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Tag: Orlando Dreamers

  • Orlando Dreamers make Orlando pitch at MLB Winter Meetings

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    The Orlando Dreamers group, which has spent years pushing for MLB expansion or relocation to the region, is using the high-profile gathering to continue its pitch.The meetings, which conclude Thursday, bring together team executives, owners and league officials from across baseball.The group shared on social media that its representatives were on site this week, including Hall of Famer Barry Larkin, who serves as a partner and ambassador for the Dreamers.“Since they were in our backyard, we thought it would be a good idea to get our information out there,” Larkin told WESH 2 News.Larkin said he spent the past several days meeting with team owners, fans and MLB executives, stressing that Orlando is prepared should the league decide to expand or relocate a franchise. He added that many around baseball are noting how seriously Orlando is positioning itself.“I wasn’t really surprised by how many people didn’t realize Orlando was a true player in all of this,” he said. “It’ll be interesting now to see what cities are a potential for expansion or relocation.”Larkin said the group’s financing model could also set Orlando apart.“Another thing about this that’s very unique is that there’s financing in place, where an ownership group will not be encumbered with providing financing for a stadium,” he said.Earlier this year, the Dreamers attempted to pursue ownership of the Tampa Bay Rays before the franchise was sold to a Jacksonville-based group. Larkin said the Dreamers have continued to make progress behind the scenes as they wait for the right opportunity.“There’s only so many things that we can control,” he said. “And what we can control, I think we’ve done a pretty good job of pushing that forward.”Dreamers co-founder Kim Schnorf said conversations at the winter meetings reinforced the group’s belief that it’s now a matter of when — not if — the league is ready to move forward with expansion.For now, the group says it will continue its push as MLB weighs its next steps.

    ORLANDO, Fla. —

    The Orlando Dreamers group, which has spent years pushing for MLB expansion or relocation to the region, is using the high-profile gathering to continue its pitch.

    The meetings, which conclude Thursday, bring together team executives, owners and league officials from across baseball.

    The group shared on social media that its representatives were on site this week, including Hall of Famer Barry Larkin, who serves as a partner and ambassador for the Dreamers.

    “Since they were in our backyard, we thought it would be a good idea to get our information out there,” Larkin told WESH 2 News.

    Larkin said he spent the past several days meeting with team owners, fans and MLB executives, stressing that Orlando is prepared should the league decide to expand or relocate a franchise. He added that many around baseball are noting how seriously Orlando is positioning itself.

    “I wasn’t really surprised by how many people didn’t realize Orlando was a true player in all of this,” he said. “It’ll be interesting now to see what cities are a potential for expansion or relocation.”

    Larkin said the group’s financing model could also set Orlando apart.

    “Another thing about this that’s very unique is that there’s financing in place, where an ownership group will not be encumbered with providing financing for a stadium,” he said.

    Earlier this year, the Dreamers attempted to pursue ownership of the Tampa Bay Rays before the franchise was sold to a Jacksonville-based group. Larkin said the Dreamers have continued to make progress behind the scenes as they wait for the right opportunity.

    “There’s only so many things that we can control,” he said. “And what we can control, I think we’ve done a pretty good job of pushing that forward.”

    Dreamers co-founder Kim Schnorf said conversations at the winter meetings reinforced the group’s belief that it’s now a matter of when — not if — the league is ready to move forward with expansion.

    For now, the group says it will continue its push as MLB weighs its next steps.

