Arizona tribe pitches Cubs for spring training

Nothing that we haven't already heard - Cubs want new facility, Mesa wants to keep Cubs, local Indian tribe is interested - except this time, I finally see a $ figure on what the Cubs mean to Arizona.

"A study commissioned by Mesa showed the state would lose $52 million a year if the Cubs left Mesa."

about 1 month ago ballhawk 17 comments 0 recs |

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So now that we know how much ($52M) the Cubs mean to Arizona, I think Ricketts should get on the phone...

…and call up the Governor of Arizona. Oddly enough, he’d be talking with a Brewer – Jan Brewer who took over when Janet Napolitano left to join Obama’s Cabinet. But I digress…

$52M is a lot of leverage so I’m thinking Ricketts tells the Governor the Cubs will agree to stay in Arizona IF the Governor agrees to take Soriano ($18M) and Bradley ($9M) and find them jobs somewhere in the state.

Sounds like a good deal to me…

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Oct 9, 2009 7:55 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Now there's an idea I can get behind

by shoemile on Oct 9, 2009 9:46 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

But they are not really threatening to leave AZ

They are mainly looking at moving WITHIN AZ. However let the Indian tribe hire Milton as craps dealer. He should be good at that.

"I am not ashamed to say I love Greg Maddux" - Jim Hendry
Me either Jim

by Doggie Stalker on Oct 9, 2009 10:41 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

who said anything about "threatening"?

This is definitely a big business deal but somehow I don’t think Luca Brasi is going to be involved in the negotiations. But Ricketts would be a fool not to let slip every now and then that groups in Florida are reaching out to him. And based on all I’ve seen and read so far, Tom Ricketts is no fool.

Lou Brown: "My kinda team, Charlie, my kinda team..."

by ballhawk on Oct 10, 2009 12:16 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I read

the same thing. That number seems a little high though.

by jtsurf on Oct 9, 2009 7:57 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

The number IS high

and not just a little. But, keep in mind, this study was commissioned by the City of Mesa to try to convince the state legislature to kick in money for a new ST complex (which ain’t gonna happen).

And like all such studies, they get what they want, a seriously inflated and unsupportable number.

by azjazzman on Oct 10, 2009 11:59 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

What would you estimate is the real number, then?

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al on Oct 10, 2009 12:05 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well the point is that there is no way to track

something like this. Don’t know if you picked up on it, but the Mayor in Mesa talked about how it would behoove Mesa to have a new Cubs complex built in East Mesa, because as it is now, a lot of the Cubs fans that come in from out of town don’t stay in Mesa (there really aren’t a lot of options in the part of town) and instead opt to stay in Scottsdale, Tempe, Phoenix, etc. And of course, the money they spend mostly gets spent there.

If I had to guess, I would guess the real number as to what gets spent annually is less than half the number the “study” pulled out of their butts.

by azjazzman on Oct 10, 2009 12:15 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I read the study.

About $20 million of the $52 million is from estimated lost jobs. The rest seems overstated. I’d like to see where they got their figures.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al on Oct 10, 2009 1:59 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I always spend money for a hotel room in Mesa

To get the good tickets. But the bars and restaurants are so much better in Tempe and Scottsdale, so that is generally where we spend the rest of our money. They need to invest in some nightclub infrastructure.

"When you're going through hell, keep going." - Winston Churchill

by vonde6 on Oct 10, 2009 4:07 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

There is some great nightlife

at Tempe Marketplace which is only about 4 miles from Hohokam. There is a Dave & Buster’s, Cadillac Ranch, etc. there. And Mill Avenue is not far away, either.

by azjazzman on Oct 10, 2009 5:48 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

by the way

What is wrong with the HoHoKam complex? It was just built 15 years ago, wasn’t it? It seems very nice to me, but I guess that someone feels that there is more to be had?

"When you're going through hell, keep going." - Winston Churchill

by vonde6 on Oct 10, 2009 4:08 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

The STADIUM was built 12 years ago.

But the complex is old — has only four practice fields — and is located 1/2 mile down the road from the ballpark. The Cubs would like a complex that is their own, larger than the existing one, with more practice fields, workout facilities, etc.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al on Oct 10, 2009 4:43 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I have a feeling...

…. this would mean locating the Cubs near the Wild Horse Pass Casino which is right off I-10 south of the Phoenix metro area. You can’t miss it on the drive to Tucson.

It’d be a little bit of a hike from parts of the valley, but not far from Mesa.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al on Oct 10, 2009 7:43 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I read locally

The Indian Tribe land is located on the land in Scottsdale .. East side of the 101 freeway and Thomas Road .. That is also Casino Arizona …. It is also where the Diamond Backs and Colorado Rockies are moving to ..

by CUBFANINAZ on Oct 10, 2009 12:02 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Got a link?

The Dbacks and Rockies are moving to tribal land further north on 101 — near Indian Bend Rd. Thomas Rd. is near where Casino Arizona is — but that’s not “south” of Phoenix.

If you have a link, please post it.

"You can observe a lot just by watching." ~ Yogi Berra

by Al on Oct 10, 2009 12:04 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

This is incorrect

The tribe that is building the new D’Backs and Rockies facility is the Pima in Scottsdale.

This is the Gila River tribe, which is south of the Phoenix metropolitan area. They have three casinos, Lone Butte, Wild Horse Pass and Que Viva. I would guess that they would locate the complex somewhere off the 202, between Wild Horse Pass and Lone Butte, there is all kinds of vacant land there.

Note, I pointed about some time ago that the most likely way the Cubs would get a new ST complex would be if another Indian tribe stepped up to the plate. They are the only ones with any money right now.

Also note that Gila River has probably been the #1 advertiser and supporter of the Diamondbacks from Day One.

by azjazzman on Oct 10, 2009 12:10 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs