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Hall of Fame baseball writer Hal McCoy has retired from the Dayton Daily News after covering the Cincinnati Reds for 37 years. Hal's blog, though, will continue to be a must-read for Reds fans. He'll share his thoughts on the team this season and will file updates from Great American Ball Park. You also can catch Hal in print every Sunday in his popular Ask Hal columnHome > Blogs > The Real McCoy | Cincinnati Reds baseball news > Archives > 2009 > May > 13 > Entry
A trip to the outback (Goodyear, Ariz.)
The first thing I noticed is that there are five exits off I-10 for Goodyear, Ariz. However, most of it that I saw was sand and sagebrush and cacti.
Goodyear is 20 minutes from downtown Phoenix and 357 miles from Los Angeles and in the frontier days they would call it an outpost — and next spring it will be the spring training home of the Cincinnati Reds.
The first thing I saw after exiting I10 to head for the complex was a very large sign that said, “Have An Ass-Kickin’ Day Gift Shop.” Now that’s original. It was also about the last business establishment I saw before we hit the complex.
Oh, about two miles from the complex, at the corner of Van Buren and Estrella Parkway is a Walgreen’s.
OK, so I went with a tainted attitude. I loved Sarasota. Loved Siesta Key. Even loved Ed Smith Stadium. And I didn’t buy it for one minute when Jerry Hairston Jr. said, “Arizona beats Florida. Spring training here is much better.” Mr. Hairston is biased - he lives in North Scottsdale, about 1 1/2 hours from Goodyear.
AND I ALMOST didn’t take the tour. They handed me a hard hat construction helmet. A pink hard hat construciton helmet. A VERY PINK hard hat construction helmet. I only wore it because most of the other visitors wore the same color.
The stadium, which is completed and was used last spring by the Cleveland Indians and will be shared with the Indians next spring, is OK. Not bad. It is not even close to Philadelphia’s Clearwater, Fla. facility or New York’s Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla., but it is antiseptically functional.
It seats 8,000 with enough room for 2,000 on grassy knolls beyond the outfield walls. Some older folks are not going to be happy. Most seats are out in the sun, no cover. The roof is short and covers only a few seats between third base and first base. There is one covered pavilion down the left field line, covering one section, but most of the seats are designed for sun stroke.
HAD TO LAUGH as we walked through the stands with construction manager Ted Stately. He pointed to the seats and said, “Cup holders. They have cup holders. The Dodgers and White Sox don’t have cup holders in Glendale (another new facility just a few miles away).”
And the view over the right field fence is, uh, a bit different. It’s a graveyard or storage site for out of service commercial airliners, mothballed in the dry Arizona heat to help preserve them. There must be 100 of them, including 747s. I think some of my luggae might still be in the holds of a couple of ‘em.
The Indians complex of clubhouse, offices and practice fields is to the right of the stadium. Farther down the road, about a half-mile, is the Reds complex, 75 percent completed and Stately said it should be finished, “By August, although they’ll come back to us and want this ripped out and this added. Always happens.”
OUR TOUR guide, the personable always-smiling Vice President/Assistant General Manager Bob Miller, said the Reds have received tremendous cooperation from the Indians.
“The Indians have helped us immensely,” said Miller. “They told us what they would have done differently and what they really like.”
The Reds’ complex is more than state-of-the-art - spacious with offices, training rooms, the wet room (for swimming pool rehabilitation, mammoth weight room, large players’ dining room - a bunch of neat stuff.
The media workroom, though, has no windows. In Sarasota, I used to like to stare out a window at a particular palm tree, my Inspiration Tree. Now I’ll have to stare at a wall.
GOODYEAR HOPED for vast development around the site, but the economy wrecked that. Fans aren’t going to find much to do - or anything to do - close to the stadium and complex.
OK, OK. I’ll admit it. It was darn nice. Just isolated - for now.
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By Jim T
May 15, 2009 6:43 PM | Link to this
guys I’ve spent 8 years in Tucson and 7 in Cocoa Beach its just my personal opinion mind you but I’ll take the south west any day.I love the mountains and the dry heat.
By sonofcheney
May 15, 2009 10:00 AM | Link to this
Sounds like a great place to develop some secret weapons, so as to continue Cheney’s war; and an even better place to ship those we’d like to torture. Sonofcheney 11:23 PM, 5/14/2009 REPORT ABUSE
By Doco
May 15, 2009 9:59 AM | Link to this
They’ll all be back when the Colorado dries up and the Great Lakes states still won’t sell Arizona our water.
