White Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf has maintained a cordial relationship with the Cubs over the years, going so far as to join Tribune Co. in the formation of Comcast SportsNet.
But Tribune Co. sold the Cubs and its 25 percent share of CSN to the Ricketts family last October, and three months later, the Reinsdorf-Ricketts relationship is suddenly in the spotlight.
Reinsdorf told the Phoenix Business Journal the White Sox were opposed to a plan to institute a surcharge on all Cactus League tickets to help fund the Cubs' proposed $84 million spring training complex in Mesa.
Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts was unavailable for comment Friday. A Cubs spokesman said the team would have no comment.
The Cubs believe the surcharge is fair because of all the business the Cubs bring to the Cactus League. Reinsdorf and Arizona Diamondbacks president Derrick Hall voiced their objections to the idea, telling the paper it's unfair for fans of other teams to subsidize the Cubs via higher ticket prices.
Will the Cubs tax kill the deal and send the team packing for Florida?
It's too early to tell, but the deal obviously won't be an easy sell.
After prolonged negotiations with Naples, Fla. and Mesa, the Cubs agreed on Jan. 27 to stay in Mesa if the state approved a funding plan for an $84 million stadium and training facility. The Cubs would buy the land, donate it to the city of Mesa and have them build a 15,000 seat stadium with a 50,000-foot clubhouse, several adjoining ballfields and a nutritional center.
The Cubs wound receive revenues from ballpark naming rights, along with all advertising sign revenues inside the park. The city hopes to develop an entertainment district around the ballpark, a plan referred to as "Wrigleyville West."
Opposition by the White Sox and Diamondbacks could throw a wrench into the deal. Rep. John McCormish, a Phoenix Republican, planned to introduce the legislation when it's ready, and Mesa will vote on it in November. The Cubs are allowed to back out if the legislation is not enacted by July 12, or is the voters reject the funding.
Whether opposition to a "Cubs tax" by other major league owners would force the lawmakers to alter their funding plans remains to be seen. Naples remains an option for the Cubs if the plan doesn't go through.
At the recent Cubs Convention, Ricketts addressed the spring training issue during a question-and-answer session with fans.
"The fact is that our goal is to have the best facilities in baseball when it comes to spring training," Ricketts said. "Spring training is about winning baseball games during the season. I think what's happened over the last few years is other teams have passed us- they've leapfrogged us in terms of what kind of facilities they have to train in. They have a better platform to get their veterans ready, to evaluate their young talent, and much better facilities to rehab players who are injured."
Ricketts also pointed to the 57-year tradition of training in Arizona as reason to stay.
"We want to respect that, but we need Arizona to do their half of the trade too, and get us a better facility," he added.
But will the rest of the Cactus League teams agree to have their fans help for that facility?
Stay tuned.
Get our updates on 
The Facilty the White Sox play in, Camelback Ranch in Glendale, had the HIGHEST 2009 attendance for the Cactus League. So the argument that Arizona NEEDS the Cubs is preposterous. Let Tommy Boy Ricketts pay for his own Spring Training Facility. oh wait, he cant afford too because he's paying for Jim Hendrt's 139 million dollar mistake known as Alfonso Sorryass.
www.soxandtehcity.net
Nobody cares about the White Sox or D'backs. The Cubs are Mesa's cash-cow.
Why should the entire Cactus League help pay for a Cubs facility?
For the same reason that people in the whole of Chicago are forced to pay for that TRAILER PARK on the southside.
This is a silly non-issue. The Cubs outdraw the average Cactus league team by a factor of 2-to-1. Opposing Cactus League teams experience their highest attendance when hosting the Cubs and their fans. Simply stated the Cubs' are a cash cow for the entire Cactus League. Given the choice between league-wide ticket surcharges and losing the Cubs to Florida the league would vote 12-2 in favor of surcharges. The other Cactus League teams have way more to lose by letting the Cubs leave AZ.
It is no surprise that Reinsdorf and Hall are leading the opposition. Reinsdorf is a whiney hypocrite who has relied on public financing to procure everything he owns. Derrick Hall is understandably humiliated by the Cubs outdrawing his in state Diamondbacks by tens-of-thousands of fans. Both these losers have a serious case of "little man's disease."
Hopefully this derails it, because I want them to come to Naples!! World-series calibur teams train in Naples. Millions of Cubs fans here. A step in the right direction.
Chico17 on February 5, 2010 5:39 PM
Spring training will be just fine without them in Arizona.
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Maybe "just fine", but with about a 22% loss of attendance in the entire Cactus League according to this report:
http://www.azcentral.com/ic/community/pdf/Cubs-Economic-Impact-Report.pdf
Not that fine, afterall.
Knowing how ole Jer loves his money...he just might reconsider his stance after reading that.
Dear Cactus League:
Don't mess with your meal ticket.
