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Speaker 1: This is the business of sports where in the situation

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Speaker 1: that we haven't dealt with in modern times, pandemic here

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Speaker 1: has really accelerated the investments that you've been advocating for

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Speaker 1: for years. From a macro standpoint, I think our sport

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Speaker 1: industry is really forced to look at the business a

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Speaker 1: little bit differently. In depth conversations with the leaders in

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Speaker 1: the sports industry. Who wants to be the sacrificial lambs

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Speaker 1: that shows up at the first big major sporting event

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Speaker 1: part of something much bigger than the sports right now,

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Speaker 1: and the health and rapt of our stakeholders and looks

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Speaker 1: much important every moment. I think we're all from the

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Speaker 1: business respective thinking about the impact that the virus is

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Speaker 1: having across the country. In Bloomberg Business of Sports from

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Speaker 1: Bloomberg Radio, Hi for one, I'm Jason Kelly, and I'm

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Speaker 1: Mike Lynch and I'm Michael Barr And this is the

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Speaker 1: Bloomberg Business of Sports podcast where we explore the big

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Speaker 1: money issues in the world of sports. And we're very

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Speaker 1: excited today, a very timely conversation, even though I gotta say, guys,

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Speaker 1: looking out my window and the snow is falling rapidly

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Speaker 1: like a snow globe. Oh my god, I've got a

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Speaker 1: couple of teenagers very reluctantly shoveling UH snow. But we

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Speaker 1: are going to talk about baseball. We're gonna talk about

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Speaker 1: the Cactus League, and no one better to talk about

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Speaker 1: it than the executive director of the Cactus League, Bridget Binsbacker.

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Speaker 1: She joins us from Arizona. Bridget, really nice to have

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Speaker 1: you with us. Thank you. I'm glad to be here.

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Speaker 1: So a little news, more than a little news. Last

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Speaker 1: week is you guys sent a letter to Commissioner Manfred

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Speaker 1: talking about potentially delaying the start of spring training. Let's

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Speaker 1: jump right in. Tell us what's going on out there?

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Speaker 1: What are you seeing that led you to this point? Well,

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Speaker 1: it's been you know, we've been working on this for months. Obviously,

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Speaker 1: preparing for spring training is a major undertaking, and you

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Speaker 1: know starts months before UH players and catchers actually report

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Speaker 1: or certainly opening day for spring training. So we have

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Speaker 1: leaders of eight Cactus League spring training host municipalities in

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Speaker 1: the tribal community UM part of overall task force and

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Speaker 1: that we formed months ago, and so in recent discussions

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Speaker 1: with them, just watching the current COVID environment in Arizona.

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Speaker 1: We um, you felt it would be good to voice

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Speaker 1: our opinion in a united fashion in this letter to

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Speaker 1: MLB UM that we would support the potential delay of

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Speaker 1: the season. So you know, and again these conversations go

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Speaker 1: back before the holidays, when we were anticipating a spike,

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Speaker 1: knowing that you know, the numbers might get worse before

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Speaker 1: they got better, and certainly that's what happened. So a

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Speaker 1: week ago Monday, we finalized that that letter um on

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Speaker 1: behalf of all of our our spring training cities and

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Speaker 1: the tribal community, saying if there's any opportunity to postpone

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Speaker 1: spring training that we would absolutely port that. So you know,

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Speaker 1: that was our intent, basically to come together as a

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Speaker 1: united voice and express that that opinion and support for

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Speaker 1: that option. And obviously this was not something to be

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Speaker 1: taken lightly in your decision because there's a lot of

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Speaker 1: money involved in the spring training and and everybody involved

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Speaker 1: from from nearby restaurants and so forth. Oh my gosh,

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Speaker 1: there's so many layers of impact here. I you know,

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Speaker 1: I want to be clear that we you know, our

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Speaker 1: actions are guided by public health and safety, UM, not

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Speaker 1: the numbers. At the Forefeitt of everything we talk about,

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Speaker 1: it's about public health and safety and watching that information

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Speaker 1: and that's that's where we've been and that's where we

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Speaker 1: we still are. The economic impact is very real, and

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Speaker 1: we've done a study every other year now for a

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Speaker 1: handful of years, um, and you know, it tells us

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Speaker 1: what that impact would be. We did a study last

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Speaker 1: year that that told us what the impact was in

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Speaker 1: a partial season. UM. So again our focus is public

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Speaker 1: health and safety and looking at the numbers again if

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Speaker 1: there's an opportunity to postpone, that's what we've been focused on.

