Author Topic: The Future Of Baseball On The Space Coast  (Read 18807 times)

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Offline Ali the Baseball Cat

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It's only a matter of time before Sanibel is swarming with 18 foot Burmese pythons.

Offline 114D

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The Nats will never have more leverage than right now -- 5+ years of Strasburg and Harper in Spring Training should bring lots of tourists to whomever wants us.  I still say Ft. Lauderdale should be the goal.  I want them team somewhere awesome to visit, and for me that's South Florida not west, northeast, or middle.

Offline hammondsnats

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I could care less where they play, just as long as it's a nice facility.  Of course, with the rate of teams moving to the Gulf side of Florida, it looks like that could be an ideal destination...but City of Palms isn't a great place. 

I'm looking forward to hearing what kind of renovations are in store. 

I still wish we could take over the old Dodgertown 8)

Offline JCA-CrystalCity

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Ali
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It's only a matter of time before Sanibel is swarming with 18 foot Burmese pythons.
Careful, Ali.  Not ideal feline country with the pythons present.

Offline PowerBoater69

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Re: The Future Of Baseball On The Space Coast
« Reply #129: June 16, 2012, 08:38:30 AM »
Lee County just backed off on providing funds to fix up the Twins ballpark, reneging on a promise to take care of them after building the Red Sox new facility.  This is a strong indication that any potential deal with the Nats is off the table.  With little time left in the 90 day negotiation period Lee County doesn't even have the Nats on the agenda for their last meeting before breaking for the Fourth.

Makes me happy because i'd rather have the team move near Orlando.



 ballparkdigest.com/201206155040/major-league-baseball/news/lee-county-twins-spring-training-improvements-hinge-on-state-grant

Offline PowerBoater69

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Re: The Future Of Baseball On The Space Coast
« Reply #130: June 20, 2012, 12:27:33 PM »
The Twins just signed a thirty year lease to stay in Lee County,  which was required in order to apply for state funds for ballpark improvements, the lease is of course void if the state doesn't come through with the cash.  Lee County is not pledging any county funds at this point having blown their wad on the Red Sox.  One interesting reason why the Twins want to stay in the area is because the team owner has family that lives in Naples. 

What this means for the Nats is that there is further confirmation that Lee County is no longer in the running.  So, assuming that staying in Viera is out, it looks like the next two options are to join the Astros just south of Orlando or to join the Mets.

Offline hammondsnats

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Re: The Future Of Baseball On The Space Coast
« Reply #131: June 20, 2012, 01:12:10 PM »
joining teams for ST facilities is a stupid idea.  never liked that.

Offline PowerBoater69

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Re: The Future Of Baseball On The Space Coast
« Reply #132: June 20, 2012, 01:20:24 PM »
joining teams for ST facilities is a stupid idea.  never liked that.

The Cards and Marlins are the only teams that I know of off the top of my head that share a facility, but it makes sense to me, saving costs for the building and allowing the hitters and pitchers to face twice as many different looks while getting ready for the season.  For the fans it means more games at one location without having to drive all over the state and probably a nicer ballpark than would be justified for a single team.

Of course I would prefer not to share a ballpark with a division rival like the Mets, which is why my pick would be to partner up with Houston.

Offline JCA-CrystalCity

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Re: The Future Of Baseball On The Space Coast
« Reply #133: June 20, 2012, 01:31:05 PM »
I think there are a few joint facilities out in Arizona, but I can't name any immediately. 

Offline GburgNatsFan

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Re: The Future Of Baseball On The Space Coast
« Reply #134: June 20, 2012, 01:38:48 PM »
I think the Reds and the Indians share the Goodyear, Arizona facility.

I think there are a few joint facilities out in Arizona, but I can't name any immediately. 


Offline comish4lif

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Re: The Future Of Baseball On The Space Coast
« Reply #135: November 26, 2012, 02:06:09 PM »
Quote
Efforts to bring the Washington Nationals to Fort Myers will likely end in failure, says a Lee County commissioner, because the county has no money to fix up City of Palms Park.

County officials have been wooing the Nationals for several months, a time that includes an exclusive negotiating period for the two sides. The county is eager to see a tenant for City of Palms Park, vacated when the Boston Red Sox moved to JetBlue Park for spring training. The Nats did express interest and submitted a wish list for ballpark improvement that included the addition of a practice field at the facility and more. These improvements aren't new -- the Red Sox had expressed interest in similar changes before settling on a new facility on the outskirts of town -- but with the county tapped out, an effort to charge the Nats for ballpark improvements will likely end up in failure.

http://ballparkdigest.com/201211265884/major-league-baseball/news/lee-county-commissioner-nats-unlikely-to-move-to-fort-myers


Offline HalfSmokes

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Re: The Future Of Baseball On The Space Coast
« Reply #136: November 26, 2012, 03:35:17 PM »
http://ballparkdigest.com/201211265884/major-league-baseball/news/lee-county-commissioner-nats-unlikely-to-move-to-fort-myers



Quote
The Nats have a contract to train at Space Coast Stadium through 2017, but that lease can be broken once ballpark debt is paid off -- which is scheduled to happen in 2013. In addition, the other main tenant at Space Coast Stadium -- the Brevard County Manatees (High Class A; Florida State League) -- is negotiating a move to Winter Park.

that sucks for tax payers- fully paid off empty stadium

Offline PowerBoater69

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Re: The Future Of Baseball On The Space Coast
« Reply #137: November 26, 2012, 08:12:22 PM »
that sucks for tax payers- fully paid off empty stadium

Seems like these days a ballpark is considered obsolete before it's paid off. I'll predict right now that we'll be hearing rumblings about the Lerners wanting more corporate welfare starting in 2028 when they're down to ten years left on the lease.

