Sox Moving to Tempe Diablo?

[Chisoxfn]

I know this was rumored, but supposedly Dallas Morning News reported it as being announced or something and that the ANgles are building a new facility.

 

Has anyone else heard that its 100% or is the post I'm seeing at WSI complete bs? I'm going along the lines that its bs, soley because I haven't seen anything in the LA Times this weekend about the Angels switching facilities or anything.

[greasywheels121]

It's probably legit; I saw this the other day. I didn't post it, figuring someone else would get to it.

 

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sp...tesox-headlines

 

Sox could take over Angels' spring site

By Phil Rogers

Tribune baseball reporter

 

ARLINGTON, Texas -- The White Sox have moved one step closer to shifting their Arizona operations from Tucson to Tempe.

 

Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf has had his eye on Tempe Diablo Stadium, which was built for the Anaheim Angels. The Angels are exploring a move to Goodyear, a town west of Phoenix.

 

That appears likely now that the financing has been arranged for a stadium there. Voters Tuesday approved a bond issue to build a $40 million spring training facility.

 

Anaheim officials have told Tempe the club is not interested in negotiating an extension to its lease, which expires after 2006. Angels owner Arte Moreno, who is a part-owner of Sun MP, a primary developer of Goodyear's Estrella Mountain Ranch, has not struck a deal with Goodyear officials.

 

The White Sox have shared a complex with the Arizona Diamondbacks at Tucson Electric Park since 1998. They would be allowed to break their lease if they can find a tenant to replace them.

 

Second opinion

 

Concerned that his back problems might be serious, Roberto Alomar traveled to his home in Phoenix to be examined. He hasn't played since Sunday and is hitting .180 in 18 games since being acquired in a trade with Arizona.

 

Manager Ozzie Guillen said he advised Alomar to stop trying to play through the injury.

 

"When you're a player and you're hurt, it's hard to perform," Guillen said. "This kid played hurt. Maybe some scouts say [his career] is over, but he was hurt. … He wanted to play for us. I talked to him, said, 'You aren't doing any good for yourself. You have to think about your career."'

 

Alomar, 36, is eligible for free agency after this season. He is unlikely to retire as he needs 276 hits to become the 26th player to get 3,000 hits.

 

Alomar is expected to rejoin the White Sox Friday in Anaheim.

 

Extra innings

 

Carl Everett, who hadn't tried to steal a base this season, caught the Rangers napping and stole second without a throw in the sixth inning Wednesday. He came up limping after his slide and left the game. He's considered day to day with a strained muscle near his left thigh. … For a disappointing team, the Sox travel well. Their headquarters in Texas is the Four Seasons Resort and Club at Las Colinas, which is one of the favorite stops for players on the PGA Tour. … The Sox certainly have varied entertainment tastes. Playing on the clubhouse big screen TV Wednesday was "The Passion of The Christ," with Spanish subtitles. A day earlier, the afternoon feature was "Pulp Fiction."

[Chisoxfn]

Cool, so its still a work in process, but it seems to be moving forward.

 

So I guess their is at least one more spring training, probably two more in Tuscon before the change. I love TEP, but I am not a huge fan of Tuscon, so it will be awesome whne they are in the Phoenix area, cause then its pretty much a short drive to all the other games (minus the few teams in Tuscon).

[winninguglyin83]

I liked it better when they were in Sarasota.

[Guest JimH]

Jason, I've been asking about this a lot down in Tucson, here is the situation.

 

One of the county supervisors in Tucson has the responsibility to work with Tucson Electric Park, his name is Ray Carroll, he knows Reinsdorf. Ray is a Chicagoan and a big White Sox fan.

 

I met Ray and talked with him about the issue after a story this January in the Tucson Weekly regarding the possibility of the Sox moving and Cleveland coming in to replace them in TEP.

 

Ray told me the Sox will be in Tucson for 2005 and they will move to Tempe Diablo Stadium for 2006. The Angels have a lease at Tempe Diablo through 2007 but they can break it if they get another team to take over ... it appears that'll be the White Sox.

 

The Sox believe they'll draw better in Tempe, particularly with the big number of transplanted Chicagoans living there.

 

One fly in the ointment is the lease situation at TEP in Tucson. The White Sox are commited there until 2012 but they too can break the lease if they find a replacement team to take over. Otherwise, they'd have to pay double, i.e. both in Tucson and Tempe. It really wouldn't be a large expenditure though ... the Sox negotiated a very good deal with Tucson, and the local taxpayers are footing much of the bill. They (Tucson) also raised taxes on rental cars and some other toursim-related activities to fund the construction bonds and other costs at Tucson Electric Park, but the Sox still have some ancillary costs in terms of the lease.

 

The Cleveland Indians were rumored to be interested in coming back to Tucson from Florida, and take the White Sox place at TEP. However, they recently signed an agreement in Florida to keep them there for 5 more years at least.

 

So, the outstanding issue is, who takes over for the White Sox in Tucson, as there is a commitment with the city to have three teams train there (Rockies at Hi Corbett, D-Back and ?? at TEP).

 

The Angels got taxpayer approval for the ballpark complex in Goodyear, which is a Phoenix suburb not far from Tempe. Williams is building a house in the Phoenix area, and Reinsdorf has a huge spread in Paradise Valley, which is next to Scottsdale. So, the Sox want to get into the Phoenix market. The players are weary of all the travel up and down I-10, it's about 100 miles from TEP to the closest ballpark in the Phoenix area. The wives definitely would prefer Phoenix too.

 

Personally, I like Tucson a lot. It's a great city, you just have to look a little harder for activities than Phoenix. Phoenix traffic is brutal, and it's actually a few degrees cooler in Tucson since it's a higher elevation. The air is better in Tucson and it's gorgeous there. The White Sox felt they could gain a foothold on attendance in Tucson, seeing as there's so much competition for the spring training dollars in Phoenix. But, their attendance has been somewhat disappointing, especially since the D-Backs gained prominence after their World Series win.

 

Bottom line, look for the Sox in Tempe Diablo Stadium for 2006, and for some other team to take over at Tucson Electric Park. The timing could change in terms of how long it takes to build the facility in Goodyear, but it shouldn't take more than 6 months to get it done. Now that funding has been arranged I'd expect construction to get rolling in 2005 with an opening date of Feb. 2006.

 

I will be sorry to see this happen, because I actually like Tucson better than Phoenix for several reasons. But, the Sox think they'll do better in Tempe, and ownership/management wants it to be there, so that's where it'll be.

 

All the more reason to enjoy their last year in Tucson ... I for one will be there for at least a week in March 2005.

[Guest JimH]

And here is the link to the January article in Tucson Weekly which discusses the whole situation:

 

http://www.tucsonweekly.com/gbase/currents...t?oid=oid:52397

 

Note that the information is still accurate, with the exception being the Indians situation ... they've extended their lease in Florida. Personally, it wouldn't surprise me to see the Astros take over in Tucson. Just speculation on my part.

 

Edit: By the way, the guy on WSI who said Tucson Electric Park is really "ghetto" is off his rocker. TEP is first class in every way, it's maintained beautifully, seating is very comfortable, people are nice, concessions are fantastic.

 

Tempe Diablo Stadium is actually quite a bit older ... built in 1969, but was completely remodeled around 1993 or 1994. It's a very nice park as well. I don't know much about the Tempe Diablo complex, i.e. where the players would work out, back fields, workout facilities, etc. I do know it's a very short 10 minute drive to my favorite brewpub out there though ... Streets of New York Brewery on Southern Avenue.

[Chisoxfn]

Ya, the problem with Tempe Diablo is it doesn't have the mnior league facilities that TEP has. To me TEP is as nice of a park as any of the others. Surprise is very nice as well as are the Brewers facilities, Padres/Mariners, Giants, etc.

 

Hi Corbett and Oakland's are two places that I'm not much of a fan of. Hi Corbett is frankly a dump.

[Guest JimH]

Ya, the problem with Tempe Diablo is it doesn't have the mnior league facilities that TEP has.  To me TEP is as nice of a park as any of the others.  Surprise is very nice as well as are the Brewers facilities, Padres/Mariners, Giants, etc. 

 

Hi Corbett and Oakland's are two places that I'm not much of a fan of.  Hi Corbett is frankly a dump.

Phoenix Municipal Stadium, where the A's play, was built in the mid 1960's and is earmarked for another renovation. It's a decent stadium but certainly not as nice as many of the others.

 

Interesting historical info about Phoenix Municipal Stadium ... it was built for the San Francisco Giants, who have trained in the Phoenix area for a long time, they're now in Scottsdale. On the concourses at Phoenix Municipal Stadium, there are some old fashioned street lamps. These street lamps were salvaged from New York's Polo Grounds, which was demolished in 1964, and had been home to the NY Giants before they moved to SF for the 1958 season.

 

Hi Corbett was originally built in 1922 and is by far the oldest spring training park. One reason why the Indians left Tucson was because the city wouldn't pay for extensive renovations. Eventually the whole grandstand and concourse have been remodeled, including the press box, parking area, etc. But if you walk around the back of center field, all of the original wood support beams are still there, and it looks pretty crummy from the parking lot beyond CF. There's no outfield lawn seating, which most spring training parks have, so it lacks the charm of places like Tucson Electric Park or Tempe Diablo, etc.

