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Re: Cubs to Leave Mesa for Florida?

Falling5tarr

By Falling5tarr,
in Chicago Cubs Talk

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moochpuppy First Round Pick

moochpuppy

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Posted
Posted

Why not move to Vero Beach? They lost the Dodgers and I'm sure "Dodgertown' would turn a different shade of blue and become "Cubbieville"

 

Vero Beach is a small beach community without much development. Collier County and Lee County have a population of close to 900,000.

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abuck1220 Iowa Cubs

abuck1220

Old-Timey Member
Posted
Posted
You are missing the point. Yes, revenue matters. But the competition does not. They will sell their spring tickets whether they are in Florida or Arizona. People don't care about who they are playing, they care about going to see the Cubs in spring training.

 

This facility will serve the Cubs for 30 years. Today's intense demand for ST tickets may well erode in coming seasons, especially as the Cubs' national fandom declines absent the reach of 160 games on WGN and the presence of expansion teams in places like Phoenix and Denver, places in which large numbers of western fans latched onto the team in the 1980s.

 

The Cubs have to prepare for a future in which they may need to work to build spring crowds. Naples is 500 miles closer to Wrigley Field, the Grapefruit schedule is more interesting and Florida is a longstanding vacation destination.

 

no one cares who they play in spring training. they just don't.

 

also the distance between the facilities is much greater in florida whereas in arizona everybody (outside of the tucson teams) are within 45 minutes of each other. it is MUCH easier for a fan to travel to arizona to watch the cubs for a week than to travel to florida.

C.C. Chicago Cubs

C.C.

Old-Timey Member
Posted
Posted
You are missing the point. Yes, revenue matters. But the competition does not. They will sell their spring tickets whether they are in Florida or Arizona. People don't care about who they are playing, they care about going to see the Cubs in spring training.

 

This facility will serve the Cubs for 30 years. Today's intense demand for ST tickets may well erode in coming seasons, especially as the Cubs' national fandom declines absent the reach of 160 games on WGN and the presence of expansion teams in places like Phoenix and Denver, places in which large numbers of western fans latched onto the team in the 1980s.

 

The Cubs have to prepare for a future in which they may need to work to build spring crowds. Naples is 500 miles closer to Wrigley Field, the Grapefruit schedule is more interesting and Florida is a longstanding vacation destination.

 

no one cares who they play in spring training. they just don't.

 

also the distance between the facilities is much greater in florida whereas in arizona everybody (outside of the tucson teams) are within 45 minutes of each other. it is MUCH easier for a fan to travel to arizona to watch the cubs for a week than to travel to florida.

 

Less chance of rain outs also....

jersey cubs fan GOAT

jersey cubs fan

Old-Timey Member
Posted
Posted
the lack of significant commute time in AZ vs FL should be a factor, at least if the players have anything to say about it. And Tucson won't be much of a factor for long, there are only 2 teams there now, and they'll be in Phoenix by 2011...

 

http://www.springtrainingonline.com/200911171434/news/d-backs-rockies-break-ground-on-new-spring-complex.htm

 

There might not be a large commute distance, but there's a huge time distance. Metro Phoenix traffic blows. You can drive from the gulf coast to the atlantic coast quicker than you can go from the eastern side of Phoenix to the western.

karenmac Draft Eligible

karenmac

Verified Member
Posted
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traffic can be bad in AZ, but these guys aren't getting on the bus in the middle of rush hour - most games I go to take 20-30 minutes from Mesa, which is far better than the 2-3 hour commutes that many of the FL teams have to make several times a week.
moochpuppy First Round Pick

moochpuppy

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The owner of the Chicago Cubs could be back in Naples as early as November 30.

 

ESPN.com is reporting that Cubs owner Tom Ricketts and team president Crane Kennedy will be in Collier County the week of November 30 to discuss possible spring training sites. The visit would come about three weeks after the team's leadership visited Mesa, Ariz. to discuss the possibility of staying in Arizona.

