Hohokam Stadium
HoHoKam Fast Facts
HoHoKam Stadium and the Chicago Cubs own the ALL-TIME MAJOR LEAGUE ATTENDANCE RECORD for home games during a spring training season. In 2009 the Cubs set a Cactus League single game attendance record with 13,327.
The Cubs spring home attendance of 203,105 in 2009 broke the previous MLB record set by the Cubs in 2005. The Cubs 2005 spring average of 12,125 per game for 16 games at HoHoKam still stands as the All-Time highest per game attendance average.
In 2010, the Cubs will spend their 32nd consecutive, and 46th overall spring training in Mesa, and 58th year spring training in the state of Arizona. This is their 14th season in the new HoHoKam Park/Fitch Park facilities.
HoHoKam Park is operated by the city of Mesa with assistance from the HoHoKam organization. HoHoKam Park's seating capacity has expanded to 13,100 for the 2009 spring season with the addition of portable bleachers on the first base patio. There are 8,000 fixed seats, 2,000 bleacher seats, with an outfield lawn seating capacity of 2,575, along with the new portable bleachers. The stadium was designed by HOK Architects of Kansas City, Mo., designers of Baltimore's Camden yards, Cleveland's Jacobs Field, and Coors Field in Denver.
Stadium dimensions are:
• 340 feet down the leftfield line
• 350 feet down the rightfield line
• 410 feet to straight-away centerfield
• 390 feet to the power alleys
The batter's eye in centerfield is 80 feet wide by 40 feet high. The outfield fence is 15 feet, 4 inches high.
HoHoKam Park also has a practice field, a practice infield, four batting tunnels, bi-level bullpens in right-centerfield and a 13,955-square foot clubhouse. The facility, which includes paved and grass parking for 3,000 cars, was built on a 48.45-acre site.
Following the 1996 spring campaign, a new Fitch Park practice complex was built on a 31-acre lot. Fitch Park has four practice fields, one practice infield and a 29,733-square foot clubhouse with lockers for 200 players and 36 coaches.
Mesa is the 14th different training site used by the Cubs since 1900 and the fifth site since 1921. In some instances, the team's exhibition games were not played at the training site.
A Little History on Baseball in Mesa
By the 1920's Mesa was home to several amateur baseball teams, the most well known being the Mesa Jewels. The teams needed a better baseball field which led the community to build their first permanent diamond in 1921, at the corner of 2nd Street and Sirrine. With the development of the nearby Rendezvous Hall, for social events, and Rendezvous Pool, the ballpark gradually became known as "Rendezvous Park."
The Chicago Cubs first expressed interest in training in Mesa as early as 1942, when a contingent of Cubs officials met with City officials to evaluate the ballpark and lodging facilities. But it was not until 1952 that the final decision was made for the Chicago Cubs to use Mesa as their spring training home. Six major league exhibition games were played in Mesa that season, against the Cleveland Indians, New York Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, and crosstown rival Chicago White Sox.
Amenities at the old Rendezvous Park were less than ideal. The clubhouse was too small to accommodate the players' luggage; the trunks were moved outside each morning and returned to the clubhouse at the end of the day. Extra bleachers were rented to accommodate the large number of spectators, and 500 wooden chairs were acquired from Los Angeles Wrigley Field, to serve as "box seats."
Improvements were made to Rendezvous Park over the years, with the Cubs training at the site through 1965. After a three-year absence, spring training returned to Mesa when an agreement was reached with the Oakland A's. Mesa was Oakland's spring training site for 10 years, including their three consecutive world championship seasons from 1972 to 1974.
Rendezvous Park fell victim to the wrecking ball in November 1976, replaced by the first stadium at Hohokam Park, dedicated in 1977. The A's continued training at this new facility until 1979, at which time the Chicago Cubs relocated back to Mesa from Scottsdale. It was during the mid-1980s that the Cubs enjoyed unprecedented attendance, ranking as the Cactus League's largest draw, and at or near the top of all major league teams in spring training admissions.
This support from area residents and winter visitors played a large role in the development and building of the new Hohokam Stadium in 1996/1997. With outfield berm seating and a capacity of 13,074, Mesa's Hohokam Stadium is known as one of the top spring training facilities in all of Major League Baseball.