Milwaukee to move Spring Operations to Florida? (Melvin denies)

[CL55]

I just saw the report on the local news cast, and just read the article at jsonline.

 

I emailed several newspaper sites down in Florida (Tampa, Orlando, Sarasota) and only Tampa wrote back. (Orlando must not care, Sarasota must be dreaming about the Red Sox). The person who emailed me back said that the Brewers had indeed taken a trip down to check out sites but nothing at any point was serious. The person said that the Brewers have had feelers out but don't seem to be in any rush to make any sort of serious inquiries until late in the year if ever.

 

So while I don't think they are anywhere as serious about moving as some on this topic believe, I also think Doug Melvin is lying. So the truth is probably in the middle.

 

Now watch like obsessedwithbrewcrew said tomorrow they will announce they are moving to Florida.

[lcbj68c]

Liar Liar, Pants on Fire

[TooLiveBrew]

An 'official' denial is exactly the kind of thing that makes me think MadtownBomber's friend has good information. It would be horrifically unprofessional for Melvin to announce that they're scouting out new ST sites, but it would also be horrifically unprofessional for the Brewers to not investigate any way to improve their organization.

[Team Canada]

On the other hand, I send TH an email, noting the statements to the contrary from Florida, and here's his response:

 

"I'll take Doug Melvin's word until proven otherwise. I told him about the brewerfan.net stuff and he told me it was fictitious."

 

 

This whole thing is weird. Someone is doing some serious lying.

[Patrick425]

Link to Hardricourt comments in this morning's JS. Bottom of page (Grapefruit Juice):

 

http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=752160

 

 

I have had a couple of emailings with TH in the last week. I already posted his reply to my first email. So, I emailed back stating it seems to be a bit more than a "rumor" and that I was somewhat irratated as to why he wouldn't at least investigate it a little further. I got this reply:

 

 

 

You'll just have to be "irritated" then. I don't focus a lot of time on rumors. I have factual matters to report.

TH

So, that flipant reply "irritated" me even more. I wrote an email to the JS publisher and president asking her if this is the way she expects writers to respond to long time Journal/Sentinel subscribers.

 

So, whether it's true or not, I was happy to at least see the JS report something on the situation in this morning's paper.

 

I still think the thoughts as to why the Brewers would "cover up" something like this are far fetched.

 

 

Edit -multiple quotes fixed

[Madtown Bomber]

The fact that this made local television and the MJS is a shock to me. For them to flat out bring up Auburndale and Sarasota is proof that they read other papers and possibly this board. I really respect Tom Haudicourt, and I think he is one of the better beat writers around. It frustrates me to believe that he would call everything numerous outlets reported as "fictitous."

 

I am excited that Doug Melvin has atleast given the stance on the issue, and I give the MJS props for approaching the story.

 

If this story, rumor, or myself are proven to be lying or making this up then I will come here for my public crucification and then I will go away for good.

[Patrick425]

If this story, rumor, or myself are proven to be lying or making this up then I will come here for my public crucification and then I will go away for good.

Well, I think that's a little extreme. How could the story/rumor be proven untrue anyways? Even if the Brewers never do move to Florida, that's not proof that they never looked.

[Madtown Bomber]

When your information is totally called "ficticious" by the most known and connected Brewers beat writer and denied bluntly by the Brewers General Manager himself I feel like they are challanging my creditablility which I take as serious as anything.

I understand the sensitive nature of the topic as there are many pro-Arizona, pro-Florida people in this topic already. I just what motivation I would have to make this up. Show's the power of brewersfan.net I guess that a "rumor" that "I" started would be denied so bluntly and called ficticious by Mr. Haudricourt and Mr. Melvin.

I stick by the story...if that means anything since Doug Melvin himself said it wasn't true.

[TooLiveBrew]

So, that flipant reply "irritated" me even more. I wrote an email to the JS publisher and president asking her if this is the way she expects writers to respond to long time Journal/Sentinel subscribers.

 

I'd be pissed too. Haudricourt really comes across as very arrogant & glib, when I feel he has little reason to justifiably feel that way. I don't think he does all too knock-out of a job, instead merely adequate. He appears to have the sense of entitlement to his job, and not that he necessarily needs to be professional in his endeavors.

 

I certainly don't claim to have read your email, Patrick, but to hear it dismissed so arrogantly is extremely concerning imo. It displays an air of 'holier than thou' -- I'd hope you got back to Tom telling him where to stuff his attitude. Respect for his readers is not something a journalist should sacrifice for the sake of feeling snarky & sarcastic. Very unprofessional, but iirc not the first kind of display from him like this.

 

 

EDIT: I also want to point out that Haudricourt set himself up to play both sides of this, so for him to now talk about how he only reports 'factual' stuff is a load of bull-crap. He arranged it so he could claim a scoop, even when it would've been someone else, yet he was vague enough that now he can act like he's sitting up in an ivory tower of truthiness next to Greg, er, Gabe Gross.

[dadofandrew]

What's the problem? Sounds like the Brewers took a tour of a couple facilities. Any "meetings" will take place much later. Obviously, the team needed to know if the places were crap or beautiful before they even sat down with anyone. Negotiations are probably months away.

[pepsimax23]

back in 3/7 during the first day of the thread, i noted the brewers owner attanasio is a simple 30-minute flight from spring facilities.

 

Madtown Bomber wrote:

---

I don't know how much of a big deal Attanasio living in SoCal is for this thing.

i suppose we learned today that it is a big deal. a big part of the motivation for jerry reinsdorf to move white sox to glendale from tucson, gets them a hundred miles closer to his paradise valley home.

[1992casey]

So, that flipant reply "irritated" me even more.

This isn't the first time we've heard about an e-mail like that from Haudricourt. We've seen copy/pastes of e-mails to members posted here that make this one pale in comparison.

[Madtown Bomber]

I was just reading our friend Al's Ramblings Chat from a week or so ago and a question referenced a Peter Gammon's comment about the Red Sox's closing in on a deal with Sarasota and that the Brewers could be next. Then I just came across this on baseball america about the Rays moving to Vero Beach? I don't know if I read that right. who knows. http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/business/?p=116

 

It will be interesting to see what happens now that the shoe dropped on Appleton getting the Single A team.

[dadofandrew]

Yep, the Rays and Vero Beach seem to be off the board.

 

And thanks for reading. I'm shocked how popular that chat was, got 174 questions.