O's Unhappy with Ed Smith Stadium Cleanup

Two years ago, the Orioles and the city of Sarasota, FL had a public lovefest as Baltimore moved their Spring Training operations to the Gulf Coast.

According to Tampa Bay Online, the honeymoon is over:

As the costs of an environmental cleanup at Ed Smith Stadium reach $1 million, the Baltimore Orioles are saying the city of Sarasota needs to pitch in more money.

The Orioles last week requested $420,000 to improve poor drainage at its spring training practice fields, a problem the team blames on an old city dump buried beneath the facility.

City Manager Bob Bartolotta says the Orioles are "trying to make a convoluted argument" to get the city to pay for field upgrades that should have come from a $24 million stadium renovation funded by taxpayers...

The Orioles are calling for that field to be rebuilt and fitted with a system of underground pipes at a cost of about $415,000. The team is also calling for a geotechnical analysis to see if the three other practice fields at the 53-acre ballpark on 12th Street and Tuttle Avenue need drainage systems...

Last December, the city and county signed off on a $975,000 cleanup plan — more than $500,000 of it to drain an underground plume of water polluted with vinyl chloride, a compound used to manufacture plastic.

It sounds really messy, physically and legally.

You would think this would have all been worked out beforehand and maybe it was and they just see it different ways. But I do find it entertaining how quickly the relationship soured between Sarasota and Peter Angelos.

Anyway, none of this will affect Spring Training 2012 (any changes the O's are pushing for will be completed before the end of the year or after Spring Training is over) or the long-term prospects of the Orioles keeping their Spring Training home in Sarasota. Neither side is going to terminate this relationship over $500,000.

Red Sox at Orioles, Sarasota, March 7th 2010: Slideshow

"Welcome to Birdland South!"

As I handed the elderly usher my ticket to last Saturday's Oriole spring training game against the Red Sox, he exclaimed, "Welcome to Birdland South!".

And he was right. The place was overrun with Red Sox fans, they played "Thank God I'm a Country Boy" during the 7th inning stretch and the O's lost in heartbreaking fashion. I felt just like Birdland to me.

All kidding aside, I knew this game would be a madhouse. I just bought a bleacher ticket and figured I would focus more on the ballpark experience more so than the game itself.

The game was sold out with record attendance of 8,088. Even the bleacher seats were packed. And early on, it looked like the orange and black would outnumber the red jerseys. It was not to be. By gametime, the stadium looked more Port Charlotte than Sarasota. Oh well.

With the bleachers packed, it looked like my best bet was to stand along the rightfield wall and that did turn out to be the way to go. At Ed Smith Stadium, the clubhouse is located past the rightfield fence so all the players have to walk by the rightfield wall and the stands on the first base side to get to the dugout which gives you some good photo and autograph opportunities.

There is an intimacy at a spring training game that you don't get elsewhere. When a fan asked Jeremy Guthrie how it went for him today, he told him. When Luke Scott was heckled repeatedly by an obnoxious Red Sox fan, he gave it back to him a little drawing appreciative laghter from the crowd. And lots of guys cam over to give people autographs and to chat.

MASN was set up nearby and the players giving interviews got walked right through the fans on their way to talk to Amber Theoharis. Miguel Tejada drew the biggest reaction and high-fived with the fans on his way to and back from his interview. Tejada also hung around the field for quite some time and signed autographs for everybody which was surprising to me given his veteran status and his overall reputation.

All in all, a relaxed atmosphere even with the irritation of the home field being overtaken by The Nation. I can't tell you all that much about the actual game. I had lousy seats and the PA system is barely intelligible away from the grandstand area making the game nearly impossible to follow. But I met some nice Marylanders, some nice locals too, saw Nick Markakis hit a solo shot to right and Miguel Abreu go 2-3 with a stolen base and some fine defense at second. All in all, a good day at the park.

By the 9th inning, I had maneuvered my way back out to the grandstand, staked out some standing room and then snagged a seat in the upper reserve section on the visitor's side. That was just in time to see David Hernandez give up a ninth inning go-ahead homer to a AAA catcher who hit .214 with 3 homers for Pawtucket last season. And all those old coots started celebrating like they had won the series again. Oh well. It put a damper on the game but not the overall experience which is unique. You will never see major league players in so intimate a setting than you can at a spring training game.

Ed Smith Stadium, as I've said before, is a far nicer facility that Ft. Lauderdale Stadium and with the proposed renovations, it should be even better in 2011.

More pics to follow...

Sarasota County Approves Stadium Renovations...Again

In case you missed it, Sarasota County held public hearings...again...about the Ed Smith Stadium deal that was struck with the Baltimore Orioles to make Sarasota their Spring Training home. Why?

It's all because a citizens group has filed a lawsuit against the county, claiming sunshine laws were broken... Residents packed the commission chambers. They heard a similar presentation about the deal between the Baltimore Orioles and the county...costs, and benefits. They also heard from representatives of the team and local leaders...

Just a few came to complain. Those who did say Friday's proceedings are a sham. That all the information given is a result of back door out of the sunshine dealings.

Many of those are involved with a group called Sarasota Citizens for Responsible Government. They even put up a huge inflatable rat in front of the administration building Friday morning with a sign reading "bcc redo rat".

A huge inflatable rat? Yep.

A few things...I think once you break out the huge inflatable rat to get your point across, you not only have left the high road, your original argument was a little weak to begin with. Also, who rents out huge inflatable rats? Is there a demand for this? I can't imagine car dealerships would want one for their weekend blowout extravaganzas.

Most times, these lawsuits are brought about because of personal grudges or the promise of monetary gain, not political ideals. I think a smell a rat on this one...

The Sarasota Opposition...Revealed!

In front of the Ed Smith renovation hearing happening tomorrow in Sarasota, the Herald-Tribune has a story on the leaders of the opposition to the project who have filed to lawsuit to stop it in its tracks.

Cathy Antunes was incensed when she learned that the county was considering trading away youth ballfields at Twin Lakes Park to make room for Major League spring training.

"I think this is legalized stealing," said Antunes, 46, who mobilized an activist group to stop taxpayer resources from going to pro baseball...

She is a devout New York Yankees fan. Her husband, endocrinologist Jose Antunes, is a Boston Red Sox fan.

Isn't it enough that Baltimore has to face off against AL East foes between the lines? Now they have to face them in court?

On a side note, Cathy Antunes is also a pharmaceutical saleswoman. Blech.

Unofficial 2010 Baltimore Orioles Spring Training Visitor's Guide

Pitchers and catchers report today! With that in mind, here is my unofficial Baltimore Orioles Spring Training Guide. This is based on my personal experiences from past visits plus information I have gathered from around the web, from the team and other publications. Once I make my trip to Sarasota in early March, I'll post an addendum with even more details but this, in my humble opinion, is a very good start.


Stadium

The Orioles have moved across state to Sarasota. Ed Smith Stadium is due to be renovated, perhaps as soon as this year, but it's already a big upgrade from the crumbling confines of Ft. Lauderdale Stadium. The stadium is located at 2700 12th St. in Sarasota at the corner of 12th and Tuttle. There's a ton of parking available and it's $8 to park there on game day.

The stadium is cozy so there's not really a bad seat in the house. There is little to no shade so if you go to a day game, pack sun screen accordingly.

Again, not a great stadium but much better than what the Orioles left behind.

From Florida Spring Training by Alan Byrd:

"There's little to like about Ed Smith Stadium. While it comes close in size to some of the League's older parks, it's missing the things that would make it quaint...

On the positive side, you'll have no trouble seeing all the action. The box seats are close to the diamond and the other seats aren't too far away."

Schedule

Oriole pitchers and catchers report on February 17th with the first workout taking place on February 18th. The first full-squad workout takes place on February 23rd. Workouts are scheduled to begin each day at 9:00 AM and are free to the public until the games begin. Fans will be able to access the main "bowl" of the stadium but not the back fields.

(edit: Evidently, the previous statement was not true either. You CAN access the backfields during workouts as evidenced by this video by @michaelgbaron )

After the games begin, team practices are closed to the public but you can enter the stadium up to two hours before game time with your ticket.

The full game schedule is available here with the first official game on March 3rd against the Tampa Bay Rays in Sarasota. Most games are at 1:05 with a handful of night games. The seating chart is here.

I am a big fan of attending workouts. It's very laid back and you get to watch fielding drills, batting practice and throwing sessions up close and personal. Some concessions and souvenir stands are open during the workouts and they hand out a roster as you go in so you can identify the players. The workouts also give you the best chance to get autographs. On top of all that, it's free!

Tickets

Tickets for Oriole Spring Training games run from $9 for General Admission ($5 for kids 14 and younger) to $18 for Infield Box Seats. ("Premium games" against the Yankees and Red Sox are slightly more...) From what I can tell during my FanFest visit, there's not a bad seat in the house.

Get you Spring Training tickets here.

Minor League Camp

One of the benefits of the Oriole's move to Sarasota is that the major league facility is now in close proximity to the minor league facility. The facility, known until this season as Twin Lakes, will soon be re-christened Buck O'Neil Baseball Complex and is located at 6700 Clark Rd. in Sarasota, about 10 miles from Ed Smith Stadium.

Minor league pitchers will hold their first workout at the complex on Tuesday, March 2. The first minor league full squad workout will take place on Saturday, March 6. Minor league games begin Wednesday, March 17.

