What's new at Salt River Fields in 2014?

PHOENIX - The Arizona Diamondbacks will host the Los Angeles Dodgers for the first Cactus League game in 2014 at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick this Wednesday and fans will have much to look forward to at the D-backs' award-winning Spring Training facility, including new food items, additional shade structures and exciting promotions.

D-backs' Spring Training Opening Day on Feb. 26 will be highlighted by a flyover featuring four Yak CJ-6 planes just before the first pitch at 1:10PM. The D-backs, who share Salt River Fields at Talking Stick with the Colorado Rockies, will host the Rockies on Feb. 28 with a flyover and special guests Martin Harvier, Vice President of Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community, and Councilman Tom Largo will throw out the ceremonial first pitch at 1:10PM.

The concessions at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick offer a diverse food selection and this year fans will be able to get the D-backs' Sonoran Dog at Home Plate Hot Dogs. Perhaps the most exciting addition is the Sonoran BBQ stand which offers beef brisket, pulled pork, smoked chicken and a custom sauce bar that allows fans to create their own barbeque sauce concoction. Fans can also get fired up about the new "Flame Thrower" burger available at 101 Cattle Co. that features pepper jack cheese, fried jalapenos and chipotle salsa. Other new additions around the ballpark include two new gourmet pizzas - Hot Hawaiian and Blonde Bombshell - at all Crust locations, a new Island Noodle location with a Gluten Free menu located along the first base side concourse, and a new Snack Attack menu in the premium seating areas that features pepperoni pizza rolls, wings, spinach artichoke dip and soft pretzel bites with nacho cheese dipping sauce.

Fans ages 21 and over will be able to enjoy the new Absolut Bar located at Section 210 that will feature four flavors of Absolut and a variety of mixers that will allow the bartenders to create more than 100 different vodka drinks. A new shade structure at Budweiser Bow Tie near left field will allow fans to escape from the heat to a more comfortable environment and enjoy Anheuser-Busch products. Complimentary sunscreen is provided at several sunscreen stands located on the concourse along the Banana Boat Lawn. As fans arrive at Salt River Fields, they can take a free shuttle courtesy of Honda from designated drop off spots in the parking lots straight to the gate and return after the game.

D-backs fans can also look forward to seeing the famous Anheuser-Busch Clydesdales on March 6 before the D-backs host the Oakland Athletics at 1:10PM. Fans will be able to get their photos taken with the horses prior to the game and watch the Clydesdales parade around the warning track before the game to the tune of their own theme song "Here Comes The King."

The D-backs will host the first-ever Zero-Waste game on March 13 in which fans will be asked to recycle or compost all solid and food wastes generated at the game instead of sending it to the landfill. The Zero-Waste game will be the first for Arizona and is part of Phoenix's new sustainability initiative called Reimagine Phoenix. Also on March 13, fans will be able to take photos with Gerardo Parra and Paul Goldschmidt's Rawlings 2013 Gold Glove Awards before the game. 

D-backs players will sign autographs for free before each home game from 11:45AM-Noon on day games and from 5:45-6:00PM on night games. Also new in 2014 is an expanded souvenir program available for $2 and includes more pages for autographs.

Tickets for Spring Training games at Salt River Fields start at $9 and can be purchased at www.dbacks.com/spring or by calling 480.362.WINS. Fans can also enjoy games from one of three shaded party decks with the comfort of padded seats on the second and third levels and expansive views of the entire field with majestic mountain vistas in the background for as low as $20.