The Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies play their final spring training game today in Tucson. But local baseball officials are hoping spring training lives on in the Old Pueblo.
The Pima County Sports and Tourism Authority has been working to bring several Japanese teams to train here as early as next spring. However, no deals are yet in place. Pending Major League Baseball approval, the teams could play major-league teams from Phoenix, and thus keep a major-league presence in Tucson.
Each major-league team generated about $10 million in economic impact each year, and PCSTA executive director Mike Feder hopes the Japanese teams can achieve the same.
"The importance is bringing in out-of-town visitors and doing something economically for this community," Feder said.
We answer some questions about where Tucson goes from here, the future of spring training and the Japanese teams:
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Who supports Japanese baseball in Tucson?
Next spring, all 15 teams in the Cactus League will be in the Phoenix area, and are those teams willing to travel to Tucson for more games?
Players have griped about the bus rides between Phoenix and Tucson, and teams have been criticized for sending few of their starters to Tucson.
But several managers said they're open to the idea of playing Japanese teams. Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen said last week he would make the trek.
Kansas City Royals manager Trey Hillman, who managed the Nippon-Ham Fighters, embraced the idea. He also wondered if Japanese teams would want to give up revenue from their spring training games in Japan.
"It would be great for the city of Tucson, no doubt," Hillman said. "I'm not going to tell you as a major-league manager up there in the Phoenix area it's going to be good for us making the trip again. If it was one time as opposed to two times, I'm sure everybody would be all right dealing with it.
"If they tell us to come down and play Japanese teams, I'll be happy to do it," he said.
Rockies manager Jim Tracy, who played in Japan in 1983-84, praised the quality of Japanese baseball, listing such stars as Ichiro Suzuki, Hiroki Kuroda and Hideo Nomo.
"To have a team come here … I think it'd be terrific for baseball, period," Tracy said.
D-backs officials have said they hope teams can take advantage of the facilities in Tucson. President Derrick Hall said competition with Japanese teams "probably makes more sense for our minor-leaguers" but added Arizona would send major-leaguers to the games.
Who are these teams?
Officials hope two to four Japanese teams would play here each spring. The teams could sign one- or multi-year deals. Several teams could rotate.
Baseball's International Group, the liaison between the PCSTA and Japanese teams, has been in discussions with the Nippon-Ham Fighters, Rakuten Golden Eagles and Lotte Marines' Japanese and Korean teams. The three Japanese teams play in the Pacific League. The Fighters canceled a visit to Tucson earlier this month because of a scheduling conflict.
Last season, Nippon-Ham won the pennant, Rakuten, an expansion team, finished second, and Lotte was fifth.
Japanese baseball overall has generated respect in the United States.
"The level of competition would be extremely good," Hillman said. "It's much better than most Westerners give them credit for."
D-backs manager A.J. Hinch praised it as fundamentally sound.
"It's a brand of baseball that's definitely worthy of everyone's attention," Hinch said.
Jack Donovan, who heads the liaison group between the PCSTA and Japanese teams, said officials are also in discussions with Mexican teams to train here, but he declined to identify them.
When wOULD they play?
Each team could play at least 15 games. Training would start in late February and conclude mid-March, Donovan said. So, unlike typical major-league spring training that has two weeks of workouts before games, the Japanese spring training would likely start games sooner.
A recent story in the Japan Times stated teams played few spring games. No team from the Pacific League played more than 13, and Rakuten played nine. The season started earlier than usual, on March 20.
"They were saying they didn't think opening the season as early as they did worked out as well, and they flat-out mentioned Arizona, where they should be looking at that and getting some quality games," Donovan said about the reports in Japan. "We think the sentiment in Japan is growing very rapidly toward them coming to a decision."
But Donovan said there is no timeline for when a deal might be finalized. Officials are expected to visit Japan next month or May, which could lead to a deal.
Final GAME IN TUCSON
• D-backs at Rockies: 1:10 p.m. at Hi Corbett Field