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Speaker 1: High Bridget. It's Mike up here in Boston, and we're

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Speaker 1: very jealous that you grew up in San Diego and

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Speaker 1: live in Arizona, so my exposure to extreme weather is limited.

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Speaker 1: You know, you you really haven't lived until you've shoveled

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Speaker 1: a driveway and gone through like are Um you sent

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Speaker 1: the letter to the commissioner obviously you know what transpired

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Speaker 1: this weekend in his proposal. Has he responded to you

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Speaker 1: at all in kind? Are you just getting this news

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Speaker 1: like we're getting it that there's a proposal to start

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Speaker 1: spring training in mid March rather than mid February. You know,

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Speaker 1: we're right now, we're getting the news just like everyone

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Speaker 1: else is getting it. We do not have an official

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Speaker 1: response from Major League Baseball to that letter, UM, and

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Speaker 1: I'm you know, I'm hoping, like everyone, you know, we

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Speaker 1: hear soon that they have landed on some something definite.

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Speaker 1: And you know, we are our relationship historically has been

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Speaker 1: with Major League Baseball. UM, and we really appreciate the

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Speaker 1: partnership and that they have been receptive to talking with

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Speaker 1: us and you know, just one of our stakeholders providing

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Speaker 1: us with updates and information to make the best possible decisions. UM.

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Speaker 1: We don't have a formal response just yet, and you

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Speaker 1: weren't anticipating that, just like everyone else right now. So

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Speaker 1: we're let's take a step back, if we can, and

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Speaker 1: talk about the Cactus League and talk about it from

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Speaker 1: a local economic perspective because you're also a city council member,

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Speaker 1: I believe, so you know you understand this, as you say,

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Speaker 1: the multiple layers of it and the effect that it

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Speaker 1: has on the community, both from you know, tourism perspect

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Speaker 1: from an economic perspective, etcetera. Tell us more about the

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Speaker 1: Cactus League. I think most of our listeners know what

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Speaker 1: it is, but give us sort of the size and

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Speaker 1: scope and the impact locally. Um, sure, so we have gosh.

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Speaker 1: In two thousand twenty, again the season came to an

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Speaker 1: abrupt halt um you know, March twelfth, I believe it was,

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Speaker 1: and definitely cut our season short. We were in the

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Speaker 1: middle of doing an economic impact study that we partner

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Speaker 1: with a s DU on the last full season that

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Speaker 1: we did. That same study was in two thousand eighteen,

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Speaker 1: and they projected that we were on track to at

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Speaker 1: least make those two thousand eighteen numbers. In two thousand eighteen,

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Speaker 1: we had a total impact of six hundred forty four million.

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Speaker 1: That was the direct impact to Arizona's economy. So it

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Speaker 1: is considered you know, one of the megas boarding events

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Speaker 1: in Arizona in uh three hundred excuse me in two

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Speaker 1: thousand twenty are total impact based on the partial season

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Speaker 1: was three hundred sixty three million, and so a lot

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Speaker 1: of money. Yeah, it is. It's a significant impact, but

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Speaker 1: it was reduced by you know, approximately three hundred million

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Speaker 1: dollars as a results of the partial season. That impacts

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Speaker 1: directly hits you know, tourism, all of the lodging and

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Speaker 1: hotel UM, any of the travel, accommodation, bars, restaurants, grocery stores, UM,

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Speaker 1: transportation and these are UM gosh, some many privately owned

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Speaker 1: businesses and local establishments surrounding our spring training facilities that

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Speaker 1: really rely on this influx that comes to our communities

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Speaker 1: as a result of the spring training opportunity. I don't

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Speaker 1: know if you guys have thought about this, and we're

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Speaker 1: talking about COVID, but the Miami Heat they trying they're

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Speaker 1: trying an idea right now. They're bringing in COVID sniffing

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Speaker 1: dogs and they're trying to hopefully the dogs will detect

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Speaker 1: anybody who has COVID. Uh and uh because they can

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Speaker 1: have a small fan base. Uh. If they do, obviously

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Speaker 1: they're taken out of the arena. Have you guys thought

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Speaker 1: about something like that, anything along that nature, You know,

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Speaker 1: I have to be honest, that has not come up

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Speaker 1: in our conversation. UM. But it's a great example of

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Speaker 1: how this is such an ever changing environment and we're

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Speaker 1: looking at all options. UM. But no, we haven't. We

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Speaker 1: have not talked about that. We We have one advantage,

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Speaker 1: many advantages, but one significant advantage that we have outdoor facilities.

