Just read your your report on the Indians move. Its truly sad that it had to come to this. I believe that BOTH parties failed miserably by not being able to work out some type of agreement that would have benefited them both as well as the other most important but as usual forgotten partner in this drama, the fan. Once again greed and politics have combined to ruin it for the average Joe who pays the wages and cost of both the city politicians and ball club owners.

I'm not from Winter Haven, almost as I have fallen in love with the city and invested in properties there, but for now I live in a suburb of Cleveland, Eastlake Oh ( Proud home of the Cleveland Indians A ball affiliate The Lake County Captains ). I have seen what The Captains have done for our city in terms of business growth, tourism, and putting us on the map. Bob Dylan came to our town !There is a reason to get off the freeway to visit our town now.

Cypress Gardens, a tremendous asset to the city of Winter Haven is having a tough time. The Indians leaving will not help them. If they should close (again ) and with the Indians gone , just what would be the reason to exit route 4 to visit our  city? Oh that's right we are going to put a multi use facility in the area where the Indians were. I can hear the brakes squealing now to turn off Rt 4 to visit that new , Starbucks, and Target store. What the master minds in charge want to do is replace a major league spring training complex with what exists in almost every city in any place across the USA. Big thinkers... big draw...big yawn.

Baseball will be missed. Winter haven has been and should continue to be a baseball town. We are not Daytonna, Miami, Fort Lauderdale. We are what we are. Baseball is our heritage

 There are not many draws to a city that can bring the emotions, enthusiasm, excitement , family entertainment  and memories that baseball can. I doubt if there are many kids who would exchange a day at spring training with their Dad or Mom, meeting and getting an autograph or even a picture with their favorite major league hero for a tasty burger or a day at Target to buy a new pair of socks at our soon to be new complex.

If the city of Arizona is willing to spend 77.5 MILLION dollars to steal away the Indians, doesn't that speak volumes ? Are they that much smarter than our elite group of thinkers here. Remember they HAD the Indians before and want them back. There must be a reason they want them back so strongly. And in three years we are going to find out that answer