A weekend at Mimi’s in March is not complete without a little baseball
We had a complicated spring break – direct flights to our favorite destinations don’t exist but some of our favorite people live in our layover towns! We packed in the fun by extending a Phoenix stopover to see grandma & a little baseball for our boys! It was a really magical experience featuring some of the local fare from our favorite ballparks at the team’s training fields in Arizona! Our son hasn’t stopped singing “Take Me Out To The Ball Game” since!
All About The Ballpark Seats
My husband is the seat geek in our family, and I’m not just saying that, he will go over the top researching the best seats for our 3 year old and one year old for optimal shade, access, and, of course, FUN! And he’s good, ya’ll. We had awesome seats at both Goodyear Ballpark and Brewer’s Field.
Some quick notes for parents: Yes, strollers are allowed, take note of bag policies – usually you CAN bring a diaper bag although, we can fit everything we need in a clear bag. There are so many cute clear bag or you can get one as a souvenir from the park given you have a way to carry everything until that point, haha!
Tip: pack bottled water, meat sticks, blueberries and cucumbers in with the diaper supplies and hats in those clear bags.
View from our seats at American Family Fields in Glendale, AZ
Brewer’s vs Guardians @ American Family Fields of Phoenix:
At the brewer’s game we sat at the top of the stands between home and third and the stands are mostly covered here! Great shade and we like to sit at the top for easy access – I.e. the endless “I’m hungry” “I need to go potty” toddler asks. We came in from the south side into Glendale and parking was busy (read: baby was crying and we were sweaty rolling up). We paid $10 and our spot was still a walk to the park. Obviously, nothing like a regular season game, but something to note! So, we did take the Doona to haul our youngest. There was plenty of space to park it at the top of the stands, right behind our seats.
The Brewer’s field was so much fun! They had some authentic Polish food and beers, the sausage races, and even sold Bertman’s in the gift shop (sorry, we’re a stadium mustard family). There was a kids area behind the outfield, with NO lines, where we got to throw balls and play giant connect four.
View from our seats at Goodyear Ballpark in Arizona
Guardians vs Reds @ Goodyear Ballpark:
This is such a hack! As a family with major Ohio roots, it has been such a blessing that Mimi retired just minutes away from the Cleveland practice fields!
The Cleveland vs Cincinnati game was a night game, so we left the baby with Mimi for the evening and treated our three-year-old to a “date night” just the three of us. It was so FUN! We got there early and went in the South gate near the outfield – way shorter line and we got a ticket for that night’s giveaway – a real pint glass for St. Patrick’s day. Because this was a night game, we weren’t as concerned about shade but we did get seats at the top of the stands, near third base where they have a covered area – otherwise it is NOT covered! Because the field is shared by both teams there was the Skyline Chili Dog on the Cincinnati side and the Polish dog on the Cleveland side ( as well as buckeye ice cream!).
Similar to the Brewer’s park, there was a large area for kids to play. Inflatable games kept a lot of the kids busy and there was even a little t-ball field. The lines were crazy long for food so we got one of the last cheeseburgers for our son towards the end of the game. Bring snacks!
Player Interactions: The Magic of Spring Training
What truly sets spring training apart from regular-season games is the accessibility of players. The relaxed atmosphere creates opportunities for genuine interactions that simply don’t exist at major league parks. It feels more like our AA seed team at home, than an up-close experience with the Major League!
I think it goes without saying, but WE CANNOT WAIT TO GO BACK! As a Rockie’s fan, I can’t wait to Salt River Fields near Talking Stick in Scottsdale and honestly, we are excited to see all the fields! Did you know 15 of the MLB teams practice in the Arizona “Cactus League”? I had no idea but you know I’m looking to sample the flavors at each ballpark!
Have you been to Spring Training in Phoenix? What are your favorite ballparks?
Ballpark must-haves for parents
