Dunn Deal, Reds will be in Goodyear, AZ

Forget Sarasota, the Reds moving to Goodyear is a done deal. I have two sources confirm this. Expect an announcement around the corner, maybe before the mid-March deadline.

You'll just have figure out how to deal with perfect sunny weather in AZ. I've certainly gotten use to it. Going on my sixth year of Spring Training in AZ.

Oh, and I was pricing flights to Orlando and nothing under $500 and as high as $780. Yeah, FL is cheaper for fans alright.

Reds, Goodyear working to move training base to city

Jessica Coomes
The Arizona Republic

Feb. 22, 2008 09:13 AM

A Cincinnati Reds executive sat down with Arizona lawmakers this week as Goodyear works on a financial plan to move the team's spring training to the city.

Goodyear has until the middle of next month to prove it can come up with $32 million to build the team's training facilities. The city has indicated it would ask the state for assistance.

As things stand, the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority does not have money to help. And Arizona faces a $1.15 billion deficit this year.

"I'm willing to snoop around and see if there's anything that can be done, but there's no commitment we can deliver anything," said Rep. John Nelson, R-Litchfield Park, who met with Reds former COO John Allen on Thursday.

The Reds would join the Cleveland Indians in a $75 million ballpark that Goodyear and the authority split the costs for. To build the Reds' additional training facilities, the city would issue bonds, Goodyear Finance Director Larry Lange said.

"I think it's affordable," Mayor Jim Cavanaugh said. "I believe it is, but I don't have conclusive evidence of that. Early indications are, there's reason to be cautiously optimistic right now."

The Reds began searching for a new spring home when Sarasota, Fla., voters rejected paying to fix up the stadium there.

Allen, who is leading the team's search for a spring home, was in Arizona on Thursday and Friday, he said, to build relationships and to reinforce the team's commitment to Arizona in light of Sarasota officials' vote last week to pay for renovations after all.

"Sometimes, people worry that an organization may be playing one city or state off of another, and that's just not the case," he said. "The Reds are committed to this project and have made the decision we want to be in Arizona."

Goodyear and the Reds are negotiating exclusively.

Goodyear: Reds back in town

The Arizona Republic
Feb. 20, 2008 05:59 PM

John Allen, Cincinnati Reds' CEO, will be in the Valley on Thursday and Friday to meet with state legislators and Goodyear officials, a city spokesman said Wednesday.

Earlier this year, Florida officials decided against upgrading the Sarasota spring training facility, used by the Reds since 1998.

On Jan. 29, the Reds and Goodyear agreed to a 75-day exclusivity agreement. The two sides are trying to work out a deal that would allow bring the team's spring training operation to Goodyear's new $75 million Ballpark and Recreation Complex, which is under construction.

The stadium will be the new spring training home of the Cleveland Indians next year. Both the Indians and the Reds train in Florida now.

Goodyear city spokeswoman Nora Fascenelli said Sarasota County Commissioners, faced with the prospect of losing the Reds to Arizona, recently approved $17.6 million for improvements to Ed Smith Stadium.

But until the 75-day term expires on April 11, the Reds can talk only with Goodyear, Fascenelli said. Goodyear has until March 13 to show it will be able to finance the deal with the Reds, which is expected to cost about $32 million.

Goodyear has been told that the Reds are not considering Tucson as an option, Fascenelli said.

http://www.azcentral.com/community/swvalley/articles/0220swv-redsvisit0221-ON.html

Reds owner speaks!

Reds.com has a more complete quote regarding Castellini and Sarasota, "I'm pleased that Sarasota is making an effort to keep us," Castellini said. "The most important thing about all of this is not the convenience of it all. The fans are extremely important, but that's not as important as [having] the best Spring Training possible."

Yet another nail in the coffin as far as I see it. How many nails does it take to bury Sarasota?

Maybe the Reds finally realize there's no need to appease fans who themselves will be six feet under by the time the Reds move to AZ. The future is bright. You may even see a fan under 30 in AZ. ;-)

Castellini feeling good vibes

Reds owner arrives at Spring Training with cautious optimism

By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com

SARASOTA, Fla. -- Still dressed in long sleeves more befitting for chilly Ohio weather on Wednesday, Reds president and chief executive officer Bob Castellini made a beeline straight to the team facility upon touching down in Florida.

