Opinion: Cities have invested a lot to support spring training. Major League Baseball could do a lot more to support us, especially during a player lockout.
By Kevin Phelps | Glendale City Manager
Major League Baseball players would normally be reporting to Arizona this week to prepare for the start of spring training games that follow a few days later. The owner’s decision to lock out players has made that timeline unlikely.
Arizona and the Cactus League have been home to MLB spring training since 1947.
Each spring, fans from around the nation converge on our state to watch their favorite teams prepare for the coming season.
While the teams’ wins and losses don’t officially count, the fans’ financial impact on our region does.
When MLB owners make a unilateral decision to “lock out” their players, they also lock out local businesses from revenue critical in justifying their significant investments that support spring training in Arizona.
We haven’t had a full spring training since 2019
Arizona cities and tribes have invested more than a half a billion dollars to build MLB spring training facilities for their teams and more than a hundred million dollars on renovations to keep them at required MLB standards.
This is in addition to the millions in operation and maintenance costs. The City of Glendale spends approximately $17 million a year on our Camelback Ranch complex, which houses the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago White Sox.
As we welcome out-of-state visitors for spring training, we can recapture a portion of our investment.
Spring training is a proven economic driver and key to Arizona’s tourism industry.
