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While Major League Baseball is into its playoffs now after an abbreviated 2020 season, action is also turning to next year’s spring training.
MLB released 2021 spring schedules for both the San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners, both of whom call Peoria Sports Complex, 16101 N. 83rd Ave., their spring home.
Baseball halted its spring training schedules across Arizona and Florida back on March 12 due to the coronavirus outbreak. While the start of the regular season at that time was to be delayed two weeks, the season actually resumed much later when preseason training picked back up on July 1, and a shortened 60-game season lasted from July 23 to Sept. 27.
The league announced this month that 2021 spring training will officially begin Saturday, Feb. 27, with each of the 30 Major League clubs in action for Cactus and Grapefruit League games.
Select exhibition games will be played at ballparks, including Peoria Sports Complex, from Sunday, March 28 through Tuesday, March 30.
In 2019, the Cactus League averaged 7,900 fans per game, the most since 2016, yet total attendance at all 10 Valley ballparks was its lowest overall total since 2014. That included six rainouts, resulting in the lowest total games since 2014.
In 2018, Gov. Doug Ducey’s office reported that the Cactus League had an estimated economic impact of over $644 million — up 11 percent from 2015. Spring training generated $31 million in state and local tax revenue and $373 million in gross domestic profit, and the season supported more than 6,400 jobs.
Both the Padres and Mariners will play 16 games in Peoria next spring. The first game of spring training in Peoria is the Mariners versus Padres on Saturday, Feb. 27, 2021.
The Padres’ first game as the home team will be Sunday, Feb. 28 against the Kansas City Royals. The Diamondbacks will be in Peoria to take on the Padres on Tuesday, March 16, and the Padres’ home finale arrives Sunday, March 28 against the Cubs.
The Diamondbacks will also visit Peoria, this time to take on the Mariners, on Thursday, March 11. The Mariners’ final home game in Peoria falls on Monday, March 29 against the Rockies.
Steve Stockmar has been with the Independent Newsmedia team since 2017. An NAU alum and Peoria resident, Steve’s community journalism pursuits focus mostly on arts & culture, education, and profiles of neighbors making a difference. In his spare time Steve plays in a vintage baseball league using uniforms and rules from the 1860s, and also acts (badly) in community theater. In addition, he has an unhealthy obsession with baseball and the Chicago Cubs.