GLENDALE, Ariz – The Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox announced today that their two-team, state-of-the-art Spring Training campus in Glendale, AZ will be named Camelback Ranch. Dodger Owner and Chairman Frank McCourt and White Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf made the announcement.
“The name ‘Camelback Ranch’ inspires the pioneering spirit of the Dodgers’ original move west in 1958 and with our relocation this spring to Arizona, that move is now complete,” said McCourt. “We believe this facility will be the best in all of Major League Baseball and will provide our team with an unparalleled place to prepare year-round for championship-caliber baseball.”
“Camelback Ranch in Glendale soon will be known as the crown-jewel of the Cactus League,” said Reinsdorf. “Starting this spring, baseball fans will be able to enjoy a world-class complex that features the Cactus League’s largest ballpark with state-of-the-art amenities and one of the most scenic environments in all of sports and entertainment.”
The 141-acre site is located on Camelback Road just west of the Loop 101. The first-rate baseball facility includes more than 118,000 square feet of Major and Minor League clubhouse space, 13 full baseball fields, and three half-fields. The site will feature picturesque walking trails, landscaped grounds, and an orange grove. There will also be two ponds and a fully-stocked lake between the Dodgers and White Sox facilities.
The shared stadium, which will be the focal point of the complex, is the largest in the Cactus League with a capacity of 13,000 which includes 3,000 lawn seats, 12 luxury suites, a party deck, and a unique center field rotunda entrance. Fans will enjoy the ballpark’s modern amenities and design as well as dramatic mountain views from within the park that will create one of the most inviting Spring Training atmospheres in all of baseball.
“It is my sincere hope that generations of families will create lifelong memories at Camelback Ranch,” said Dodger President Jamie McCourt. “This idyllic setting – only five hours by car and a one-hour flight from Los Angeles – could not come at a more perfect time for Dodger fans, many of whom have waited a long time to take part in the Spring Training experience.”
“Many former Chicagoans now call the Valley home,” said Reinsdorf. “That large contingent of people, along with the thousands of current Chicagoans who travel to the Phoenix area during the winter months, now will have the opportunity to enjoy White Sox baseball in an incomparable sports and entertainment facility.”
In addition to serving as the Spring Training home of the White Sox and Dodgers, the campus will become the home for all Dodger minor league operations throughout the year, including the team’s Arizona League entry and Fall Instructional League team. The White Sox also will use Camelback Ranch in Glendale as the home for their Fall Instructional League.
Camelback Ranch will become a multi-use facility, available to host concerts, sporting events, and corporate outings, in addition to Spring Training baseball.
The 2009 Spring Training schedules will be released shortly for each team, while the joint venture offers six different season ticket options: Home Plate Club, Dugout Field Box, Baseline Field Box, Premium Infield Box, Infield Box, and Baseline Reserved, along with day-of-game Lawn seating. Fans interested in purchasing season tickets should call (623) 877-8585.
Renderings and a recent aerial photo of Camelback Ranch are attached, while updated photos of Camelback Ranch can be seen here: http://mlb.mlb.com/la/photogallery/year_2008/month_11/day_11/cf3674479.html
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