The Winter Park (Fl.) City Commission voted to move forward with a ballpark-feasibility plan over the next 45 days, as city staff will research potential funding plans, locations and more. The Brevard County Manatees (High Class A; Florida State League) have explored a move to the Orlando suburb for several years now, with the several […]
Tag Archives | orlando
New Manatees ballpark pitched for Winter Park — again
A new ballpark for the Brevard County Manatees (High Class A; Florida State League) has been pitched once again to Winter Park officials, as the team continues to look for a new home in the Orlando area. We’re talking about the beginning of the process here, as the Winter Park City Commission yesterday discussed potential […]
Nats, Osceola County talking new spring-training facility?
With the Washington Nationals definitely leaving Viera for spring training, talk is that the team is negotiating with Osceola County for a new facility in Kissimmee. This is not new: we’ve reported in the past that the Nats have met with the county via an initiative from the Kissimmee Convention and Visitor’s Bureau to bring […]
Pro baseball an endangered species in Viera?
Pro baseball has never been an overwhelming success in Viera, and now it looks like there’s a serious chance the Florida city may lose both spring training and Class A ball at Space Coast Stadium. Currently Space Coast Stadium hosts Washington Nationals spring training and the Brevard County Manatees (High Class A; Florida State League). It’s no secret the […]
Selig: A’s can leave Oakland — but not for San Jose
Speaking at the quarterly owners’ meetings, MLB Commissioner Bud Selig said the A’s were free to move from Oakland under baseball’s relocation process — just not to San Jose. The stalemate between the Oakland Athletics and San Francisco Giants ownership groups remains in place, Selig said; in past months he’s said it’s up for the teams […]
O’Conner, San Diego make news in slow Winter Meetings
During an unusually slow Winter Meetings, two events made headlines: Pat O’Conner was re-elected unanimously as Minor League Baseball president and San Diego was awarded the 2014 event. We’re talking slow in terms of activity among owners: normally there’s plenty of chatter about teams on the market and potential buyers, but this year the talk […]
Orange County rejects Yankees farm-team ballpark
Saying she had doubts about promises a relocated Tampa Yankees (High Class A; Florida State League) would draw 3,500 fans a game, Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs rejected a plan to use county land for a proposed ballpark. Armando Gutierrez Jr. and Orlando Baseball Ventures had proposed a $47-million ballpark, Yankees museum on 12 acres […]
Orlando baseball plan changes; county still not impressed
Despite shifting the location of a proposed Orlando ballpark for a New York Yankees farm team closer to a convention center, Armando Gutierrez Jr. still faces a huge challenge in persuading Orange County officials to give up a prime parcel of land for a relatively low price. The original proposal had the ballpark located on […]
Nats, Astros eying new Osceola County spring-training complex
The Washington Nationals and the Houston Astros are discussing a new joint spring-training complex with Osceola County officials, as a site near DisneyWorld is under consideration. The complex, we’re told, would be south of DisneyWord and in the very northwestern corner of Osceola County, an area served by I-4 and Florida Toll 429. Both teams […]
The Week That Was: Dec. 12
Lots of news generated the past week as the baseball world gathered at the annual Winter Meetings and Baseball Trade Show in Orlando: chatter about a new Oakland A’s ballpark, a final stretch for a new Escondido ballpark, and the potential move of the Southern League into Pensacola. The most popular stories on Ballpark Digest […]
First look: Proposed Orlando ballpark
Armando Gutierrez Jr. continues his attempt to bring affiliated ball back to Orlando, this time with a little taste of what a new Orlando Yankees (High Class A; Florida State League) ballpark would look like. Gutierrez’s plan relies on receiving free land from Orange County at the corner of the Beeline (OK, the BeachLine) and […]
Kasten: Nats definitely looking for new spring home
In his final remarks as president of the Washington Nationals, Stan Kasten held out the possibility that the team would relocate spring-training operations from Viera to another Florida site — or perhaps even Arizona. The team’s lease at Space Coast Stadium and the Carl Barger training complex doesn’t expire until 2017, but the team can […]
Affiliated ball back to Orlando?
Organized Minor League Baseball might be returning to Orlando, as businessman Armando Gutierrez Jr. is taking with the New York Yankees about moving the Tampa Yankees (High Class A; Florida State League) to a site out near the city’s theme parks — but the plan is very far from firm. Gutierrez’s plan relies on receiving […]