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MiLB Gives Vero Beach a Second Life

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From MiLB.com...

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090422&content_id=568030&vkey=pr_milb&fext=.jsp

VERO BEACH, Fla. -- Minor League Baseball (MiLB) has agreed to terms with Indian River County and the city of Vero Beach, Fla., that will be incorporated into a memorandum of understanding on a five-year partnership to lease and operate the Dodgertown baseball complex. Financial terms of the partnership were not disclosed.

MiLB, which has set an all-time attendance record in each of the last five seasons, plans to host a number of events, both sports and non-sports related, on a year-round basis at the complex. Some of these include baseball camps; youth, high school and college tournaments; umpire camps; groundskeeper camps; fantasy camps; conferences; and other baseball-related programming.

The 65-acre facility, where the Dodgers played their spring training games from 1948-2008, consists of five full baseball fields, including Holman Stadium; two half fields; indoor and outdoor batting tunnels; offices; and training rooms. The site was also the home of a Class A Florida State League club from 1980-2008.

Among its other amenities are a conference center; restaurant & lounge; Olympic-size swimming pool; basketball court; tennis courts; game room; movie theater; and 88 hotel-style villas.

"We're extremely proud to partner with Indian River County and the City of Vero Beach to operate and maintain this historic, socially significant facility," stated Minor League Baseball President Pat O'Conner.

"In addition to providing an influx of business for the community through the events we will attract, we look forward to becoming a vital member of it."

"We're hoping we have the same relationship and community presence that we did with the O'Malleys and the Dodgers," said Indian River County Commissioner Wesley Davis. "The economic benefits of a year-long facility will be the highest and best use for historic Dodgertown."

"The City Of Vero Beach anticipates a strong mutually beneficial partnership with Minor League Baseball," remarked Vero Beach City Manager Jim Gabbard. "We have been very impressed with the organization and its leadership. We expect a long relationship that will create opportunities for fans to see high caliber baseball in the historic Dodgertown venue.

"We also anticipate Minor League Baseball to have a significant positive impact on our local economy. As the years pass, we believe that this relationship between local government and Minor League Baseball will be an example of cooperation and friendship that we enjoyed for over 60 years with the Los Angeles Dodgers," added Gabbard.

In a related move, Minor League Baseball has hired Craig Callan to manage the property, beginning May 1. Callan had been the director of the complex since 1988 for the Los Angeles Dodgers, until recently retiring from the organization. Parties interested in using the complex for an event should contact John Cook, MiLB Senior VP, Business Operations, at johncook@milb.com or (727) 456-1710 for details and availability.

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