AZ Vibe - The Ultimate Phoenix Entertainment Resource » Arizona Diamondbacks

Spring Training is just around the corner as is the on sale ticket date for the brand new Salt River Fields, the new Spring Training home of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Spring Training tickets go on sale to the general public Monday January 17th at 10 AM Arizona time.

However, starting on Friday January 14th at 10 am Arizona Time to Sunday January 16th at 10 PM Arizona Time, the Diamondbacks will have pre-sale tickets available to all who use the password to the pre-sale event.

The password is:

SRFSPRING

For more information on Spring Training tickets and to purchase tickets Starting Friday at 10 AM, please refer to this link:

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/events/spring_training/y2011/scottsdale.jsp?partnerId=ed-4362264-179002490

D-Backs Fan Fest returns in February

The Arizona Diamondbacks will host the seventh annual D-backs FanFest on Feb. 12 to the general public from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Chase Field. The free event will include autographs and photograph sessions with current players, coaches, alumni and broadcasters on the field at Chase Field.

D-backs players slated to attend include Brandon Allen, Geoff Blum, Sam Demel, Stephen Drew, Barry Enright, David Hernandez, John Hester, Daniel Hudson, Kelly Johnson, Ian Kennedy, Kam Mickolio, Miguel Montero, Melvin Mora, Kevin Mulvey, Xavier Nady, Jordan Norberto, Joe Paterson, J.J. Putz, Ryan Roberts, Joe Saunders, Konrad Schmidt, Daniel Stange, Brian Sweeney, Justin Upton, Chris Young and Zach Duke. Coaches participating include manager Kirk Gibson, hitting coach Don Baylor, pitching coach Charles Nagy, bullpen coach Glenn Sherlock, bench coach Alan Trammell, third base coach Matt Williams and first base coach Eric Young. Broadcasters Tom Candiotti, Mark Grace, Jeff Munn, Miguel Quintana, Greg Schulte, Oscar Soria and Daron Sutton will also be in attendance as well as Luis Gonzalez and other former D-backs players. All participants are subject to change without notice.

Autograph sessions with D-backs personnel will require a $5 donation to the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation and will be limited in quantity. Players will also participate in photo sessions free of charge. A special area will be available for children 12 and under to receive free autographs.

Other D-backs FanFest highlights include:
• D-backs home clubhouse tours
• Question and answer sessions with D-backs players, coaches, broadcasters and alumni
• Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation Yard Sale
• Family Fun Zone featuring speed pitch, T-ball and other interactive inflatables
• D-backs Training Centers Wiffle ball fields and clinics including D-backs players and coaches
• Sports card and memorabilia show
• Live Sports 620 KTAR broadcast throughout the day
• FOX Sports Arizona KidKaster auditions
• Sign ups to audition to sing the national anthem or be a Rally-back, Golden Glover or D-backs Legends Race participant

D-Backs and Rockies release inaugural Salt River Fields Spring Training schedule

Editor — Sun, 05 Dec 2010 05:00:03 +0000

This week, the Arizona Diamondbacks, in conjunction with the Colorado Rockies and the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, have released the Spring Training schedule for the inaugural season of the Salt River Fields.

General admission lawn seating that will hold 4,000 people will be $8 and tickets for 7,000 reserved seats in the seating bowl will range from $15-$25. More specifically, ticket prices for games at Salt River Fields are: Infield Box $25, Dugout Reserve $21, Infield Reserve $20, Party Decks $19, Baseline Reserve $15 and Lawn $8.

Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community members and D-backs and Rockies season-ticket holders can purchase season-ticket plans for Spring Training games at Salt River Fields exclusively up to Dec. 4. Season-ticket plans for the each team’s home schedule at Salt River Fields and all 33 Cactus League games at Salt River Fields will go on sale to the public beginning on Dec. 6.

Individual game tickets for all 33 games at Salt River Fields will go on sale beginning at 10 a.m. (MST) on Jan 17. Tickets can be purchased in person at the D-backs Ticket Office at Chase Field, at dbacks.com/spring, coloradorockies.com/spring or by calling 888.490.0383 or 480.362.WINS (9467).

Tickets will also be available beginning at noon on Jan. 17 at the Salt River Fields temporary ticket office in the Scottsdale Pavilions, located at 8980 E. Indian Bend Rd., Suite D-6, in Scottsdale.

Below is the full 2011 Spring Training Schedule for the Colorado Rockies and the Arizona Diamondbacks:

Salt river Fields at Talking Stick 2011 SPRING Training Schedule

Date Home Team Opponent Time

Saturday, February 26 D-backs Colorado Rockies 1:10 p.m.

Sunday, February 27 D-backs San Francisco Giants 1:10 p.m.

Monday, February 28 D-backs Colorado Rockies 1:10 p.m.

