Glendale city manager thinks some spring training could be canceled

By Steve Stockmar
Twitter: @stevestockmar

While one report on Tuesday showed the first signs of movement to ending the Major League Baseball lockout with spring training games scheduled to start in 46 days, the Glendale city manager isn’t sure an agreement could come to save games.

The city is home to Camelback Ranch-Glendale, one of 10 Cactus League stadiums around the Valley. The Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers call Camelback Ranch home, and the Sox are due to open spring play there against the Padres on Feb. 26, followed by the Dodgers’ first Glendale appearance the next day.

MLB locked out players over a labor dispute back in early December. While the situation has been quiet since then, MLB insider for ESPN Jeff Passan on Tuesday tweeted out the first glimmer of hope seen in a while.

“Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association plan to hold a bargaining session Thursday, sources tell ESPN,” Passan tweeted. “MLB is expected to make a core-economics proposal at the session, which would be the first between the sides since the league locked out the players on Dec. 2.”

Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association plan to hold a bargaining session Thursday, sources tell ESPN. MLB is expected to make a core-economics proposal at the session, which would be the first between the sides since the league locked out the players on Dec. 2.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 11, 2022

Spring training was suddenly canceled in 2020 because the first days of the pandemic outbreak. Practices and games returned in 2021, but with a limited attendance and, as Glendale City Manager Kevin Phelps noted Tuesday during the city’s council workshop, very few out-of-state fans making the trip.

“This very well could cancel spring training for a third year,” he said Tuesday. “And this has huge impacts on our hotels, our restaurants and our businesses that are in that area to support spring training.”

Phelps last month said if in mid-January it doesn’t look like a settlement will occur between owners and the players, he will gather city managers from other Valley cities with Cactus League ballparks and discuss engaging MLB about the lockout.

He reiterated that urgency Tuesday.

“We think that Major League Baseball needs to step up and to be a stronger partner with the Cactus League and look at ways at offsetting the negative impacts to our businesses. We understand COVID was outside of their control. A lockout is in their control,” Phelps said.

“The only way this works — and it only works a portion of the way — is when we have out-of-state guests staying in hotels and shopping and eating in our restaurants and our stores. If you only do spring training where people who live in Peoria or people who live in Chandler decide to come to a Dodger game or to a White Sox game, there’s not even a fraction of the revenue to offset the costs that we’ve invested of taxpayer dollars into having spring training.”

There’s no telling if teams would or could be ready at whatever point the impasse ends, but Cactus League openers are still scheduled for Feb. 26 at the moment.

“I’m thinking that it’s looking more and more likely that some or all of spring training could be canceled for the coming season,” Phelps told the City Council.

Steve Stockmar
News Editor | Sun Life Magazine & Arts & Entertainment YourValley.net
@stevestockmar

sstockmar@iniusa.org

Meet Steve
Steve Stockmar joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2017, and has been an Arizona journalist for almost 30 years. He serves as editor of Sun Life Magazine and contributes to West Valley communities where he focuses mostly on arts & culture, education, and profiles of neighbors making a difference.

Community: Every season Steve serves as a “buddy” with the Miracle League of Arizona in Scottsdale, has volunteered his time with Family Promise in Glendale, and previously served on the Ghostlight Theatre board in Sun City West.

Education: Graduated from Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff with a Journalism major and English minor.

Random Fact: Steve once won a 50-player live Texas Hold ’Em poker tournament.

Hobbies: Anguishing over his beloved Chicago Cubs and Bears; listening to Beatles and Grateful Dead music.