On second thought…..
Posted on November 4th, 2008 – 10:35 AMBy La Velle
I guess I didn’t read all the stories about the Red Sox pulling out of talks with Sarasota and agreeing to a deal to remain in Fort Myers for spring training.
This story here says that the Fort Myers deal may be $20 million more than Sarasota. And I thought the Red Sox went back to Fort Myers because Sarasota wouldn’t spend the money in this current economy.
I don’t get it. Lee County, Florida has had as many foreclosures as any county in the nation over the past year or so. A friend recently returned from Fort Myers and said he noticed a couple dining establishments had closed. The county seemed to draw a line in the sand when it came to battling with Sarasota to keep the Red Sox. In the end, they came up with the cash. Wow.
Anyway, according to this story the ballpark will be located not far from the Lee County Sports Complex, where the Twins play.
And while City of Palms Park is a nice place to watch a game, Fort Myers officials better be prepared to upgrade the fields at the training complex if they are to entice a team to move there. Still, it would be great to get a third team there.
And, while many of us expect the Orioles to land at Vero Beach to replace the Dodgers, Sarasota is making a play for Baltimore now that Boston is out of the picture.
Why am I sweating all of this? THE FEWER MILES I HAVE TO DRIVE FROM CAMP TO CAMP, THE BETTER!
10 Responses to "On second thought….."
Thanks for the update. I love watching the Twins play in spring training and can’t wait for February and March.
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Looks like we’ll have to put up with the obnoxious east coasters for another 4 years at Hammond. But a mini Fenway will be cool! Something has to be done with the white elephant downtown though. With Mayor Smith railroading that deal through, to have it sit empty will really tick off the residents. Looks from comments in the Newspress that they aren’t to happy about this new deal at all. I can’t really blame them.
Hopefully 6 Mile Cypress isn’t going to be the route to this thing. But no matter which routes will be used, traffic will be worse than it is now, which I didn’t think was possible.
At least Red Sox nation can now help pay for the downtown park. Ticket prices for the Twins went up after the county bought the place from the city for like a whole dollar, and assumed the debt. Spread the wealth!
Manager Ron Gardenhire wants to move Casilla from second base to shortstop in order to make room for his kid, who is currently playing second base in the minor leagues. The only problem is that his kid is no good and there are at least five minor league second baseman who are far better. Too bad for the fans, because there is no nepotism law regarding discarding or otherwise overlooking players in order to finanically benefit a member of your own family. The fans should keep an eye on that one.
OHHH… POOR LAVELLE!!!
While a lot of people in Minnesota are struggling just to keep the mortgage paid, bills paid, food, etc… you write a blog that is about you wanting to reduce the miles you put on your car in March/April in beautiful sunny Florida reporting on baseball??? Really LaValle, you are better than this… I know it is your job to write something, but this? I know that the off-season is slow, and especially slow in Minnesota since we don’t spend any money on quality players in the off-season but to write on this is just embarrasing.
LaVelle,
I am a Twins fan who recently moved to Sarasota, I thought it would be nice to not have to travel to Fort Myers as much to see the Twins come play the Red Sox here, but alas, I don’t think that was ever a real option.
This is just my opinion, but I have a sense here that the Red Sox while seeming intent on moving their spring training facilities to Sarasota, it was all designed to encourage Lee County to pony up more money.
To my understanding the Red Sox wanted more than just a mini-Fenway they wanted external practices sites, and sole control of the use of those facilities the whole year, when they really here for what two months a year.
Now I just moved to Sarasota this summer, and have not been to any Spring Training events of any kind, so I cannot vouch for the benefit Spring Training can bring to the economy of the areas, but I can’t imagine it would justify what the Red Sox were demanding out of either Sarasota or Lee County.
It is a shame that Sarasota could be without a Spring Training team for 2009, it is a wonderful community, and both the City and County worked very hard to work out a deal with the Red Sox that help both parties (which is especially impressive if Sarasota was just a bargaining chip for the Sox to coerce Lee County to offer more money), and do something positive in these times of turmoil.
The economic situations here go beyond the home foreclosures, and are really effecting everything and everyone, but the reality here wasn’t that Sarasota was unwilling to spend the money in the current economy, it was that they were realistic about the funds they could provide for the project and the Red Sox were unwilling to compromise, and work with the changing conditions. (Probably because the had no intention of ever leaving Lee County, and just wanted to get them to commit more money).
Wishful thinking here, but let Fort Myers keep the Sox, and maybe the Twins could move up to Sarasota, (there is money already set aside for upgrades to Ed Smith Stadium) but I might be a little biased being a Twins fan.
What about bringing in Matsui to DH? mlbtraderumors.com says the Yanks are looking to trade him.
“What about bringing in Matsui to DH? mlbtraderumors.com says the Yanks are looking to trade him.”
I love this idea, as long as one of the Twins starting pitchers are not involved. He’d be a solid hitter to back up Mauer and Morneau. I think the Twins would have to give up something like Span + Guerrier or Crain or minor league pitcher to get him and I don’t see that happening. Plus, if they did this, they’d have to sign Matsui to an extension as he’s only signed through 2009. I would be fine letting Kubel go for him.
“What about bringing in Matsui to DH? mlbtraderumors.com says the Yanks are looking to trade him.”
Has potential upside, but ultimately no. I don’t think this should be our first Japanese player. If it happened, I would have mixed feelings- especially when it comes down to who we’d have to give up.
Sign Blake over Atkins. Don’t sign Beltre. I’d rather not make any trades this winter, and get somebody at the deadline to help us, rather than give up good prospects for one year of Beltre. If he was signed longer, then I like it, but only one year? I willn’t say no, but I’m hesitant.
Anyone home?
