Despite the questionable future of spring training and its $31 million economic impact, a resolute Pima County Sports and Tourism Authority said it has no intention of letting baseball leave and it’s even trying to steal a team or two from Florida.

That was the message Wednesday during a community forum luncheon at a Tucson hotel, where authority members laid out plans to seek funding to improve Hi Corbett Field, Tucson Electric Park and possibly add another facility.

“It’s not about baseball. … It’s about the Tucson economy,” said Dan Schneider, the sports authority’s executive director. “We need to turn the momentum around.”

The authority was created earlier this year to find a long-term revenue source to retain teams and expand spring training in Tucson.

The Chicago White Sox, despite having a lease to play at Tucson Electric Park until 2012, wants to leave and play next year in a stadium that Glendale is building. The Colorado Rockies and Arizona Diamondbacks have said they like training in Tucson, but the Rockies want significant improvements to Hi Corbett and the Diamondbacks don’t want to stay at Tucson Electric Park if just two teams remain.

The authority was rebuffed during the Legislature’s final day when the Senate ran out of time and didn’t pass a bill, passed by the House, that would have given the authority the ability to raise taxes.

Tom Tracy, chairman of the sports authority, said his group would propose the same legislation if lawmakers meet in a special session this year or during a regular session next year.

The legislation, which also would need approval from Pima County voters, would generate about $15 million a year for 30 years. The money, Tracy said, would come from: a one-tenth of 1 percent retail sales tax; a .375 percent tax on hotel stays, restaurant bills, car rentals and amusements, and a 1.5 percent tax on spring-training game tickets.

Tracy said the request is modest considering the money spring training generates.

At Tucson Electric Park, groundskeeper Juan-Carlos Martinez said it would be disappointing if the city lost spring training.

“For Tucson people, it is as close as they are going to get to professional baseball,” Martinez said. “You get to meet players, and it’s motivating for young people to stay in the game.”

For the White Sox to leave next season the team must find a replacement major league franchise, but Schneider is doubtful that will happen by next year and unlikely to occur before Chicago’s lease ends.

The White Sox have said they would honor their Tucson lease. But they also will face heavy financial penalties if they don’t combine to play 20 games in the Glendale stadium with the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Dodgers are sharing the Glendale complex and are moving from Florida.

Major League Baseball determines the spring-training schedule, and how the White Sox will fulfill both obligations has not been announced. The team could not be reached Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Schneider said the sports authority is in discussion with several Florida-based spring-training teams about relocating to Tucson. He declined to reveal any of those teams, which could jeopardize discussions, he said.

To snare another team, authority members said another spring-training facility would need to be built. Building a new youth and amateur sports complex also was discussed.

In Maricopa County, upgraded and new spring training facilities have allowed recruiting five teams from Florida’s Grapefruit League.

David Cohen, treasurer of the sports authority, said spring training generates $31 million annually for greater Tucson and the baseball teams and their fans buy plane tickets, stay in hotels and eat in local restaurants.

He also said the Rockies spend at least $2 million in greater Tucson on major-league and minor-league development and for courting sponsors. He did not have figures from the White Sox and Diamondbacks.

The Rockies are contractually bound to play in Tucson until 2011, and the Diamondbacks are obligated to play here until 2012.

Tracy said deciding on a funding mechanism is top priority because teams will decide whether to stay next year or in 2010, and it typically takes about two years to build a ballpark.

Credit: AZCentral.com

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