Spring training update
It appears that the Orioles' search for a new spring training home is coming to a head, though -- after nearly 20 years of false starts -- continued skepticism about the club's ability to close a deal is well-founded.
Here's where the situation stands: The team recently informed Sarasota County that it will consider a lesser deal to move into a renovated Ed Smith Stadium (below) as early as 2010, but that doesn't make it a done deal. County officials responded positively, but have set a May 22 deadline (Friday) for the Orioles to suspend negotiations with Fort Lauderdale and Lee County (Fort Myers) and engage in exclusive negotiations with Sarasota County to complete a deal.
Meanwhile, Lee County is continuing to work with the Orioles on a possible deal that would move the team into City of Palms Park in Fort Myers in 2012, following the departure of the Boston Red Sox for a newer facility in the area. Lee County officials met with Peter Angelos in Baltimore last week and have asked the Orioles to forward them a lease proposal by the end of the month.
Of course, the situation is largely in the hands of several sets of lawyers, so who knows how long it will take to put something concrete together.
If you want to get a feel for what's going on -- and maybe get a sense for how this could drag on for so long -- read the Orioles' official comment to the Fort Myers News-Press on the subject last week:
"We, like any major league baseball team seeking a significant long-term partnership with a spring training community, would certainly welcome and would respond to a concrete, comprehensive, joint city-county offer. Naturally, that offer would fully and completely describe the respective roles of the city, county, state and team in addressing the needs and costs of the fields and facilities. We continue to await such a complete and comprehensive joint proposal from Sarasota and will begin the process of evaluating such a proposal once one is received."
No, mom, I have never regretted my decision to skip law school and cover baseball for a newspaper.
AP Photo
> 
Comments
So there are comments showing on the previous entry, just not actually "appearing"...Your baseball coverage certainly trumps your law coverage ;-)
Posted by: bms | May 19, 2009 1:17 PM
splan somethin to me lucy, why is it the other major league teams are recruited by communities and get brand new spring training facilities and the orioles are offered at best a refurbished facility.
Posted by: fkterp | May 19, 2009 1:39 PM
Any word as to which city the Os are leaning toward? As a Tampa resident Im crossing my fingers for Sarasota. Souds like a better deal anyway. But I suspect that, since they were pulled back in recently at the last minute, they probably are just being used as a barganing tool against Ft. Meyers. Any inside info?
...............................................................................................
Pete's reply: I think Sarasota is the best option and I think they do, too.
Posted by: Dave in FL | May 19, 2009 1:54 PM
Totally off topic, but here's a where are they now update: I went to the Lehigh Valley Ironpigs game this morning (ah, the joys of minor league baseball) and saw the Pigs (Phils AAA) beat the Gwinnett Braves 3-1. The winning pitcher was Rodrigo Lopez (7 IP, 5 H, 1 ER) and the margin of victory was provided on a 2-run tater off the bat of David Newhan.
...............................................................................................
Pete's reply: I've got to get up there and see those guys.
Posted by: dave taylor | May 19, 2009 2:21 PM
Sarasota and Lee County are out, they should have known better than to set a deadline for the Angelos family, who are probably gleefully sequestered while preparing interrogatories for personal injury litigation.
Posted by: Gil Jr | May 19, 2009 2:21 PM
fkterp,
To answer your question: The Law Offices of Peter G. Angelos. No one wants to deal with that guy and who could blame them.
Posted by: Rob K. | May 19, 2009 2:22 PM
to rob k--good answer
Posted by: fkterp | May 19, 2009 4:31 PM
Being on the east coast would allow them to play better competition in Spring Training plus it's an easy drive from Tampa!
Posted by: ray | May 19, 2009 5:58 PM
You sportswriter types can make as much light of this as you want but as you all know, it really is a big deal. Every spring we get off to a slower start than every other team because of our substandard facilities including major league and minor league fields often dozens if not hundreds of miles apart. All because Angelos is apparently STILL trying to squeeze every possible nickle out of the host city. Not that he needs the money; he just has to win the negotiation. In the meantime probably a half-dozen or more better deals have gone to someone else. Maybe he turned the field ops over to McPhail but otherwise he's still the same old Peter the Arrogant.
..............................................................................................
Pete's reply: I'm not making light of the actual problem. I've been covering this story since 1990. It's a big, big problem that needs to be solved. I made light of the people who have been working on this to little avail for so long. I think that's fair.
Posted by: jaybird | May 19, 2009 9:02 PM
Peter, your grandson/granddaughter will be writing about this 50 years from now. Teams that don't yet exist will get a new spring training facility before the Orioles do.
Posted by: R Jay | May 19, 2009 9:25 PM
I've been to all the talked-about facilities and none even comes close to what used to be Dodgertown in Vero Beach..... 37 acres of complete training facilities for the Orioles as well as their minor league players.... all self-contained.
The city would welcome the Orioles there and it could be called "Birdland".
I just don't understand why they'd even consider sticking themselves way down in Fort Myers, a city just as inconvenient to the rest of the state as Fort Lauderdale is.
Vero is more centrally located and would allow them easier traveling distance to and from more teams instead of playing the same 5 or 6 teams over and over again like they do now.
...............................................................................................
Pete's reply: You know I love Vero, because of my history with the Dodgers, but I think Sarasota makes the most sense from a scheduling standpoint. I agree that Fort Myers should be the last resort.
Posted by: Bear the Birdfan | May 20, 2009 1:06 AM
Is Ed Smith Stadium a nice place to watch a game? I've never been there, but I would have to imagine that anything is better than what we have.
Pete, is there any and I mean any way that they can salvage the deal in Vero Beach? That is such a great location. Disney was the best option, but I guess the sticking point on the part of the O's to have the Bird get as much spotlight throughout the Magic Kingdom as Mickey Mouse, wasn't going to work for the folks at Disney. I still say AZ, but there is a better chance that the O's win the World Series in 2010.
...............................................................................................
Pete's reply: Ed Smith is a fine little park in a nice town. Much better than what they have now. Vero is nice, too, and I wouldn't turn my nose up at it.
Posted by: Birdland Todd | May 20, 2009 1:54 AM