Author Topic: Spring Baseball is >>> October Baseball anyway  (Read 2969 times)

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Offline PowerBoater69

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Spring Baseball is >>> October Baseball anyway
« Topic Start: October 13, 2012, 06:57:56 PM »
Early start for spring training next year.  The Braves have already announced their home games.  Not the best timing for me because they don't have any games against the Nats during the week I'll be down there.  I'm hoping to get a chance to visit the Mets site and maybe get lucky with a game in Kissimmee since that is near Disney where I'll be staying.

The latest news from Viera is that the county has approved ballpark improvements mostly related to standard upkeep, nothing new for the fans, which is too be expected since the Nats are likely to leave after this year.  The team requested $500K in improvements and the county funded $300K, no word that I've seen on what was rejected.

So far the only news on the new spring training location is that the Nats are still talking with Lee County, which makes no sense based on the information publicly available because the county has $0 for ballpark funding and the most pro-baseball local official just lost an election where his opponent ran on a platform opposing public funding for ballparks.  Something must be up that is not being made public.

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Because of the World Baseball Classic, spring training will be elongated in 2013: the first Braves game is set for Feb. 22...

http://springtrainingonline.com/teams/atlanta-braves-4.htm

Known schedule to date:
Fri. Feb. 26 at Braves 1 PM
Fri. Mar. 1 at Braves 6 PM
Thr. Mar. 21 at Braves 6 PM

Offline zimm_da_kid

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Re: Spring Baseball is >>> October Baseball anyway
« Reply #1: October 14, 2012, 06:25:13 PM »
Spring baseball<<<<October baseball

don't kidd yourself

Online HalfSmokes

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Re: Spring Baseball is >>> October Baseball anyway
« Reply #2: October 14, 2012, 06:41:33 PM »
Spring baseball >>>>> October baseball if your team is done playing

Offline NationalHeat

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Re: Spring Baseball is >>> October Baseball anyway
« Reply #3: October 14, 2012, 06:44:23 PM »
There's no chance we take over Dodgertown?

Offline OldChelsea

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Re: Spring Baseball is >>> October Baseball anyway
« Reply #4: October 14, 2012, 06:56:05 PM »
For the record, our 2013 regular season begins on April Fools Day (at home, no less - against the Marlins, no less).

Offline PowerBoater69

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Re: Spring Baseball is >>> October Baseball anyway
« Reply #5: October 14, 2012, 06:57:24 PM »
There's no chance we take over Dodgertown?

Anything is possible, the team is talking to any city interested in making a bid, but it very unlike. Vero is on the Atlantic Coast and the main reason the Nats are looking to leave Viera is due to the lack of opponents within short driving distance on the East coast.

Offline PowerBoater69

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Re: Spring Baseball is >>> October Baseball anyway
« Reply #6: October 14, 2012, 07:00:07 PM »
For the record, our 2013 regular season begins on April Fools Day (at home, no less - against the Marlins, no less).

No word yet on whether the Nats will play a spring training game at Nats Park. It would be cool if they had a minor league all star team play the Nats as the last warm up game.

Offline miller10

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Re: Spring Baseball is >>> October Baseball anyway
« Reply #7: October 14, 2012, 07:30:29 PM »
No word yet on whether the Nats will play a spring training game at Nats Park. It would be cool if they had a minor league all star team play the Nats as the last warm up game.

Be really cool if they were able to do a double header at Nats park with Syracuse playing a game and the Nats playing a game.

Online Smithian

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Re: Spring Baseball is >>> October Baseball anyway
« Reply #8: October 14, 2012, 07:53:35 PM »
Be really cool if they were able to do a double header at Nats park with Syracuse playing a game and the Nats playing a game.
In 2011, I went up to Kansas City for opening weekend against the Angels. After their Sunday game, the AAA Omaha Royals and AA Northwest Arkansas Nat(urals)s played a Futures Game. Really cool game with a lively, fun atmosphere.

Wish the Nats would do the same.

Offline monkeyhit

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Re: Spring Baseball is >>> October Baseball anyway
« Reply #9: October 14, 2012, 08:21:26 PM »
Love Viera. Hope they stay put. Hate the west coast. Around Orlando would be OK.

