PHOENIX — Spring Training is officially here!
The 2022 Cactus League Spring Training season is kicking off Thursday with the Arizona Diamondbacks taking on the Colorado Rockies.
As happy as fans are for Spring Training to be back in action, business owners who bank on the big bucks that roll in this time of year are thrilled.
“Everyone’s excited, baseball's back,” said Myles Garrett, manager of the Woodshed II in Mesa.
On March 12, 2020, the fields across the Valley fell silent as the COVID-19 pandemic gripped the US. Now two years later, it’s clear how much it was missed.
“We’ve definitely noticed a lot of people here just waiting around, they’re in town anyway you know,” said Garrett.
Like most businesses, The Woodshed II took a hit when the stands sat empty. For a bar built around the history of the game, this day has been a long time coming.
“I say it’s at least a 50% boost man,” said Garrett.
“This is the greatest weather in the country right now so you can’t beat what Arizona's offering,” said RnR general manager Jeff Barbera.
Inside RnR in Scottsdale, just a home run ball away from Giants Stadium, they’ve kept a close eye on the MLB labor negotiations.
“For a lunch crowd, for us to be this busy right now and Spring Training hasn’t even started yet,” said Barbera.
They expect to do at least double the business they’ve seen the last two years.
A welcoming sight in what looks to be a solid start to a much-needed season of prosperity.
The Cactus League’s calendar shows multiple games taking place in the Valley every day through April 5.
You can buy tickets to the games here.
Some things to know before you go:
- Check stadium policies — some are “cashless,” some charge for parking, some have aerosol sunscreen restrictions, and some allow food or water to be brought in from outside.
- Mask policies are based on MLB decisions.
The regular MLB season starts April 7 when the Diamondbacks host the San Diego Padres.
Baseball officials say "regular season games originally scheduled for March 31 through April 6 will be rescheduled soon."
