what you Cubs fans think of this?

I didn’t respond because it seems everyone pretty much had it nailed — it would be foolish and pretty far fetched for the Cubs to move from Mesa. But to give a little more insight. Last week while at spring training, when I first read this article in the AZ Republic, I took the paper with me to the game and stepped into the HoHoKams front office, and inquired of one gentleman about the article to get his take. Incidentally several other members walked in and joined the discussion. Bascially, thier take was that Fitch Park and HoHoKam park are in need of serious renovations (Fitch in particular) and they agreed that it was a resonable demand. But concensus among them all was that Kenney, was posturing to maintain his current position under Ricketts new ownership. They suggested that the Cubs will never leave Mesa (or at a minimum AZ). One member indicated that the HoHoKams could be the odd man out if the Cubs along with another team were able to secure a new facility ala Camel Back Ranch. But that was pure speculation. At that point thier discussion surrounded what Minor League Teams might be an option for HoHoKam and Fitch. Final comment made to me was to take out a mortgage if necessary and take anyones bet that the Cubs will move to FL. FWIW.

…. if the Cubs move to Florida I won’t follow. I’ve gone to Spring training for 12 years now, and although I’m a die hard Cub fan, no matter where they go there’s not enough in Florida to make me want to spend the week to 10 days I usually do. I appreciate the fact the teams in Arizona are located relatively close together, and travel is much better than it could ever be in Florida. If they go, I’ll gladly still go to the Phoenix area and simply go from park to park for a week or so. The Cubs will have lost my Spring business, FWIW.

We had discussed this a few days earlier when it was mentioned in one of the Chicago papers. The word “demand” is a little strong, wouldn’t you say?

Here’s the bottom line: the amount of money that the local economy would lose if the Cubs left is far less than anything they would have to spend to build the kind of facility the Cubs want.

They (meaning Mesa or other communities in the Valley) can’t afford NOT to do it. They’ll get it done.

have expressed interest of getting into this money tree that’s Spring Training. I don’t know if they could access the Cactus League Rental car tax — but they have the land.

The Cubs won’t be leaving AZ, in any case — even though one bad sports radio network reported over the “The Cubs are talking to cities in Florida…”

Yeah, right. I don’t think so.

“Ho Ho Kam is dated.” (?) The place opened in 1997. What’s your opinion of Wrigley Field?

They really need better training facilities, most likely — but in no way is the ball park ‘dated.’

The stands along the outfield are primitive. I’ve been going to spring training a dozen years, and the newer ballparks put ours to shame.

Mesa is between a rock and a hard place. It’s definitely advantageous to have the major and minor leagues in one facility. There’s no room for expansion at either Fitch or Ho Ho Kam. The city of Mesa is heavily developed, so there’s no room for a Camelback type facility.

There’s no way they’ll move to Florida and its long bus rides between cities, and leave an area where they are the number one attraction. But there’s lots of municipalities in the Phoenix area that would love to build a palace for the Cubs.

…clearly that means the Cubs have retained Scott Boras as their agent in this matter. ;-)

I keep reading that HoHoKam Park only dates back to 1997. The Cubs spring training ballpark has been called HoHoKam Park for as long as I can remember, dating back to the mid-eighties. Is the current ballpark a renovated version of where they played in the ’80s and early ’90s, or a different ballpark altogether that simply has the same name? My first trip to spring training was in 2004, so I have no personal experience to go by before that. But from what I saw even in that trip, yes, the Cubs facility was inferior to every other facility I visited (the Brewers and Angels).

The first stadium at Hohokam Park was dedicated in 1977. The Oakland A’s trained at this facility until 1979, at which time the Cubs relocated back to Mesa from Scottsdale. It was during the mid-1980s that the Cubs enjoyed unprecedented attendance, ranking as the Cactus League’s largest draw, and at or near the top of all major league teams in spring training admissions. This old Hohokam Park was completely demolished after the spring of 1996.

The large support from area residents and winter visitors played a big role in the development of a new Hohokam Park built on the same land as the old park opening new in 1997.

As for the Cubs facility being inferior to other facilities, this is true in the case of the Cubs minor league and practice facility at Fitch Park. However I don’t get how people can say Hohokam is inferior to most other Cactus League Parks, I really haven’t read one concrete issue perhaps other than aesthetics that would make Hohokam “inferior” to other parks, and I’ve been to them all.