At least one more year in Big V anyway.

Offline PowerBoater69

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Re: Spring Baseball is >>> October Baseball anyway
« Reply #10: October 14, 2012, 08:39:30 PM »
Love Viera. Hope they stay put. Hate the west coast. Around Orlando would be OK.

At least one more year in Big V anyway.

I'm hoping for Kissimmee.  In any case after 5-6 years of speculation we should have an answer soon because if they are moving into a new facility for 2014 they'll need to start preparing now.

Offline heeman82

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Re: Spring Baseball is >>> October Baseball anyway
« Reply #11: October 15, 2012, 08:49:05 PM »
Can't wait.

Offline lastobjective

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Re: Spring Baseball is >>> October Baseball anyway
« Reply #12: October 25, 2012, 07:44:47 PM »
Thank you :clap: I might try to go down to Florida with a stop in Alabama this spring.

Offline PowerBoater69

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Re: Spring Baseball is >>> October Baseball anyway
« Reply #13: October 25, 2012, 08:33:46 PM »
Thank you :clap: I might try to go down to Florida with a stop in Alabama this spring.

Go for it, it's a lot of fun, the games are not as exciting, but the relaxed atmosphere and warm March weather can't be beat.  I'm waiting for the week of the 24th to fill in so that I can plan my trip and book the hotels.  I'm eyeing the game against the Mets on the 23rd as it is one of the ballparks I haven't seen yet.  The Nats are not a big draw for spring training so I like to buy seats right behind the visitors dugout for their away games for cheap compared to prices around here.  So far nothing is listed on Stub Hub yet.

Edit: There are some tickets to the games against the Braves at Disney listed on StubHub.  These games are the exception to the rule that cheap seats can be found on the road, the Braves are the priciest of the road games.

Offline lastobjective

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Re: Spring Baseball is >>> October Baseball anyway
« Reply #14: October 25, 2012, 09:12:46 PM »
Thanks for the advice. I will definitely ask for more when the time comes.

Offline PowerBoater69

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Re: Spring Baseball is >>> October Baseball anyway
« Reply #15: October 26, 2012, 07:33:35 PM »
This is the first I've read in a while about the Nats moving to Kissimmee and sharing a facility with the Astros, but as I've written here before this is my personal preference.  Interesting news here is that they are looking at two new sites and not the one right off of I-4 that would have been under 10 minutes from the Braves site, they are now looking at places right in the middle of Kissimmee, still under a half hour from the Braves and right on the Florida Turnpike so just a bit closer to the Mets, Cards, and Marlins.

Also in the news is that Lee County, the Twins, and the state of Florida have agreed to split three ways $45 million in improvements to the Twins facility.  This is notable because the Nats are in talks with Lee County and all previous press on the issue has stated that there was $0 available for ballpark improvements.  So now that the county has come up with $~15 million, the question is whether they've blown their load on the Twins and there is nothing left for the Nats or that they were bluffing about having no money and they're still in the running for the Nats.

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With the Houston Astros likely leaving Osceola County Stadium when the team's lease ends in 2015, Kissimmee officials are working on a new spring-training complex that could house the 'Stros and possibly the Washington Nationals.

It's all speculative and far from final, but Kissimmee Convention and Visitor's Bureau Executive Director Shelley Maccini reported this week that the city had spoken with several teams about their interest in a new complex. The Astros' lease at Osceola County Stadium runs through 2015, and it's pretty inevitable the team's new owner will want a new home: the ballpark is the smallest in spring training and the complex is in need of upgrades. Also, the Washington Nationals have been open about seeking a new home; the team is being pitched by Lee County to occupy City of Palms Park, the former spring home of the Boston Red Sox. The Astros and Nats already explored one potential joint training complex in the greater Orlando area.

Two sites are being discussed: the Judge Farms property along U.S. Highway 192 and Osceola Heritage Park.

http://ballparkdigest.com/201210265771/major-league-baseball/news/kissimmee-pitching-two-team-complex-for-spring-training

Offline PowerBoater69

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Re: Spring Baseball is >>> October Baseball anyway
« Reply #16: October 31, 2012, 06:49:06 PM »
On Tuesday the Lee County commissioners vote on whether to approve the deal for upgrading the Twins park, if this passes it almost certainly closes the door on the Nats moving into the Red Sox old facility.  Great news for those of us rooting for the Kissimmee site, not so good news leverage wise for the Lerners as they are running out of options.

