Spring Training sluggish

Spring Training attendance at Hohokam is down, despite breaking the record for the most-watched spring training game last week. This is not very surprising based on the economy, but it should be a warning that things could get a little worse in Mesa.

If fewer people are attending the games, there are fewer people in town spending money. Our budgets are still based on sales taxes, and if those continue to slip and we don't get a boost from Spring Training, there could be some trouble on the horizon.

This doesn't mean that we should give up on Spring Training or attracting more teams to Mesa. On the contary, despite the downturn, the Cubs are likely to hold the attendance record. So, we'll be hurt, but not as much as some of the other communities. The weather has been amazing for Spring Training so far, and even in these tough times its fun to play a little "hooky" and catch a game.