During Richard “Rick” Odekirk’s playing days as a professional baseball pitcher, he heard constant criticisms from fans in the crowd.
“When I was having a bad outing, I would hear people tell me how lousy I was,” Odekirk said. “They would say how they could do a better job if they had the opportunity.”
After a 14-year career that never got him out of the minor leagues, Odekirk retired from baseball, but his passion for the game never wavered.
“A lot of the people who came and watched us play would have liked to be pro players,” Odekirk said. “As a result, we started talking about ways of how to give the amateur athlete the experience of playing in a major-league environment.”
After consulting with his father, a real-estate developer, the idea of Big League Dreams formed.
The first Big League Dreams park was built in 1996, after reaching a partnership with Cathedral City, Calif., located near Palm Springs. The park celebrated its opening day Jan. 10, 1998, with the Pepsi All-Star Softball Game, a slow-pitch softball tournament featuring former MLB All-Stars. The game was aired on NBC and brought more than 6,000 fans to the new park.
Today, Big League Dreams Inc. has 11 locations in four states — California, Arizona, Nevada and Texas — with five projects in the works. Big League Dreams builds scaled-down replicas of famous baseball stadiums, such as Boston’s Fenway Park, New York’s Yankee Stadium and Chicago’s Wrigley Field. The stadiums are designed to accommodate a variety of sports, including youth baseball, youth fast-pitch softball and adult slow-pitch softball.
After Big League Dreams became the sole bidder of a longterm lease proposal of Plant City Stadium and the Randy L. Larson Four-Plex, City Manager Greg Horwedel and the Plant City Commission decided to open negotiations with the company. Negotiations are set to begin today and last 45 days.
Big League Dreams, in association with Hopkins Facilities Group, MIG and Barton Malow, hopes to build two of its replica stadiums at two of the current fields at the Randy L. Larson Four-Plex. Plant City Stadium, the former spring training home of the Cincinnati Reds and current home of VisionPro Sports Institute’s USL PRO soccer team and three affiliate teams, has been proposed to receive an update.
HOW IT WORKS
Big League Dreams works with cities, counties and special districts to bring their facilities to life at little or no cost to taxpayers.
The company has developed public-private partnerships with cities, including Chino Hills, Calif., with the city funding the construction of the park and Big League Dreams handling the management of the facility.
Percentages of revenues and profits are shared with the cities after management fees are met.
Plant City brings a more unique situation, because the city already has an operational facility.
“When we started, typically, we would hear from cities or counties that just needed a park, period,” Odekirk explained. “We found out really early that these parks would attract tournaments of some kind every weekend.”
Horwedel, who advised the city to move forward with negotiations with Big League Dreams at the July 22 Plant City Commission meeting, still has some questions and concerns with the current proposal.
“We have 45 days to discuss how the proposal might be modified to make better sense for the city,” Horwedel said. “With the proposal the way it is, I do believe there will be a significant cost for the city to bear, and I do not feel that is in our best interest.”
The City Commission rejected April 22, a proposal from Big League Dreams, stating it lacked key information, specifically regarding the potential costs and benefits of the proposal to Plant City. The request for proposals was then reissued May 29, with responses due by June 28. Again, Big League Dreams was the only bidder.
“Our preference would be to have as minimal city investment as possible, with the maximum return,” Horwedel said.
The city currently loses about $387,000 annually on operating costs of the stadium and four-plex. VSI’s lease of Plant City Stadium for $10,000 per month runs through August.
The current proposal lists an estimated subtotal of all city funds totaling $1.5 million. The proposal estimates the annual gross revenue, based on a 10-year average, would total $3,082,958, with 2.4%, or $73,911, going to the city.
Horwedel expressed concern about the community and surrounding areas financially supporting the Big League Dreams concept in Plant City. The company makes its profits by renting the stadiums to teams and tournaments that want to use the replica stadiums and fields. It pulls in additional revenue by charging admission for tournaments, typically $3 for adults and $1 for kids.
“We’re not sure how successful that would be here,” Horwedel said.
Although youth baseball and softball is popular in Plant City and surrounding areas, families and fans normally are allowed to attend games for free at other venues, such as Mike E. Sansone Community Park.
“None of these currently exists in Florida, so there is no template to make sure the market will support the proposal,” Horwedel said. “We want to carefully analyze the proposal and the model they proposed and make the best decision for the city.”
EYE ON THE SOUTHEAST
Odekirk, his partners and investors have had plans of expanding their operations out east for several years, specifically in the Southeast, a baseball hotbed.
“When we started looking to expand to the Southeast, we knew Plant City was the first we would be talking to,” said Odekirk, who remembers playing in spring training games in Plant City Stadium during his pro career.
Representatives from Plant City reached out to Big League Dreams several years ago, expressing interest in the company.
That led to the city approving, in October 2011, a 30-year license agreement with the Big League Dreams. Before that approval, city staff spent 18 months reviewing Big League Dreams’ operations in other states. Under the agreement, Plant City would pay Big League Dreams a $450,000 licensing fee to ensure the company did not build a similar location within a 40-mile-by-30-mile oval around Plant City Stadium.
