City: Phoenix, AZ

Category: Spectator Sports

Description: Compared with spring training and the Diamondbacks, MLB’s Fall League is a well-kept secret with a total attendance of about 50,000 people at 138 games. You can pretty much sit wherever you want and get a close glimpse of the next Bryce Harper or Albert Pujols. That’s right. Both played in Arizona in the heavily scouted league. So did Mike Piazza, Jason Giambi, Nomar Garciaparra, Todd Helton, and many others. The Fall League, which began in 1992, is essentially an all-star league of AA and AAA players on the cusp of being everyday big leaguers. Each MLB team sends several prospects to the league, and they are assigned to one of the league’s six teams. In 1994 the league drew its biggest crowds ever because of Michael Jordan, who had already made his name on the basketball court before trying to catch on in the White Sox’s minor league system.The schedule is set by about the middle of June, and the games are played from the beginning of October through November. Game times are 1:05 and 7:05 p.m. Plenty of walk-up tickets ($6 for adults, $5 for seniors and children) are available on game days at the individual stadiums.The teams use the same stadiums that serve as Cactus League spring training headquarters for their parent clubs: