Nats eyeing a new spring training home?

[hammondsnats]

http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=A4&Dato=20100402&Kategori=SPORTS&Lopenr=4020803&Ref=PH

Stan Kasten and other Nats officials seen walking around the park with city officials.  Red Sox are slated to leave City of Palms Park after next spring.  There's a story on that site, but the link is broken.  Interesting.

Would you want the team to leave Viera for Ft. Myers?

[Galah]

http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=A4&Dato=20100402&Kategori=SPORTS&Lopenr=4020803&Ref=PH

Stan Kasten and other Nats officials seen walking around the park with city officials.  Red Sox are slated to leave City of Palms Park after next spring.  There's a story on that site, but the link is broken.  Interesting.

Would you want the team to leave Viera for Ft. Myers?

Stay in Viera! I've got property on the beach and it sure would be nice NOT to leave the Nats behind when I finally retire the second time.

[The Chief]

#49 on the left side in that photo looks shopped-in

[PANatsFan]

Direct flights to Ft Myers, stuff to do in Ft Myers, sounds like a no-brainer.

[hammondsnats]

Direct flights to Ft Myers, stuff to do in Ft Myers, sounds like a no-brainer.

I've never been to Viera's Space Coast Stadium (or any spring training game in Florida for that matter), but that's my thinking too.  Fort Myers has a pretty big airport and it's more of a major city than Viera.  My folks went to a couple games @ Space Coast this year and they were big fans of it. 

There's still plenty of time before a decision will be made, but it seems like this City of Palms Park is pretty nice.  Also there is no minor league affiliate to worry about (like with the Brewers Single A team in Viera).

[DPMOmaha]

Kasten looks like the dad from Everybody Loves Raymond in that photo gallery. 

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Fort Myers also has two other teams training in the city, Red Sox and Twins.  That makes for easier travel, more chances for split squad games, just a better spring training.  But, not space launches. 

As for me, you think I'd go to spring training with both my teams in town?

Galah - I'm sure you could find a foreclosed condo on the southwest coast.

[PowerBoater69]

Kasten looks like the dad from Everybody Loves Raymond in that photo gallery. 

At the game against the Tigers he was wearing mommy jeans.  He should stick to slacks.

[houston-nat]

Sanibel Island is the best thing in Florida.

[PowerBoater69]

The Nats aren't going to break their lease in Viera with 20+ years remaining, Kasten is just talking with other cities in order to try to get Viera to chip in more cash to fix up Space Coast.  A few years back Kasten was talking with Disney about having the Nats share their park with the Braves.

[JMUalumni]

Fort Myers also has two other teams training in the city, Red Sox and Twins.  That makes for easier travel, more chances for split squad games, just a better spring training.  But, not space launches. 

Isn't the reason the Nationals are looking at the site is because the Red Sox are leaving?  At least that is what the article says, it doesn't say where they are going though.

[hammondsnats]

Isn't the reason the Nationals are looking at the site is because the Red Sox are leaving?  At least that is what the article says, it doesn't say where they are going though.

Red Sox are building a brand new facility in Fort Myers, in the southern part of the county (although City of Palms Park was built in early 90s, so it's not that old). 

[JMUalumni]

Red Sox are building a brand new facility in Fort Myers, in the southern part of the county (although City of Palms Park was built in early 90s, so it's not that old). 

Ok, I must have missed that part.

[aspenbubba]

I once posed the question of why not the old Dodger facility in Vero? Don't think anyone responded.

[blue911]

I once posed the question of why not the old Dodger facility in Vero? Don't think anyone responded.

Did the Dodgers ever do anything but pave the roads and give the streets names ala Robinson Way? I've never been there but what I've heard is it's still a WWII military base. Not much to work with and privately owned so no municipal funding. 

[Zilla05]

I once posed the question of why not the old Dodger facility in Vero? Don't think anyone responded.

The park is considered too small for spring training now, and doesn't have boxes or the money-making bells and whistles that other newer ST parks do. Indian River County isn't really willing to put in enough money to make it viable.

It's a great park, but likely won't become another spring home without destroying its character.

As for City of Palms Park, no. It's in a lousy part of Fort Myers, and the Nats would rank behind the Red Sox and Twins in terms of drawing down there.

[Natskins]

They all look angry in those photos.

[Dave B]

probably because it is the same people in every shot having doing absolutely nothing, it looks like one of those sequences in movies where the fbi guys snap still pictures of a meet-up of criminals when you scroll through the pictures fast