Tuesday, March 1 Rockies Arizona Diamondbacks 1:10 p.m.

Wednesday, March 2 D-backs Seattle Mariners (ss) 1:10 p.m.

Thursday, March 3 Rockies San Francisco Giants 1:10 p.m.

Friday, March 4 D-backs San Diego Padres 1:10 p.m.

Saturday, March 5 D-backs Texas Rangers 1:10 p.m.

Sunday, March 6 Rockies Cleveland Indians 1:10 p.m.

Monday, March 7 Rockies Los Angeles Dodgers 1:10 p.m.

Tuesday, March 8 Rockies Chicago Cubs 1:10 p.m.

Wednesday, March 9 D-backs Milwaukee Brewers 1:10 p.m.

Thursday, March 10 D-backs Chicago White Sox 6:40 p.m.

Friday, March 11 Rockies Kansas City Royals 1:10 p.m.

Saturday, March 12 Rockies (ss) San Diego Padres 1:10 p.m.

Rockies (ss) Arizona Diamondbacks (ss) 6:40 p.m.

Sunday, March 13 D-backs Chicago Cubs 1:10 p.m.

Monday, March 14 Rockies Cincinnati Reds 1:10 p.m.

Tuesday, March 15 D-backs San Francisco Giants 6:40 p.m.

Wednesday, March 16 D-backs Los Angeles Angels 1:10 p.m.

Thursday, March 17 Rockies Chicago White Sox 1:10 p.m.

Friday, March 18 Rockies Milwaukee Brewers 1:10 p.m.

Saturday, March 19 D-backs Cincinnati Reds 1:10 p.m.

Sunday, March 20 Rockies Los Angeles Angels 1:10 p.m.

Monday, March 21 D-backs Los Angeles Dodgers 6:40 p.m.

Tuesday, March 22 D-backs Cleveland Indians 1:10 p.m.

Wednesday, March 23 Rockies Seattle Mariners 6:40 p.m.

Thursday, March 24 D-backs Oakland Athletics 1:10 p.m.

Friday, March 25 Rockies Texas Rangers 6:40 p.m.

Saturday, March 26 D-backs Kansas City Royals 1:10 p.m.

Sunday, March 27 Rockies Oakland Athletics 1:10 p.m.

Monday, March 28 D-backs Texas Rangers 1:10 p.m.

Tuesday, March 29 Rockies Seattle Mariners 1:10 p.m.

All times local to Arizona; (ss) — split squad

Monday a busy day for the D-Backs

Editor — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 06:32:27 +0000

PHOENIX – The Arizona Diamondbacks had a busy day today announcing a bunch of news from all levels of their organization. Most of the news will something Diamondbacks fans will want to read.

First of the Arizona Diamondbacks in conjunction with the Colorado Rockies and the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community announced ticket prices for their inaugural spring training in 2011.

General Admission Lawn seating will be $8 – Capacity 4,000

Reserved ticket pricing is as follows – Capacity 7,000

Infield Box $25
Dugout Reserve $21
Infield Reserve – $20
Party Decks – $19
Baseline Reserve – $15
Lawn – $8

“Consistent with our pricing for regular-season games at Chase Field, D-backs’ Spring Training games at Salt River Fields will be affordable for families to endure the finest fan experience throughout the Cactus League next year,” said D-backs’ President & CEO Derrick Hall. “The ballpark is designed to offer plenty of shade for fans in the reserved seating bowl while also having the largest lawn seating area in the Cactus League for fans wanting to watch a game from a more casual point of view. The entire facility will provide an interactive fan-friendly experience to get close to the players as they prepare for the 2011 season.”

Next, the D-Backs announced they have signed infielder Jeff Blum to a two year contract. Blum, 37, hit .267 (54-for-202) with 22 runs scored, 10 doubles, a triple, 2 home runs and 22 RBI in 93 games for the Houston Astros last season.

“The signing of Geoff Blum is the first step in identifying how we can improve Kirk Gibson’s options off the bench next season,” General Manger Towers said. “Geoff is a veteran that can play nearly every position on the field while also having the experience of contributing to key situations late in the game as a pinch-hitter off of the bench.”

The next bit of news is that the D-Backs announced that they have named Billy Ryan Assistant General Manager.

Ryan spent the previous three seasons in the Commissioner’s Office for Major League Baseball as the Senior Coordinator of Salary & Contract Administration, acting as a liaison for all 30 clubs with respect to Major League rules, the Basic Agreement and other contractual and industry practices. He also was directly involved with recommendations to clubs regarding the salary arbitration process and signing bonuses related to amateur players selected in the First-Year Player Draft.

“I am delighted to have Billy join our Baseball Operations staff at the D-backs,” Towers said. “He brings an incredible amount of knowledge with him in the areas of salary arbitration and bonus recommendations related to the First-Year Player Draft after working in the Commissioner’s Office.”