Since then, Odekirk said several Florida cities have expressed interest in Big League Dreams. The company currently has five projects in the negotiation stages or further. Four of those are in the Southeast, three of which are in the Sunshine State — Jacksonville, Ft. Lauderdale and Plant City. A metro Atlanta location and a central California location are also in the works.
“We heard from a lot of cities in Florida, and we identified those that would be best for us to proceed in,” Odekirk said.
If a deal is reached, Plant City would become the only Big League Dreams location in Central Florida. Of the current 11 cities, the smallest city based on population is the original location in Cathedral City, Calif. Its population of more than 51,000 far exceeds Plant City’s 35,000 population, but Odekirk feels Plant City’s central location to the Tampa Bay and Orlando markets makes it an attractive choice.
“We’re not obviously just looking right at Plant City, but looking within a 45-minute drive,” Odekirk said. “The travel market in Tampa and Orlando is so big. We consider Plant City a can’t-miss market.”
IF IT HAPPENS
If a deal is reached, it would be new territory for both Big League Dreams and the city.
Big League Dreams has built and adapted existing ballparks, but a former spring-training facility would be a first.
Odekirk said the replica stadiums would be built around the existing fields at the four-plex. He hopes to start with two parks and then expand in the future, if those are successful.
“If it is as successful as we believe it would be, it has the potential for sure to grow down the line,” he said. “We have to be successful there before we get to that.”
Although Wrigley, Fenway and Yankee Stadium are the three most popular options for replicas, the company leaves it up to the cities to decide what replicas it wants built.
According to Odekirk, there are no plans to convert Plant City Stadium into a replica field but instead update it and restore it to its past as the spring home of the Reds.
“We would like to dress it up to be the premier field on the complex,” he said.
Odekirk said he and his partners would be open to adding the Reds logo back to the park.
“That would be up to the city,” he said.
Contact Matt Mauney at mmauney@plantcityobserver.com.
Five Things to know about Big League Dreams
1. Starting in 1996, the company opened its first park Jan. 10, 1998 in Cathedral City, Calif. The opening day was the Pepsi All-Star Softball Game, an event featuring former MLB All-Stars that was aired live on NBC. More than 6,000 people attended.
2. The company has built as many as eight different replica fields. While Chicago’s Wrigley Field, Boston’s Fenway Park and New York’s Yankees Stadium are the three most popular options, the company leaves it up to the cities to decide which replicas they want built.
3. The company has had its eye on the southeast U.S. for some time. If negotiations go well with Plant City, it will be one of four new projects in the southeast, including three in Florida.
4. Company co-founder Richard Odekirk was a minor league baseball player for 11 seasons. He played for several MLB teams for spring training, including pitching in Plant City Stadium, the former spring training home of the Cincinnati Reds.
5. Several years after the company was founded, it gained the financial backing and support from the Giambi family, including current major leaguer Jason, former major leaguer Jeremy and their father, John. The trio are now the principal owners.
Future of the ISF?
In 2000, The International Softball Federation, the worldwide governing body of softball, moved its headquarters to Plant City. The ISF logo is painted on the front of Plant City Stadium, where the ISF has held national and international tournaments. The city’s current agreement with the ISF, which gives the organization rights to use the stadium, runs through 2019. According to City Manager Greg Horwedel, the city plans to honor that agreement “no matter the possible redevelopment of the stadium.” The current agreement only covers the stadium and not the Randy L. Larson Four-Plex.
STADIUM TIMELINE
1987 — City Manager Nettie Mae Draughon, Mayor Sadye Martin and Marge Schott, owner of the Cincinnati Reds, broke ground on Plant City Stadium.
1988 to 1997 — The Reds held their spring training in Plant City for a decade, before moving operations to Sarasota, where they remained until 2009. The Reds now hold spring training in Goodyear Ballpark in Goodyear, Ariz.
1999 — The Women’s Pro Softball League held its All-Star game at the stadium in what was a nationally televised event. The Tampa Bay FireStix and the Florida Wahoos of the WPSL also called Plant City home.
2000 — The International Softball Federation, the worldwide governing body of softball, moved its headquarters to Plant City in offices near the stadium. The ISF logo was painted on the front of Plant City Stadium, where it remains today. After being converted into a softball facility, the ISF has held national and international tournaments in the stadium and the adjacent Randy L. Larson Softball Four-Plex.
2008 — The Plant City Pig Jam was held on the stadium’s property for the first time. This November, the annual barbecue event will celebrate its 11th year.
2013 — In April, VisionPro Sports Institute agreed to a short-term lease of Plant City Stadium to act as the home venue for an expansion United Soccer League PRO franchise, VSI Tampa Bay FC, and three affiliate teams. The stadium was converted into a soccer facility at the cost of VSI. Per the lease agreement, the company will pay for the facility to be converted back.