Spring Training 2

Down the road a piece from the Indians new facility lies Camelback Ranch, the new home of the Dodgers and Chicago White Sox. Facility sharing is nothing new and occasionally makes for strange bedfellows-- the Indians will welcome their intra-state rivals from Cincinnati as facility partners in Goodyear soon.

While the desert browns and assimilation into nature are both on display in Camelback and Goodyear, Camelback is taking aim straight at the holiday crowd with lakes, walking paths and more. Even the CR website says its "a campus rather than a complex...a park rather than a facility." When you've got 140 acres and budget that isn't endless, the choice becomes clear: develop the property or develop the stadium. And while the main stadium does not appear to be lacking, it's clearly only part of the experience promised by the CR proprietors. How else to explain the music bandstand and the orange grove? (Nice tip of the cap to the original Dodgertown in Vero Beach). 'The Ranch' will also host concerts and corporate outings when baseball is not in session.

If you plan on going, the Chicago Tribune has some helpful hints and potential warnings.