By Homer Simpson
May 15, 2009 8:30 AM | Link to this
We will be freezing our butts off here in Ohio and Hal will be whining about how awful it is in Arizona. Maybe the DDN could send someone else to cover spring training that would not complain about being paid to winter in Arizona.
By Dawginnaples
May 15, 2009 7:30 AM | Link to this
Living in Naples makes me biased, but I liked the Smith. With a face lift and a new team facility it would have been better. That town has a baseball soul. It also has world class beaches, golf, fishing, food, boutiques… you know, the kinda things that make it a great vacation spot. Goodyear, well… they have sagebrush and sun.
By JPSTOOGE
May 14, 2009 4:57 PM | Link to this
Arizona and Florida both have their pluses and minuses. In the Valley of Sun Phoenix area all the teams are advertised to be within an hour’s drive from ever team. A big plus that’s why the White Sox moved from Tucson, much less travel no 2 to 4 hour bus trips(they have in Florida) for the MLB teams in Phoenix. Florida has the population and the retirement communities to support spring training. The Cubs have trained in Phoenix area for fifty years and are located in the high population areas therefore sell out every spring training game. The MLB teams new to Phoenix are not located in the high pop. retirement communities and did not draw well especially during the work week. The only game the White Sox home field that solded out was vs the Cubs. The biggest (negative) minus for Arizona spring training is the outrageous ticket prices in many cases more than a real major league game, who did you think was going to pay for these brand new state of art training sites not the taxpayers in Arizona. 9 am “B” games are free, then you have time to play golf or tennis and save money too.
By Brian
May 14, 2009 11:24 AM | Link to this
Midwest Team train out here and draw great! The Royals, Whitesox, Indians, Cubs,Brewers and next season the Reds. Also, there are many transplants from the Midwest out here. Seems like everybody you meet is either from the Chicago area, Ohio or Missouri. What were the other options the Reds had in Florida? Maybe Vero Beach with the Dodgers leaving but where else? The Reds didn’t take this move lightly I’m sure.
By Mr. Redlegs (Original)
May 14, 2009 11:04 AM | Link to this
The Reds had plenty of choice to stay in Florida. It didn’t have to be Sarasota, but they had choices. They took the freebie deal of Arizona and who can blame them? But then, they took the deal in Plant City and ended up counting the days until that lease expired. In the long run fans won’t support the team in Goodyear/outpost or whatever. Spring training as a tourist attraction has always been about more than just baseball, and in that regard Arizona won’t draw the Midwesterners and families, the core of the team’s base.
By Brian
May 14, 2009 10:58 AM | Link to this
The Reds tried to stay in Sarasota. The voters said “No!” So the Reds took a good deal. Spring training is not for the fans its to get the team ready. I went to Sarasota for Reds Dream Week this year and the facilities were a joke. The places the fans can’t go to such as the weight room reminded me of something a rural high school would have. As for the sunstroke Hal. Feb and March are the nicest months here in Phoenix. Gorgeous weather! I froze in Sarasota and we got rained out 1 day as well. Goodyear will build up in time as you stated the downturn ruined that for now. If the fans don’t want to come out here fine. All us Reds fans out West will be happy to watch them without your whining.
By Brad
May 14, 2009 10:29 AM | Link to this
Been to Sarasota the last several years for spring training. I don’t care how nice the new complex is, I won’t be visiting Goodyear.
By max
May 14, 2009 10:13 AM | Link to this
I’d much prefer Florida but what can you do. Sarasota got a sweetheart deal but wouldn’t budge. Hal, sounds like you’ll have to dig out your “Farrah Fawcett” poster out of the attic for above your desk there in Goodyear. I suppose the good news with all of the newspapers and radios and tv’s laying off their people you’ll have your pick of the desks. You can probably pick a different one each day.
By oldguy
May 14, 2009 8:36 AM | Link to this
Went to Goodyear for spring training this year. I agree, it’s isolated, but 5 minutes from park on other side of Interstate are plenty of food and entertainment options. Peoria, Surprise, and Glendale all with 2 teams are within 20 minutes. There’s few rainouts also.
By AP-FLORIDA
May 14, 2009 8:03 AM | Link to this
Yes, plenty of other teams to support here in Florida….and guess what—no rusty baker
By Mike
May 14, 2009 12:39 AM | Link to this
reds fans, the decision was made by Sarasota, not the Reds
By Bye bye Reds fans
May 13, 2009 9:33 PM | Link to this
A terrible, terrible decision by the Reds. A small market team that needs loyal fans. I’m still driving to Florida for spring training and I’ll buy the tickets and trinkets of other teams.