Spring Training 2018, Ticket Prices?

[BrewCrewForever]

My buddy and I are looking at taking a trip to spring training for the first time this year. We are going to start getting all our travel and lodging in order soon. But I was curious, how much are ticket prices at Maryvale Ballpark?

 

Also, any other fun tips on how to do spring training right would be appreciated.

[Humans Need Water]

My buddy and I are looking at taking a trip to spring training for the first time this year. We are going to start getting all our travel and lodging in order soon. But I was curious, how much are ticket prices at Maryvale Ballpark?

 

Also, any other fun tips on how to do spring training right would be appreciated.

OMG you're going to venture into the *ghetto* to watch baseball? Don't forget your bullet proof vest

 

All kidding aside, we always purchase tix immediately when they go on sale and at Maryvale we always sit directly behind home plate but within the top 5 rows as it's guaranteed shade. Tix are like $25 or so with tax/fees (Cubs games might cost more). If you don't care about the sun beating on you then there's no bad seat in the house. It's easy to get in/out of parking area.

 

Get to Maryvale a couple hours before game time and head to the outer 4 diamonds (minor league area but some Brewers will be getting work in as well). It's as up close and personal as you can get. Easy to talk to players and coaches, get balls/autographs, etc. Also, if you're going to be there for several games ask one of the coaches to see their itinerary for the next day or two as they usually have it on them and you can see what time they'll be there as well as what's planned for that day and which players are in which groupings along with their time if you're targeting certain players to see.

 

I also recommend going to away games or non-Brewers games to see other stadiums. Salt River (DBacks/Rockies) is easily the best but tix are sold out quick for good games so snatch those up right away if you ultimately want to go there. Camelback (Dodgers/White Sox) is an older, not as modern version of Salt River but have free parking and it's a nice walk from the lot to the stadium (visually appealing) if you're entering from the OF. Goodyear (Indians/Reds) is a nice place to watch a game. Cubs stadium is obviously newer so it's nicer. Giants stadium in downtown Scottsdale literally almost has no shaded seats/spots anywhere and prices are insane - think we paid $65 last year and made it through 6 innings in the 96 degree heat.

 

Top Golf is across the street from Salt River (along with Talking Stick resort - casino inside) and that's always a great time even if you're not a golfer. If you go there it's best to go earlier in the morning or could always pay a $55 fee just to just people in line but you still might be waiting a bit. If you go at night there's typically a long wait. Plenty of bars, restaurants, shopping in downtown Scottsdale/Old Town Scottsdale, which is why we always stay in Scottsdale. Grimaldi's pizza is in that area too - they just opened a location in Brookfield (need new servers already unfortunately). Their downtown Scottsdale location is consistently amazing. Huge mall is there (Fashion Square).

 

Shoot out to Glendale and bum around Westgate Entertainment District. If you're hockey fans their team's arena is in the middle of that. Can always tour the Cardinals (NFL) stadium (can tour DBacks stadium downtown PHX as well or catch a Suns game if NBA fans). Camelback stadium is less than 5min straight west of here so can make it a day packing all this in.

 

There's a bunch of stuff to do in the greater area within a 2hr drive. We've gone white water rafting during ST before (Mild 2 Wild). Red Rock State Park in Sedona is less than 2hrs away. We typically catch an ASU baseball game at night too and have headed to Tuscon to catch an U of Arizona game and see the campus. K1 and Octane have indoor racing/go-karts with high-performance electric carts if into that.

[BrewCrewForever]

Humans Need Water, thank you for all the tips. Appreciate all the info.

[KeithStone53151]

I went maybe 5 or 6 years ago for spring training. Went to the game against the Athletics on the road and a home game. The Athletics complex is definitely newer and very nice, but I definitely liked the Maryvale location better. I had premium seats for the away game, I think I paid $40 apiece with fees for a few rows behind home plate. The Maryvale game I just got tickets 8 or 9 rows up by 1st base for $15 or so I think. I know you can do lawn or other super cheap options at stadiums for like $5 apiece if you are super cheap and don't care about being close. As noted above, Maryvale is best in the area by far for access to players/coaches...but I definitely recommend trying out another stadium or two if you plan on catching more than one or two games.

