Bye Bye Reds...
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article...804080748/1661
Sarasota Mayor says the fat lady hasn't sang yet
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article...466002925/1661
Arizona getting the Reds in 2010
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article...804080353/1661
Reflecting on the final decision...Change is always difficult. The only one that likes change is a baby with a wet diaper and they go through it kicking and screaming.
What's the value of tradition. Habits are tough to change. I have been to ST games in Tampa, Plant City...Sarasota and always stayed in the Sarasota area. While the Reds have always held ST in Florida, the cities over the years have changed. Leaving Sarasota after 11 years will be difficult but not impossible.
Entertainment options...Agreed that Goodyear doesn't have a beach nor do they have Disney World, but there are other things to see and do in the Southwest. This is probably the strongest rationale for staying in Florida...more family vacation spots to visit.
Regarding cost...some people don't like to fly or they take may take a car full of family which makes a car a better option in going to Florida. Most of us in the Cincinnati area will have to fly to Arizona if we want to see the Reds. I'm not fortunate enough to have family in Florida so I always have to stay in hotels. I'll have to use hotels in Arizona also...no change.
So for me the difference comes down to the cost of transportation. Everything else will be roughly the same. At current gas prices a trip to Florida will cost me about $300 in gas for the round trip not counting around town trips (22 miles/gallon 2000 mile round trip, $3.25/gallon). The IRS says it really costs 50.5 cents per mile to operate a motor vehicle. At that rate...the real cost for me to drive back and forth to Florida is around $1000.
I have seen several posts over the last few weeks pricing roundtrip airfare from Cincinnati to Phoenix anywhere between $150-$250. At that rate, 2-3 people can travel to Arizona via air plus get a rental car for about the same cost of driving to Florida. Air travel to Florida is about the same as traveling to Arizona. Maybe not in 2010...but I can't really speculate on that right now. Bottom line is that other than overcoming the fear of flying...assuming that you don't drive to Goodyear...the likely cost of traveling to spring training can be managed to be about the same as today. Obviously if we insist on driving to Arizona, the cost of driving to Goodyear is about 80% greater than to Florida. ($530 to drive using the same criteria as above and using the longer distance). In other words, using today's gas prices, if I drove to Arizona the difference in gas costs for me between Sarasota and Goodyear is about $230. I can't imagine driving to Arizona though so for me the more realistic option is to look at air fare costs.
Bottom line is there is not an enormous difference in cost for traveling from Cincinnati to Arizona versus Florida unless you are filling a minivan with people or if airline prices increase significantly. One can argue the difference is large but the data says differently.
Everyone's circumstances are different, and everyone can find exceptions as to why it will be impossible for them to ever consider going to ST in Arizona.
Ultimately, the costs and considerations are different for all of us. It will affect some of us positively and some of us negatively. Any decision the Reds would have made has an impact on fans plans.
I realize that everyone that thinks this is a terrible move will find fault with my logic and blast the Reds for making a change.
My attitude since day one has been...if this is good for the Reds...and if they are going to go to Goodyear...then I want to find a way to be positive about the move.
It's hard to argue that the Reds are making a bad financial decision. They're saving millions now and additional dollars every year of the lease. They get new facilities, They get better weather. They get shorter road trips. Ultimately they are a business and every March the primary objective is to get a team ready for opening day. Every other consideration has to come second to that objective.
I'll miss Sarasota...but I'm looking forward to discovering Arizona and enjoying the Reds in their new ST site.
Official Site of the Cactus League...
http://cactusleague.com/
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