TEMPE, Ariz. — Baseball is back at Tempe Diablo Stadium, where the city will host the Los Angeles Angels Spring Training through at least 2035.
That’s where a hardworking and dedicated nonprofit has shown it truly makes Spring Training in Tempe possible.
Tempe Diablo Stadium, the Cactus League home of the Angels, is known for its single-team stadium and the grand staircase of course, but one of things that you may not know is at the core of its existence is an incredible Valley nonprofit, the Tempe Diablos, the stadium’s namesake.
“I’ve been a Tempe Diablo since 2014,” said Doug Black, a Tempe Diablo volunteer, who has been a part of baseball since his first year. “It’s like summer camp each year for adults, so you get to come out and have baseball and hang out with your buddies and serve our city.”
Black is one of 40 active diablos and more than a dozen of what they call, “lifers,” that help out during Spring Training games, to make sure they run smoothly.
“Then from our community itself, we get about 100 volunteers each year,” he said. “And that’s what I’m in charge of this year, our volunteer coordination.”
The volunteers do it all.
“They serve as ticket takers, ushers, help with the parking and I think that’s what makes our stadium unique is our volunteers,” he said.
And while Black said they stay busy and work hard to make it all happen, there are still so many special moments they get to be a part of at each game.
“Kids coming out to a Spring Training game when they’re young and the excitement in their faces,” said Black. “We have our ushers giving out some balls here and there, and when you hand a kid a baseball just standing in line waiting to get in, and the look on their face it’s just awesome.”
All their hard work is paying off. In fact, the Tempe Diablos organization raises about $1 million each year, that they put back into the city, to benefit the youth.
“So, we are really just stewards of the money,” he said. It just passes through us and it’s a great program… scholarships, grants… and so I think that’s the thing that gets me the most excited, and then we have a really fun way to raise our money – baseball!”
“There’s a lot of tradition here and the Diablos are an unbelievable nonprofit organization,” said Bridget Binsbacher, Cactus League executive director.
She appreciates the heavy community engagement component at Tempe Diablo Stadium.
“It’s near and dear, so I love that about this whole community,” she said. “We look for them to do amazing work in the community and give in a big way, year after year after year.”
Binsbacher said that especially rings true after a rough past few years. Between the pandemic, an abrupt early finish to the season and reduced capacity and then a lockout last year, she couldn’t be more thrilled for a new start.
“Everywhere I go, I feel so much energy and hear so much excitement,” she said. “Because this is our first season in four years where we’re entering into a normal season.”
She said right now there’s a tremendous opportunity for local fans.
“To have the best pick of seats before the influx of tourists come from all over the country and all over the world, so we want to encourage them to get in their early and take advantage of that while they can,” said Binsbacher.
For more information on tickets and all the fun they have planned for fans, head to cactusleague.com.
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