 

Neither Craig Bouchard, a part-time Naples resident and co-founder of Esmark, Inc., a Chicago-based company,was immediately available for comment this morning.

 

When reached by phone this afternoon, Gary Price, a partner in Naples-based Fifth Avenue Advisors, said he could not comment on the report.

 

Bouchard and Price are leading the charge to bring the Cubs to Collier County.

 

The Daily News reported that Ricketts visited Naples in September.

 

 

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2009/nov/19/Chicago-cubs-spring-training-naples-ricketts/

MWV First Round Pick

MWV

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Posted
Neither Craig Bouchard, a part-time Naples resident and co-founder of Esmark, Inc., a Chicago-based company,was immediately available for comment this morning.

 

What monkey wrote this sentence?

 

I think its pretty obvious that this part-time Naples resident and cofounder of Esmark, Inc., a Chicago based company, simply has the first name "Neither".

sweetpeteman Chicago Cubs

sweetpeteman

Old-Timey Member
Posted
Posted
Neither Craig Bouchard, a part-time Naples resident and co-founder of Esmark, Inc., a Chicago-based company,was immediately available for comment this morning.

 

What monkey wrote this sentence?

 

I think its pretty obvious that this part-time Naples resident and cofounder of Esmark, Inc., a Chicago based company, simply has the first name "Neither".

 

 

Well, then its strange that Neither Bouchard was immediately available for comment but the article didn't include it.

MSG T Draft Eligible

MSG T

Verified Member
Posted
Posted
Neither Craig Bouchard, a part-time Naples resident and co-founder of Esmark, Inc., a Chicago-based company,was immediately available for comment this morning.

 

What monkey wrote this sentence?

 

I think its pretty obvious that this part-time Naples resident and cofounder of Esmark, Inc., a Chicago based company, simply has the first name "Neither".

 

 

Well, then its strange that Neither Bouchard was immediately available for comment but the article didn't include it.

 

Maybe his comment was also"no comment"?

 

If not, I got nothin'

MWV First Round Pick

MWV

Old-Timey Member
Posted
Posted
Neither Craig Bouchard, a part-time Naples resident and co-founder of Esmark, Inc., a Chicago-based company,was immediately available for comment this morning.

 

What monkey wrote this sentence?

 

I think its pretty obvious that this part-time Naples resident and cofounder of Esmark, Inc., a Chicago based company, simply has the first name "Neither".

 

 

Well, then its strange that Neither Bouchard was immediately available for comment but the article didn't include it.

 

Because no one cares what some guy named Neither said?

 

Ok, I'll leave now. Carry on, serious perusers of this thread.

NCCubFan MVP

NCCubFan

Old-Timey Member
Posted
Posted
Neither Craig Bouchard, a part-time Naples resident and co-founder of Esmark, Inc., a Chicago-based company,was immediately available for comment this morning.

 

What monkey wrote this sentence?

 

I think its pretty obvious that this part-time Naples resident and cofounder of Esmark, Inc., a Chicago based company, simply has the first name "Neither".

 

 

Well, then its strange that Neither Bouchard was immediately available for comment but the article didn't include it.

Just because he was AVAILABLE for comment doesn't necessarily mean that he actually made a comment. :D
NCCubFan MVP

NCCubFan

Old-Timey Member
Posted
Posted

ESPN.com is reporting that Cubs owner Tom Ricketts and team president Crane Kennedy will be in Collier County the week of November 30 to discuss possible spring training sites.

 

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2009/nov/19/Chicago-cubs-spring-training-naples-ricketts/

The Kennedy clan is everywhere. :D

 

If that's the case, could we Crane to drive Soriano over the Chappaquiddick?

He needs to take Aaron Miles along as well.
  • 2 weeks later...
weatherdood First Round Pick

weatherdood

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Posted
Posted

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- Gov. Charlie Crist is trying to persuade the Chicago Cubs to move their spring training facilities from Arizona to Florida.

