CatBoxBackFan
Hall of Famer
per text from AZcentral,the last spring training is 2010 in Tucson
D-Backs tell Tucson they're leaving after 2010
5 comments Jun. 19, 2009 04:46 PM
Associated Press
PHOENIX - The Arizona Diamondbacks have told Tucson and Pima County officials that they will move their spring training base out of Tucson Electric Park after 2010.
The move came after the Colorado Rockies notified the city and county that they would move from Hi Corbett Field, leaving the Diamondbacks as the only major league team in Tucson.
The Diamondbacks, who have wintered in Tucson since their inception in 1998, have been searching for a new spring training site in the Phoenix area.
The Arizona Daily Star obtained copies of the notices from the clubs to local officials.
"This decision comes with mixed emotions, as we obviously have a deep history with and genuine fondness for Tucson," Diamondbacks president Derrick Hall said in a statement. "With the current environment of spring training in Southern Arizona having led to the Colorado Rockies' recent and formal decision to relocate, we find ourselves in the undesirable position as the only MLB team operating there beyond 2010."
I hope the D'backs go forward with the reported plans of a stadium near Indian Bend Rd on the Salt River-Pima reservation, it seems like a really good location since the NE Valley currently has no Spring Training sites.
The Giants?
Salt River tribe chosen for new D-backs spring training site
20 comments by Peter Corbett - Jul. 16, 2009 10:50 AM
The Arizona Republic
The Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community announced today that it will build a stadium and spring training complex for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies at Loop 101 and Indian Bend Road.
The 11,000-seat stadium and 12 practice fields, with an estimated price tag of $100 million, will occupy a 140-acre site on the Indian community east of Scottsdale.
Tribal officials say they believe it will be the first Major League Baseball facility built on an Indian community.
“This multipurpose facility is an ideal match for the vision of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community as we develop land along our western commercial corridor,” said Diane Enos, tribal president. The spring training complex, which will allow the Diamondbacks and Rockies to leave their Tucson training sites, is to be ready for the 2011 Cactus League season.
The teams and Salt River have signed a memorandum of understanding on the spring training complex.
“We are certainly excited that we have come to an agreement on our future spring training home with a wonderful community,” Diamondbacks President Derrick Hall said.
Salt River will fund, build and operate the baseball complex. The two teams and Salt River officials are planning a news conference next week to explain other details of their plans.
HKS Architects, which designed the Camelback Ranch stadium for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox, will design the stadium at Salt River.
The Diamondbacks and Rockies are the last two teams playing in Tucson. They are scheduled to play there for one more Cactus League season.
I guess the Dbacks do not consider anyone from Tucson part of their fan base. While I only go to a few games a year (from Tucson) I will not be attending any in the future. I hope the rest of the Tucson people do the same. Pretty stupid statement to make when your average attendance is down 5,000 per game.
Which will be more than made up for with the additional revenue streams when the DBacks play spring training in a part of a city that people actually want to go. The City of Tucson brought this on themselves when they built that stadium in the middle of nowhere away from all the money in Pima County.I guess the Dbacks do not consider anyone from Tucson part of their fan base. While I only go to a few games a year (from Tucson) I will not be attending any in the future. I hope the rest of the Tucson people do the same. Pretty stupid statement to make when your average attendance is down 5,000 per game.
Think about that. My wife and I drove down the old Pinal Pioneer Parkway each year to see D'backs Spring Training games. It was worth the extra half hour for the scenery between Florence and Sunset Road or so.I guess the Dbacks do not consider anyone from Tucson part of their fan base. While I only go to a few games a year (from Tucson) I will not be attending any in the future. I hope the rest of the Tucson people do the same.
I agree with the statement about the Pima County Board, and Politicians bringing this on by the location TEP, lack of upgrading High Corbett, not working on bringing other teams in (A stadium in Marana would be ideal) and in general just being a bunch of idiots.
"Gambo reported today that he called the D'backs and they confirmed there are only 40 season tickets holdered with Tucson addresses. it's not like there is much interruption to the fan base."
Sorry Gambo is an idiot. Who would own season tickets living outside of Phoenix unless you were a business with connections in Phoenix or gave them away to clients. I know numerous people that attend 10 plus games a year. That eventually adds up.
The thought that the Dbacks will make up revenue because their spring training is now in Phoenix is misleading, just ask the White Sox who had their ticket sales fall their first year in Glendale. The population base can only support so many teams in one area.
In addition if the new stadiums follow the Sox/Dodgers ticket pricing policies good luck taking a family of four and spending under $200. I went to one game at Camelback Ranch and the prices they charge for spring training tickets are a joke. The owners are turning this into another revenue stream. Nothing like spring training when I moved here in the 80's.
Why not have a stadium if Flagstaff and Payson? Weather would be nicer.
The same reason there is no baseball team at NAU,snow
I agree with the statement about the Pima County Board, and Politicians bringing this on by the location TEP, lack of upgrading High Corbett, not working on bringing other teams in (A stadium in Marana would be ideal) and in general just being a bunch of idiots.
"Gambo reported today that he called the D'backs and they confirmed there are only 40 season tickets holdered with Tucson addresses. it's not like there is much interruption to the fan base."
Sorry Gambo is an idiot. Who would own season tickets living outside of Phoenix unless you were a business with connections in Phoenix or gave them away to clients. I know numerous people that attend 10 plus games a year. That eventually adds up.
