Tempe Diablo Stadium

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (Spring Training)

7/10

The crowd files in prior to the Angels taking on the Brewers in 2012.

A large crowd takes in the game on a nice afternoon.

Albert Pujols swings for the fences against the Rangers in what I believe was his first spring training with the Angels. These two teams battled to the final out.

Tempe Diablo Stadium is one of the older parks in the Cactus League. Case in point: The Seattle Pilots held their only spring training ever here in 1969. I went here for a game against the Brewers in 2011 and against the Rangers in 2012. The stadium was renovated after the other Seattle team, the Mariners, left for Peoria in 1993. The next year, the Angels moved here from Palm Springs  and haven't looked back. They are here, just east of downtown Phoenix until 2025, at least.

This is a relatively basic place, concessions and the stadium itself are markedly average and the atmosphere was not too bad, given the proximity to Los Angeles, but nothing too memorable either. The 2nd time I went, it was a matchup against Texas where both teams appeared poised to battle for the AL West crown in 2012(They kind of did, but Oakland beat Texas by 1 game and the Angels by 5).  I did not get a good shot from the home plate area, but the backdrop features a large hill by the left field pole and I-10 in the background.

I need to get back here sometime soon, as I apparently remember little, but in the meantime, unless you're an Angel fan, or Tempe is your best bet on any given day, I wouldn't be in any particular hurry, given the other options in the east valley.

Update 2020:  It's been 8 years since I made it out here, cannot believe it's been that long. I will keep it in mind the next time I do the Cactus League. I don't believe much has changed, but the next visit will tell the story.


Linescores
2011-03-24                  
                                  123   456   789   R  H  E
Milwaukee                   440   021   000  11 13  0
Los Angeles(AL)          002   003   021   8  13  3
Temp: 68F Time: 3:13  Att: 7,906


2012-03-25
                                  123   456   789  RHE
Texas                          000   000   023  582
Los Angeles(AL)           110   000   022  690
Temp: 79F  Time: 3:00  Att: 9,613