[AKCheesehead]

Wow. Having never been there, I never would have guessed prices that high for spring training game tickets. Hell, when I saw the thread title I halfway wondered if they even charged admission at all for ST.

[nate82]

IMHO Oregano's has the best pizza in Phoenix. http://oreganos.com/

 

Also Cold Beer and Cheeseburgers is pretty good. https://www.coldbeers.com/

 

As someone else also said Top Golf is fun but you want to go during the day as it is only $25 before noon and it goes up after that I believe $35 until 5pm and anything after 5pm is $45 plus the one time Top Golf membership fee of $5 (pays for the club rental). If you go before noon you can get in rather quickly the wait time is usually only about 30 minutes at most during the day anytime after 3pm and you will be waiting about 1 hour to 1.5 hours to play.

 

Sedona is nice if you want to do the scenic stuff they have all kind of different tours think the Wisconsin Dells type tours. So if you are not in that great of shape you can take a Jeep tour where they will take you through Sedona and then go offroad. Also around Phoenix there are a lot of ATV rentals if you want to go riding out in the desert. Also if you want to drive to Vegas it is do able but it is about a 4 hour ride and sometimes you can find a cheap flight out to Vegas. If you want to do some skiing or snowboarding you can go up to Flagstaff and visit snowbowl though sometimes it is not open during spring training as it depends on how much snow is left up there. They are normally open until about April I think last year they were open for a very long time as there was a lot of snow more than usual.

[gypcasino]

Wow. Having never been there, I never would have guessed prices that high for spring training game tickets. Hell, when I saw the thread title I halfway wondered if they even charged admission at all for ST.

 

http://www.espn.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/69184/rising-ticket-costs-have-made-spring-training-a-pricey-endeavor

[chuckiehacks]

I'll endorse the Vegas idea. The drive is great - Hoover Dam (crank up the Bob Mould!) & a bunch of unspoiled desert. My preferred trip is to fly to Phoenix, catch a few games, drive to Vegas for a few nights, fly home from there. I've done it for the AFL and Spring Training and would definitely do it again.

[Patrick425]

With the exception of 1 or 2 years, my family and I went to spring training every year from the time my son was 4 until he left home for college. We usually would go around the 1st week of March. My son's school for 2 or 3 day, so he didn't have to miss much school. Now that he's in college and his Spring Break is when everyone else has spring break, we don't go. I don't have a desire to travel to any popular spring break destination during spring break. So, we have gone to San Diego the last few years (a bit less "spring breaky"). Anyways a few thoughts/tips about Spring Training:

 

- In regards to the poster saying they paid $40 for a ticket a few rows behind home plate. Not sure where they got their tix, but I don't remember any prices being that high. We sit on the outfield berm for every with the exception of one game that we get front row 1st base line seats. I don't remember what we normally paid for those seats, but I'm pretty sure it was not any more than $20 each. The berm was $8 each (may have gone up over the last couple of years). Maryvale is one of the cheaper parks to get tix at, but I still contend that overall, AZ is much cheaper than FL spring training games. If you are there during one of the 1st two weeks of ST and really want to sit in a seat at Maryvale, buy Berm tix. There are always plenty of open seats early in ST.

 

- People told us before the first time we went that it's always at least 80 during the day. Not true. There were 2 or 3 years we went that the temp never got above 65 or so and then there were other years where every day seemed to have a high temp of at least 90. Like other said, if it's on that warm side make sure you hydrate and lather on the sun screen. The few sections of seats that are in the shade tend to be more popular.

 

- Never traveled all the way to LV from Phoenix, but I would definitely recommend a trip to the Grand Canyon. Didn't do that the first 7-8 years we went (pretty much went to a game every day). Were hesitant because the round trip would eat up 7 hours of time in the car and AZ does not do day light savings. So, in order to have enough time to enjoy the park and get home before dark (didn't want to drive in the mountains in the dark) had to leave at 7am. It's well worth it though and the drive during the day is very scenic as well.

 

- Most other tips really depend on who you are going with. If you are going with family that includes younger kids, then you probably want a pool where you are staying and will probably be a little more budget conscious. If you are going with friends you may want to know about nightlife, golf clubs, etc.