Castellini roved the practice fields, stopped to talk with rotation ace Aaron Harang and lavished praise upon a member of the grounds crew for upgrading the outfield grass this past winter.

Most of all, Castellini had good vibes to spread about the makeup of his ballclub.

"I can say I'm more cautiously optimistic, with the emphasis on the optimistic, than I've been the previous two Spring Trainings," said Castellini, whose ownership group finalized the Reds' purchase in January 2006.

"We made some good moves, two predominant ones with [manager] Dusty [Baker] and Francisco Cordero," Castellini said. "We have an emphasis on youth here to pick up the ballclub. There's nothing more optimistic than youthful enthusiasm and exuberance and that's what we have here."

Did the team's boss feel that the Reds could contend with what they have on the field?

"We all know we have to round out the rotation," Castellini said. "We're going to see what we have going. I think you all realize we have good potential here. Over the winter I was told by Texas' people that they didn't want to give up [Edinson] Volquez. We heard from Philadelphia how they wanted to keep [Matt] Maloney. Homer [Bailey] and Johnny [Cueto] are our own and we know them to be outstanding. They will prove whether they are ready for a rotation spot."

Was it Castellini's preference to make improvements without dealing the team's elite prospects?

"Absolutely," he responded.

One of Castellini's favorites, left fielder Adam Dunn, is playing out a $13 million option this season with no imminent sign of a contract extension being worked out. Castellini was asked if he was optimistic something could get done.

"You know how much I like Adam Dunn," he responded. "You take those things one day at a time. That's on nobody's mind right now, least of all, Adam's."

While the Reds worked out under the Florida sun, the realization is they could be under an Arizona desert sky holding Spring Training by 2010. Exploring a move of camp with a deal in Sarasota stalled, the club is currently in a 75-day exclusive negotiating period with the city of Goodyear, Ariz., that expires on April 15.

Goodyear is building a $75 million facility for the Indians that will open next spring but is looking for a second team to share the place for the following year.

After weeks of foot-dragging, the Sarasota County Commission approved $17.6 million towards funding the renovation of Ed Smith Stadium. It could be a fall-back scenario for the Reds to stay if a deal with Goodyear can't be forged.

"I'm pleased that Sarasota is making an effort to keep us," Castellini said. "The most important thing about all of this is not the convenience of it all. The fans are extremely important, but that's not as important as [having] the best Spring Training possible."

Mark Sheldon is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Link

More Reds talk on move to Arizona

Around Baseball: Sharing can be good while in the Arizona sun
Sunday, February 17, 2008
BY Andy Call
REPOSITORY SPORTS WRITER

If you like buxom blondes, young man, go west.

The Cincinnati Reds are negotiating with Goodyear, Ariz., to join the Cleveland Indians in their new spring-training complex as soon as 2010. Cincinnati has spent the last 10 years in Sarasota. Reds Vice President Doug Healy told the Dayton Daily News, "Sarasota is the ugly stepsister, and Goodyear is the buxom blonde."

More teams could follow the Indians and Reds to the Phoenix area. The Dodgers will leave for Glendale, Ariz., in 2009 after 60 years in Vero Beach, Fla. The White Sox are trying to encourage a Florida-based team to shift to Tucson, allowing Chicago to leave that facility and join the Dodgers in Glendale.

If the Reds move, there will be 15 teams each in Florida and Arizona. Only six teams were conducting spring training in Arizona as recently as 1992.

"Arizona seems to have an economic engine generating real interest in those communities," Indians Executive Vice President for Business Dennis Lehman said. "In the case of Goodyear, the people there saw a ballpark as a linchpin for a downtown city center and the development that could take place around it."

"Florida has had so much spring training tradition and history, but Arizona has been very aggressive," Commissioner Bud Selig told the New York Times.