The thought that the Dbacks will make up revenue because their spring training is now in Phoenix is misleading, just ask the White Sox who had their ticket sales fall their first year in Glendale. The population base can only support so many teams in one area.
In addition if the new stadiums follow the Sox/Dodgers ticket pricing policies good luck taking a family of four and spending under $200. I went to one game at Camelback Ranch and the prices they charge for spring training tickets are a joke. The owners are turning this into another revenue stream. Nothing like spring training when I moved here in the 80's.
Not true. Tucson supported the Toros, I think even led the PCL in attendance a few times back in the day. They're even supporting the reincarnated Toros which play in something called the Golden Baseball League. The difference between them and the Sidewinders and DBacks Spring Training is that they play at Hi Corbett which has limited amenities but a terrific location.Well the majority of the fan base is Phoenix which Im sure you'd acknowledge. Why should they stay in Tucson with just one other team, that puts them at a disadvantage. Furthermore all the players hate being in Tucson, and the fan support for all non UA sports has been historically poor in Tucson.
just ask the White Sox who had their ticket sales fall their first year in Glendale. The population base can only support so many teams in one area.
In addition if the new stadiums follow the Sox/Dodgers ticket pricing policies good luck taking a family of four and spending under $200. I went to one game at Camelback Ranch and the prices they charge for spring training tickets are a joke. The owners are turning this into another revenue stream. Nothing like spring training when I moved here in the 80's.
As the only Cactus League team to see a spike in average attendance, the White Sox's average was up from 5,820 per game last year at TEP, before the team moved to Phoenix. At their new ballpark, Camelback Ranch, the Dodgers averaged 9,130; the Sox averaged 6,119.
Why not have a stadium if Flagstaff and Payson? Weather would be nicer.
Stimulus may help build spring-training stadium
Salt River tribal leaders to apply for federal funds
4 comments by Peter Corbett - Jul. 24, 2009 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic
The Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community's $100 million investment in a spring-training complex for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies will be a key element of an emerging entertainment district on tribal land just east of Scottsdale.
The community will try to tap into $2 billion in federal stimulus funds set aside for Indian communities to help fund the baseball complex, Salt River community President Diane Enos said, and the tribe also is considering developing an aquarium attraction in the area.
Construction is slated to start in November on 12 practice fields and an 11,000-seat stadium on the former Pavilion Lakes Golf Club northwest of Loop 101 and Indian Bend Road.
Salt River tribal leaders and team officials on Thursday held a news conference to discuss plans for the baseball complex, with fields clustered around a stadium that faces the McDowell Mountains to the northeast.
"We want the fans to come out here to Indian country to enjoy baseball," said Martin Harvier, community vice president.
It will be the first Major League Baseball facility built on tribal land.
The Salt River tribe, with nearly 9,000 members, won the bid to build baseball facilities for the Diamondbacks and Rockies. The teams will play one more year in Tucson before joining the Cactus League's other 13 teams in the Valley for the 2011 spring season.
The 140-acre complex will shift some entertainment spending across town from Glendale's sport facilities, Enos said.
The tribe can host visiting baseball fans at its 15-story, 497-room casino hotel, set to open in the spring. Plus, golf is available at the adjacent Talking Stick Golf Club. Both are roughly a mile from the baseball complex.
At the spring-training complex, the Diamondbacks and Rockies each will have a clubhouse and team offices. They will share a team shop, including a ticket office.
Dallas-based HKS Architects will design the facilities, including the stadium with fixed seating for 7,000 fans and 4,000 lawn seats. HKS designed the Camelback Ranch Glendale stadium for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox that opened this past March.
Diamondbacks President Derrick Hall said it was clear from the start that the tribe's site was the best among the bidders because of its views and accessibility.
The new complex will try to replicate the cozy spring-training experience between fans and players that Los Angeles had at Dodgertown in Vero Beach, Fla., before moving to the Valley.
"Fans will walk past the practice fields to get to the stadium," he said. "We are building it that way so the fans can interact with our players."
There will be several routes in and out of the site, minimizing congestion in the area, Hall said.
Architects' renderings for the site show two access roads running south from Via de Ventura, one running north from Indian Bend Road through the Scottsdale Pavilions shopping center, and one running east from Pima Road.
The Salt River community has been working with Scottsdale and the Arizona Department of Transportation on improvements to Pima Road, which divides Salt River and Scottsdale.
The plan is to widen Pima to four lanes from McDowell Road to Via Linda. Work will start with the segment between Indian Bend and Via de Ventura to coincide with the baseball complex construction.
Rockies President Keli McGregor said the new complex will make it easier for Colorado fans to fly into Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and follow the team in the Valley.
Both teams expect their home attendance will increase at Salt River.
"I think we have a common interest in growing more baseball fans," McGregor said.
This past season, the Diamondbacks averaged 6,738 fans per game, fifth highest among Cactus League teams. The Rockies were last with 4,722.
Scottsdale Mayor Jim Lane, who attended the tribe's news conference, said he expects a temporary dip in attendance for the San Francisco Giants spring games at Scottsdale Stadium, about five miles away.
In the long run, the two additional teams will benefit Scottsdale and enhance the overall Cactus League experience, he said.