Atlanta Braves Morning Chop: Burgerzz, Palm Beach, Snakes, Coke

Feb 27, 2015; Palm Beach Gardens, FL, USA; A view of pelicans on the 18th green during the third round of the Honda Classic at PGA National GC Champion Course. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

Supporters, opponents react to Atlanta Braves’ possible return to Palm Beach County

SKLYER SWISHER / (FT. LAUDERDALE) SUN-SENTINEL.COM

Palm Beach County commissioners heard Tuesday from supporters and opponents of building a spring training ballpark in John Prince Park that would be used by the Atlanta Braves.

Wearing shirts that read “Bring Home the Braves,” supporters urged county leaders to do everything possible to lure the team back to Palm Beach County.

“The economic impact to our area would be phenomenal,” said Scott Maxwell, vice mayor of Lake Worth. “I cannot tell you how excited the residents of Lake Worth are.”

The club trained in Palm Beach County from 1963 until 1997, when it moved spring training to Disney’s Wide World of Sports near Orlando. The team’s lease in the Orlando area expires next year.

Opponents argued the county shouldn’t be giving away land in a public park, with one speaker mentioning that construction of a baseball stadium could harm the endangered gopher tortoises that live there.

“I am very concerned once again about an attempt to undermine the sanctity of a public park,” said Drew Martin, conservation chairman of the Loxahatchee Group of the Sierra Club.

Ed. note:  I swear, every time there’s any new development planned for Florida, the Gopher Turtles come up in the conversation.  Frankly, I don’t believe they are that endangered – I literally had one digging a hole in my own back yard when I lived down there.  [I checked – they are officially “threatened” and may be relocated prior to development].  Nonetheless, it seems that public support in Lake Worth, FL is heavily in favor of bringing the Braves “back home” to Palm Beach County.

Here is a snippet from the article cited in this tweet (by Joe Capozzi of the Palm Beach Post):

"In a doubleheader of public opinion, the Atlanta Braves came out winners Tuesday in their bid to build a spring training complex at John Prince Park in suburban Lake Worth. Braves supporters, wearing blue tomahawk T-shirts and holding “Bring Home the Braves” signs, outnumbered opponents of the park plan by a 3-to-1 margin at two separate public meetings. But the game is far from over. Palm Beach County officials still are waiting for the Braves to submit a formal proposal, which could happen later this week, before deciding whether to seriously consider the idea of luring a fifth team. That didn’t stop residents, merchants and elected leaders from offering passionate arguments Tuesday to the County Commission, which will have final say on whether to negotiate with the Braves and, later Tuesday, when they packed the Lake Worth City Commission meeting."

Earlier quote from his March 23rd article:

"…at least four commissioners were enthusiastic about the idea after meeting individually Tuesday and Wednesday in West Palm Beach with Braves President John Schuerholz and Chairman Terry McGuirk. The two team officials also took a driving tour of John Prince Park."

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