Diamondbacks look to train near Phoenix

"The Arizona Diamondbacks are looking at four new spring training sites around metro Phoenix, including one owned by the Gila River Indian Community, and could move from Tucson by 2011... Hall said the Diamondbacks would like to decide shortly after the first of the year on a future spring training site. He said the timing was necessary because it takes 18 months to two years to build a new facility."

The article mentions a possible two-team facility south of Phoenix, on land owned by the Gila River Indian Community. It appears other tribes are also on the list for the facility, which will be privately financed. A new facility in Tucson for the Diamondbacks is also mentioned as a candidate.

7 months ago Jim McLennan Comment 18 comments 0 recs |

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a site with the Rockies? Bleh.

You keep on rowin', and I'll keep on smilin'.

by soco on Nov 19, 2008 9:00 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Le sigh.

The baseball gods must have a winter home in Phoenix or Scottsdale. It’s the only explanation for why they hate Tucson so much.

"If the government's nuclear football ever were to fall into the wrong hands, Chris Horton would be called upon to intercept it on behalf of the Pentagon." -Kissing Suzy Kolber

by DbacksSkins on Nov 19, 2008 10:31 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Bud Selig does.

He used to frequent my Barnes and Noble, but I think he stopped coming when we stopped carrying the Chicago Tribune.

Now whether that has a connection to the mass exodus to the Phoenix metro-area, well, that’s up to people with shinier tinfoil hats than mine.

You keep on rowin', and I'll keep on smilin'.

by soco on Nov 19, 2008 7:24 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Your B&N

no longer sells the Chicago Tribune? Really??

Hmmm….. ::puts on tinfoil hat, starts to contemplate::

"If the government's nuclear football ever were to fall into the wrong hands, Chris Horton would be called upon to intercept it on behalf of the Pentagon." -Kissing Suzy Kolber

by DbacksSkins on Nov 20, 2008 2:47 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I don't think

any Barnes and Noble in Phoenix sell that paper anymore.

You keep on rowin', and I'll keep on smilin'.

by soco on Nov 20, 2008 5:38 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

That's surprising,

since there are so many Chicagoans in the Valley and in Arizona in general. I assume that means no Sun-Times, either?

"If the government's nuclear football ever were to fall into the wrong hands, Chris Horton would be called upon to intercept it on behalf of the Pentagon." -Kissing Suzy Kolber

by DbacksSkins on Nov 20, 2008 9:35 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I can't speak

for any of the other stores, but my store never sold the Sun-Times. Though to go back to the original point, I guess if anything the lack of the Cubune in Phoenix should mean an exodus to Tucson, so there goes that theory.

You keep on rowin', and I'll keep on smilin'.

by soco on Nov 20, 2008 9:43 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

WAIT!

The Arizona Repulsive can really be considered an insert for the Cubune. Look at Bickley, Young, et al (EXCEPT for Piecoro!) prostitute themselves to get an article about any of the Chicago teams into the Arizona paper.

It's a job that's never started that takes the longest to finish.

by unnamedDBacksfan on Nov 20, 2008 11:47 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Heh....

Future Trib headline: “Dbacks Re-Sign Randy Johnson, Which Means The Cubs Cannot Sign Him Anymore”

"If the government's nuclear football ever were to fall into the wrong hands, Chris Horton would be called upon to intercept it on behalf of the Pentagon." -Kissing Suzy Kolber

by DbacksSkins on Nov 20, 2008 2:21 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

*Repub headline (D'oh!)

"If the government's nuclear football ever were to fall into the wrong hands, Chris Horton would be called upon to intercept it on behalf of the Pentagon." -Kissing Suzy Kolber

by DbacksSkins on Nov 21, 2008 12:40 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

close!

at times it seems like the Trib

It's a job that's never started that takes the longest to finish.

by unnamedDBacksfan on Nov 21, 2008 1:59 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, I know.

Freudian slip.

"If the government's nuclear football ever were to fall into the wrong hands, Chris Horton would be called upon to intercept it on behalf of the Pentagon." -Kissing Suzy Kolber

by DbacksSkins on Nov 21, 2008 2:33 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

The Denver Post reports

in light of the ChiSox departure that the Rox and Snakes are talking about what to do.

http://www.denverpost.com/rockies/ci_11017676

by PinchHitLancePainter on Nov 19, 2008 11:39 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

I'm hoping

“run around in circles until we get dizzy” is being considered as a viable option.

You keep on rowin', and I'll keep on smilin'.

by soco on Nov 19, 2008 7:24 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

In seriousness

I can’t imagine a scenario where the Diamondbacks and Rockies stay in Tucson. The only two Grapefruit League teams with leases ending soon are the Tigers and the Astros. Both can leave in 2016, while all the other teams that aren’t currently moving (Dodgers, Reds and Indians) have leases lasting decades. Of course, this won’t stop a team from attempting a buy-out like the White Sox did with Tucson.

So the two teams that could potentially move to Tucson to help out the Diamondbacks and the Rockies are the Reds and Indians, and both are going to Goodyear instead. In the next few years we may see all of the Cactus League in one metropolitan area.

You keep on rowin', and I'll keep on smilin'.

by soco on Nov 19, 2008 10:13 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

It's only inevitible

That there will be no ST games played in Tucson, very soon. It makes no sense to have only 2 teams in Tucson and then when you think about how 1 of the 2 teams plays the regular season in Phoenix and thus all the players have homes in Phoenix, why would the DBacks even want to have ST in Tucson? I imagine that the original idea of having ST for the DBacks in Tucson was to eliminate as much distractions as possible from players being able to sleep in their homes and whatever daily family distractions that come with living at home and they’d be able to focus more down in Tucson. That however is moot though, if there’s only 2 teams in Tucson and the Dbacks will be spending most of the time in Phoenix anyway.

Over time, your quickness with a cocky rejoinder must have gotten you many punches in the face - Al Swearengen

by lemon20pie on Nov 21, 2008 4:50 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

All true

but an advantage to the Diamondbacks playing in Tucson is it can (in theory) strengthen the team’s fanbase there. So I wonder if there will be any backlash from Tucson fans against the Diamondbacks, or they largely Dodgers fans to begin with?

You keep on rowin', and I'll keep on smilin'.

by soco on Nov 21, 2008 7:29 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Yeah, I think that's alway been part of the appeal.

The Dbacks wanted to do Spring Training in Tucson to expand their fanbase. It’s easier for an expansion team to earn new fans in the city where they actually play rather than a city 120 miles away who’s already rather apathetic to Phoenix sports, with the exception of the Suns — partly because they’ve been in AZ for 30+ years, and partly because the UofA’s success has turned Tucson into a basketball city over the last couple decades.

At this point, I’d say that a slight majority of Tucson sports fans don’t care about MLB baseball, and of those that do, the Dbacks probably control a plurality. The Dodgers, Padres, and Cubs are popular here too, with a number of Rockies fans and White Sox fans as well, thx to ST.

There’s even still a few Houston fans, dating back to the days of the old Toros, but they’re mostly old-timers.

"If the government's nuclear football ever were to fall into the wrong hands, Chris Horton would be called upon to intercept it on behalf of the Pentagon." -Kissing Suzy Kolber

by DbacksSkins on Nov 22, 2008 4:26 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs