Minor League Baseball checks in with the old Dodgers training facility in Vero Beach, Florida, reporting that it's currently being used for college and school baseball tournaments, and by a professional women's soccer team and the Professional Baseball Umpires Corporation. The Dodgers, who moved in 2008 to train at Arizona's Camelback Ranch, still owns the rights to the name, however. (You'll recall the push for Dodgertown.) Additionally, it's unclear what'll be done with the property: "Nearly a year has passed since Minor League Baseball assumed control of Dodgertown, and [Minor League President Pat] O'Conner is the first to admit that the transition has not always been easy.
'We're essentially a start-up business [in regards to Dodgertown] and not immune to economic pressures,' he explained. 'We're relying on amateur programs to spend money with us and missed a large chunk of the scheduling cycle while we were getting our feet on the ground.'
There is also the matter of the facility's name, which is owned by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Talks are ongoing, but it remains unclear whether Minor League Baseball will be able to use the Dodgertown name going forward. This has hindered marketing efforts, including the development of a meaningful online presence.'"
· Boom going on in Dodgertown [MLS]
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