Naples goes to bat to attract the Chicago Cubs Spring Training camp
Major League Baseball, MLB.com, is reporting the Naples area has a good shot at getting the Chicago Cubs to move their Spring Training facility to Collier County.
NAPLES, Fla. — Two Florida businessmen didn’t think it was possible that the Cubs might relocate their Spring Training site from Arizona to here until they looked the team’s new owners, the Ricketts family, in the eyes.
Now, Craig Bouchard and Gary Price have partnered with others in this southwest Florida coastal city in an effort to convince the Cubs to make Collier County their new home.
The idea that the Cubs would leave Arizona, where they’ve trained since the 1950s, was initially considered a negotiating tactic. The Cubs’ contract with Mesa, Ariz., and HoHoKam Stadium allows the team to buy out of its deal after 2012.
“I’m a numbers guy,” Price said Tuesday. “If 16 out of 19 are World Series winners that train in Florida, that’s a compelling argument.
The list of possible sites for the Cubs in Florida has been trimmed to three locations in Collier County. All are near Interstate 75. None are in Naples proper; the city is only 12 square miles. The proposal requires about 120 contiguous acres to build a 15,000-seat stadium, six practice fields, an upgraded training facility and parking. There would be room for hotels and restaurants. It would be a Wrigley Village with beach access close by.
The Naples group has created a website www.floridacubs.com. Stay tuned. This may get interesting.
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