Spring Training Stadium Showcase: Surprise Stadium
Since 2003, Surprise Stadium has been the Cactus League spring training home of the Texas Rangers and defending AL champion Kansas City Royals.
Surprise Stadium is one of the few Cactus League venues that is a little off the beaten path, as it is located in the Phoenix suburb of Surprise, 22 miles northwest of downtown Phoenix and 45 miles from the heart of Scottsdale.
Though a little harder to get to, the Surprise venue is worth the trip, with these iFolloSports.com original photos displaying the facility as very plush and modern, with good sight lines and wide open concourses. It truly feels more like a nice minor league stadium, than that of some of the other spring training attractions.
The stadium fare makes fans of both teams feel right at home, with Texas and Kansas City barbecue classics readily available (photo below).
Surprise Stadium also offers pretty easy access (on both the playing and practice fields) for fans to get autographs before the game.
Away from the complex, the city of Surprise does not offer the same nightlife as perhaps Scottsdale or Tempe, however there are still many golf courses, restaurants and bars, in what has developed into a nice bedroom suburb of 117,000 residents.
