[SRQ Baseball] Orioles Fly Away


Sarasota has officially struck out with a third Major League franchise. The Baltimore Orioles officially turned down a Sarasota County Commission proposal to renovate Ed Smith Stadium for spring training. Deputy county administrator Dave Bullock said government efforts now focused on other areas.

“Baseball, with one team or another, has consumed us for months,” said Bullock, who was also involved in talks with the Cincinnati Reds and Boston Red Sox. “We’re not consumed for now, and that allows us to think about things that matter like budgets, the economy and many other things like making government more efficient.”

Ed Smith Stadium’s future is in question, as the Reds are expected to leave after 2009 spring training is done. The team has an option to stay through 2010. The city, which budgeted $845,000 in operating and maintenance costs for Ed Smith Stadium this year, has talked of selling the stadium for a county recreational site, though no genuine discussion has begun.

“If you keep it at major league standards, it is an expensive enterprise,” said city spokeswoman Jan Thornburg.

While Bullock said the Orioles did not close the door should a new offer be proposed, the team has offers from Fort Lauderdale and Vero Beach, and is talking with Fort Myers. No other teams seem in a position to move, Bullock said. “But if there is one we’ll hear about it,” Bullock said.