[southsider2k5]

Hi Corbett was originally built in 1922 and is by far the oldest spring training park.  One reason why the Indians left Tucson was because the city wouldn't pay for extensive renovations.  Eventually the whole grandstand and concourse have been remodeled, including the press box, parking area, etc.  But if you walk around the back of center field, all of the original wood support beams are still there, and it looks pretty crummy from the parking lot beyond CF.  There's no outfield lawn seating, which most spring training parks have, so it lacks the charm of places like Tucson Electric Park or Tempe Diablo, etc.

Sounds like if the Cubs played there it would be a "landmark"

[LosMediasBlancas]

IMO, anywhere would be better than Tucson. If you like the night life, there is absolutely nothing to do there, even the area near the University is lame.

[Guest JimH]

IMO, anywhere would be better than Tucson.  If you like the night life, there is absolutely nothing to do there, even the area near the University is lame.

You're missing out on some great spots then.

 

Maloney's and O'Malleys on 4th, with a place called The Shanty right across the street, are a stone's throw from campus and are world class in terms of, ummm, talent.

 

Right at the university entrance you've got Frog and Firken and Gentle Ben's, both with great outdoor areas and great drinks. There's a place called Plush on 4th Avenue too ... a little young for me (more and more places are getting that way for me ) but oh my goodness, talk about hot women, wow.

 

If you are a little older, there are tons of places out east on Speedway and then if you go a little north into the more exclusive area, there are very trendy places for the 30's and 40 something crowd (me) at Joesler Village, La Encanata, and the Swan/Sunrise area. Even on Monday nights there's a fantastic Ladies Night at a place called The Shelter, and very good happy hour all week at a small chain of places called Risky Business.

 

Bob Dobbs on E. 6th is a great local sports bar that fills up nicely for U of A events. Take a look at http://www.dotucson.com for some other options. Three excellent brewpubs in the area. Tons of live music options. Club Congress right in the heart of downtown has a dance club thing going on, there are a few other dance club options too.

 

Beyond nightlife, all sorts of outdoor attractions ... Sabino Canyon, Mt. Lemmon (southernmost ski area in U.S.), Titan Missile Museum, tours of the Air Force base and aircraft "graveyard", Aasarco Copper Mine tour, Old Tucson movie studios, Saguaro National Park, mountain climbing opportunities, some world class museums, great zoo, Tucson Botanical Gardens if you're with a chick, Biosphere if you're into the nature thing, antique district, a great farmers market, and more.

 

At the risk of sounding like the Tucson Visitors Bureau here, I've been there about 7-8 times now and I always run out of time before I run out of things to do.

 

Oh, and if you like Mexican food ... Tucson is paradise. Dozens and dozens (probably hundreds) of Mexican places representing all types of cuisines from Mexico ... Sonoran, Chihuahua, Yucatan, Mexico City style. Great stuff.

 

No knock on Phoenix because I like it there too, but Tucson is much less congested, it's cleaner air, more mountains and scenery, and the people are wonderful. Anybody who's going there, you can always PM me and I'll give you some tips on places to hit, no matter what your interests.

[LosMediasBlancas]

You're missing out on some great spots then.

 

Maloney's and O'Malleys on 4th, with a place called The Shanty right across the street, are a stone's throw from campus and are world class in terms of, ummm, talent.

 

Right at the university entrance you've got Frog and Firken and Gentle Ben's, both with great outdoor areas and great drinks.  There's a place called Plush on 4th Avenue too ... a little young for me (more and more places are getting that way for me ) but oh my goodness, talk about hot women, wow.

 

If you are a little older, there are tons of places out east on Speedway and then if you go a little north into the more exclusive area, there are very trendy places for the 30's and 40 something crowd (me) at Joesler Village, La Encanata, and the Swan/Sunrise area.  Even on Monday nights there's a fantastic Ladies Night at a place called The Shelter, and very good happy hour all week at a small chain of places called Risky Business. 

 

Bob Dobbs on E. 6th is a great local sports bar that fills up nicely for U of A events.  Take a look at http://www.dotucson.com for some other options.  Three excellent brewpubs in the area.  Tons of live music options.  Club Congress right in the heart of downtown has a dance club thing going on, there are a few other dance club options too.

 

Beyond nightlife, all sorts of outdoor attractions ... Sabino Canyon, Mt. Lemmon (southernmost ski area in U.S.), Titan Missile Museum, tours of the Air Force base and aircraft "graveyard", Aasarco Copper Mine tour, Old Tucson movie studios, Saguaro National Park, mountain climbing opportunities, some world class museums, great zoo, Tucson Botanical Gardens if you're with a chick, Biosphere if you're into the nature thing, antique district, a great farmers market, and more.

