Spring Training at WWoS?

[jlb727]

Has anyone heard any news or rumors about whether a MLB team will replace the Braves at Champion Field for Spring Training starting next year? My DH and DS really liked attending Spring Training games there.

 

[rteetz]

Doubtful. Teams like to be close to each other at spring training and some teams share venues. WDW is sort of out of the way compared to other spring training sites. I don’t expect another team to come in.

 

[KYMickey]

I certainly agree that I don't believe any team will lose their spring training to WWOS unless Disney waves good bit of money in front of them. While it's a good set up for them is too far away for most of the other spring training sites.

 

[umichigan10]

I certainly agree that I don't believe any team will lose their spring training to WWOS unless Disney waves good bit of money in front of them. While it's a good set up for them is too far away for most of the other spring training sites.

It makes more sense to build a facility on the coast where your minor league can play after spring training. Seems to be the norm right now, and I think my Tigers are the last team in the middle of the state (Lakeland)

 

[Remy is Up]

The facilities are well below par for a major league team which is the main reason the Braves are moving. Unless they do a major upgrade to the facilities, there wont be another MLB team moving to WWOS.

 

[umichigan10]

The facilities are well below par for a major league team which is the main reason the Braves are moving. Unless they do a major upgrade to the facilities, there wont be another MLB team moving to WWOS.

And they won’t upgrade the facility because it doesn’t geographically make sense for a team to move there.

While I think it’s super cool the braves and buccaneers did their preseason work outs there, times change

 

[DBDiz]

Would probably take Disney investing in sports team ownership again to warrant them pulling in a team to use those facilities.

 

[hertamaniac]

I don't believe there are any plans for the short-term, but Orlando could host a MLB spring training facility in the future. Orlando is more shielded from hurricane damage than the coastal facilities.

 

[okilydokily]

Most teams use their spring training facility all year round. Municipalities are willing to throw a lot of money to a team to bring them to their area and will build them a nice facility with all sorts of amenities they need. Disney doesn't want to spend money to upgrade the facility, they want to make money from the team. I doubt any team will move there.

Spring training to me is always a crap shoot anyway, you don't know who you will see. You could get the 2nd tier in a split squad game and not know any of the players. It can still be fun, but the prices they charged for non competitive games is outrageous. I rarely go to spring staining games. The Fire Frogs are a high A ball club not far from Disney and all seats are $10.

 

[hertamaniac]

Spring training to me is always a crap shoot anyway, you don't know who you will see. You could get the 2nd tier in a split squad game and not know any of the players. It can still be fun, but the prices they charged for non competitive games is outrageous. I rarely go to spring staining games. The Fire Frogs are a high A ball club not far from Disney and all seats are $10.

I completely agree. There are also plenty of colleges around central Florida that offer solid baseball entertainment at much less cost (and usually have more free giveaways). I think the spring training lure, in Florida, is mostly aimed at the snow birds.

I also say this tongue-in-cheek as my father had a 30+ year career in MLB. So even though we could always get free tickets to any MLB/college game, spring training was nothing more than a visit to the facility and not the players or the team.