Finally D-backs Senior Vice President, Scouting & Player Development Jerry Dipoto announced that Mike Bell has been promoted to Director, Player Development after Rico Brogna resigned from the post he was appointed to last month.

“Mike has earned this opportunity after exhibiting tremendous character, passion, preparation and leadership skills during his tenure in the D-backs’ player development system,” Dipoto said. “He also brings the unique experiences gathered during a lifelong exposure to the game as a member of baseball’s most respected families. We all respect Rico’s decision to resign as Director, Player Development and wish him the best in his future endeavors.”

D-Backs remove interm tag from Gibson, retain Dipoto

Editor — Mon, 04 Oct 2010 22:46:03 +0000

PHOENIX – The Arizona Diamondbacks announced that Kirk Gibson has signed a two year deal with the ball club to become the sixth manager in team history. Gibson was named interim manager when former manager AJ Hinch was released from his duties in July of 2010.

“I am excited to have the opportunity to team up with Kirk Gibson,” D-Backs Executive Vice President and General Manager Kevin Towers said in a prepared statement. “I feel Kirk and I share similar values and philosophies about what this organization needs to do to get back to its championship ways.”

The Diamondbacks also announced that they have promoted Jerry Dipoto to Senior Vice President of Scouting and Player Development. Dipoto was named interim General Manager when former General Manager Josh Byrnes was relieved of his duties in July 2010.

“Jerry has been a huge asset to the D-backs and will continue be with this highly deserved promotion in the baseball operations department,” GM Kevin Towers said in a prepared statement. “I am looking forward to spending more time with Jerry and learn more about the organization from him as we work together to improve the club throughout the offseason.”

In other moves today, the Diamondbacks announced that they will retain Matt Williams and Glen Sherlock for Gibson’s coaching staff for the 2011 regular season. Third base coach Joel Youngblood will be taking a position in the D-Backs minor league system while pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre Jr was offered a different position in the D-Backs organization. D-Backs hitting coach Jack Howell and Bench Coach Bo Porter were not retained by the Diamondbacks.

D-Backs release design photos of new Spring Training home

Editor — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 20:42:55 +0000

SALT RIVER PIMA-MARICOPA INDIAN COMMUNITY (Arizona)-The HKS Sports & Entertainment Group, designers of many world class sports facilities like the new Cowboys Stadium (Irving, Texas), Miller Park (Milwaukee, WI), and the new Glendale Spring Training Facility (Spring Training home of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox), today released design photos for the new Salt River Fields.

Salt River Fields will be the new Spring Training home of the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Avalanche.

The new design photos for the new Salt River Fields have also been uploaded to our Facebook Fan Page:
http://www.facebook.com/azvibe

“We wanted to reinvent the fan experience of spring training by designing a distinctive destination that focuses on fan connectivity to the players while creating a unique environment that embodies the character, values and culture of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, the Colorado Rockies and the Arizona Diamondbacks,” said Byron Chambers, director of sports design, HKS Sports & Entertainment Group.

Built on 140 acres of Native American land, Salt River Fields will be leveraged 365 days a year with many and various events, in addition to Spring Training, that will help the area economy immensely.

Here’s some quick stats about Salt River Fields:

Opens February 1, 2011
Located at Highway 101 and Indian Bend
It’s the first spring training facility to be build on Native American land
Both the Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks will have separate training facilities
Features an 11,000 seat central stadium
12 practice fields
Parking available for 1,600 vehicles
The community theme for the ballpark is ‘Two Teams – Two Tribes – One Home’. The Two teams are the Diamondbacks and the Rockies. The Two tribes are the Pima and Maricopa tribes.
Will allow fans to watch Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies players practice up close and personal

“This is the most uniquely designed facility in all of baseball,” said D-backs’ President & CEO Derrick Hall. “It exudes friendliness and comfort, which was our intention from the outset. We preach fan-friendliness every day at Chase Field and are proud to know that the same approach will be present at our new spring training complex.”

Diamondbacks Trade Deadline Wrap up

Editor — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 01:26:39 +0000

PHOENIX-Now that the Major League Baseball deadline has passed, here’s a quick summary of the salary dumping trades that the Arizona Diamondbacks were involved in:

July 25th – Dan Haren traded to The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim for Saunders, two prospects and a player to be named later – The Arizona Diamondbacks announced today they have acquired left-handed pitchers Joe Saunders and Patrick Corbin, right-handed pitcher Rafael Rodriguez and a player to be named later from the Los Angeles Angels for right-handed pitcher Dan Haren, according to D-backs’ interim General Manager Jerry Dipoto.

July 30 – P Jackson traded to the Chicago White Sox for Hudson, Holmberg - The Arizona Diamondbacks announced today they have acquired right-handed pitcher Dan Hudson and left-handed pitcher David Holmberg from the Chicago White Sox for right-handed pitcher Edwin Jackson, according to D-backs’ interim General Manager Jerry Dipoto

July 31 – P Chad Qualls traded to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for a player to be named later

July 31 – C Chris Snyder, Minor leaguer Pedro Ciriaco and cash to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Carrasco, Church and Crosby.
– The Diamondbacks send Catcher Chris Snyder, Minor League player Pedro Ciriaco and $3 Million Dollars to the Pirates for Pitcher D.J. Carrasco, Infielder Ryan Church and Infielder Bobby Crosby.

When all was said and done, the Diamondbacks unloaded approximately $25 million in salary (according to ESPN.com), received some great prospects in return, and will be in a great position to re-tool their lineup for next season. In the short term, D-backs fans may not like these deals but in the long run, this will help out the club not only on the field but in the stability of their entire organization.

D-Backs Young to participate in tonight’s Home Run Derby

Editor — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 17:37:46 +0000

PHOENIX-Tonight in Anaheim, California the eyes of all Major League Baseball fans will be glued to there televisions sets for the Home Run Derby which begins the 2010 All Star Game festivities. Diamondbacks fans will be wanting to tune in as their lone All-Star Game representative, Chris Young, will be participating in the Home Run Derby.

“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Young said. “No matter what the results are, just to be able to say you were in the Home Run Derby is pretty cool. I am going to go out there and compete and make the best out of it.”

The Home Run Derby begins at 5:00 PM Arizona Time on ESPN.

The Home Run Derby Participants are as follows:

Miguel Cabrera – Detroit
Corey Hart – Milwalkee
Matt Holliday – St. Louis
David Ortiz – Boston
Hanley Ramirez – Florida
Nick Swisher – New York Yankess
Vernon Wells – Toronto
Chris Young – Arizona

Diamondbacks news!!!

Woody — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 12:28:47 +0000

It’s been a while since we have had some Diamondbacks news hasn’t it?!?!?

Well, one of the reasons why we haven’t had news is that we’re busy behind the scenes building a dedicated Arizona Diamondbacks site for the coming season. We should have the site live within the next couple of weeks.

Anyways….

Spring Training is in Full swing and the D-Backs are in their final year in Tuscon. They will be in Scottsdale next season in a brand new facility.

- Single Game seats to all 81 Diamondbacks home games are now on sale at Chase Field, via dbacks.com, by phone (602-514-8400 or 1-888-777-4664), or at any Ticketmaster Outlet. There are 28 Fry’s locations in Arizona (includes 6 locations in Tucson) where you can purchase Arizona Diamondbacks Tickets.

Tickets range in price from $8 to $60.

- On March 3rd, The Arizona Diamondbacks signed 22 year old Justin Upton to a six year $51.25 million dollar contract. According to ESPN, the contract is broken down like this:

…a $1.25 million signing bonus, half on April 15 and the rest on July 15. He receives salaries of $500,000 this year, $4.25 million in 2011, $6.75 million in 2012, $9.75 million in 2013, $14.25 million in 2014 and $14.5 million in 2015.

D-Backs give fans first crack at purchasing Yankees ticket for next season

Editor — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:28:28 +0000

That’s right fans! The Arizona Diamondbacks have a special offer for fans who aren’t season ticket holders to purchase advanced regular season tickets for the 2010 season. All fans have to do is purchase a Holiday six- pack of any games you choose and you can get advanced tickets to any game or games next season. This includes the New York Yankees visit to Chase Field next season!

For more information and to purchase tickets, please refer to this link:

http://www.dbacks.com/holiday

Luis Gonzalez Retirement Night at the D-Backs game/Montgomery Gentry Concert/Post Game Fireworks – This Saturday!!!

Woody — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 13:48:11 +0000

The Absolute #1 thing to do this week is on Saturday (August 29th) night at Chase Field.

The Arizona Diamondbacks are literally having a party at the game against the Astros. First Pitch is at 5:10 PM. Now the Diamondbacks have announced that they will be having a Luis Gonzalez appreciation night. The team will honor Gonzo with a pre-game on field ceremony and the first 25,000 fans will also receive a commemorative ‘Gonzo’ T-shirt.

Now here’s the reason why it’s a party.

In addition to the festivities, you will get…

1) The baseball game

2) A post game concert with country superstars Montgomery Gentry

3) A post game fireworks show after the concert

That, as they say, is not all.

