Vero Beach’s Dodgertown shunned by Chicago Cubs as team shops for spring training home
December 1st, 2009 by TCPalm.comVERO BEACH — Representatives of the Chicago Cubs are not expected to visit the former Dodgertown site as part of their trip to scout out a possible new spring training home in Florida this week.
The Naples Daily News and ESPN.com both reported earlier that Cubs owner Tom Ricketts would be paying a visit to Southwest Florida this week to check out possible spring training sites.
The team currently trains in Mesa, Ariz., but can opt out of its 20-year agreement next year and leave the city by 2012 for $4.2 million, according to the Naples Daily News. Ricketts also visited Naples in September.
So far, Vero Beach doesn’t appear to be on the Cubs radar.
MiLB currently operates the former spring training home of the Los Angeles Dodgers in Vero Beach under a contract with Indian River County and Vero Beach. While MiLB has plans to host college and youth baseball and other sports at the facility next year, it also continues to seek a Major League Baseball tenant to host spring training there.
Minor League Baseball President Pat O’Conner said the Cubs have been repeatedly contacted about the former Dodgertown site, but have not responded.
“We’ve left detailed messages,” said O’Conner, about the organization’s so-far unsuccessful efforts to talk to the Cubs in regard to spring training. “So I have no reason to think they will be coming by Vero Beach on this trip.”
Peter Chase, a spokesman for the Cubs, said the organization “has declined to comment in general on this particular topic and will continue to do so at this time.”
Indian River County and Vero Beach officials were stymied in earlier events to obtain the Baltimore Orioles to replace the Dodgers in Vero Beach, with some people suggesting Vero Beach was just used as a bargaining chip for the Orioles to obtain a better deal elsewhere.
Ed Bierschenk
Tags: baseball, chicago, cubs, dodgertown, Naples, spring training, Vero Beach
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December 1st, 2009 at 11:39 am
Why would they want to go to Vero Beach when there is nothing there. There is no incentive for them to relocate because MLB owns the ballpark and not the city or county, which could have offered them tax incentives. Besides all the people in the Midwest that love to follow their team around would want to be somewhere scenic.
February 17th, 2010 at 12:27 pm
i live in pittsburgh,pa.and have been going to dodgertown for spring training every year since my father retired from the military in 1970 and took up residence in the area.to me it was heaven on earth.i loved the history and purity of the baseball atmosphere.loved to golf at dodgertown alongside some of the old boys of summer also.now i know how the brooklyn fans must have felt when the bums left for l.a. there is no sight comparable in fla.,and i hope all parties involved can bring back the great game of baseball back to this wonderfull facility where sprin training was born.god speed and thanks for caring enough to share my heartfelt thoughts.play ball!
April 6th, 2010 at 3:51 am
Baseball is the best sport in the world. I’m really looking forward to the new season. Should be a lot of fun.