Send the Cubs to Naples,FL. They have a deal on the table without the funding issues as Mesa. Cubs-Red Sox & Yankees facilities would be 2 hours apart. Guaranteed sell out every game, every year with many midwesterners visiting Naples. I respect the new owners decision to stay, but its not to late to reconsider a change of scenery in the spring.
I remeber the White soxthreat to leave Chicago for Sarosota
FLA if they didn't get the State to build a new Stabium
Hence the Illinois sports authority which pays for improvement to Cellular field Wrigley feid gets no such deal or the Buklls or Blackhawks Illinois taxpayers get taxed for the sole benifit of the White Sox now that the shoe is on the other foot Reindsdolf doesn't like it?
In Arizonia yet How about the Illinois taxpayers Please
Reindsorf is opposed to this but got a similar deal for Sox park? AND had it partially rebuilt on our dime because he bungled the original plans?
Chicagoan hit the nail on the head. This isn't the same situtation as "New Comiskey". This is about the Cubs thinking they are the most important thing in the free world.
You're right, David. The Cubs leaving would be a huge problem for AZ. Go to Cubs.com and read the article about the Cubs keeping their spring home in Mesa....... "Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer and key members of the state legislature all pledged their time and efforts to ensure the retention of an asset whose annual economic impact is considered $50 million-plus, a big slice of the estimated $128 million generated by the 15-team Cactus League." Unfortunately, you guys may not think that the world revolves around the Cubs, but in this situation, the state of Arizona does. And I'm pretty sure that the "Cubs tax" was suggested by Arizona lawmakers and not the Ricketts.
This simply will not happen. The Royals, Rangers, Giants, Padres, Indians, Brewers, Sox Dodgers, Rockies, Dbacks, Angels, A's and whoever I missed will never agree to this stupid idea. Late reports are that the Arizona Legislature has way too many opponents to the idea and it would never pass a bill anything close to this ridiculous proposal. It ain't gonna happen. Prediction: Cubs begin to play the Florida card. They have a great deal waiting for them in the Sunshine State. Bye, bye Arizona. Spring training will be just fine without them in Arizona.
I sure didn't want to finance that dump they call Sox Park but I had no choice being a citizen of Chicago. Now Reinsdorf is balking at this, too bad I mcouldn't veto the Sox deal. I was against the Cubs moving to Florida for spring training but now I hope they do to screw Reinsdope.
This isn't just a Cubs vs. Sox thing, people. Why should the entire Cactus League help pay for a Cubs facility? I'm surprised more owners aren't as vocal as Reinsdorf and the Diamondbacks president, who is standing up for his fans by opposing the ticket price surcharge for his fans who watch their team train over three hours away from where the Cubs facility resides?
Why stop at spring training? Why not add a surcharge for every major league ballpark during the regular season and give the money to the Cubs so they can renovate Wrigley Field too?
Tip of the hat to the Ricketts family for playing hardball like this, but it's pretty arrogant of them to try and pull this on the rest of the league.
This isn't like the Comiskey situation. Broad public financing of stadiums was par for the course for teams all around baseball, football, basketball, hockey, soccer, etc. until the last couple of years when the recession demolished state tax bases and killed budgets.
Let's put it this way. The Brewers want a new stadium. So in order to build the new stadium, a substantial surcharge is placed on Cubs home tickets at Wrigley Field to help pay for a new Brewers stadium, even though the Brewers don't help pay for the upkeep of or renovations to Wrigley.
Kinda stupid, huh? You guys would throw a fit if it cost you more to go to a Cubs game in order to help build someone else's stadium. And you're surprised that all the other teams in Arizona think this plan is bunk? The world doesn't revolve around the Cubs, just like the World Series doesn't ever contain the Cubs.
Well David, if the Cubs are so important to the Cactus League, why don't they just institute the tax on Cactus League games they play in instead of across the board for all teams? Are you telling me that the only reason people go to Cactus League games are because the Cubs are in the same league? Even when it's the Rockies playing the Diamondbacks, the fans are all just there because those two teams play the Cubs occasionally? No, this is yet another case of the Cubs and their fans believing that the world revolves around them.
Oh poor Jerry does not want the limited number of Sox fans who come to Arizona to have to subsidize the Cubs. Well Jerry its payback time as for the last 12 seasons the CUBS fans have subsidized that sh*thole of a place on the southside that you call a stadium. If you do not think the tax is fair then leave and go back to Florida or wherever you want to go. If it was not for the Cubs you would have 3 less sell outs every year and how much other revenue would you lose.
I'm a Cubs fan and would rather they stay in AZ, but I'm sorry, this is insane! A surcharge on all other teams' games so that the Cubs can build a better facility? CRAZY!!!
Unfortunately, the White Sox and Diamondbacks are fairly insignificant in this situation. They can go elsewhere, but the Cubs leaving would be a big problem.