The Phoenix Area chapter of Saint Vincent de Paul is offering you a chance to head to this once in a lifetime event while raising money for them in the process. You can purchase special tickets to this game for $10 or $35 (as of press time only 14 $35 tickets remain) and a portion of the proceeds go to Saint Vincent de Paul. Just follow the link below for details on how to purchase tickets.

http://www.azvibe.com/phoenix-entertainment/2009/08/20/raise-money-for-st-vincent-de-paul-by-purchasing-d-backs-tickets-starting-at-10/

Other tickets, if sold out, can be purchased here:

http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/ticketing/index.jsp?c_id=ari

UPDATE: 2:30 PM AZ Time

The Diamondbacks have announced a press conference for 1 PM Arizona Time on Saturday (August 29th) where Gonzo will formally announce his retirement. We will be at the press conference and will bring you audio and video of the proceedings.

BREAKING NEWS: Diamondbacks announce location of Phoenix Area Spring Training site

Editor — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 20:45:54 +0000

The Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community (SRPMIC) Council signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to partner with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies Major League Baseball teams to build a new spring training facility on Community land. It is the first Major League spring training facility in the U.S. to be built on Indian land.

According to the MOU, the SRPMIC will 100% fund, build and run this new facility. The Facility will consist of a two team spring training baseball facility, an 11,000 seat ball park, 12 practice fields, office buildings that will house operations, major and minor league clubhouses and training facilities for both teams.

The SRPMIC and both baseball teams will be working together on the design with HKS Architects. HKS most known projects have been the new Glendale Camelback Ranch spring training facility, and the new Cowboys stadium in Dallas.

“Our ancestors built ball courts on this land and throughout the valley,” said SRPMIC President Diane Enos. “Now we are excited about ‘bringing baseball home’ to our Community. It will add to the enjoyment of our members, Arizona residents and visitors to our state. This multipurpose facility is an ideal match for the vision of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community as we develop land along our western commercial corridor.”

The facility will be located at Indian Bend and Highway 101 and will open in Spring of 2011.

D-Backs Trade Tony Pena to the White Sox for Prospect

Editor — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 06:08:34 +0000

In a move that happened not too long ago, the Arizona Diamondbacks traded Pitcher Tony Pena to the Chicago White Sox for first base prospect Brandon Allen. Allen spent time at AA Birmingham and AAA Charlotte combining to hit .281 (85 for 302) with 16 doubles, 3 triples, eight home runs, and 43 RBI.

Allen has been assigned to AAA Reno while the D-Backs will call up a reliver to fill the spot that Pena filled for Tomorrow’s game.

“Primarily as we look at our team, our position players, and try to keep our offense moving forward, we wanted another big left-handed bat to grow with our core, ideally a first baseman,” D-backs general manager Josh Byrnes said.

Montgomery Gentry to headline second Diamondbacks post game concert on August 29th

Editor — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 23:24:48 +0000

On the heels of a successful postgame concert with Lifehouse, the Arizona Diamondbacks have announced the second installment of their post game concert series.

Montgomery Gentry will be headlining the August 29th post game concert following the 1:10 PM Diamondbacks game with Houston Astros. All you have to do is purchase a ticket to the game and you can watch the show for free.

Stay tuned as there just might be an opportunity to win some VIP passes to the concert.

Arizona Diamondbacks notify Pima County they are moving following 2010 Spring Training

Editor — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 23:15:40 +0000

The Arizona Diamondbacks have just announced that they have notified Pima Count authorities that they intend to re-locate to the Phoenix area after 2010 Spring Training.

Arizona Diamondbacks President and CEO Derrick Hall had the following to say about today’s news.

“This decision comes with mixed emotions, as we obviously have a deep history with and genuine fondness for Tucson. With the current environment of spring training in Southern Arizona having led to the Colorado Rockies’ recent and formal decision to relocate, we find ourselves in the undesirable position as the only MLB team operating there beyond 2010. We have narrowed down our options to a few we consider exciting and realistic opportunities, and continue gathering more facts and details with hopes of coming to an agreement quickly.”

Top 9 things to do for the week ending May 7th, 2009

Editor — Fri, 01 May 2009 12:26:49 +0000

1) A Taste of Greece – May 1st, 2nd, and 3rd – Tempe Beach Park – Come on out to a great cultural event this weekend!

http://www.atasteofgreeceaz.com/

2) The Dave Matthews Band – May 6th – Cricket Wireless Pavilion – Tickets still available at all Live Nation Outlets. Guaranteed to be a great show and an excellent pick for this week.

http://www.livenation.com/edp/eventId/402630/

3) Movies under the Stars #3 – WaterDance Film Festival – Westgate City Center – 8:00 PM – Free – The Steven Spielberg classic, Jaws will be playing

http://www.azvibe.com/phoenix-entertainment/2009/04/23/westgate-city-center-hosts-the-first-annual-waterdance-film-festival/

4) Movies in the Park with ‘From Russia With Love’ – Fridays Through April – Biltmore Fashion Park – Speaking of Movies how about heading to the Biltmore Fashion Park and watching the classic 007 Movie ‘From Russia With Love’? The fun starts at 7:30 at the Center Lawn of the Biltmore Fashion Park. Oh yeah. It’s Free.

http://www.azvibe.com/phoenix-entertainment/2009/04/23/movies-in-the-park-biltmore-fashion-park-free/ http://www.shopbiltmore.com/events.asp?id=9160

5) Star Trek Exhibition at the Arizona Science Center – How cool is it when you get to not only sit in Captain Kirk’s chair but check out the bridge from the Enterprise D? Open Daily. Please refer to the link below for hours and ticket information. Closes soon!!

http://www.azscience.org/star_trek.php

6) Shake! – Every Saturday Night – Rogue Bar – Scottsdale – $5 (approx) If you are a frequent reader of this site you know that one of the best places to go on a Saturday night is Shake!. Great Music and fun for a great price!

http://www.azvibe.com/phoenix-entertainment/2008/10/27/review-shake-the-rogue-saturday-october-25th/

7) FUSE – Bar Smith – Friday Nights – $5 – Bar Smith – Downtown Phoenix – 10PM – 2 AM

8) Arizona Diamondbacks – Chase Field – That’s right folks! Another season of Arizona Diamondbacks baseball is underway! Come and see your Diamondbacks take on some of the best teams in the league and battle their way to the playoffs! Tickets can be purchased through the Arizona Diamondbacks website:

http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/ticketing/index.jsp?c_id=ari

9) First Friday! – Downtown Phoenix – How can you miss this?!?!?

Review: Assist4Africa Charity Basketball Game

Editor — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 12:14:45 +0000

I’ve been thinking about a lead paragraph for this review but all I can come up with is ‘Man what a great event this was!’ The Assist4Africa Charity Basketball Game consisted of current and former Phoenix Area pro sports athletes and local media. The list of Celebrities included former NBA players Tom Chambers, Dan Majerle, Eddie Johnson, current Phoenix Coyotes Daniel Winnick, and Keith Yandel, as well as players like former Arizona Diamondbacks star Quentin McCracken.

From the opening tip off, the fans were in for a treat the entire game long. There was some players that were taking the game a wee bit seriously but there were some hilarious moments during the game as well. Most of them came from former Suns player Cedric Ceballos. For example, whenever former Suns player Mark West went to the foul line, Ceballos layed down on the court and said that (paraphrasing) “West is shooting, we’re going to be here for a while”.

Here’s another gem from Ceballos after Larry Fitzgerald fouls him. His comments come after he jogs off screen to the right:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbqMTVja_iI

Even though this was a basketball game, it didn’t follow any sort of format or time schedule which was not only refreshing for a change but it added to the fun atmosphere of the event. The players on the team were there to entertain and left the fans more than satisfied. Various stoppages in play brought out different activities from a live auction of a Kurt Warner Autographed jersey along with lunch with Mr. Warner, to a dance contest with Kids, to a representative from Partners in Malawi (the organization where all the proceeds were going) talking about the wonderful work they have been doing.

On the opposite end of the floor, there was a silent auction with a large number of REALLY killer sports memorabilia available. For example, Orlando Magic super star Dwight Howard had an autographed jersey available and there was a hockey stick signed by the entire Phoenix Coyotes team.

All in all, this was a spectacular event from start to finish. I just wish there were more people there as they missed an extremely entertaining evening. We would love to help out next year in the promotions department as this is a great event benefiting an extremely worthy cause.

I was re-reading the original press release for Assist4Africa just now and one line stuck out for me:

This is the third time for the event and it promises to be the best ever.

I couldn’t agree more.

Partners in Malawi is a non-profit organization designed to promote the awareness and education of AIDS/HIV in Malawi. All of the proceeds from the event went to all the efforts this organization does in Malawi.

For more information about Partners In Malawi, please refer to their website:

http://www.partnersinmalawi.org/

Editor’s Note: We are experiencing challenges with the photos we have taken at the event. Until we are able to post the images here, we have uploaded the all of our pictures from the Assist4Africa Charity Basketball Game to our Facebook Fan Page:

Part 1:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=77418&id=33123943379&l=354ecd7161

Part 2:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=77420&id=33123943379&l=f4bd8ae385

Part 3:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=77413&id=33123943379&l=4afbc89e53

The top 13 fun things to do for the week ending April 9, 2009

Editor — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 09:01:46 +0000

1) The Phoenix Coyotes vs. St. Louis Blues – April 7 – 7 PM – Jobing.com Arena – This is the second to last home game of the season for the Coyotes. Since they have returned to full strength they are finishing the season on a REAL strong note. Don’t miss your chance to see some great hockey before the weather skyrockets into the triple digits!

http://www.ticketmaster.com/venueartist/246515/806002?brand=phxcoyotes&camefrom=CFC_COYOTES

2) Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band – April 3 – 7:30 PM – Jobing.com Arena – The Second night of his world tour comes to Glendale at the Jobing.com arena for a show that is destined to sell out. If you have never seen the Boss in action, you need to clear your schedule and head to his show. There’s a reason why he’s the hardest working man in show business.

http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/1E00423BDCE26B36?artistid=860453&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=1

3) Tempe Music Festival – April 3rd and 4th – Tempe Beach Park – As mentioned previously, one of the biggest musical events of the year is coming to the Tempe Beach Park. Kid Rock and 3 Doors Down are some of the killer acts that will be playing at the festival.

http://www.tempemusicfestival.com/

4) Star Trek Exhibition at the Arizona Science Center – How cool is it when you get to not only sit in Captain Kirk’s chair but check out the bridge from the Enterprise D? Open Daily. Please refer to the link below for hours and ticket information.

http://www.azscience.org/star_trek.php

5) The 26th Annual Gibson Jazz & Blues Festival – Historic Downtown Glendale – April 4th and 5th – Free – One of the coolest and most eclectic Jazz and Blues lineup will be coming to downtown Glendale to throw down some amazing tracks.

For more information along with the times and lineups of artists please refer to the festival website:

http://www.glendaleaz.com/events/GlendaleJazzBluesFestival.cfm

6) First Friday! – Downtown Phoenix – How can you miss this?!?!?

7) Shake! – Every Saturday Night – Rogue Bar – Scottsdale – $5 (approx) If you are a frequent reader of this site you know that one of the best places to go on a Saturday night is Shake!. Great Music and fun for a great price!

http://www.azvibe.com/phoenix-entertainment/2008/10/27/review-shake-the-rogue-saturday-october-25th/

8) FUSE – Bar Smith – Friday Nights – $5 – Bar Smith – Downtown Phoenix – 10PM – 2 AM

9) The Phoenix Film Festival – Scottsdale – April 2 to April 9 – The Phoenix Film Festival is back again for another run and from the looks of every movie synopsis it’s going to be a great one. There are a wide variety of films to choose from and it also looks like there’s a local movie maker category which is always fun to watch.

http://www.phoenixfilmfestival.org/

10) Movies in the Park with ‘From Russia With Love’ – Fridays Through April – Biltmore Fashion Park – Speaking of Movies how about heading to the Biltmore Fashion Park and watching the classic 007 Movie ‘From Russia With Love’? The fun starts at 7:30 at the Center Lawn of the Biltmore Fashion Park. Oh yeah. It’s Free.

http://www.shopbiltmore.com/events.asp?id=9160

11) Dark Star Orchestra – April 4th 2009 – Marquee Theater – $23 – 6:30PM – The absolute best Grateful Dead Tribute Band comes the Valley of the Sun to jam to some of the classic Grateful Dead songs. If you have never seen the Dark Star Orchestra, and you are a fan of the Dead, you need to be here to see this amazing production.

Tickets:
https://www.etix.com/ticket/servlet/onlineSale%3bjsessionid=C5B6E63F59B0C129DC63B1DB0A5F0BDC?action=selectPerformance&cobrand=luckymanonline&performance_id=884533

12) Star Trek Movie Marathon – Chandler Cinemas – April 3rd, 4th, and 5th- $10 – See Link for Movie times – The Chandler Cinemas is having a Star Trek Movie Marathon this weekend for all to come see. The Movies featured will be Star Trek 2, 3, and 4. Admission is $10 for one movi

Last but certainly not Least….

13) OPENING DAY!!! – Arizona Diamondbacks – April 6 – 12:40 PM – Chase Field – That’s right folks! Another season of Arizona Diamondbacks baseball is just about underway! The opening game will be an afternoon game and is a great excuse to use your ’9 inning flu’ excuse to get out of work.

Tickets can be purchased through the Arizona Diamondbacks website:

http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/ticketing/index.jsp?c_id=ari

Just added to the Calendar – Arizona Diamondbacks 2009 Regular Season Games

Editor — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 08:56:20 +0000

That’s right! We have just added the entire 2009 Arizona Diamondbacks regular season games (Home and Away) to the Calendar so you can plan ahead for all the great action to come this season!

Top 10 things to do for the next week starting 3/19/2009

Editor — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 10:12:51 +0000

Now that the technical challenges with AZ Vibe have been resolved here’s the list of things to do for the coming week. Lots of fun stuff to do!

