now at the Diablo Stadium Box Office and through Ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster at 1-800-745-3000. Diablo Stadium improvements There have been a few additions to Diablo Stadium since last year’s spring training season, all meant to make the experience better for players and fans alike. Among the improvements are a new video scoreboard, brand new lights for the practice fields in minor league complex (to the west of Diablo Stadium) and stadium pads that line the fencing in the outfield. “The new color LED scoreboard will enhance the visual experience for the fans, and the other improvements will enhance the playing experience for the Angels,” said Jerry Hall, manager of Diablo Stadium. “All in all, the Angels spring training experience this season will be even better than the last.” Stadium regulations To make sure the game is safe and fun for fans and players, please follow these simple guidelines. THE FOLLOWING ITEMS/ACTIVITIES ARE PROHIBITED IN DIABLO StadiUM: • Firearms or deadly weapons • Smoking • Beverages and alcohol, except for one liter of sealed water per person • Outside food in large quantities • Large bags, lawn chairs, lawn or golf umbrellas. Towels and blankets are permitted for lawn seating. • Cans, glass bottles, thermoses, ice chests or hard containers of any size EXCEPTIONS: • Milk in factory-sealed bottles will be permitted as well as any plastic baby formula bottles accompanying a child upon entry. • Children’s juice drinks will be permitted as long as they come in the juice box or pouch form. For a complete list of stadium policies, visit www.tempe.gov/diablo/Springtraining. Venue Profile: Diablo Stadium Name: Tempe Diablo Stadium Past teams to use Diablo Stadium: When not hosting spring training… Seattle Pilots/ Milwaukee Brewers (1969- The entire Diablo Stadium complex Named for: The Tempe Diablos, a non- 71) and Seattle Mariners (1977-92). is used extensively for community profit Tempe organization focused on programs during the remainder of promoting, organizing and supporting Name of the stadium’s field: Gene the year, including youth and adult community-based programs, especially Autry Field, named after the American soccer, baseball and flag football, and for youth. performer (the “Singing Cowboy”) and high school baseball tournaments. Angels owner who died in 1998. Also, Tempe Diablo Stadium is the Year built: 1968 home of the world’s largest Amateur Seating capacity: 9,558 Baseball Tournament each October as Owned and operated by: Tempe Parks the complex plays host to the Men’s and Recreation Stadium dimensions: 340’ down the left Senior League Baseball World Series. field line; 360’ down the right field line; Throughout the remainder of the year, Year Angels began playing at 400’ to the left and right-center power various special events such as the Diablo Stadium: 1993 alleys and 420’ to center with an outfield Copperstate 1000 Car Road Rally, the fence height of eight feet. National Adult Baseball Association Leased by Angels through: 2025 Tournament, R.V. and auto shows and Playing surface: Bermuda natural grass other events fill each month’s calendar. Last renovation: 2006. The Tempe Diablo Stadium complex was expanded Parking: Two parking lots (east and More information: and renovated to include the club’s Minor west) with 1,600 paved spaces and 600 www.tempe.gov/diablo or 480-350-5205 League spring operations. grass spaces. The Tempe Diablos serve as parking attendants. “Perfect Day” of golf and baseball In baseball, a perfect game is one of the most rare and sought-after feats of the game. A perfect day, however, can be much easier to come by this spring, thanks to Tempe Parks and Recreation’s ultimate baseball and golf ticket package. For the second year, the Angels and Ken McDonald Golf Course have teamed up to create the “Perfect Day,” a sports-lover’s dream day that starts with a morning of golf at a championship-style golf course and ends with an afternoon at Diablo Stadium. The “Perfect Day” ticket package includes priority tee time reservations with an electric cart at Ken McDonald Golf Course and Field Level MVP tickets to that afternoon’s Angels spring training game at Diablo Stadium. Cost of the package is $89 for a pair or $159 for a four-some. By purchasing the Perfect Day package, fans can bypass the typical seven- to eight-day booking restriction at Ken McDonald and book their tee time farther in advance so that they can choose the day and time that best fits their schedule. Dates and tee times that are available for the Perfect Day are listed below. Dates Possible Tee Times Angels Game Tuesday, March 9 7 a.m., 7:08 a.m., 7:15 a.m. 1:05 p.m. vs. Padres Wednesday, March 10 7 a.m., 7:08 a.m., 7:15 a.m. 1:05 p.m. vs. Reds Wednesday, March 24 7 a.m., 7:08 a.m., 7:15 a.m. 1:05 p.m. vs. Royals Thursday, March 25 7 a.m., 7:08 a.m., 7:15 a.m. 1:05 p.m. vs. Rangers Monday, March 29 7 a.m., 7:08 a.m., 7:15 a.m. 1:05 p.m. vs. Royals Tuesday, March 30 7 a.m., 7:08 a.m., 7:15 a.m. 1:05 p.m. vs. Brewers The “Perfect Day” package is on sale now. Package quantities are limited, so buy early! Packages can be purchased online or by calling Tempe Parks and Recreation at 480-350-5200. Save the Date Saturday, Feb. 27 | Tempe History Museum reopens with party on Feb. 27 After months of renovations, the new Tempe History Museum (formerly Tempe Historical Museum) will reopen to the public with a free celebration on Saturday, Feb. 27, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mayor Hugh Hallman will be in attendance to cut the grand reopening ribbon. At the celebration, you and your family can be among the first to explore the new interactive exhibits, enjoy free food and live entertainment, watch tortilla making demonstrations and listen to stories and songs by Marshall Trimble, Arizona’s official State Historian.