Angels Spring Training Experience - Part 1

One of our bucket list items for retirement was to volunteer for the LA Angels spring training and we made it happen.

Arriving at the home of the LA Angels spring training at Tempe Diablo Stadium in Tempe, Arizona.

For every day game we would arrive around 9:30'ish so we could get parked in the volunteer lot across the street and then go through the security screening before we entered the park. 

It was nice being in the park while it was mostly empty with employees, volunteers, and players getting ready for the day's game.  

Around 10 AM the players would start coming out of the locker room and hit the field for stretching and warm ups.  The new Angels manager, Brad Ausmus, would come out and take questions from the media.  

The Angels have a player from Japan, Shoie Ohtani, who pitches and hits real well so there are a lot of Japanese media in the park each day.  Since some don't speak English, the Angels have a woman, Grace, who does the translations.  The media person asks a question in Japanese and then Grace translates and asks the question to Brad.  Brad answers and then she has to translate his reply.  

Brad Ausmus game day press interviews.

I liked to listen in to the interview most days.  

At 10:30 we had a meeting where our leader, Dennis, would provide information to the volunteers for that day's game and answer any questions we had.  The silly question was "where is the elevator?"  And the reply,  "Same place it was yesterday!"  

Then it was early lunch time where we were fed burritos, pizza, or Firehouse subs.  After a several games we started to learn the rotation.  

Pizza day

Nancy, Linda, and Randy enjoying their burritos!

Dennis filing in the day's starting lineups.

We had to be at our stations by 11:30 when the gates opened.  Al and I were either ushers or ticket takers.  The other option was parking attendant but we didn't try that position. 

As ushers we got to watch the whole game but we had to stand at the top of our section.  Our standing area was always in the shade.

I often picked the aisle between sections 12 and 13 to usher and learned that the players families sit in that section.  One day I suspected that Trout's family was there and so I was Googling to see what they look like.  Sure enough, it was his wife and parents.

As ticket scanners, we had to scan guest's tickets until we were released at either the bottom of the 4th or 6th inning.  Then we were free to find empty seats and watch the rest of the game.

Al liked ticket scanning best and I liked being an usher most.

Al watching over his section (and the game in progress).

Preparing for the crowd to scan their tickets.

Nancy at her usher station and waiting for the gates to open.

Al ready to scan a guest's ticket.

Al checking on the No Standing Zone.

Al helping a couple to their seats.

Nancy checking on her section and interacting with guests.

One of the best parts of the job was meeting the guests.  I met this sweet couple at my first game and saw them often throughout the games.

Nancy, Janie, and Jim
Spring training season ticket holders in my section.

The Rovers checked in on all the ushers and ticket takers during the games to make sure we had water and vitamins (Peanut M&M's and red licorice) or to take a break.

Nancy and Mike

Alex checking in with Al and chatting a bit.

Here are some other volunteer friends we made at the games:

Nancy, Al, and Holly

Nancy, Anna, and Jim

In conversations with Jim, we learned we both lived in the same small town of Holland, Pennsylvania.  He still lives there and we reminisced about food and places in the area during lulls in scanning tickets at the front gate.

Anna and her son, Brian, volunteer yearly and live year round in the Phoenix area.  Somehow I didn't get a photo of Brian but Al and I talked with him a lot about retiring early.

Alex was a funny guy we enjoyed talking with and hearing his stories.

Al, Alex, and Nancy

We also met a couple, Linda and Randy, that we have a lot in common with.  On our training day at the stadium we noticed they were wearing lanyards with the name of the same maker as our RV, Grand Design.  We got to talking to them that day and became fast friends as the weeks went on enjoying our time at the games and get-togethers.  Linda and Randy are also full-time RV'ers from Redlands, CA.  They were also volunteering at a children's home in Mesa and in May they are headed to New Mexico to work with Habitat for Humanity on a build.  A very nice couple who we expect to keep in touch with and see again next year at spring training if not sooner.

Al, Nancy, Linda, and Randy

Linda and Al

Before the games we had the opportunity to meet and talk with some of the Angels announcers.  Al got to talk baseball with them and enjoyed the conversations.

Mark Gubicza and Al talking baseball.

I found out Mark Gubicza is from my hometown area of Philadelphia and lived in the same small town of Holland, PA that I had a condo in before I moved to California.  That's another person from Holland, PA!  How is that possible?

Nancy, Mark Gubicza, and Al

One announcer we saw a lot over the series of games was Jose Mota.  He was a very friendly guy and wished us safe travels on our RV adventure.  

Al, Jose Mota, and Nancy

Jose Mota and Terry Smith doing their post game review on Fox Sports.

Mark Gubicza and Tim Mead, VP of Communications who spoke at our welcome dinner.

Nancy checking out Terry Smith's 2002 Angels World Series ring.  

Billy Eppler, Angels General Manager
focused on building a great farm system for the team.

Stay tuned for part 2 of our experience at spring training coming soon.