On the last day of the 2012 regular season, the Oakland A’s accomplished the improbable. They completed a season-ending series sweep of the Texas Rangers, overtaking the defending American League champions to capture the American League West title.
Bolstered by starting pitching, the A’s expect to contend for another AL West crown this season, even though the Los Angeles Angels have added Josh Hamilton to join Albert Pujols and Mike Trout, the Seattle Mariners have dramatically improved and the Texas Rangers remain strong.
Never afraid to make a trade, A’s general manager Billy Beane recently acquired versatile yet oft-injured infielder Jed Lowrie from the Houston Astros for first baseman Chris Carter, top pitching prospect Brad Peacock and promising catching prospect Max Stassi.
Though Carter is gone, manager Bob Melvin can turn to Brandon Moss at first base. With Yoenis Cespedes, Coco Crisp and Josh Reddick composing the outfield, backups Seth Smith and Chris Young could vie for at-bats at DH.
The rotation features five formidable arms – Brett Anderson, Bartolo Colon, Jarrod Parker, Tommy Milone and A.J. Griffin. Top prospect Dan Straily will battle for a rotation spot in spring training.
Closer Grant Balfour just had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee. He plans to be ready for opening day, but if he isn’t, right-hander Ryan Cook is capable of filling in. Jerry Blevins, Jordan Norberto, Sean Doolittle, Travis Blackley, Pat Neshek and Evan Scribner are part of the deep and effective Oakland relief corp.
About Phoenix Municipal Stadium
Providing spectacular views of the Papago Mountains from inside the ballpark, Phoenix Municipal Stadium is the spring training home of the Oakland A’s.
The stadium offers convenient access to the parking lot, short walks to concession stands and team stores and private indoor suites with big screen televisions along with a covered patio suite. Shade from the hot sun is available in a majority of Upper Box seats.
About Phoenix
Desert character. It can’t be conjured, landscaped or kindled with twinkling bulbs. John Ford knew that. So did Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis L’Amour. Spend a few days in Greater Phoenix and you’ll understand, too.
America’s sixth-largest city still has cowboys and red-rock buttes and the kind of cactus most people see only in cartoons. It is the heart of the Sonoran Desert and the gateway to the Grand Canyon, and its history is a testament to the spirit of Puebloans, ranchers, miners and visionaries.
This timeless Southwestern backdrop is the perfect setting for family vacations, weekend adventures or romantic getaways. Each year, 13 to 15 million leisure visitors travel to Greater Phoenix. They enjoy resorts and spas infused with Native American tradition, golf courses that stay emerald green all year, mountain parks crisscrossed with trails, and sports venues that host the biggest events in the nation.
Dependable sunshine and warm temperatures make outdoor activities a way of life in Phoenix. Golf, tennis, hiking, cycling, mountain biking and rock climbing are popular Phoenix activities. Horseback riding is a great way to see the Sonoran Desert, as is a rugged Jeep or Hummer ride. Thrill seekers can soar above the desert plateau in a glider, sailplane or hot-air balloon, or satisfy their need for speed at the Bondurant School of High Performance Driving.
Hikers can traverse 50 miles of trail at South Mountain Park and Preserve, the largest municipal park in the United States; mountain bikers can climb to the top of McDowell Mountain then hurtle back down again; and climbers can leave their chalky handprints on the granite “hump” of Camelback Mountain.
The Sonoran Desert is also home to the kind of cactus most people only see in cartoons. The majestic saguaro, found in no other desert in the world, can grow as tall as 50 feet and live as long as 200 years. And you don’t necessarily need hiking boots or a mountain bike to see one: Professional outfitters are happy put adventurous sightseers in the saddle of a horse, the seat of a Jeep or the basket of a hot-air balloon.
Phoenix is also the gateway to one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World: The Grand Canyon. Visitors who touch down at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport are only a scenic day trip away from the canyon’s South Rim. Those who seek a quicker and more dramatic route to the Grand Canyon can book an aerial tour that will take them sweeping over the 277-mile geologic marvel in an airplane.
Interesting facts about a few of Greater Phoenix’s resorts:
The historic Arizona Biltmore has hosted every U.S. president since Herbert Hoover, and, ironically, Irving Berlin wrote “White Christmas” while sunbathing next to one of the resort’s pools.
The 7-acre Oasis Water Park at Arizona Grand Resort features a wave pool, a tubing river, a 25-person hot tub, and an 8-story tower with three water slides.
The Boulders Resort and Golden Door Spa offers its guests rock-climbing clinics and nature-photography instruction amid the 12-billion-year-old boulders after which the resort is named.
At The Canyon Suites at The Phoenician, a chauffeured Mercedes awaits guests who need a ride to the spa or mall, and a sommelier hosts wine tastings in the lobby each evening.
Camelback Inn is one of only three hotels in the United States to earn AAA’s Five Diamond status 34 consecutive years, since the awards’ inception in 1977.
The Hermosa Inn is the former guest ranch and studio of cowboy artist Alonzo “Lon” Megargee, whose painting “The Last Drop From His Stetson” adorns the inside of the Stetson Company’s premium cowboy hats.
The Wigwam resort was formerly a cotton farm and winter retreat for executives from the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company.
For more information about Phoenix, visit here.
Oakland A’s Spring Training Information
First Practice Dates
February 11 – Pitchers and Catchers
February 16 – Position Players
Phoenix Municipal Stadium
5999 East Van Buren
Phoenix, AZ 85008
(602) 392-0074
2013 Ticket Prices
Field Box, $25
Lower Box, $24
Upper Box, $18
Outfield Box, $12
For ticket information and to see an A’s spring training schedule, visit here.
