Spring Training Online

The effort to bring the Baltimore Orioles to Sarasota is on life support after the Sarasota County Commission scaled back their financial offer to the team, offering $22 million toward a renovated Ed Smith Stadium.

There was no immediate reaction from the team; the Orioles had been asking for $57 million, which would build a new ballpark and a new Ripken Baseball youth academy. But with Vero Beach withdrawing its $13 million offer to renovate Holman Stadium Monday, the Orioles are suddenly running out of options as they explore a replacement for Fort Lauderdale Stadium.

Yesterday's deadline set by Indian River County and Vero Beach officials for the Baltimore Orioles to make a commitment to Dodgertown has come and gone with the Orioles instead making a counteroffer that goes far past the initial offer of $13 million in ballpark improvements and 37.5 acres of land.

In fact, the land is now off the table, as Vero Beach officials say they're done negotiating. And while what the Orioles are asking for is not out of line with what other teams have received in government incentives, it's apparently too much for Vero Beach -- putting the whole deal in jeopardy.

The prospects of a Baltimore Orioles move to Sarasota for spring training brightened significantly last week when the team agreed to a reduced budget and offered $5 million toward maintenance toward a new complex.

The Orioles are still sticking with the idea of replacing Ed Smith Stadium, the current spring home of the Reds, with a new facility. But the reduced budget may make it easier for county tourism officials to pledge 1 percent in tourist-tax revenue for the baseball complex.

Dodgertown and Holman Stadium, which will sit empty during Spring Training 2009, may be even quieter after Aramark basically shuts down operations at the Dodgertown Sports and Conference Center in Vero Beach. Aramark served notice to the state that 98 employees would be laid off -- which, we've been told, is basically the entire workforce -- as Aramark shutters business-meeting areas, hotel rooms and banquet rooms at Dodgertown. The future of Dodgertown and Holman Stadium is in doubt: Indian River County and Vero Beach officials have dangled $13 million in improvements to the Orioles as John Angelos and crew work toward finding a new spring-training home. There has been talk of a summer-collegiate Florida Collegiate State League taking up residence next year, but Vero Beach is quite a ways from the league's base of operations in the greater Orlando area, though a team in Cocoa may also be a good idea for some territorial balance.

Sarasota officials have put together a plan to woo the Baltimore Orioles' spring-training base by spending upwards of $55 million on a complex that could include a new ballpark or a renovated Ed Smith Stadium.

The complex currently housing Cincinnati Reds spring training will be vacated in April 2009, as the Reds move spring operations to Goodyear, Az.. Sarasota says it will renovate the camp to the Orioles' specifications, which includes a 7,500-seat ballpark.