Sarasota County (Fla.) commissioners yesterday unanimously voted 5-0 to "pursue negotiations toward a possible deal" with the Braves for a new Spring Training ballpark on Florida’s Gulf Coast, according to Tim Tucker of the ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION. The Braves, whose 20-year lease at Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex near Orlando expires after '17, are "seeking a new spring home on either coast of Florida to get closer to other teams’ facilities and reduce travel time." The Braves and Sarasota officials "are discussing a 100- to 150-acre site" located in the southern part of the county. The concept under discussion calls for the West Villages’ developer to "donate the land for the stadium complex and for money from local tourism taxes and the state of Florida to help pay for construction." A "ballpark estimate of the project’s cost" is about $100M. The negotiations with Sarasota County "don’t remove from the Braves’ radar the two other potential spring-training sites reported earlier, although major obstacles exist with both the St. Petersburg and Palm Beach possibilities" (ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION, 3/9). In Sarasota, Zack Murdock in a front-page piece notes the concept "calls for construction" of a 7,500-seat ballpark, practice fields and ancillary training facilities. The plan states that the team "could commit to a 30-year lease with two, five-year renewal options" (Sarasota HERALD-TRIBUNE, 3/9).
EASY RIDER: In Atlanta, Jeff Schultz noted the move would be "welcome by players and coaches," as the only other team that currently trains near the Braves is the Astros, who are moving from nearby Kissimmee to West Palm Beach next year. The closest team training near the Braves in '17 will be the Tigers in Lakeland. All other teams "will be a two-to-three-hour drive, pending traffic." Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said, "When you get players for 2½ hours on a bus, it’s a lot of wear and tear. And when you see what’s going on in Arizona where the longest trip is like a half-hour, you’re kind of envious of those people." Schultz noted the Braves also "don’t like Disney having total control on the operation in spring training, including ticket prices." Disney "charged up to $62 for admission" to yesterday’s game against the Mets and "also charges admission to watch non-game day workouts" (AJC.com, 3/8).
TAKING NAMES: In West Palm Beach, Joe Capozzi reports the Astros and Nationals "are gathering names of people interested in purchasing tickets for Grapefruit League games for the inaugural season at the Ballpark of the Palm Beaches next year." The teams are "still working on launching a web site that will include the ballpark’s seating diagram and ticket prices." Those details "will be announced later this year." But members of the public "already have been reaching out to the teams, which prompted the release of the email address to collect names" (PALMBEACHPOST.com, 3/9).
