Tempe Diablo Stadium will remain empty a little while longer.
The Los Angeles Angels have yet to report to the Tempe stadium, located at 2200 W. Alameda Drive, for spring training after Major League Baseball canceled the first week of games due to the ongoing owners’ lockout.
After weeks of whispers, the MLB announced Friday that spring training won’t start until at least March 4. Talks are continuing between the MLB Players Association and management.
“We regret that, without a collective bargaining agreement in place, we must postpone the start of Spring Training games until no earlier than Saturday, March 5,” the league said in a statement. “All 30 clubs are unified in their strong desire to bring players back to the field and fans back to the stands.”
The statement further affirmed that fans who have purchased tickets for canceled games will have the option for full refunds.
The league also said that members of the owners’ bargaining committee will meet every day next week with the MLBPA to come to an agreement and get spring training back on track.
Valley cities, not to mention those in Florida where the Grapefruit League is hosted, depend on spring training for revenue.
Arizona State University’s W.P. Carey School of Business conducts an economic impact report on the Cactus League during even years. In the last report under pre-pandemic conditions in 2018, the report found spring training generated a total impact of $644 million, as well as about 6,400 jobs annually and $31.9 million in state and local tax revenues.
In 2020, when the spring training season was cut short by the start of the pandemic, that figure of total economic impact generated was nearly cut in half to $363 million.
The Angels were expected to play their first spring training game on Feb. 25. Now, the team’s opener is tentatively set for March 5 against the Oakland Athletic with the first home game set for March 8 against the Chicago Cubs.
Lindsay is a Phoenix native and is thrilled to be reporting in her hometown.
After spending several years in advertising after college, she switched gears and graduated with her master’s degree in journalism at Arizona State University in 2019.
When she’s not writing, you can usually find her reading a book or playing with her family’s dogs.
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