According to the team, the minor league game schedules are "fluid" and are not published. However, all workouts and games at the minor league complex are free to the public and I have to think that some level of game (scrimmage or otherwise) would be played everyday.

edit: via Oriole beat reporter Britt Ghiroli, there IS a published schedule...and here it is:

March 17 AAA/AA Tampa Bay 1:00 Ed Smith Complex

A @Tampa Bay 1:00 Port Charlotte

March 18 AAA/AA @Tampa Bay 1:00 Port Charlotte

A Tampa Bay 1:00 Buck O'Neil Complex

March 19 AAA/AA Boston 12:30 Ed Smith Complex

A @Boston 12:30 Fort Myers

March 20 AAA/AA @Minnesota 12:00 Fort Myers

A Minnesota 12:30 Buck O'Neil Complex

March 21 All clubs Workout TBA Ed Smith and O'Neil Complexes

March 22 AAA/AA @Tampa Bay 1:00 Port Charlotte

A Tampa Bay 1:00 Buck O'Neil Complex

March 23 AAA/AA Tampa Bay 1:00 Ed Smith Complex

A @Tampa Bay 1:00 Port Charlotte

March 24 AAA/AA @Boston 12:30 Fort Myers

A Boston 12:30 Buck O'Neil Complex

March 25 AAA/AA Minnesota 12:30 Ed Smith Stadium

A @Minnesota 12:00 Fort Myers

March 26 AAA/AA @Tampa Bay 1:00 Port Charlotte

A Tampa Bay 1:00 Buck O'Neil Complex

March 27 AAA/AA Tampa Bay 1:00 Ed Smith Complex

A @Tampa Bay 1:00 Port Charlotte

March 28 All clubs Workout TBA Ed Smith and O'Neil Complexes

March 29 AAA/AA Boston 12:30 Ed Smith Complex

A @Boston 12:30 Fort Myers

March 30 AAA/AA @Minnesota 12:00 Fort Myers

A Minnesota 12:30 Buck O'Neil Complex

March 31 AAA/AA @Tampa Bay 1:00 Port Charlotte

A Tampa Bay 12:00 Buck O'Neill Complex

April 1 AAA/AA Tampa Bay 12:00 Ed Smith Complex

A @Tampa Bay 1:00 Port Charlotte

April 2 AAA/AA @Minnesota 12:00 Fort Myers

A Minnesota 12:30 Buck O'Neil Complex

Autographs

I am not big on autographs but the last time I went to Spring Training in 2006, my son certainly was. Here's some tips from my limited experience.

If you really want autographs, go to the workouts. There are always a fair amount of players who will come over to sign things for the fans. From what I can recall, Brian Roberts, Nick Markakis, Rick Dempsey, Jay Gibbons, Ramon Hernandez, Corey Patterson among others all came over to sign a ball for my son. We were able to get a few autographs before one of the games but there was much less jockeying for position at the workouts. Players are much more likely to sign for kids than for adults or obvious "autograph hounds". I remember Kevin Millar in particular ordering "Autograph hounds to the back, kids up front!"

Cute little kids tend to get more freebies too. Stadium workers would go out of their way to give my son foul balls and two players gave him their bat; a Dodger minor leaguer named Tydus Meadows and Matt Treanor, then a catcher for the Marlins. Again, I'm not big on autographs but my kid sure got a kick out of it.

Links and References:

Thanks to Kristen Hudak and Kate Wheeler at MASN and Orioles Public Relations Director Monica Pence Barlow for helping me fill in some of the blanks.

Florida Spring Training: Your Guide to Touring the Grapefruit League by Alan Byrd
Baltimore Orioles at SpringTrainingOnline.com
2010 Baltimore Orioles Spring Training at MLB.com
Sarasota FanFest Post (with pics of the stadium and such)

Orioles Family FanFest - Sarasota is Birdland!

As far as I know, I am the southern-most blogger who writes about the Baltimore Orioles. As such, I felt it was my duty and obligation to cover this past Saturday's Orioles Family FanFest that was held at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, FL.

So I gassed up the car, loaded a cooler full of energy drinks, strapped my daughter into the backseat, (Poor kid. Not the last of her father's half-cocked trips she'll get drug along on.) and left Atlanta before dawn.

I drove by Ed Smith Stadium over an hour before the FanFest was set to start but already there were plenty of cars in the parking lot. This was unexpected so I turned around and pulled into the parking lot. There is already a new sign proclaiming Ed Smith Stadium the "Spring Training Home of the Baltimore Orioles".

There was already a line outside the stadium to get in! 40 minutes before gates were set to open, the line already stretched to the parking lot. Were there this many Oriole fans in Sarasota? After getting suntan lotion on and donning our Oriole gear, we went up to wait in line at 1:00 to await the 1:30 open. By the time gates opened,the line snaked up an down the fairly sizable lot. I would estimate that nearly 1000 people were on line.