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  • John Morgan out as Orlando Dreamers’ MLB prospects suffer blow

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    Efforts to bring Major League Baseball to Orlando have taken a significant blow. Local attorney John Morgan told WESH 2 on Tuesday that he’s out as an investor of the Orlando Dreamers, the group leading efforts to bring an MLB team to Central Florida. This comes after reports surfaced that anchor investor Dr. Rick Workman has left the organization to join the Tampa Bay Rays ownership group to keep the team in the local area. According to Morgan, Workman joined a group led by Patrick Zulpuski, which made a deal to purchase the Rays in July. “I am out. The fix is in,” Morgan told WESH 2 in an email. “What I believe will now happen is this group will seek a sweetheart deal in Tampa, while stringing the prospects of Orlando as a bargaining chip, get lots of free land and entitlements and make a real estate profit on the surrounding land at the tax payers expense. Certainly not for the people but for the rich people.” Morgan added, “I have zero interest in investing in Tampa… I just wish the commissioner had been more forthright with his intentions while I had little time in this. I did have some and would have preferred not to have wasted it.” Dreamers co-founder Jim Schnorf said, “The initiative to bring MLB to Orlando continues forward. Thanks again for the continued interest and strong support.” In April, the Dreamers identified Workman as an anchor investor of their efforts to bring MLB to Orlando. Morgan, the owner of the nation’s largest injury law firm, also joined around the same time. This all came after the Dreamers announced that qualified investors have provided preliminary letters of intent and verbal commitments of nearly $1.5 billion in equity for team acquisition. In July, Morgan told WESH 2 that he would commit at least $250 million to help the Orlando Dreamers bring MLB to Central Florida. Dreamers co-founder Jim Schnorf told WESH 2 in May that if Orlando were to get a Major League Baseball team, it would be through an expansion slot or relocation of another team.MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred hopes to select two cities for expansion teams before he retires from the job in 2029, Schnorf told WESH 2 in March.Schnorf said Major League Baseball insists on a public-private partnership to build a new ballpark.The Dreamers identified 35.5 acres of parcel adjacent to SeaWorld Orlando and the Orange County Convention Center for its planned domed stadium.According to the organization, the stadium project would yield 25,000 permanent jobs and create $40 billion in economic impact to Orange County over 30 years.What happens going forward remains unclear.

    Efforts to bring Major League Baseball to Orlando have taken a significant blow.

    Local attorney John Morgan told WESH 2 on Tuesday that he’s out as an investor of the Orlando Dreamers, the group leading efforts to bring an MLB team to Central Florida.

    This comes after reports surfaced that anchor investor Dr. Rick Workman has left the organization to join the Tampa Bay Rays ownership group to keep the team in the local area.

    According to Morgan, Workman joined a group led by Patrick Zulpuski, which made a deal to purchase the Rays in July.

    “I am out. The fix is in,” Morgan told WESH 2 in an email. “What I believe will now happen is this group will seek a sweetheart deal in Tampa, while stringing the prospects of Orlando as a bargaining chip, get lots of free land and entitlements and make a real estate profit on the surrounding land at the tax payers expense. Certainly not for the people but for the rich people.”

    Morgan added, “I have zero interest in investing in Tampa… I just wish the commissioner had been more forthright with his intentions while I had little time in this. I did have some and would have preferred not to have wasted it.”

    Dreamers co-founder Jim Schnorf said, “The initiative to bring MLB to Orlando continues forward. Thanks again for the continued interest and strong support.”

    In April, the Dreamers identified Workman as an anchor investor of their efforts to bring MLB to Orlando. Morgan, the owner of the nation’s largest injury law firm, also joined around the same time.

    This all came after the Dreamers announced that qualified investors have provided preliminary letters of intent and verbal commitments of nearly $1.5 billion in equity for team acquisition.

    In July, Morgan told WESH 2 that he would commit at least $250 million to help the Orlando Dreamers bring MLB to Central Florida.

    Dreamers co-founder Jim Schnorf told WESH 2 in May that if Orlando were to get a Major League Baseball team, it would be through an expansion slot or relocation of another team.

    MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred hopes to select two cities for expansion teams before he retires from the job in 2029, Schnorf told WESH 2 in March.

    Schnorf said Major League Baseball insists on a public-private partnership to build a new ballpark.

    The Dreamers identified 35.5 acres of parcel adjacent to SeaWorld Orlando and the Orange County Convention Center for its planned domed stadium.

    According to the organization, the stadium project would yield 25,000 permanent jobs and create $40 billion in economic impact to Orange County over 30 years.

    What happens going forward remains unclear.

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