Peoria (Az.) will spend $48 million on upgrading the spring-training complex for the San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners as part of a lease extension running through 2034. Spring training has become a big business, with demanding — and receiving — first-rate complexes. The Peoria Stadium complex was considered state of the art when it […]
Tag Archives | spring training
Groundbreaking scheduled for new Cubs spring facility
The groundbreaking for a new Chicago Cubs spring-training facility in Mesa, Arizona has been scheduled for July 11. The Cubs will share the new facility with the Arizona State baseball team. The new facility is slated to open on Dec. 1, 2013, in plenty of time for the 2014 college season. It will seat 15,000 (12,000 fixed […]
If Nats leave Viera, will other teams follow?
With talks continuing between the Washington Nationals and Lee County about a spring-training move, folks are inevitably wondering if the Cardinals, Mets or Marlins will follow. It’s a natural question: the Cards and Marlins have a clause in their leases for Roger Dean Stadium the right to talk away for greener pastures if fewer than […]
Lee County commissioner: “50-50” chance Nats will move spring ops to Fort Myers
A Lee County commissioner pegged the odds at “50-50” about the chances of the Washington Nationals moving spring-training operations to Fort Myers after the two sides met today. Lee County (Fl.) Commissioner Frank Mann, who did not attend a meeting between Lee County officials and two Nats reps but did discuss it with them afterwards, […]
Lee County, Nats to meet about spring training
Reps from the Washington Nationals and Lee County will meet today to discuss the team shifting spring-training operations to Fort Myers’ City of Palms Park. We don’t expect anything big to come from the discussions; the two are just a third into a 90-day exclusive negotiating period. Both sides have made their goals public: the […]
Lerner: Fort Myers is tops on our spring-training wish list
It’s inevitable that the Washington Nationals will be leaving Viera’s Space Coast Stadium for spring training, and tops on the team’s wish list for a new home is Fort Myers’ City of Palms Park. Not surprising the Lerners want to leave Viera: at a time when teams are clustering spring-training operations both in Florida and Arizona, the […]
Milwaukee, Phoenix extend Maryvale Baseball Park lease for three years
The Milwaukee Brewers and the city of Phoenix are extending the team’s spring-training lease at Maryvale Baseball Park for three years and will negotiate a new, longer agreement. The three-year lease extension calls for $1.5 million in improvements immediately, and the two sides will discuss more improvements in further lease negotiations. The improvements will be […]
Oscar Tavares becomes Internet meme — but not under his name
Oscar Tavares, a star last season with the Quad Cities River Bandits (Low Class A; Midwest League), inadvertently became an Internet meme over the weekend because of how he was labeled during a St. Louis Cardinals spring-training game broadcast. Tavares, who had a strong season for the River Bandits in 2011 (.386, 8 home runs […]
Orioles a solid draw in Sarasota
Luring the Baltimore Orioles to Sarasota for spring training has been a good investment for tourism officials, as fans are coming down to Florida from the mid-Atlantic region in droves. From the Sarasota Herald Tribune: Inquiries from that area grew 2.2 percent in 2009, 6.4 percent in 2010 and 7.3 percent last year during the […]
Nats: We want unified spring facility in Fort Myers
The Washington Nationals have a vision of a Fort Myers training base with unified facilities — but it’s questionable whether Lee County has the money to pull off the plan. One of the big reasons why the Boston Red Sox left City of Palms Park in central Fort Myers: the team’s training facility was a […]
Seattle, San Diego extend Peoria Stadium lease
The Seattle Mariners and San Diego Padres will train at Peoria Sports Complex through 2034 under the terms of a new lease, which calls for ballpark and clubhouse improvements. The lease extension wasn’t a surprise — all three players had indicated a willingness to commit to a deal for months — and neither is the […]
The Week That Was: March 11
A new spring-training ballpark, the passing of a respected baseball figure and more debate about a potential Oakland A’s move. Here are the top stories of the past week on Ballpark Digest, as measured in page views. JetBlue Park at Fenway South / Boston Red Sox MLB: No, there’s been no decision on Oakland A’s […]
JetBlue Park at Fenway South / Boston Red Sox
The ballpark has been open for less than a week, but JetBlue Park, the new spring home of the Boston Red Sox, is drawing praise for easy accessibility and a Florida-themed design. FAST FACTS Year Opened: 2012Capacity: 11,000Budget: $77.8 million (includes $20 million for land and $7.2 million for design)Architect: PopulousConstruction: Manhattan Kraft ConstructionConcessions: AramarkDimensions: […]