Maybe Tucson Isn't So Bad After All: Cactus League Rained Out In Phoenix

Once a hotbed of spring training activity, Tucson will become a Cactus League ghost town in 2011 when the last two remaining teams, Colorado and Arizona, move to a new facility in Phoenix. On Sunday, though, Tucson got one last laugh at the Cactus League's expense.

Seven games were scheduled to be played in and around Phoenix on Sunday, but by 3:05 Eastern time, all of them were called off, sending teams scrambling to schedule B games, set up simulated games for starting pitchers, and deal with ticket exchanges for thousands of fans who might only be in town for a few days.

The only Cactus League games being played Sunday were in Tucson, where the Rockies and D-Backs hosted each other in split-squad action.

It's a tough time for baseball fans in Tucson, which is frequently treated as a remote outpost by Cactus League teams and their fans. But for one day at least, a handful of teams probably wish they were based there.