College of Idiots: Cactus League Spring Training Guide

Alright let's start the fun with the Spring home of the Los Angeles (Anaheim...whatever) Angels. Tempe Diablo Stadium is nestled into some buttes on the outskirts of Tempe, Arizona. Located off of I-10 and US-60, Tempe Diablo is easy to find but very difficult to get into and out of due to the lack of access streets. Yeah, that nice mountain view comes with a price.

Where to be pre-game...

I recommend getting to Four Peak Brewing when they open at 11am on Mon - Sat or 10am on Sun. They have a nice selection of craft beer with the personal COI favorites being Kilt Lifter and The Raj IPA. Four Peaks provides everything you need to get you primed for the game from a nice strong ale to some tasty appetizers.

Stadium experience...

Tempe Diablo has a really nice shot of the Buttes out in left field. It also has an excellent shot of I-10 in all its glory just beyond the right field fence. All and all, the stadium blends in as well as most built into a mountainside. Parking generally sucks which is why I recommend getting there early or in the 2nd inning to avoid the craziness. Inside the stadium there is a decent food selection on the concourse down the left field line. The beer selection is middle of the road with usually 2 craft beers to compliment the Miller/Bud crap that appears in every stadium. All in all, food and beverage do no shine in Tempe.

Where to be post-game...

This is an easy one. One of the best small bars I have been to in the Tempe area is Taste of Tops on University just west of the ASU campus (approx 2 miles north and 3 miles east of Diablo). ToT has a rotating selection of 12 rare craft beers and a huge cooler stocked with craft bottles. The bar will open any of them and I am willing to bet they would open anything you could find in their brother store next door, Tops Liqours. If you are into craft beer at all this is a must stop. I recently discovered this place and wouldn't go anywhere else in Tempe.

Angry's favorite restaurants...