By Gary Nelson | The Republic | azcentral.com
When the Chicago Cubs began making serious noise in 2009 about moving their spring-training operations to Florida, there was more at work than a desire for more Fitch Park batting cages.
Baseball’s perennial sad sacks, bereft of a championship for more than a century, wanted a better cash flow. Opportunities are limited at landlocked Wrigley Field in Chicago, and equally scarce at Mesa’s Hohokam Stadium.
So, when Florida business interests offered the Cubs not only a new stadium but also land for a “Wrigleyville” commercial development, the team almost bolted. Mesa’s ability to provide its own Wrigleyville site next to the new Riverview stadium played a big part in the Cubs’ decision to stay.
