Spring Training Planning Guide - Tempe Diablo Stadium

As the calendar prepares to flip to February and players start packing their bags for Arizona, let's take a look at the home ballpark of the Angels. As the calendar inches closer to Cactus League play, I will add reviews and tips on each of the ballparks in the Phoenix area. Ultimately, we will create a subfolder with all things Spring Training to help you plan and enjoy a trip to baseball nirvana.

If you missed it, here is a guide on planning your trip. A great thing about the Cactus League is that 15 teams are located in the same metro area so you can go with family and friends who are fans of multiple teams. Or just catch your team at multiple stops.

Tempe Diablo Stadium still feels like Spring Training

With a single level of seating and a capacity of just over 9500 fans, Tempe Diablo has the small, intimate feel of the great Cactus League ballparks of the past. This gives fans the feeling of being up close and personal with the team and truly separates it from going to a big league game.

The Angels are also the sole tenant of Tempe Diablo, so their branding and history is all you see. Many stadiums house two teams so there isn't nearly as much of a home ballpark feel. At Tempe, it is 100% the Angels.

For fans who want a more intimate experience and the feeling of a home away from home, Tempe Diablo accomplishes this better than most Cactus League ballparks.

Food options are limited in the ballpark and non existent outside of it.

While the smaller stadium is great for fan feeling, it isn't great for concessions. The main concourse to access food and drinks is often crowded and difficult to navigate. Food and drink stands are located along both baselines but more abundant on the first base side where there is a large patio.

Expect your normal ballpark fare of hot dogs, nachos, and beer. Over the years barbecue and taco vendors have rotated with pretty standard quality and prices. Spring Training is a big business these days so don't expect to save much on concessions compared to MLB prices.

I'm fine with a hotdog and a bag of peanuts at a ballpark, but if you are a foody or plan on spending a more than a few days out there, you might want to eat lunch before heading to the ballpark. Just be aware Tempe Diablo is smack dab in the middle of a bunch of commercial buildings and there are no food or drink options within walking distance.

Tempe is the place to stay if your trip is centered around Tempe Diablo.

This may sound fairly obvious, but Scottsdale is typically marketed as the top spot in the Phoenix metro area. But if most of your trip revolves around catching the Angels at their home ballpark, I highly recommend staying near Arizona State University and giving yourself a short commute or rideshare to the park.

Mill Avenue in Tempe is a blast and has tons of places to grab a bite and a beverage. Several venues offer patio or rooftop sunset specials. It is very walkable, has a great vibe, and is close to music and entertainment venues. You can even get a good walk or jog in or choose to climb to the top of "A" mountain to burn off some of the ballpark food.

If you are looking for pregame options, we will often grab a sandwich at the nearby Jersey Mike's and take it to the back fields to watch drills. The back fields have been closed most of the time in recent years, so check on that before heading out there. Arizona Mills shopping mall is two exits down on the 10 and is probably your best bet near the stadium itself.

Autographs and other tips.

A big highlight of Spring Training is access to players. The Angels enter and exit the field past first base and their dugout is on the first base line. Prior to the game a contingent of 2-4 players walks down the line and signs for kids starting about 10 minutes before the national anthem.

If you are looking for autographs, get to the game early and post up along that railing. Kids should always be given the priority and expect the players to sign for kids first.

The tunnel that connects the field to the clubhouse is between sections 22 and 23 so getting to that area can also work. Players who exit mid game (very common) will sometimes stop at the entrance of to the tunnel and sign for a few minutes. So getting seats right along the wall in either of those sections could lead to some extra player interaction.

If you miss out on getting live signatures, there are tables where you can buy MLB authenticated memorabilia through a silent auction. There is usually a great selection of items and often the money benefits a charity.

Pro tip: the memorabilia tables carry items from multiple teams. I'll typically bid on Angels items at a road game that does not involve them, limiting my competition.

Overall, the ballpark is short on features but big on Spring Training feel.

As one of the smaller and older ballparks, Tempe Diablo carries on the days when Spring Training was not televised and only attended by a few die hard fans. This classic feel of a small ballpark where you can reach out and touch big leaguers is disappearing as bigger and bigger stadiums get built.

If you are perfectly happy making the trip to the ballpark about seeing action up close and you're happy with a hotdog and a bag of peanuts, Tempe Diablo is still a good place to catch a game.