Given the information in the last several months and before, these developments are not surprising. Pima County and Tucson dropped the ball on further modernizing their spring training facilities in the last several years while Phoenix and Maricopa County were, which is resulting in the departures.Once the Chicago White Sox left Tucson after the 2008 Spring Training season, it was only a matter of time the other two remaining clubs would follow.
Any hopes of getting the Baltimore Orioles to depart Florida for Tucson in 2010 or 2011 have now all but ended. What the Tucson and Pima County officials need to do is put forth a plan to build state of the art facilities and fields that are the best in the game, and then work to attract four clubs from either the Phoenix area or Florida for spring training in 2013 or so. And then build it. Getting six clubs were be preferable, but that will be difficult. But it can be done with such clubs as Baltimore, Houston, St Louis, Milwaukee, Oakland, and Anaheim. If Tucson can construct facilities on a par with those at Camelback Ranch, Goodyear, Surprise, and Peoria, clubs will take look and consider relocating. Tucson is really a great place to be in March for baseball, and the pace of life is more relaxing than in Phoenix or in Florida.
But in the end, don't hold your breath for spring training to come back to Tucson anytime soon. And that is truly too bad and unfortunate.
http://www.azcentral.com/sports/diamondbacks/articles/2009/06/19/20090619spt-dbackstucson.html
http://www.azstarnet.com/sn/hourlyupdate/297753
http://www.denverpost.com/sports/ci_12652566
http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/297865
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