[KeithStone53151]

- In regards to the poster saying they paid $40 for a ticket a few rows behind home plate. Not sure where they got their tix, but I don't remember any prices being that high. We sit on the outfield berm for every with the exception of one game that we get front row 1st base line seats. I don't remember what we normally paid for those seats, but I'm pretty sure it was not any more than $20 each. The berm was $8 each (may have gone up over the last couple of years). Maryvale is one of the cheaper parks to get tix at, but I still contend that overall, AZ is much cheaper than FL spring training games. If you are there during one of the 1st two weeks of ST and really want to sit in a seat at Maryvale, buy Berm tix. There are always plenty of open seats early in ST.

 

The $40 was at Oakland's stadium after fees. I agree Maryvale is definitely one of the lowest cost tickets in the area.

[BrewCrewForever]

Thanks for all the tips so far, really appreciate it.

[Humans Need Water]

Yes, Grand Canyon is 7hrs round trip that we'll be making once kids are older and we go for a full week since it requires an overnight for us (will spend too much time there and in that area for a day trip). But that's a great suggestion. Vegas is 5hrs away and I've never made the trip since we don't gamble. However, a city much better than Vegas is only 30min farther in the car...San Diego

[Jimbo]

So the question begging to be asked: if Maryvale is a place to be avoided, where does one stay? Surprise? Glendale? Goodyear?

[FVBrewerFan]

So the question begging to be asked: if Maryvale is a place to be avoided, where does one stay? Surprise? Glendale? Goodyear?

 

Well, I don't think there are hardly any hotels around Maryvale, not much to do either. No reason you need to avoid it though, in terms of going to the games.

 

Where to stay? You'll get different opinions. We usually stay either in Scottsdale or Chandler area.

[owbc]

It's my first time attending as well. We booked flights and bought tickets a while ago and are staying in Scottsdale. It seemed like there were better hotels/dining options in that area and you have to drive everywhere so it doesn't really matter.

 

$25 seemed like a deal for the nicest seats, directly behind home plate. I would have paid more. Also going to a 'road' game at the Mariners' complex in Peoria, those were a little more, ~$30 for the most expensive seats. The outfield seats are cheap but the whole point of spring training is to be as close as possible, right?

 

It's nice to think that I'll be watching live baseball exactly one month from today.

[wildcat2237]

So the question begging to be asked: if Maryvale is a place to be avoided, where does one stay? Surprise? Glendale? Goodyear?

 

Well, I don't think there are hardly any hotels around Maryvale, not much to do either. No reason you need to avoid it though, in terms of going to the games.

 

Where to stay? You'll get different opinions. We usually stay either in Scottsdale or Chandler area.

 

Tucson, Arizona resident here commenting.

 

If its your first time visiting, then you should probably stay in Scottsdale or Mesa.

 

It is a bit more expensive, but both are very nice areas.

 

During your first visit you might find you like Peoria or Tempe and you can branch out a bit more on future trips...

[Underachiever]

Taking the trip this year. My wife hates baseball, so the games I attend will be alone. That made it more palatable to me to go on Stubhub and pay $40 for a ticket. If I was traveling with a group, I imagine we would be looking cheaper. I am going to sit on the lawn for a Brewer game at the Dodger park, that cost $17. Staying in Tempe. Agree that you have to drive in Phoenix, so it really doesn't matter where you stay.

[wildcat2237]

Taking the trip this year. My wife hates baseball, so the games I attend will be alone. That made it more palatable to me to go on Stubhub and pay $40 for a ticket. If I was traveling with a group, I imagine we would be looking cheaper. I am going to sit on the lawn for a Brewer game at the Dodger park, that cost $17. Staying in Tempe. Agree that you have to drive in Phoenix, so it really doesn't matter where you stay.

 

You will be fine staying in Tempe. Easy access to I-10 and the 60, which means easy access to the rest of the city.

 

Be sure to hydrate before the Dodger game. Camelback Ranch is notorious for lack of shade. Very easy to get dehydrated or heat exhaustion.

 

Enjoy!