As we entered the turnstile beneath the "arch" of orange and white balloons, we were handed some vouchers for a free drink and a free hot dog at the concession stand and greeted by the Oriole Bird. Off to the left, there was a kid's activity area where kids could get their faces painted, play a bean bag game and they gave all the kids an Oriole Dugout Club hat and a Orioles pennant. Clowns and unicyclists (?!?) were roaming around as well.

Further on, more free stuff. Stadium workers were giving out Oriole hats, Oriole car magnets and...free beer! I wasn't drinking that day but there was free Bud and Bud Lite for whoever wanted to partake (and was of legal drinking age, of course).

The weather was fantastic. 79 degrees and sunny, no humidity to speak of.

Now the stadium: I have been to Ft. Lauderdale Stadium and I have made my opinions known. That place was poorly maintained and still covered in Yankee colors. I didn't expect much from Ed Smith Stadium but it was clean, seems to be well maintained and the field itself looked great. It's still covered in a Reds color scheme but even as it stands now, it's a very big upgrade from the facility in Ft. Lauderdale.

The festivities began with (Sarasota resident) Gary Thorne taking the mic (again, Gary Thorne has great pipes...) at home plate and introduced the various Sarastoa government officials in attendance, Louis (I think) Angelos (son of Peter), Dave Trembley, Jim Palmer, Adam Jones, Jim Johnson, Nolan Reimold and Brad Bergesen and they each came out to the field.

One of the local politicians read a proclamation that November 16th would be Orioles Day in Sarasota. Then Angelos then took the mic and addressed the people of Sarasota, thanking them for their hospitality and referring to an upcoming renovation of the Sarasota baseball facilities to "a ballpark that is the premier baseball facility, not just in Florida but you can include Arizona."

Angelos and Thorne especially did a lot of sucking up to the Sarasotan which was understandable. Jim Palmer also addressed the crowd and flattered the area and the residents.

After the initial addressing of the crowd, there was a Q&A "hosted" by Gary Thorne on the first base dugout featuring Adam Jones, Jim Palmer, Dave Trembley, Nolan Reimold, Brad Bergesen and Sarasota resident Jim Johnson. after each one of them made a quick opening statement, Thorne opened things up for questions. Let me tell you, those old guys in Sarasota love Jim Palmer. I'd say that Palmer fielded more questions than the rest of the current Orioles combined. "Mr. Palmer, how come guys today don't pitch 300 innings like you did?" "Mr. Palmer, who was the toughest hitter you ever faced?" "Mr. Palmer, do you keep your portrait in your attic?" (The last was a thinly veiled and confusing reference to "The Portrait of Dorian Gray", a reference which Palmer did not immediately catch.)


In between old coots gushing over Jim Palmer, a few Oriole fans got to ask questions to the current players. Adam Jones was asked what his workout regimen consists of during the offseason. So far, that seems to have consisted of relaxing in Hawaii!

Dave Trembley was asked how he intends to fill the hole at third base now that Melvin Mora is gone. Trembley talked quite a bit about Josh Bell and the progress he has made this year but did mention at the end that the free agent pool for 3B is plentiful and that the Orioles will be keeping an eye on things. (I interpret this to mean that Andy MacPhail has told Trembley that he's not going to let him sink with scrubs from the farm system at third next season and that they will at least be looking at signing a stopgap major league 3B before 2010 begins.) Trembely also stated that the Orioles need to score at least 800 runs to compete in the AL East (something the club has only done once in the last 10 seasons, by the way...) and that third and first need to be manned by run producing players in the future.

Reimold and Bergesen were asked about their injuries. Reimold said that his frayed tendon had been repaired and that they had not had to "pick up" the tendon during surgery or he would be in worse shape. He is doing rehab two times and week, is feeling healthier every week and will be ready for next year. (He did not say he would be ready for Spring Training.) Bergesen said his leg is better but still not 100%. He said he would start running "in the next week or so" and that he expected to be 100% for "Spring Training, day 1".

After the Q&A, an autograph session began that was scheduled to last the final hour of the FanFest and the field was open for kids to run the bases. I am not an autograph guy and my daughter had decided against running the bases at this point so we went and cashed in hot dog and soda vouchers and went back to the hotel.

Negatives? The redneck sitting behind me who griped and yelled about the Baltimore fans contributing the customary "O!" during The Star Spangled Banner ("It disrespects the song!!") and complaining about the Oriole promotions team ("The Red Sox did a much better job! They stink!")

The event was well worth the trip for me. There were roughly 2500 people at the FanFest so there is local support for the team (nothing to sneeze at given that the team has been losing for 12 years) and the facility looks good with loads more potential. I have always preferred Florida's west coast to the east so it makes a much more appealing Spring Training destination as far as I'm concerned.

I got my baseball fix and a taste of Spring Training. 95 days until pitchers and catchers report...