Cactus League is ready for spring training to return after lockout agreement

SCOTTSDALE, AZ (3TV/CBS 5) — After 99 days of a lockout, Major League Baseball and its players reached a deal on a collective bargaining agreement. That means baseball will be played, and soon!

Specifics still need to be sorted out, but the start of the Cactus League in Arizona is expected to happen in about a week. With regular season games getting underway on April 7, that means a shorter spring training than usual. But local businesses and Cactus League executive director Bridget Binsbacher both agree that some Cactus League baseball is better than no Cactus League baseball. “I just feel from the inquiries that we’re getting from people wanting to come to Arizona and watch spring training,” Binsbacher said. “People are talking about any kind of baseball, will any form be available to watch in these stadiums. So people are ready.”

Even as the lockout continued, Social Tap Eatery owner Steve McFarland was confident that there would be Cactus League Baseball this spring. “We stayed in communication with all the hotels in town, all of the transportation companies,” McFarland said. “And let them know that we’re still ready to go. I think just like all the baseball facilities were as well. They were still preparing just like it was going to happen. And I think that’s a great reflection of how prepared we’ll be for spring training.”

Staffing is an issue for not just Cactus League operations, but several Arizona businesses. To help prepare for that, Binsbacher says most teams have part-time employees already in place. “Of course, with the last few years, as challenging as everything’s been, we’ve shown that we can be flexible and adapt to whatever we need to,” she said. “So we’re ready to go. I think everyone is really excited to hear that we’re going to have some form of a season. And we want to make the most of that opportunity.”

For more specific information on Cactus League ticket and game policies, you can head to its website.

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