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The other player in this is the Washington Nationals. They are interested in moving their spring training operations into City of Palms Park. They had the third worst attendance for all of Florida’s spring training teams this year, averaging only 4,880 fans a game. Their stadium is over an hour’s drive from any other spring training site and they just don’t attract the fans.

That changes in Lee County. They will be within eight miles of two other spring training teams — the Red Sox and Twins. But with no money left to fund the team through tourism tax dollars, a new revenue stream would have to be created, or the Nationals would have to fund any stadium improvements themselves. The latter seems highly unlikely.

There are no guarantees, but the county needs to be absolutely certain this long-term Twins package is financially sound and the risk is minimal. It can’t afford to be wrong. As negotiations continue with the Nationals, the county is in no position to cut a deal that does not put most of the financial burden on the baseball team. We can’t afford anything less.

http://www.news-press.com/article/20121030/OPINION/310300007/1002/NEWS01/Twins-deal-looks-good-first-blush?odyssey=nav|head

Offline PowerBoater69

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Re: Spring Baseball is >>> October Baseball anyway
« Reply #17: November 03, 2012, 12:40:09 PM »
The Naples News has a profile of each of the candidates running for county office on their thoughts about luring the Nats to take over the Red Sox old facility.  Not much disagreement among the group, they are all for getting a team but they are all against spending tax money to upgrade the ballpark, although the county is already paying a million a year to maintain the vacant stadium.  The consensus is that City of Palms Park is good enough as-is, so the Nats could just move in without having the county pay for enhancements.  They're offering a ready made park, a nearby airport, nearby beaches, and short travel times to two other ballparks, which really doesn't sound that bad.  The question is if City of Palms is such a fine facility then why did the Red Sox move out?  Why would the Nats be interested in Boston's sloppy seconds?

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2012/nov/02/empty-stadium-lack-of-money-to-attract-nats-a/

Offline JCA-CrystalCity

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Re: Spring Baseball is >>> October Baseball anyway
« Reply #18: November 03, 2012, 04:19:53 PM »
Well, Jet Blue is better, and the money was flowing at the time.

Offline JCA-CrystalCity

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Re: Spring Baseball is >>> October Baseball anyway
« Reply #19: November 03, 2012, 05:53:37 PM »
City of Palms is not a good set up.  As much as I'd like to be able to take in the Sox and the Nats and the Twins during spring training, I would not want the Nats there without improvements, and I really don't think the practice field set up is workable.

Offline JCA-CrystalCity

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Re: Spring Baseball is >>> October Baseball anyway
« Reply #20: November 04, 2012, 01:02:50 PM »
If they are upgrading the Twins facility, then why not set it up so it could be shared with another team, and then pull in the Nats?  Or do the same with Jet Blue?  Again, it'd depend on the practice fields, but the convenience of having a 3d or a 4th team down in Ft Myers would benefit the current tenants.

Online Ali the Baseball Cat

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Re: Spring Baseball is >>> October Baseball anyway
« Reply #21: November 07, 2012, 09:57:52 AM »
Kissimmee has lots of manatees in February if one for whatever reason wanted a break from besbol. 

I'm hoping for Kissimmee.  In any case after 5-6 years of speculation we should have an answer soon because if they are moving into a new facility for 2014 they'll need to start preparing now.


Offline JCA-CrystalCity

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Re: Spring Baseball is >>> October Baseball anyway
« Reply #22: November 15, 2012, 09:25:09 PM »
Red Sox = sell out for exhibition.

Offline Boss Dealwiler

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Re: Spring Baseball is >>> October Baseball anyway
« Reply #23: November 15, 2012, 09:30:37 PM »
Last year it wasn't 2/3 full.

Offline JCA-CrystalCity

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Re: Spring Baseball is >>> October Baseball anyway
« Reply #24: November 15, 2012, 09:52:11 PM »
Last year it was midweek.  PB69 is saying this will be a weekend.