Goodyear Ballpark

GOODYEAR BALLPARK

Capacity	8,000 fixed seats, 500 premium seats, 1,600 berm seats, 400-seat party area, 6 suites
Year Opened	2009
Dimensions	345L, 410C, 345R
Local Airport	Phoenix
Tickets on Sale	Now
Ticket Prices	$10-$33; add $2 if purchased day of game
Ticket Web Site	mlb.com
Address	933 S. Ballpark Way, Goodyear, AZ 85338
Directions	Goodyear is located in the southwest corner of the greater Phoenix area. From I-10, take Estrella Parkway South. Continue on Estrella Parkway; you’ll see the ballpark on your left after you pass Van Buren.

Goodyear Ballpark

Goodyear Ballpark opened in 2009 as the spring home of the then-Cleveland Indians, with the Cincinnati Reds following in 2010. Both teams came to the Cactus League from the Grapefruit League (Winter Haven and Sarasota, respectively), making Goodyear Ballpark and the two separate training camps the only current complex to host two teams from the same state.

The ballpark is located in Goodyear, in the southeast corner of the Valley. The area boasts some unique ties to Ohio. In 1917, the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company, still headquartered in Ohio, purchased 16,000 acres of land that makes up part of modern Goodyear. It was an agricultural investment. The land was used to grow cotton, and Goodyear used that cotton to make airplane tires during World War I.

When Goodyear Ballpark was first presented to city officials, it was envisioned as the centerpiece of a larger downtown-style complex that included retail, office space, and hotels. But the economic turndown caused problems for the developer, and as a result the associated development did not take place.

The ballpark’s architecture is unique, with an industrial look and a very vertical grandstand that provides a good amount of shade in the concourse.

Goodyear Ballpark is a deceptively simple ballpark, even for a spring-training facility. The ballpark consists of a grandstand, seating extending down each line to the foul poles, wraparound concourse, concession booth as part of the batters’ eye, a large outfield berm, and a right-field party deck sitting on top of the clubhouses and batting cages. Within the grandstand’s main level are a team store, concessions and restrooms. As you can tell from the accompanying photos, the grandstand is a very vertical space, creating a nice little tension with the horizontal lines that so dominate the local landscape.

The vertical grandstand features some of the nicest spots to watch a Cactus League game. On the second level are a smaller press box and six suites. The suites are nontraditional, more akin to a party zone than anything else. The only permanent fixture in the suite is a half-moon-shaped bar in the middle of the space, perfect for a group standing around and watching a game. A garage-door style set of windows can be opened to a table and chairs set up on the patio. The feel, we expect, will be that of a casual gathering, with groups circling the bar and watching the game from the inside of the suite. The suite layout is a nice touch for the spring-training feel.

On the top floor of the grandstand is a large group area. It can be sold in different ways – for larger or midsized groups, or as a general party area when nothing else is going on. The view of the field is great, as is the view of the surrounding area: you can see University of Phoenix Stadium in the distance.

The 400-capacity right-field party deck, with all-you-can-eat events are already planned, is one of the more popular party areas in the Cactus League. It’s a nice, defined space with a good view of the action and a great vantage point for watching players come and go. (Keep in mind the Guardians’ dugout is on the first-base side and the Reds’ is on the third-base side.)

Kids are very welcome at the ballpark – and that’s not always so in spring-training facilities. A Wiffle-ball field in the right-field corner provides a welcome diversion to kids bored with baseball, and for the older kids—i.e., millennials—there are a number of games located down the left-field line, including corn hole. There’s room on the berm for 1,600 or so, and we’re guessing a lot of families will be bringing the blankets and hunkering down for the day.

If you go, plan your seating carefully if you’re worried about sitting in the sun. One recommendation is the Club Seats section down the third-base line. As shown above, there’s plenty of shade as well as padded seats. The Right Field Pavilion has plenty of shaded bar and couch seating, as well as its own bar.