 

Crist met with Cubs president Crane Kenney, chairman Tom Ricketts and other team officials about possibly moving from Mesa to Naples. Crist says he's willing to go as far as possible to woo the team.

 

Crist says, "We like palm trees better than cactus and hope that the Cubs might too."

 

Ricketts says "it's really about getting the best facility."

 

Kenney says if the move is made, the team would likely relocate its Class A Florida State League team from Daytona to the new stadium.

Guest

Guest

Guests
Posted
Posted

At this point, I do hope they go to Florida. Then I won't have to ever worry again about whether to buy Spring Training tickets and drive over to Phoenix, cuz I damn sure won't be driving over to Florida.

 

I'm not sure they could ever get me excited enough to make the drive to Phoenix at this point anyway, as I already have a hard time wanting to go see them in downtown San Diego, which is just a 15 minute drive.

jersey cubs fan GOAT

jersey cubs fan

Old-Timey Member
Posted
Posted
as I already have a hard time wanting to go see them in downtown San Diego, which is just a 15 minute drive.

 

You are a bad person.

 

In recent years I've seen them in Citi Field, Shea Stadium, Citizens Bank, the Vet, Nationals Park and PNC, and most of those games were played either in 50 degrees and rain, or 100 degrees and humidity. I've been to Petco twice, never for the Cubs yet, and both games were more enjoyable days at the ballpark than all but one PNC trip.

moochpuppy First Round Pick

moochpuppy

Verified Member
Posted
Posted
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) -- Gov. Charlie Crist is trying to persuade the Chicago Cubs to move their spring training facilities from Arizona to Florida.

 

Crist met with Cubs president Crane Kenney, chairman Tom Ricketts and other team officials about possibly moving from Mesa to Naples. Crist says he's willing to go as far as possible to woo the team.

 

Crist says, "We like palm trees better than cactus and hope that the Cubs might too."

 

Ricketts says "it's really about getting the best facility."

 

Kenney says if the move is made, the team would likely relocate its Class A Florida State League team from Daytona to the new stadium.

 

As a baseball fan I would love to have another minor league option here during the summer and another major league option in the spring. \:D/

 

As a White Sox fan it would be pure hell having the Twins and Cubs within 30 miles of me. ](*,)

moochpuppy First Round Pick

moochpuppy

Verified Member
Posted
Posted
Naples — Collier County representatives hoping to woo the Chicago Cubs to Collier County for spring training spent all day Tuesday in Tallahassee, Gary Price said this morning.

 

Price, a partner in Fifth Avenue Advisors, said a group of five people – including Cubs owner Tom Ricketts and team president Crane Kenney – met with officials in Tallahassee to discuss possible funding sources to help bring the Cubs to Southwest Florida.

 

Price, a Naples city councilman, said aside from a 20-minute conversation with Gov. Charlie Crist the group met with no elected officials Tuesday.

 

Price said he left the day of meetings feeling good about Southwest Florida's chances in getting a spring training team.

 

“I still think we're a long-shot, but every meeting I feel a little better,” Price said this morning. “I feel better about our chances. I think it's real.”

 

Fifth Avenue Advisors has teamed up with Esmark Inc. in hopes of bringing the Chicago Cubs to Collier County for spring training. Esmark vice chairman Craig Bouchard was also on hand for Tuesday's meetings, Price said.

 

Price said more meetings are in the works, but a date and location has not yet been determined.

 

 

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2009/dec/02/chicago-cubs-naples-spring-training-mesa/

Guest

Guest

Guests
Posted
Posted
as I already have a hard time wanting to go see them in downtown San Diego, which is just a 15 minute drive.

 

You are a bad person.

 

In recent years I've seen them in Citi Field, Shea Stadium, Citizens Bank, the Vet, Nationals Park and PNC, and most of those games were played either in 50 degrees and rain, or 100 degrees and humidity. I've been to Petco twice, never for the Cubs yet, and both games were more enjoyable days at the ballpark than all but one PNC trip.

 

Part of it is just frustration with the direction of the team. I went to 2 of their games last year.

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