Photo Credit: Getty Images
It’s been an extremely unfortunate time for baseball fans. If you count yourselves amongst them, I don’t need to tell you that Major League Baseball is currently in a lock-out. This time of year is typically a great one for Arizona, as Cactus League games are in full force with fans taking in games with our fantastic early-spring weather. As of time of writing this however, there has been no preseason, and all of Spring Training is in serious doubt.
While this is a negative development across the state, it is felt rather acutely in Scottsdale. The San Francisco Giants play their Spring Training games in the city limits, and Colorado Rockies and the Arizona Diamondbacks play on the Salt River reservation, right next door to Scottsdale. So what does it mean for the city?
Truth be told, any impacts likely won’t be extremely noticeable, but that is only a matter of context. Covid-19 put early brakes on Spring Training in 2020, and while the games were played in 2021, attendance was limited. While that is certainly better than nothing, it does not make up for the full-on vacation destination that Scottsdale often was for midwestern and northern baseball fans looking to get some sun and catch a game at the same time.
Six out of 10 Cactus league fans come from out of state, according to a study from Arizona State. The overall economic benefit in 2018 was estimated to be $644 million for all of the Cactus League. While it is tough to parse out specific numbers for Scottsdale, considering that it is the tourism capital of Arizona that also hosts games, it’s economic impact is almost certainly outsized when compared to the mere three teams that play there.
Does that mean that people are canceling their travel plans however? Not necessarily. Joe Iturri, general manager for the Saguaro Hotel near Old Town, was asked about cancellations recently. He said that there have been some cancellations, but most people are keeping their trips intact and simply finding other things to do in the area.
There certainly is some financial hit compared to “normal” years, absolutely. That said, the competitive advantages that have served Scottsdale well in the past (sun, recreation, dining and partying) have not gone away just because baseball has. So while it’s not ideal, the financial state of Scottsdale will remain strong; visitors just have one less option and one less reason to come to town.