The Cool Girls' Guide to Packing for Giants Spring Training

Photo via SF Giants/Facebook

Photo via SF Giants/Facebook

The San Francisco Giants will take on the Cincinatti Reds for their first game of the Spring Training Season on Friday in Scottsdale. For those of you who don’t currently have a plan to decamp to Arizona and cheer on the hometown ball club, it’s time to get with the program. The sun will be shining, bats will be swinging, and it’s not too late to book a flight for a weekend getaway to the desert.

But there’s still the issue of what you should bring on your trip. So why not ask women who have already conquered the Spring Training packing list?

Danielle Cohen has traveled to Spring Training three times, so she’s pretty much an expert at this point. Cohen considers herself a “preppy type, but very girly”— most likely wearing skirts and heels, except when she’s at the ballpark. When it’s game time, Cohen sticks to ball caps and workout gear.

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“I keep it pretty simple,” she says. “I live in Nike Dri-Fit shorts because it’s so hot [at Spring Training]. It’s usually 80-plus degrees.” For games, Cohen accessorizes her shorts and tanks with sneakers or her hand-painted Giants shoes, and a hat.

For Lillian Phan, a red carpet regular in San Francisco, dressing for Spring Training requires lots of cut-off denim shorts and white jeans. Phan suggests a romper or shorts with a breezy top, sunglasses, and a Giants hat for day games. (She’s been wearing her lucky camo cap for years.)

In the evenings, Phan goes a little more glam. “If it’s a night game, I always say people should wear white jeans and nice sandals—not flip flops,” she advises. “I would wear my Valentino Rockstuds.”

Jennifer Johnson, a local attorney, echoes the hat rec, noting that she forgot to pack hers on her first Spring Training trip. “I ended up buying one,” Johnson admits. “There are spring training tents with merchandise, but bringing one would be a good idea if you didn’t want to buy one there.” In addition to a topper, Johnson, who describes her style as classic, recommends bringing your “Giants gear” jeans, shorts, and a light windbreaker in case there’s rain.

Photo courtesy of Jennifer Johnson

Photo courtesy of Jennifer Johnson

One non-clothing essential for day games? Sunscreen. You’ll be soaking up the rays in the stadium, so don’t forget to pack your SPF. Cohen says she likes to arrive when the stadium opens—about two hours before game time—to work on her tan, meet the players, and peruse the Spring Training merchandise. Phan takes her gameday tan plan a step further, suggesting off-the-shoulder tops and rompers to avoid tan lines.

The pool at the W Scottsdale

The pool at the W Scottsdale

While the focus during Spring Training is watching baseball, you should also plan to pack swimsuits and coverups in case you want to squeeze in pool time at your house or hotel. Johnson’s crew had pool access at the house where they stayed, and Phan makes the W Scottsdale her Spring Training home based on the pool scene. (Bonus: the W pool transitions from dayclub to nightclub in the evenings.) If you’re attending day games—which start at noon—you might find yourself with time to nap poolside between the final out and dinner.

Once baseball winds down for the day, nightlife ramps up. The Giants’ stadium is close to downtown Scottsdale, so you have the option of heading from the field to dinner or a bar. While Phan and Johnson suggest changing into a cotton sundress and wedges before a night out, Cohen says that no one will judge you if you want to keep repping the Giants after the game.

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“I was never shy about going out in my gear because I’m pretty proud to be in Giants gear no matter what,” Cohen explains. Plus, she says that Scottsdale feels like downtown San Francisco during baseball season. “The city takes ownership of the team while they’re there, so there’s Giants signage everywhere.”

In your excitement about watching baseball and enjoying the warm Scottsdale afternoons, don’t forget to bring a Sharpie to get players’ autographs. Because the stadium is smaller and the team is physically closer to the fans, there’s a good chance you’ll actually get to talk to the players. “I have a signed baseball from almost the whole team,” Cohen says. “I always carry a Sharpie with me, and I hadn’t planned on getting autographs, but they walk the line after a game and they meet everyone. You have the opportunity to get to know the players who you root for every day.”