New ST Baseball Complex Suggested For Marana Just North Of Tucson

There is hope that this idea will attract teams from Florida. It may be a case of too little too late but that remains to be seen. I'm sure not holding my breath.

almost 3 years ago tucsoncubsfan 9 comments 0 recs |

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Registration required for that link.

Here’s a free version of the same story.

I just don’t see teams wanting to stay in the Tucson area — it’s too far from the rest of the teams in Arizona.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Mar 31, 2009 12:00 PM CDT reply actions

That's never happened before on other ones that I have linked

Thanks for linking to the free one. Is there a way to know if registration is required and how does one go about getting a free link like you did?

A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings. ~Earl Wilson

by tucsoncubsfan on Mar 31, 2009 12:12 PM CDT up reply actions

I checked Google News...

… that’s where I found the Tucson Citizen article.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Mar 31, 2009 7:46 PM CDT up reply actions

TCB--

What’s your opinion of Tucson Electric Park? It seemed like a nice enough facility, but isolated and too close to a not-so-great neighborhood.

by bison on Mar 31, 2009 4:36 PM CDT reply actions

It’s located on the southside of the city where they had property to build the park and all the practice fields. It’s not surrounded by much and so people complain that there are no place to go afterward to eat or be entertained. My feeling is, you go there to see a game and if you want to go eat or see a movie, drive to a restaurant or theater. The area is mostly commercial so it’s not really a neighborhood. If you drive a few miles west, then you get to a neighborhood that is not so great but every city has one.

A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings. ~Earl Wilson

by tucsoncubsfan on Mar 31, 2009 6:33 PM CDT up reply actions

We were stuck in traffic...

trying to get to Stadium Loop-Ajo, and it was at a standstill. So we cut through the residential area just north of the park to get to Country Club and came in from the back. That was an…interesting part of Tucson. Free parking by the D-Backs practice fields though, and no traffic to fight through leaving.

by bison on Apr 1, 2009 11:32 AM CDT up reply actions

I've had to deal with that section as well

but I usually try to get to the park 15 minutes before the gates open and the traffic at that time is pretty good. Get there with only an hour to spare and you will get stuck.

A baseball game is simply a nervous breakdown divided into nine innings. ~Earl Wilson

by tucsoncubsfan on Apr 1, 2009 12:52 PM CDT up reply actions

The story is also in

The Arizona Republic.

This is just a pipe dream. Tucson is finished as a Spring Training site in 2 years. It’s the same situation as the Padres had in Yuma — that drive to PHX was 2 hours, 3 to Tucson. They came to PHX, as will the D-Backs and the Rockies.

The Cubs will stay in AZ. That “Sarasota Bound?” post is very misleading. Sarasota is grasping at straws to keep revenue. If it puts the fear of God into Mesa, it helps the Cubs. AZ is populated by ex-midwesterners. The east coast folks move to Florida.

Fitch Park does compare to a good JC complex, so that needs help. I really think Ho Ho Kam is fine, but perhaps the metal bleachers should be demolished for permanent seats — and all other metal bleacher seating in the permanent grandstand should be converted to actual seats. I’d bet the Cubs would be happy with that. There’s no reason to bulldoze the park. Add a new scoreboard, with video — that’s the final touch.

There’s land 1 block south of the park on Central — it’s farm land. Somebody is still sitting on this very large parcel. It would be perfect for new training fields. (Cotton can be grown out in Buckeye, off AZ 86.) I’m still amazed somebody is farming land in an urban area…..but everybody has a price.

by San Diego Smooth Jazz Man on Mar 31, 2009 10:29 PM CDT reply actions

The problem with that scenario is this.

Yes, there’s open land just north of Fitch Park on Center (not Central) St. However, in between that land and HoHoKam are hundreds of fairly new homes. The Cubs want a complex where they can walk (or golf-cart) in between the practice fields and the main stadium, and have offices and clubhouses, etc. all in one area. Unless the city of Mesa or the Cubs wants to buy all those homes at market rate, the HoHoKam Park area isn’t where the Cubs are going to stay permanently.

However, there is plenty of open land in metro Phoenix. The Cubs will find some place to build, whether it’s in Mesa or somewhere else.

We do agree on one thing. The Cubs won’t be leaving Arizona for spring training. I will, as I noted in the “Sarasota Bound” post, have much more on this later in the week.

"That's my opinion and if you don't like it, well, I have others." ~ Groucho Marx

by Al Yellon on Apr 1, 2009 1:22 AM CDT up reply actions