 

At the risk of sounding like the Tucson Visitors Bureau here, I've been there about 7-8 times now and I always run out of time before I run out of things to do.

 

Oh, and if you like Mexican food ... Tucson is paradise.  Dozens and dozens (probably hundreds) of Mexican places representing all types of cuisines from Mexico ... Sonoran, Chihuahua, Yucatan, Mexico City style.  Great stuff.

 

No knock on Phoenix because I like it there too, but Tucson is much less congested, it's cleaner air, more mountains and scenery, and the people are wonderful.  Anybody who's going there, you can always PM me and I'll give you some tips on places to hit, no matter what your interests.

I agree that there is almost no traffic there... ever. Do they still only have a 1:00 am liquor license state wide? I've been to a few of the places you mentioned and was not really impressed. Who knows, maybe during spring training it's a quiet time for them. I didn't expect it be Chicago, but I was bored at night. I'll have to remeber some of those places for next time.

[Guest JimH]

I believe they just took it to 2 a.m. in Tucson. We were there during spring break last year, so it was a bit quieter, but we went out on a Wed. nite after a Sox game and things were jumpin'.

 

Maloney's in particular doesn't get cooking until 10:30 or so, and then watch out, it's awesome in there.

 

If you like to stay out kinda late and like the dance club thing, there are 2-3 clubs right downtown Tucson which are a nice mix of local and University people. It was a little too young for us ... nice scenery, but not our type of thing. But for a guy 21-30, right up your alley.

 

But we do have a blast at Maloney's and The Shanty. Lots of Sox players come into Maloney's.

[LosMediasBlancas]

I believe they just took it to 2 a.m. in Tucson.  We were there during spring break last year, so it was a bit quieter, but we went out on a Wed. nite after a Sox game and things were jumpin'.

 

Maloney's in particular doesn't get cooking until 10:30 or so, and then watch out, it's awesome in there.

 

If you like to stay out kinda late and like the dance club thing, there are 2-3 clubs right downtown Tucson which are a nice mix of local and University people.  It was a little too young for us ... nice scenery, but not our type of thing.  But for a guy 21-30, right up your alley.

 

But we do have a blast at Maloney's and The Shanty.  Lots of Sox players come into Maloney's.

I found out about the early closing time that hard way. We didn't even head out until like 11:00, planning to stay out til like 4, got there and it was like "last call folks'.

[Guest JimH]

I found out about the early closing time that hard way. We didn't even head out until like 11:00, planning to stay out til like 4, got there and it was like "last call folks'.

Phone first, LosMedias!

 

Same situation in Scottsdale, which IMO has a night life scene as good as or better than Chicago. Nothing happens until 10 p.m. At 10:30 it really gets going, and then it's party hard from 11:00 to 1 a.m. (now maybe 2 a.m.) Then there are a couple of great after hours clubs (read: no booze) that stay open until 4.

 

You'll see lots of ballplayers in some of the clubs in Scottsdale ... Axis/Radius, Mint, Suede (which has the most gorgeous waitresses I've ever seen) and Martini Ranch. All basically walking distance from Scottsdale Stadium.

 

Tempe is more of a crowd for you guys ... younger, i.e. the college crowd. Some great places there ... McDuffy's, The Library, Timberwolf, and about a dozen more I can't come up with.

 

Anyway, back to the topic ... no matter where the Sox do spring training, my personal experience tells me you can have a great time!

[danman31]

Facility wise I think TEP is better because of the practice fields. However, it would be cool as hell for the Sox to be in Tempe because the hotel I stayed at this year is literally right next door to Diablo. Plus the fact that Tucson is a long ass, boring drive from the Pheonix area.

 

My problem with Pheonix is that everything closes at 10. We tried eating late almost everyday we were there, no dice. All that's open is bars (most without serving food at that time). I remember going to Uno's at ASU, and it wasn't near as good as the ones around here. Way to be creative huh?

[Guest JimH]

Sox think it will mean more $$ for them, so it will likely happen.

 

Dan, tons of places to eat late in Tempe, gobs of places not far from Tempe Diablo. Live and learn, but they're out there. Scottsdale goes until 2 a.m. - food and nightlife.

[danman31]

Sox think it will mean more $$ for them, so it will likely happen.

 

Dan, tons of places to eat late in Tempe, gobs of places not far from Tempe Diablo.  Live and learn, but they're out there.  Scottsdale goes until 2 a.m. - food and nightlife.

Tempe yes, Pheonix no.