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Show Foul Lines Spring training up and going in Phoenix sunshine By TOM HARALDSEN Sports Editor x -A ( Editor's Note: Clipper sports editor Tom Haraldsen was In Phoenix this weekend, filing this report on major league baseball's opening weekend of spring training. PHOENIX OK, I admit it. I'm a baseball groupie. I couldn't resist the chance to bask in 70 degree sunshine and rub shoulders shoul-ders with other groupies as spring training opened this weekend in Arizona (it also opened in Florida, but you take what trips you can get). Springtime is the time when traditionally, the hearts of young men turn to their first love baseball. Mine turned to the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition first, then to baseball, but whose counting? With eight teams training in or around the Valley of the Sun, excitement is in the air. Nowhere is this more evident than in Scottsdale, where the San Francisco Giants opened their camp. Ticket sales are brisk for the Giants' home games in Cactus League, with all reserved seats for all games sold out. Some general admission tickets remain, as do press passes (can you see me smiling?). Spring training is big time business to merchants here, and an economic boom for communities such as Scottsdale, Tempe, Mesa, and Chandler, not to mention Yuma and Tucson. A large influx of baseball groupies come from out-of-state each year to enjoy the sun and fun, and Utah is a strong provider of such visitors. The Giants have every reason to believe they'll win the National Na-tional League West this year, and make it to the World Series. I said three weeks ago that the Giants will meet Toronto in the World Series, and that is what I still believe. San Francisco has to be a favorite in Davis County because of former Viewmont High star Kelly Downs, who is a member of the strong Giants' pitching staff. We'll be following him closely this season. Here's our Clipper tip of the week: a complete listing of Cactus League games this season, which begin a week from Friday. This reporter will be back; in Phoenix this coming weekend again, and more stories from spring training will follow. By the way, the answer to our trivia question of a few weeks back about the New York Mets: They almost became known by another name, the New York Skyliners! When the team was awarded a National League franchise back in the 60' s, a vote of stockholders saw the name Mets win by just one vote. Imagine that. Now, here's the Cactus League schedule for 1988: |