Fans of baseball nationwide look forward each year to the MLB’s exodus to spring training, which marks the slow start to the much-anticipated season. While many people will find the best cable TV deals so they can watch games from the comfort of their home, there’s also a fair share of fans that will accompany their favorite teams to either the Cactus League or the Grapefruit League. It’s a decision made especially difficult because both Leagues are at either end of the geographical spectrum – one (the Cactus League) is in the West in Arizona, or the other is literally at the end of the South Eastern United States in Florida.
While it’s true that, in terms of talent, the Leagues are pretty much the same – the same number of division champions, after all – until you start counting past the first few of the even split of 15 teams and realize that the Grapefruit League often has the bottom rung in terms of overall records. This doesn’t help you much if your favorite team is in the Cactus League, but your next six teams are in the Grapefruit compilation.Recent attendance records, overall, spell success for the MLBs spring training, so from that perspective, the League is happy.
Grapefruit and Cactus Leagues: Benefits of Either Destination
There’s definitely a state-wide competition between Arizona and Florida, in an effort to convince teams to maintain their current itineraries. This benefits the fan, too; the new facilities that spring up are usually spacious and state-of-the-art. After that consideration, geography is staunchly in favor of Arizona. Although both states are excellent escapes from the slowly-retreating winter cold in other regions of the country, the metropolitan layout of Arizona makes commuting much easier – all the baseball teams play their practice games and exhibitions within a half-hour drive of each other. Compare that to the Floridian Grapefruit League, where you’ve got to navigate the entire, sprawling coast of the panhandle. Some teams practice literally hundreds of miles apart! Clearly, the overriding advantage in terms of both player and fan convenience is this commute.
You’ve seen the lengths that states will go to retain MLB team attendance for spring training – new stadiums, etc. Now consider the actual quality of the stadiums in either locale. The fan experience is a large motivating factor in which location teams choose, so maximizing this experience is a priority for both Florida and Arizona using a fan-based comparison system. Overall, it turns out the fan experience fares better in Florida’s Grapefruit League – after all, they’d better be able to make the long commute worthwhile. The difference isn’t a small one; fans absolutely love most of the baseball training facilities in Florida – especially Ed Smith Stadium where the Orioles practice.
Rounding Out the Better Option
So far, it’s a toss-up between whether the Cactus or Grapefruit League is the better spring training draw. If the hundreds of miles of travel time are relaxing to you, then the beaches and scenic vistas of Florida and the Grapefruit League might be a good choice. On average, you’d experience greater enjoyment at the consistently better stadiums, but you really won’t have a shot at seeing all of your favorite teams there – they’re probably just too far apart.
On the other hand, Arizona’s Cactus League boasts warm weather just like Florida – even though it’s a glorified desert. The practice facilities are all close to each other – within a relaxing drive or light rail ride in many cases. That represents a wonderful opportunity that, frankly, gives it a nod over Florida. Just imagine – you get to meet your favorite players/teams who’ve traveled to this destination this year and the chance to get autographs ranges from very good to a resounding yes. For most true fans, this is a clear advantage, and so the Cactus League wins – until regulations change and brings Grapefruit facilities closer together.
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