It is the greatest gathering of one sport’s elite athletes in the world. Hundreds of the top professional baseball players and coaches representing 15 Major League Baseball teams assemble each spring to prepare for the coming season. Their destinations are 10 state of the art training facilities scattered around one sprawling and morphing metropolitan area. For approximately 8 weeks players from rookies to veterans spend their days honing their skills on pristine fields in idyllic weather. The 10 shared and individual facilities are located so close in proximity that it is possible to visit all in a single day. Each spring over 1.5 million faithful fans travel from all corners to attend one or more of over 200 available games. It is estimated an additional 5 million people come to be part of this unique experience. It is known as Cactus League Baseball, Spring Training Arizona.
The rare combination of elements that form Spring Training in Arizona provide a peerless experience for participants and fans. Major League Baseball organizations recognize the benefits of the Cactus League Baseball environment. In the past three years the Phoenix area welcomed 5 new MLB teams to the desert. With them came their throngs of faithful fans, the need for exceptional facilities and a new status quo. Stadiums that struggled to accommodate several thousand spectators have been refurbished or replaced with venues that provide first class amenities for up to 13,000 fans. In the past eight years over $500 million has been spent building new complexes or extensively renovating existing facilities. Spring Training baseball provides a yearly economic impact of over $300 million to the greater Phoenix metropolitan area. Communities and businesses prosper while becoming protective, enthusiastic partners.
The state of Florida is host to 15 Major League Baseball teams each spring. They record annual attendance figures that are similar to Arizona numbers without the number of high quality venues and commuter friendly locations. The 14 host cities spread around the Sunshine State accumulatively enjoy the economic impact of Spring Training baseball much like the Phoenix metropolitan area. Florida has discovered one more significant benefit to welcoming several hundred top pro baseball players each spring. The immense knowledge of experienced pro baseball players and coaches has a positive impact on the state’s indigenous youth baseball scene. With a vibrant pro baseball environment thriving in the Arizona desert it would be logical to assume that grass roots baseball in the Valley of the Sun would be influenced in a similar way. There is however conclusive evidence that this is not the case.
The most accurate method to assess a state’s ability to produce and develop athletic talent is to examine indigenous athletes. These are participants who have spent the vast majority of their time developing their skills while remaining in a specific geographic location. Youth and high school players are the most likely candidates to fall into this group. Professional teams are global ensembles and therefore excluded from consideration. Colleges have expanded their recruiting areas to resemble pro organizations and are also not an accurate example. Junior colleges often operate in the gray area. Many rely on local high schools to fill out their rosters that are usually built around a few recruited and more talented players. Youth and high school participants are the best examples of indigenous baseball players.
Accepting the concept that high school baseball players constitute a region’s indigenous athletes then it becomes conceivable that high school seniors represent the most developed product of an area. For an aspiring baseball player in his senior year of high school this is the critical time. It is the proverbial fork in the road. The skills these young men possess will now be scrutinized by experienced administrators with the tenacity of someone considering a financial commitment in their collective futures. Through an intensive process it will be determined if a highly talented senior is college or pro material. The depth of this assessment gives an 18 year old baseball prodigy insight into where he ranks among the top prospects.