By Russ Wiles | Arizona Republic
Spring training in Arizona was set to mark its 75th anniversary in 2022. But instead of peanuts and beer — and possibly cake and confetti — tissues and aspirin might be the concessions of choice this year.
The Cactus League has grappled with an abbreviated schedule and seating restrictions the past two years, owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, a labor dispute and player lockout by team owners could scrap spring training entirely in the coming weeks. At a minimum, thousands of out-of-state tourists are rethinking air and rental-car reservations and hotel bookings, putting hundreds of millions of tourism dollars for Arizona at risk.
During a normal spring season, “We get a lot of business during the week for lunch, when people come in early for those 1 p.m. games,” said Chip Mulala, director of operations at Huss Brewing Co., which has a Tempe taproom and restaurant a few miles from one Cactus League stadium and temporary or permanent locations at or near several others.
After the Cactus League disruptions of the past two years, “We were really looking forward to 2022,” he said.
The first week of the schedule already was delayed, and the rest of spring training is at risk, too. Depending on progress in the labor talks, the first games will start no sooner than Saturday, March 5, though the 10 ballparks around metro Phoenix can open quickly if the impasse breaks.