Offline monkeyhit

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Re: The Future Of Baseball On The Space Coast
« Reply #138: November 27, 2012, 08:39:32 AM »
that sucks for tax payers- fully paid off empty stadium


Especially when there is nothing wrong with that stadium.  (Location maybe, but it's only an hour to Orlando).

Offline JCA-CrystalCity

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Re: The Future Of Baseball On The Space Coast
« Reply #139: November 27, 2012, 08:48:10 AM »
better that Space Coast is fully paid off than sitting empty and still sucking money out of tax payers like City of Palms.

Offline Galah

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Re: The Future Of Baseball On The Space Coast
« Reply #140: November 27, 2012, 11:41:40 AM »
...as I recall the Manatees rent Space Coast from the Nationals...irrelevant, just an observation...just like Richmond ha finally begun to do some work on the Diamond now that they lost their AAA ball club and had it replaced by a AA club.

Offline PowerBoater69

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Re: The Future Of Baseball On The Space Coast
« Reply #141: November 27, 2012, 12:10:58 PM »
The Manatees rent from Broward County, same as the Nats, their decision to bolt is not directly related to the Nats' plans, but it does affect us. Without the minor league club it makes no sense for the county to fund upgrades and maintenance for a ballpark used less than two months a year.

Offline JCA-CrystalCity

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Re: The Future Of Baseball On The Space Coast
« Reply #142: November 27, 2012, 02:02:21 PM »
Brevard., not Broward.  Broward is Ft. Lauderdale.


Offline PowerBoater69

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Re: The Future Of Baseball On The Space Coast
« Reply #144: January 29, 2013, 10:59:30 PM »
it's looking like the Nats will stay in Viera for a bit longer:

http://www.wesh.com/news/central-florida/brevard-county/Official-Washington-Nationals-likely-staying-in-Viera-for-spring-training/-/11788124/18327176/-/kdl6jt/-/index.html?absolute=true

That's what I've been thinking, it's getting close to the point where they're going to need to make a deal if they're moving in 2014.

Offline hammondsnats

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Re: The Future Of Baseball On The Space Coast
« Reply #145: January 30, 2013, 12:18:24 PM »
fine ... i'd rather stay there than hang on the red sox jock strap and get their sloppy seconds.

Offline JCA-CrystalCity

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Re: The Future Of Baseball On The Space Coast
« Reply #146: January 30, 2013, 01:56:49 PM »
what's interesting here is that they are talking about bringing a second team to Space Coast.  Maybe that part of FLA can make a comeback for spring training. 

While I'd love Ft Myers so  I could take in the Red Sox and Twins, I don't think city of palms is usable.  Sloppy seconds, as Hammonds says.  If there is a lack of space and adequate practice fields for Boston, I don't see how that defect can get remedied for the Nats.

Offline HalfSmokes

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Re: The Future Of Baseball On The Space Coast
« Reply #147: January 30, 2013, 02:09:30 PM »
for those who go to spring training- is there actually enough tourism/business generated to justify cities building these facilities?

Offline PowerBoater69

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Re: The Future Of Baseball On The Space Coast
« Reply #148: January 31, 2013, 07:40:37 PM »
for those who go to spring training- is there actually enough tourism/business generated to justify cities building these facilities?

Not for a team like the Nats who have a relatively small number of fans travelling down for games.  Teams like the Yanks and Red Sox bring in much more money, but it's still one month a year, so they cities/counties need to host a minor league team as well to make the ballparks worth the investment.  This is a big deal in Viera where the Manatees are looking to move, so that even if the Nats want to stay it might not be worth it to them to maintain the ballpark.

Based on the article that came out today, Viera is expecting the Nats to return next spring.  Makes a lot of sense for the Nats to maintain the leverage of claiming that they don't have to move.

Offline PowerBoater69

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Re: The Future Of Baseball On The Space Coast
« Reply #149: February 07, 2013, 06:47:47 AM »
Latest rumors have the Nats asking for $36 million in improvements to the Red Sox abandoned park in Fort Myers, and that Lee County is willing to pay, except that they have no money. The county made a couple offers to the Nats, such as allowing the team to use the ballpark rent free if the Nats accept the stadium as is, but the team said no. Lee County would like to get the state to come up with a large chunk of the cash, with the problem being that Florida would be unlikely to subsidize one county stealing a ball club from another county.

The Nats need to get this right, this move will be a 20 to 30 year decision and despite years of site visits it appears that they are getting desperate. I'd make a deal with Viera to stay there two or three more springs and then keep looking for a better deal.

A big part of the problem is that Nats fans don't travel to spring training in the numbers that the other teams are bringing in, so the cities and counties down there don't see a huge potential for gains.