Shorter travel time between sites and more predictable weather are two factors in Arizona's favor. Another is the concept of two teams occupying the same facility.

The Reds and Indians would split a brand-new $75-million facility with all the bells and whistles while making only minimal financial contributions. The White Sox would share the Dodgers' new facility in Glendale. Kansas City and Texas have shared space in Surprise, Ariz., since 2003.

Lehman said the Indians have been encouraging the Reds to consider joining them for "months," and that Goodyear could see significant benefits from adding a second team.

"It gives those communities a much broader base for seeking advertising revenue, season tickets and naming rights," Lehman said. "More home games also increases their opportunity for revenue from concessions and retail.

"From our perspective, there are positives as well. It's certainly more economical for our minor-league teams to walk across the field and play a game than to send them on a two-hour bus ride."

http://www.cantonrep.com/index.php?ID=399841&Category=16&subCategoryID=0

Plans for Spring Training in AZ

Here's my plan for Spring Training this year in AZ. I'll be there for a week in the middle of March.

I'll be going to five games. First up, the Cubs in Mesa on Sunday. A sure sellout, weekend games usually are. Then I head off to Surprise on Monday for KC vs TX. I let you know how Josh H is doing. Then I'll get a break on Tuesday. I'll probably hike Camelback mtn. Then Wednesday, the big game. Cubs vs SF in Scottsdale. A rare night game. Scottsdale is by far the best place to see games. Then my schedule is a bit uncertain, my next game is another Cubs game in Mesa but I'm not sure if it will be Thurs or Friday. Then it's back to Surprise for San Diego and Seattle on Sat. I think I'll be seeing eight different teams. I don't know what I'll do on my off days, more hiking, biking, eating, hanging by the pool.

The furthest I will drive is 45 mins to Surprise.

Oh, also going on will be March Madness and to top it off it will be my birthday that week. ;-)

Spring Training is AZ is sweat!

I tried to get tickets to see the Dodgers in PHX, but those are already hard to get. The Dodgers will probably give the Giants and Cubs a run for their money on popularity. But hey, there's always next year.

Some of mine photos in a banner.

Arizona is where it at!

On Baseball
For Spring Training Locations, Florida Wanes as the Desert Blooms

By MURRAY CHASS

Published: February 10, 2008

After a 60-year residency, the Los Angeles Dodgers will leave Vero Beach, Fla., in five weeks. After a nearly 90-year stay interrupted only by a three-year break during World War II, the Cincinnati Reds are negotiating to leave Florida. After a 16-year hiatus in Florida, the Cleveland Indians are planning to return whence they came.

That would be Arizona, geographical destination of baseball’s mass migration for spring training. It’s a development that would have been someone’s spring fantasy a couple of decades ago.

“Ten, 15 years ago, people were worrying that the Cactus League was dying,” Commissioner Bud Selig said.

Fifteen years ago, depending on how and when the teams were counted, Arizona was the spring training state for six to eight teams. When the Dodgers and the Indians relocate there next year, and if the Reds reach an agreement in their exclusive 75-day negotiating period to join the Indians at their new facility, spring training will be equally divided — 15 teams in Florida, 15 in Arizona.

And if the Chicago White Sox can lure a Florida-based team to replace them in Tucson, so they can move north to join the Dodgers in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale, site of this year’s Super Bowl, Arizona will claim a majority of major league teams for the first time.

Not bad for a state that was struggling to remain a factor in spring training when the Indians left after the spring of 1992. P. J. de la Montaigne, the Cactus League president, said some teams had escape clauses in their stadium leases that permitted them to leave if the Cactus League population fell below six. Florida cities and Las Vegas were ready to recruit.

But in 1993, the number of teams grew to eight when the expansion Colorado Rockies joined the Cactus League and the California Angels, who had played their exhibition games in Palm Springs, Calif., moved their operation to Tempe, Ariz.

There was another critical development that year — the construction of a two-team complex in Peoria, a suburb northwest of Phoenix. The Seattle Mariners moved there from Tempe in 1993, and the San Diego Padres joined them a year later, abandoning their isolated outpost in Yuma.

