Hon. Rose Mofford

Former Arizona Governor Rose Mofford was in the right place at the right time when it came to the task of saving spring training baseball in Arizona. Florida interests were known to have contacted every team that trained in Arizona at the time, but it was the threat of losing the Chicago Cubs and Cleveland Indians that caused the most concern.

In 1988, Governor Mofford, herself a former All-American softball player with the Cantaloupe Queens, appointed a task force to study ways to keep teams training in Arizona. The task force's work led to retention of the teams already here, the addition of new teams and an explosion in fan attendance. Governor Mofford saved spring training and cemented the Cactus League as a fixture in the state.