White Sox agog over 'awesome' new spring training facility

GLENDALE, Ariz. - The White Sox' new spring-training facility already is having a big effect on everybody.

"It's nice; it feels like I'm on a new team," said veteran pitcher Mark Buehrle.

"It's great," said catcher A.J. Pierzynski. "Obviously, it's not completed yet. But it's awesome. Nothing against Tucson, but it's state of the art. It's got everything you need. You can't ask for anything else. It's amazing."

It's also big, so big that the word "vast" does not do the new Camelback Ranch facility justice.

"I drove here last night, and it was amazing," said Sox manager Ozzie Guillen. "The first thing, I came up and called my family and said, 'Wow, they really did a tremendous job.' I think Jerry (owner Reinsdorf), during the winter, told me how good these facilities are. I think it's better than what he told me. It's something nice."

The White Sox moved up from Tucson this year, and they'll share this expansive piece of real estate just west of Phoenix with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who moved from their legendary home at Vero Beach, Fla.

According to White Sox construction guru Terry Savarise, Camelback Ranch sits on 141 acres. Although construction on the entire complex isn't 100 percent complete, Savarise says the 13,000-seat stadium (biggest in the Cactus League) will be all set for the March 1 park opener between the Sox and Dodgers.

The complex houses 12 practice fields, six for each team, with the playing surfaces put in by legendary Sox groundskeeper Roger Bossard. The Sox said they planned to use all six of their fields Sunday for the first day of workouts for pitchers and catchers.

"This place is special," Bossard said as media members met up with him on a walking tour.

Bossard added that he's made 28 plane flights back and forth from Chicago to here since May 1.

Perhaps the two most interesting fields are replica fields of U.S. Cellular Field and Dodger Stadium. The field dimensions of both major-league ballparks are replicated, not only in the outfield, but in the distances between home plate and the backstop and from the foul lines to the stands.

Plans also call for the teams to build "walks of fame" in the middle of the complex to honor the traditions of both franchises, who played each other in the World Series 50 years ago.

"They did an unbelievable job," Guillen said. "We're spoiled about baseball. This is something you'd like to come to work to every day. I never thought when I started playing that anybody's spring training would have facilities like this.

"It's beautiful right now. I wonder how this thing is going to look in one year, when everything is set and ready to go. But this is outstanding. Hopefully, the players enjoy it. Hopefully, the players get the best out of this facility. Everything seems to be first class."