The two-team complex became the rage. The White Sox left Florida after 44 years and joined the expansion Arizona Diamondbacks at Tucson Electric Park in 1998. The Kansas City Royals and the Texas Rangers emigrated from Florida to Surprise, due west of the Peoria park, in 2003.

Now Glendale and Goodyear, suburbs west of Phoenix, are building two-team complexes. The Dodgers, in 2009, and presumably the White Sox soon after, will be the Glendale residents, while the Indians, in 2009, and probably the Reds soon after, will share the Goodyear complex.

No other teams are poised to flee Florida, although the state faces some internal movement. The Tampa Bay Rays expect to move from St. Petersburg to Port Charlotte next spring, and the Baltimore Orioles may leave Fort Lauderdale next year to replace the Dodgers in Vero Beach.

Spring training is a lucrative pastime for its hosts. De la Montaigne said a 2007 survey showed that 61 percent of fans who attended exhibition games in Arizona came from outside the state, and those fans spent $310 million while in the state.

De la Montaigne, Peoria’s parks and recreation director, explained that after the Indians left Tucson following a 46-year residency, the governor, Rose Mofford, created a commission to devise a plan to keep baseball in Arizona.

“Florida has had so much spring training tradition and history,” Selig said, “but Arizona has been very aggressive.”

Using a surtax on rental cars, Maricopa County, which includes Phoenix, raised revenue to help build new parks or renovate older ones. That set the tone for subsequent developments.

The Dodgers’ move to Arizona is probably the most stunning development. They have been in Vero Beach since 1948 and have had perhaps the most attractive spring training site in baseball.

“The tradition of Vero Beach is probably unsurpassed in baseball as far as spring training goes,” said Ned Colletti, the Dodgers’ general manager. “Our fan base is concentrated in the southwest part of the country. We thought it would be easier for our fans to see us if we were in the Southwest rather than in the Southeast.”

Colletti also mentioned the shorter distances between teams in Arizona. As teams have left Florida, travel time within the state has increased.

The Dodgers will play their last game at Dodgertown on March 17, then shift to Phoenix and use the Oakland facility after the Athletics leave for Japan, where they will open the season against Boston.

Rather than lament the Dodgers’ departure, Vero Beach officials have pursued a replacement.

“We’re doing an exit agreement and should have it completed by Feb. 19,” Mayor Tom White said. “We already have a team that has signed a commitment and is waiting for Feb. 19 because they have to notify their city.”

White wouldn’t identify the team, but a baseball official said it was the Orioles, who may still stay in Fort Lauderdale if they get the renovations that were supposed to have been made last year. The Federal Aviation Administration owns the land Fort Lauderdale Stadium occupies and has delayed its approval for more than a year.

The southeast coast of Florida once had the Orioles, the Yankees, the Rangers, the Braves and the Expos, all within an hour or so, but now the Orioles are the only team left, and they may be moving north.

The Reds have held spring training in Florida for 83 of the last 86 years. But the city of Sarasota, their home for the last 11 years, has been unable to get the money to build a new park. A referendum last November lost by 115 votes out of about 8,000.

“We’re not giving up,” said Lou Ann Palmer, Sarasota’s mayor.

But two weeks ago the Reds began an exclusive 75-day negotiating period with Goodyear. They are confident they will complete a deal.

“Goodyear was very aggressive in their pursuit of us,” said Rob Butcher, a Reds spokesman. “When our people went out there three or four weeks ago, they were really impressed with the plans for the facility and the people.”

The Indians will be in Goodyear next year. They left Arizona in 1993, planning to train in Homestead, Fla., but Hurricane Andrew got there first and demolished their new complex. They took what was available and have been in antiquated Winter Haven since.

“We were looking for a facility with the potential resources to bridge some payroll and market gaps,” Indians General Manager Mark Shapiro said.

Arizona was happy to provide that facility.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/10/sports/baseball/10chass.html?ref=baseball

What could of been.

This is located in Scottsdale, AZ. Originally design for the top of a Frank Lloyd Wright Skyscaper. It is now a beacon for what amounts to a strip mail.