[rickh150]

Here's a link from my 2015 ST trip. The biggie was that we went to team practice before away games. Wonderful Brewer time.... amazing player access!

http://forum.brewerfan.net/viewtopic.php?f=63&t=32476&p=933667#p93366

[wildcat2237]

Here's a link from my 2015 ST trip. The biggie was that we went to team practice before away games. Wonderful Brewer time.... amazing player access!

http://forum.brewerfan.net/viewtopic.php?f=63&t=32476&p=933667#p93366

 

Thanks for sharing.

 

I live in AZ, so Spring Training is just a part of spring taken for granted.

 

However, if you live in the midwest and you are a Brewer fan, I think it HAS to go on the bucket list!

 

Now sure I have ever read an overly negative spring training review/experience.

[Patrick425]

Up until about 3 years ago when our son's spring break schedule changed we use to go to Spring training just about every year. For most games at Maryvale we would sit on the outfield berm (and at other parks that had this option - we basically would just follow the Brewers to wherever they were - home or away). I don't remember the price of these tickets the last time we were there, but it wasn't $25 - $30 as stated in other posts here. If you are willing to just bring a blanket and sit beyond the outfield wall, it's closer to $10.

[WurstTo1st]

So the question begging to be asked: if Maryvale is a place to be avoided, where does one stay? Surprise? Glendale? Goodyear?

 

Well, I don't think there are hardly any hotels around Maryvale, not much to do either. No reason you need to avoid it though, in terms of going to the games.

 

Where to stay? You'll get different opinions. We usually stay either in Scottsdale or Chandler area.

 

Tucson, Arizona resident here commenting.

 

If its your first time visiting, then you should probably stay in Scottsdale or Mesa.

 

It is a bit more expensive, but both are very nice areas.

 

During your first visit you might find you like Peoria or Tempe and you can branch out a bit more on future trips...

 

 

Wife and I are staying in Tuscon the end of February for a work conference of hers. Renting a car and going to the first Spring Training game against the Cubs at Sloan Park and then the next day against the Rangers in Surprise. Is there anything to see/do if I were to just go to the Brewers facility in Maryvale early, before the Cubs game. Just walk around. A team store. Whatever? Being there and not knowing when I may get back guess I'd just like to see it. Unfortunately our trip won't coincide with any Brewers "home" games. Also had someone from the Phoenix area tell me that Maryvale isn't in one of the better parts of Phoenix? True? Exaggerated? Almost made it sound like it's unsafe? Find that hard to believe?

 

As far as tickets. I bought directly through the Rangers and got first row behind the Brewers dugout for $33 each. Wife will be going to that game as well. For the Cubs game, well.....they price gouge the heck out of spring training just like they do everything else. But got a great deal on a single ticket, two rows behind the Brewers dugout, for less than face value on StubHub. So for the person who posted about going to games alone, make sure you check StubHub. Singles are often cheaper than face on the secondary market it seems.

[jerichoholicninja]

Wife and I are staying in Tuscon the end of February for a work conference of hers. Renting a car and going to the first Spring Training game against the Cubs at Sloan Park and then the next day against the Rangers in Surprise. Is there anything to see/do if I were to just go to the Brewers facility in Maryvale early, before the Cubs game. Just walk around. A team store. Whatever? Being there and not knowing when I may get back guess I'd just like to see it. Unfortunately our trip won't coincide with any Brewers "home" games. Also had someone from the Phoenix area tell me that Maryvale isn't in one of the better parts of Phoenix? True? Exaggerated? Almost made it sound like it's unsafe? Find that hard to believe?

 

As far as tickets. I bought directly through the Rangers and got first row behind the Brewers dugout for $33 each. Wife will be going to that game as well. For the Cubs game, well.....they price gouge the heck out of spring training just like they do everything else. But got a great deal on a single ticket, two rows behind the Brewers dugout, for less than face value on StubHub. So for the person who posted about going to games alone, make sure you check StubHub. Singles are often cheaper than face on the secondary market it seems.

 

During games is fine but I wouldn't stick around after, nor is there really any reason to anyway. There was a serial killer on the loose a couple years ago. Not sure what happened with that.