Lee County (Fla.) officials entertained Nationals Owner Mark Lerner and Exec VP/Baseball Operations & GM Mike Rizzo "in a suite above the first-base line of JetBlue Park on Monday" as the team played its final Spring Training game in Florida this year, according to Thomas Hines of the Ft. Myers NEWS-PRESS. The invitation-only meeting "featured county officials responsible for most aspects of tax dollar-subsidized baseball in the county, from renovating stadiums to striking business deals." County commissioners on March 21 "unanimously approved talks aimed at moving the Nationals into City of Palms Park from their current spring home in Viera." The team "could move in time" for the '14 season. Lee County Sports Authority Dir Jeff Mielke said that county officials and the Nationals "will commence negotiations ... after guidelines are agreed upon" (Ft. Myers NEWS-PRESS, 4/3). In Florida, Michael Parsons notes the Nationals "drew an average of 4,451 fans in 15 games this spring" at Space Coast Stadium in Viera, Fla. It is the "third-largest average since the Nationals came to town" in '05. That first season "drew 6,242 per game over 12 games," and in '10, they "drew 4,538 over 12 games." Parsons writes it is "easy to see by the numbers that playing the same teams over and over is hurting attendance numbers." Five times this spring, the Nationals "did not draw 4,000 fans." The four other teams on the East Coast "are all experiencing the same issue as the Nationals." Ten MLB teams had an average Spring Training attendance under 5,500 in '10 and "four of those teams reside on the East Coast." The defending World Series champions Cardinals are the "only team not under that mark, drawing 6,177 fans per game last season" (FLORIDA TODAY, 4/3).
SPRING FEVER: In Florida, Scott Butherus writes JetBlue Park, the Red Sox' new 126-acre, $78M Spring Training facility, "sold out each of its 16 Grapefruit League games at home after a record 10,002 showed up on Monday." The 151,713 fans that came through the turnstiles this spring "set a franchise record as well" (NAPLES DAILY NEWS, 4/3). In Ft. Myers, David Dorsey noted the Twins "sold out nine of their 15 games" at Lee County Sports Complex. They have "drawn 105,425 fans and have averaged 7,530 fans per game" entering today's home finale. The Twins also play tomorrow at Hammond Stadium "against the Class A Fort Myers Miracle" (Ft. Myers NEWS-PRESS, 4/2). In West Palm Beach, Tom D'Angelo noted the Marlins "drew 67,804 for their 14 home dates at Roger Dean Stadium, an average of 4,843." That marks an 11.5% "increase over last year's final average of 4,340" (PALM BEACH POST, 4/1).
