Proof that it DOES actually rain in Scottsdale - 2005

This is how close the fans are at Indian School Park - 2005

Pitching workouts - 2005

Time for a little infield

Lance Niekro showing his form - 2005

Major League players actually DO run. Not fast.....but it is running - 2005

Another beautiful Arizona day - 2005

Team stretching exercises, first day of workouts, February 2005

Scottsdale Stadium Renovations

For those of you who don't know, Scottsdale Stadium and Indian School Park are undergoing major renovation in 2005/2006/2007. The Stadium is supposed to be complete by the start of Spring Training this year. Indian School Park is supposed to be complete by the start of Spring Training in 2007.

The Giants have traditionally done all of their workouts at Indian School Park until Spring Training games start. Then, of course, all games are played at Scottsdale Stadium. Last year (2005) , for the first time ever, while the pitchers and catchers still worked out at Indian School Park........only the young and Minor League position players practiced there. The veteran Major League position players did all of their practicing at Scottsdale Stadium. The real bummer with that situation was that the Giants DID NOT let the fans into Scottsdale Stadium, so no one could get a look at the players' workouts. I took some 250 photos prior to the start of Spring Training last year, and virtually all of them are of youngsters or pitchers at Indian School Park because of this change.

With the remodel this year, the City of Scottsdale is adding a fullsize practice field, a practice infield, batting cages and multiple pitching mounds to the Scottsdale Stadium complex. These additions are being added just outside the stadium, past the RF wall. For those of you who have been to the stadium.......this is all happening where the old dirt/grass parking lot used to be. The idea is that from now on......most of the Major League workouts will occur at the stadium complex. It remains to be seen whether the Giants will let fans into the complex, or whether they will lock us out like they did last year. That is one of my big questions that I want to have answered when I head to Arizona on the 15th of February.

Also involved in the renovation to Scottsdale Stadium, the Giants are going to provide the players with another, larger clubhouse and a "secure" players parking lot. The new clubhouse addition will be between the concourse and the parking lot. There will also be a tunnel from the old clubhouse (and the field) to the new clubhouse and the players parking lot will be permanently fenced in. That means that the players will be able to go from the field to the clubhouse, to their cars in the parking lot, without ever coming into contact with the fans. This will be VERY bad news to those of you who collect autographs. Catching the players as they go to and from their cars has always been the best way to get large numbers of autographs at Spring Training.

The City of Scottsdale has a very nice website with a very detailed description of the stadium changes, including PDF maps/mockups of the proposed renovations. They also have several photos of the construction progress.

View of location of new practice facilities from inside Scottsdale Stadium, looking out toward right field from October, 2005.

Same general view as above, but from January 4th, 2006. ->








View of the new full practice field about the time of my last visit to Scottsdale on January 4th, 2006.







View of the new practice infield (partial practice field) also on January 4th, 2006.







City of Scottsdale Stadium Renovation website:
http://www.scottsdaleaz.gov/projects/giants/#NewFacilities

Young Guns

In further experimenting with the blog process, I thought I would post some of the photos I took at Spring Training last year. What better place to start than with a few pictures of the Giants young pitchers.

Tyler Walker

Matt Cain

Merkin Valdez

Noah Lowry

Brad Hennessey

Scott Munter

Introduction

Welcome to my new blog. I created this blog specifically to share my 2006 Spring Training experiences with a specific group of Giants fans. This is my first attempt at blogging. I have no idea where this thing will go or whether it will hold my attention long enough to even continue to exist. We shall all see.

You will in all likelihood be seeing quite a bit of experimentation as I try to figure out the best way to do what I want to do. I hope to have a daily diary, of sorts, once pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training on February 16th. I will be traveling to Scottsdale, Arizona on February 15th and will be in Arizona until after the final Giants Spring Training game on March 29th. I intend to share my observations from the daily practices until games begin. Once the Spring Training games begin I hope to write a daily game summary. I also hope to post a few photos that I will be taking over the course of February & March. As of right now......I plan on attending 25 Giants games, 2 World Baseball Classic exhibitions and 3 World Baseball Classic games during the month of March. Other than that....my time in Arizona is pretty much free ;-)

The photo above is an overview of Scottsdale Stadium, from behind home plate, circa 2000. They are remodeling the stadium this year. I am interested to see the differences.

Like I said.......this is new territory for me. I am interested to see how it turns out.