1) The Phoenix Coyotes vs. Vancouver Canucks – March 21 – 7 PM – Jobing.com Arena – One of the top teams in the league, the Vancouver Canucks, make their final appearance of the season in the Valley of the Sun. It’s also 80′s night at the Coyotes Game and prizes will be given out to the best costume.

http://coyotes.nhl.com/team/app/?service=page&page=NewsPage&articleid=414140

2) Spring Training – Various Ballparks around the Greater Phoenix Area – Spring Training is just about over so don’t miss the opportunity to catch a ball game in this amazing weather!

http://www.cactusleague.com/

3) Charlie Murphy - Tempe Improv – March 21 @ 8 and 10 PM – March 22 @ 8 PM – If you don’t know who Charlie Murphy is, here’s a refresher… http://www.pp2g.tv/vYnt6YXQ_.aspx

http://www.tempeimprov.com/

4) The 39th Annual Scottsdale Arts Festival – March 21 from 10 AM to 6 PM and March 22 from 10 AM to 5 PM – Scottsdale Civic Center Mall – One of the top Arts Festivals in the Nation is back again for artists to display their many and various works to the public.

http://www.scottsdaleartsfestival.org/

5) New Found Glory – Wed March 25th – 6:00 PM – Marquee Theater – $18.50 – $22.00 – Tempe

6) Bikini contest – Sunday’s Through April 5 – American Junkie – Scottsdale – Free – Not too much is know about this as it is a Facebook event which means we’re probably going to have to check it out. Shoot.

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=52834859196

http://www.azvibe.com/phoenix-entertainment/2008/10/27/review-shake-the-rogue-saturday-october-25th/

8) Saw Film Festival (Saw 2, 3, and 4) – Chandler Cinemas – $15 – This is a fundraiser for the wonderful and hard working people that make up the many events that take place at the Chandler Cinemas. There is SO much going on this weekend that it would be impossible to list. Instead, refer to the Chandler Cinema’s website for the complete list of what’s going on. If you get bored here, you probably don’t have a pulse:

http://www.chandlercinemas.com/news.html

9) Arizona Renaissance Festival – $5-$20 – 2/7/09 – 3/29/09

10) BBQ – This is the absolute perfect weekend to host or attend a BBQ at a friends house or your neighborhood park.

Top 8 things to do for the next week starting 2/27/09

Editor — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 08:07:08 +0000

1) Backyard at the Mission – Scottsdale

The number 1 thing to do this weekend is the new outdoor patio bar behind the Mission in Old Town Scottsdale. The Mission has been getting nothing but RAVE reviews across the board and is soon to become the latest new restaurant to become a classic. Come relax at a great outdoors bar that is destined to become a classic.

http://www.themissionaz.com

2) Spring Training for the 2009 season is underway! At many places around the valley, Major League baseball has begun spring training for the new season. Check the link below for teams, games, times, and prices in your area!

http://www.cactusleague.com/

3) Big Bad Voodoo Daddy – The Venue – Scottsdale – One of the most popular Swing Bands in the Modern era is coming to the Venue of Scottsdale Friday night! Check them out!

http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/1E00423005CD8FDD?artistid=798111&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=1

4) G Love and Special Sauce

http://www.luckymanonline.com/EventDetail.aspx?eventID=2227

5) Ear Candy Benefit at the Phoenix Roadrunners Hockey game and post game concert featuring Black Carl – Ear Candy has a great fundraiser going on at the Saturday Phoenix Roadrunners Hockey game. Purchase a ticket through the Ear Candy Website (Link and instructions below) and you will help them out with their fundraising efforts. There will be a post game concert (also benefiting Ear Candy) that will include one of Phoenix’s best bands, Black Carl.

Now remember use the code EAR CANDY when purchasing tickets or else Ear Candy doesn’t benefit.

http://www.earcandycharity.org/Event.aspx?Id=17

6) Parada del Sol Rodeo – Westworld – Scottsdale – Friday, Saturday and Sunday

The Scottsdale Junior Chamber of Commerce is putting on this PRCA Rodeo. Come see some great rodeo action all weekend long!

http://www.paradadelsol.org/tickets.htm

7) Slipknot – Jobing.com Arena – Thursday – Supporting on of the best metal albums this year, All Hope Is Gone , Slipknot brings one of the best live shows this year to the Jobing.com Arena. Don’t miss this chance to see a great band!

http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/1E004176998A4679?artistid=763913&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=200

8) Go on a walk/bike ride – I mean come on it’s going to be really nice this weekend, how can you NOT go out?!?!?!

Arizona Diamondbacks Baseball – Ongoing – Prices Vary – Downtown Phoenix

Editor — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 07:43:02 +0000

It’s another season of Arizona Diamondbacks baseball and you all should head out to at least one game this season. The boys of summer are looking to build on last season’s success and are looking to win the NL West this year!

Link to this year’s D-Backs giveaways/promotions (FREEBEES):

http://mlb.mlb.com/schedule/promotions.jsp?c_id=ari

Link to this Season’s schedule:

http://mlb.mlb.com/schedule/sortable.jsp?c_id=ari&year=2008

Link to Seating and Pricing at Chase Field:

http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/ari/ballpark/seating_pricing.jsp

Directions and Parking to Chase Field:

http://arizona.diamondbacks.mlb.com/ari/ballpark/ari_ballpark_directions.jsp