CLEARWATER — While attention is focused on building a new stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays, tourism officials and two mayors urged Pinellas County commissioners on Tuesday not to forget about spring training.
Two Major League Baseball teams train in Pinellas – the Toronto Blue Jays in Dunedin and the Philadelphia Phillies in Clearwater – and have a combined economic impact of millions of dollars, according to the cities and tourism figures.
Those numbers are particularly relevant regarding Dunedin, which is negotiating with the Blue Jays to build a new facility. The existing contract between the city and the team expires in 2017, and the Jays want out of the 26-year-old Florida Auto Exchange Stadium where they play now.