By Paul Sullivan
The Cubs are moving closer to a decision on whether to move their spring-training home from Mesa, Ariz., to Naples, Fla.
Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts has toured sites in both cities and has met with the governors of Arizona and Florida, and is expected to decide by January where the Cubs will play after the 2011 season.
Team president Kenney said the "attractiveness of the business offers" from both groups are fairly even, and that the Ricketts family is not leaning one way or the other.
The Cubs are moving closer to a decision on whether to move their spring-training home from Mesa, Ariz., to Naples, Fla.
Cubs chairman Tom Ricketts has toured sites in both cities and has met with the governors of Arizona and Florida, and is expected to decide by January where the Cubs will play after the 2011 season.
Team president Kenney said the "attractiveness of the business offers" from both groups are fairly even, and that the Ricketts family is not leaning one way or the other.
"The easy decision is to go back to Arizona," Kenney said. "But if
we're really thinking 50 years down the road, we owe it to ourselves to
see if any place would be better.
"It's a great difference from the Tribune (Co) management style, which was due to their earnings per share coming out every quarter, and analysts asking every three months 'What's the impact of this investment... How does that affect our EPS (earnings per share) for the first quarter of '09?' And you'd always have to justify every investment based on a three-month cycle."
Kenney said the Cubs are looking at a pair of locations in both states, and "working with development teams in both the municipalities"
"We will have a world-class, we hope, industry-defining facility wherever we go," he said.
The Cubs have to make a final decision by early 2010 in order to execute the $4 million escape clause in their lease to play at HoHoKam Park. They would move to the new facility by spring training of 2012, or 2013 at the latest if the new facility is not completed.
The Cubs are looking at a 15,000 state-of-the-art venue that eventually would be surrounded by shops and restaurants, much like Wrigleyville.
Kenney pointed out that 17 of the last 20 World Series champions have been in Florida for spring training, though he conceded "some" of that was because East Coast teams generally have higher payrolls.
One big factor is the increased travel in Florida because the spring-training sites are so scattered around the state, as opposed to Arizona, where most of the teams play within an hour of each other.
"I'm not sure if we were in Florida we would play every team in the Grapefruit League," Kenney said. "But certainly the Twins are 20 minutes away, the Red Sox are 30 minutes away... There's plenty of good competition nearby."
"It's a great difference from the Tribune (Co) management style, which was due to their earnings per share coming out every quarter, and analysts asking every three months 'What's the impact of this investment... How does that affect our EPS (earnings per share) for the first quarter of '09?' And you'd always have to justify every investment based on a three-month cycle."
Kenney said the Cubs are looking at a pair of locations in both states, and "working with development teams in both the municipalities"
"We will have a world-class, we hope, industry-defining facility wherever we go," he said.
The Cubs have to make a final decision by early 2010 in order to execute the $4 million escape clause in their lease to play at HoHoKam Park. They would move to the new facility by spring training of 2012, or 2013 at the latest if the new facility is not completed.
The Cubs are looking at a 15,000 state-of-the-art venue that eventually would be surrounded by shops and restaurants, much like Wrigleyville.
Kenney pointed out that 17 of the last 20 World Series champions have been in Florida for spring training, though he conceded "some" of that was because East Coast teams generally have higher payrolls.
One big factor is the increased travel in Florida because the spring-training sites are so scattered around the state, as opposed to Arizona, where most of the teams play within an hour of each other.
"I'm not sure if we were in Florida we would play every team in the Grapefruit League," Kenney said. "But certainly the Twins are 20 minutes away, the Red Sox are 30 minutes away... There's plenty of good competition nearby."
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what mr ricketts should be doing is telling the cubs to be prepared to play base ball this spring like their lives depended on it. the coe of the offence should get as many bats as they can next spring and stop making excuses for not wanting to ride a bus a couple of hours to tucson. and stop making the excuse in april that their hitters are off to a slow start. pitchers should be ready to pitch, not just an inning or to but crave to go 9.
Naples is a Spring break spot? That may be true if your 90. Naples is not Miami. It is not FT Lauderdale. Hell, It's not even Tampa! I live in Miami and took a weekend getaway to Naples. I was the youngest person there (29) by a couple of decades. Stay in AZ. Do you have any idea how muggy and rainy South FL gets in the spring time? If you come make sure you bring some mosquito repelant.
Please move the Cubs to Naples!! Who goes to Arizona?? Florida is a huge spring break vacation spot. I would never consider going to arizona for spring training but move it to florida and I'll be there every year.
GeorgeG you are sorely misinformed. First, the Cubs are leaving Hohokam no matter what. They'll get a new stadium in Mesa.
Second it's never 100 in March. In fact it's 75 sunny-much less rain-and NO humidity.
Third, you've obviously never been to Arizona. There are just a many palm trees here in AZ than FL. We also have the Grand Canyon.
Fourth- there moving. The demos from Scottsdale and NE Mesa run circles around Naples. The stadium is within 20 miles of the highest per capita zip codes in the country.
Fifth- take the last 10 years and there are just as many World Series champs as FL. Teams are fleeing Florida in droves.
6th- there's 12,000 miles of beaches. There is only one grand canyon, one Sonoran desert. Besides in the time it takes to drive from one FL stadium to another, you can be at the beach here.
Last but most important. There are more Ilinois transplants in AZ then any other state in the nation.
There must be some reason so many teams have escaped Florida for Arizona. Many of the players don't like the long bus rides. Travel time during spring training is critical especially if MLB decides to shorten spring training.
HoHoKam is a DUMP. Saying it's a beautiful park is ridiculous. Aside from that, Florida offers:
better climate (no 100 degrees, it's 78 every day in March)
better landscape (palm trees, not desert)
better high-class area and people (the "neighborhood" around HoHoKam is not-so-nice, I've been there - once.)
better competition (Red Sox, Twins, Yankees, Braves, Cardinals -- yeh, playoff teams and World Series champions)
BEACHES!!!
Tons of Chicagoans - retired, transplanted, snowbirds, and vacationers (ME!!!)
Please go to Naples, Cubs!! My family will be there!
Bullseye is right on. They'd have to be nuts to leave Mesa, Ariz. The trend is for teams moving to AZ and out of FL. HoHoKam is a beautiful park. It holds 12,632 people. As a side note the Cubs are the only team in AZ spring training who brings an organist.