Bonita willing to play ball to bring major leaguers here

By Tom Hanson
Naples Daily News

A third Major League baseball team continues to express interest in coming to Lee County. And the Bonita Springs area could be its ultimate destination.

Cape Coral Mayor Eric Feichthaler knew what he was talking about when he said that Florida legislators were setting money aside to keep spring training teams in the state. The House pitched a shutout this past week.

They voted 117-0 to give $15 million to teams with fewer than five years left on their lease to make improvements or build new stadiums.

Five teams qualify including the Cleveland Indians, which currently play in Winter Haven but had talked about coming to Cape Coral. The Cape Coral City Council shot down the idea.

This past week, an Indians' representative told a group with Lee County Parks and Recreation that they still are extremely interested in coming to this area.

The Indians said they would love to share a complex with the Boston Red Sox, which currently play at City of Palms Park and practice down the street at a four-field complex. But the Red Sox don't have enough fields for their own purposes. The Minnesota Twins, which play at the Lee County Sports Complex, have no interest in sharing their facilities with the Indians.

Bob Wagner, the chairman of the Lee County Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, immediately thought that his hometown, Bonita Springs, could fill the Indians' needs.

"I would welcome the Cleveland Indians to the Bonita Springs/Estero area," Wagner said. Wagner said somewhere in northeast Bonita Springs — where density restrictions aren't a concern — would be an ideal place for spring training baseball.

The idea of baseball in Bonita Springs piqued the curiosity of Gary Price, the city manager.

"So how much land would we need?" Price asked without hesitation.

The answer is 60 acres or about the amount of land on the southeast corner of Bonita Beach Road and Old 41 Road.

Price's interest shows that he understands that spring training baseball is a guaranteed revenue generator. A report to a House committee this past January revealed that spring training pumps $453 million into Florida in a six-week stretch. That breaks down to $25 million a team.

Price did worry about how much it might cost the city. A stadium price tag might run up to $50 million.

Lee County Commissioner Ray Judah said he wouldn't mind throwing some cash toward a third team. Judah said he wasn't in favor of bringing a team to Cape Coral, though. He said the city doesn't have the proper amenities — hotels and restaurants. "Bonita Springs is a better fit," he said.

Could the area support three teams? A third team would actually allow the current teams to play more games, which brings in more money. It also would attract teams such as the New York Yankees to make the trip because they could schedule a couple of games.

"Could we get the Yankees?" Bonita Springs City Councilwoman Martha Simons said.

Sorry, Martha. But the Baltimore Orioles, who had discussed coming to Naples in the past, could be another team looking for a new home. They currently play in 45-year-old Fort Lauderdale Stadium.

"The Orioles against the Yankees in Bonita Springs would be cool," Simons said.

Simons just won't give up her Yankees dream. Then again, baseball in Bonita Springs is worth dreaming about.