Sarasota’s Spring Training Tradition
Sarasota has hosted major-leaguers since 1924, when the New York Giants came to town. They were followed by the Boston Red Sox, the Chicago White Sox and the Cincinnati Reds. For the last 20 years, those games have been played at Ed Smith Stadium.
The Reds played their last game at Ed Smith in 2009, moving operations to Arizona and leaving Sarasota without a team. Which leads to:
STADIUM MADNESS
11/3/2009 “Sarasota backs up Orioles grants”
Mayor Dick Clapp said it was important the baseball deal go forward smoothly. He cited a recent countywide survey that showed most residents support incentives for economic development. “I have no doubt this would create construction jobs, and following that, there will be ongoing employment in the service industry,” Clapp said.
Commissioners Kelly Kirschner voted against the deal, noting a recently revealed report about contamination on the site of Ed Smith Stadium. “I feel like we are under the gun here,” he said.
7/16/2009 “Baseball funding back on track”
On June 30, the president of the Florida Sports Foundation, a sub-agency of OTTED, said Sarasota could not use the money because it was approved for the Cincinnati Reds — and not the Orioles.
That changed Wednesday.
“We want to honor that original award,” said Crist spokesman Sterling Ivey. “The governor has always believed we should do all we can to keep major league teams in Florida.
6/30/2009 “City to close on US 301 property”
The 1.2 acres will cost the city $4.7 million. The county originally purchased the land, with the agreement that the city would reimburse the county. Both governments were hoping to build a spring-training stadium there for the Red Sox.
6/30/2009 ” State pulls $7 Million in baseball funding”
The Florida Sports Foundation says that $7 million in state money that the county had included in its $31.2 million offer could not be used on the deal, said Deputy County Administrator David Bullock. That word came Monday from Larry Pendleton, the foundation’s president, who was passing along a legal opinion from the state’s economic development office, Bullock said.
4/21/2009 “Options for baseball at stadium growing“
4/1/2009 “A Baseball Tradition Goes South”
As Sarasota County officials argued over who would pay for maintenance costs at a new stadium, Lee fast-tracked talks by promising to spend $80 million on a new complex — $10 million more than Sarasota’s top offer, which was never voted on.
3/29/2009 ”Where the Reds Left Last, They Left Little Pain”
The people who came, they came for the game and then went back home, said Wisgerhof. They didn’t spend the night. It was basically local people coming to see the game.
The Reds “were complaining about the number of people who came to the game here,” he said, but they went to Sarasota and the attendance was less.
3/21/2009 “To fill a void might the Cubs runneth over”
After failing to work out deals with the Cincinnati Reds, the Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles, Sarasota is turning to a franchise with one of the strongest followings in all of professional sports — the Cubs.
3/11/2009 ”Detert clings to hope for Sarasota baseball”
Detert, R-Venice, is pushing a change in the law that would allow Sarasota to keep state money while seeking a Major League Baseball team to replace the Cincinnati Reds as a spring training attraction. This is the Reds final spring training in Sarasota.
She said her goal is to “hopefully steal teams from Arizona” where tax breaks have led to six teams leaving Florida since 1998.
12/14/2008 “Reduced cost estimates and increased benefits improve chance of a deal”
Only days ago, it seemed certain that Sarasota County would take a third strike and lose Major League Baseball when the Cincinnati Reds move to Arizona next year.
Since then, however, the estimated costs of securing a replacement for the Reds have decreased while the projected economic benefits of a proposed deal with the Baltimore Orioles — including a youth-baseball academy — have increased.
11/15/2008 ”Orioles set terms, but some are wary”
The Orioles have at least one supporter on the County Commission — Shannon Staub.
Staub pointed out that the deal would likely include youth fields and a baseball training academy for at-risk youth run by famed Orioles shortstop Cal Ripken. And the Orioles could be the Cinderella story of next season, she said.
11/14/2008 “Orioles want $65M Spring Training deal”
Funding for the stadium would come from various sources including: $46 million from the county’s tourism tax; a $7.2 million state grant; and a possible $2 million donation from a private group. The increase in the tourism tax requires a super majority 4-1 vote of the County Commission.
That still leaves a $10 million shortfall that could be made up by a contribution from the team or other sources.
11/01/2008 “Jilted by the Red Sox”
Sarasota could be tempted to crawl off and nurse its wounded ego. Civic energy is drained after years of often bitter public debate over various proposals to perpetuate — and subsidize — the city’s baseball tradition. A respite from the battle and a little time to recharge would be welcome.
10/22/2008 “Lets Hear About Baseball Alternatives”Staub says, “The baseball issue has always been more than the team being here for spring training. … Having a new stadium and a renovated Ed Smith stadium would allow us to book a lot of youth tournaments.”
True again. But that could probably be accomplished with “only” $5 million, or $10 million, certainly something less than $70 million.
10/21/2008 ” Latest stadium scheme strikes out”
The citizens of the city of Sarasota have already told the City Commission, by referendum, that they do not wish to spend public funds to renovate Ed Smith Stadium. Now the city, working with the county commissioners, is trying to come up with a scheme to use tourist and surtax money to fund their dreams of grandeur.
10/19/2008 “Who says there’s a benefit in baseball?”Whether it’s a $70 million new stadium for the Boston Red Sox or a $35 million renovated stadium for the Baltimore Orioles, giving public dollars to a private entertainment business is a loser for the rest of us.
8/26/2008 ”Sarasota to buy plot for Red Sox”
We can’t get to the Red Sox deal if we don’t get this deal,” county Commissioner Joe Barbetta said as commissioners debated whether to vote on the purchase before the county had a written appraisal showing the value of the land.
5/1/2008 “Red Sox look toward Sarasota”
After losing one major league baseball team and getting spurned by two others, Sarasota’s search for a replacement to play spring ball here has finally caught the attention of a star prospect — the world champion Boston Red Sox.