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Speaker 1: All of our facilities are outdoors, and even though you

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Speaker 1: know they're an intimate setting, actually there it's unbelievable if

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Speaker 1: you've ever been at baseball, like you just like no

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Speaker 1: other opportunity and an opportunity to get close and personal

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Speaker 1: with you know, your favorite players and see them just

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Speaker 1: in a different way than during the regular season. So

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Speaker 1: it'll look and feel different for sure. And you know,

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Speaker 1: up until the day we uh you know, the season begins,

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Speaker 1: we're looking at all the different options available to ensure

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Speaker 1: safe and successful spring training for everyone. Bridget I know

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Speaker 1: in Florida, it's it's a great opportunity for retired people

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Speaker 1: to get jobs and work at these at these stadiums

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Speaker 1: in spring training. And uh about how many how many

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Speaker 1: people are employed for by the fifteen teams that you're

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Speaker 1: a think eight different ballparks, how many people are employed

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Speaker 1: for spring training? And uh, you know, with temporary and

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Speaker 1: part time positions and a full season, it's uh, you know,

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Speaker 1: minimum over six thousand jobs are created and two thousand

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Speaker 1: eighteen we had thirty two three thousand two jobs created

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Speaker 1: in the partial season. So you know, to your earlier point,

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Speaker 1: we p this is not a decision that we take

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Speaker 1: lightly whatsoever. UM. You know that after the governor's last

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Speaker 1: executive order, you know that we don't that the decision

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Speaker 1: to have spring training or not spring training, or not

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Speaker 1: have spring training or the capacity that does not fall

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Speaker 1: on the Cactus League Association, UM. But after the governor's

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Speaker 1: last executive order, the one that's still UM basically everyone's

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Speaker 1: following puts that decision ultimately on these these local leaders

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Speaker 1: to make that decision. And so that's why we're working

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Speaker 1: together with the state and county health officials, UM, following

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Speaker 1: the data, trying to look at all the information on

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Speaker 1: a regular basis to make the best possible decision. I

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Speaker 1: think overall, you know, we we want this to happen.

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Speaker 1: And it's important to note that we believe we and

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Speaker 1: have a successful spring training season. UM. You know, regardless

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Speaker 1: of when the start date is. We have been working

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Speaker 1: for months to come up with a plan that will

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Speaker 1: allow us to do that safely. UM. And you know

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Speaker 1: we're ready. And again, our objective here was to come

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Speaker 1: together as united voice and just express, if you know,

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Speaker 1: support for any opportunity to delay, because it gives Arizona

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Speaker 1: a chance to turn the situation around. And even since

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Speaker 1: we executed this letter. Um, you know, the situation is improving,

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Speaker 1: and we just opened here in Arizona another vaccination site

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Speaker 1: and so that'll be ramping up this week. And again

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Speaker 1: it's just it seems to be moving in the right direction. Well.

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Speaker 1: And and Bridget I do wonder if you could tell

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Speaker 1: us a little bit more about that and sort of

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Speaker 1: the situation on the ground there, because it does vary.

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Speaker 1: You know, a Mericopa County obviously has been one of

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Speaker 1: the hottest hot spots, not in a good way when

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Speaker 1: it comes to this virus. I mean you've seen it,

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Speaker 1: I think, of course through this role, but also as

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Speaker 1: your role, um as the city council member. I believe

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Speaker 1: if if I read your biocracty, you have first responders

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Speaker 1: in your family. I mean you've seen this from from

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Speaker 1: all aspects. What's it been like? Um, well, you know,

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Speaker 1: it's been quite a ride for all of us looking

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Speaker 1: at this and how it's evolved and how long it lasted.

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Speaker 1: Who would have thought, Um, But I will say that again,

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Speaker 1: when we were looking at all the numbers we we

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Speaker 1: anticipated and based on what we were hearing from all

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Speaker 1: the subject matter experts, with all we anticipated over the

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Speaker 1: course of the holidays. We we knew that it was

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Speaker 1: going to get worse before it got better. And that's

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Speaker 1: in fact what happened. At the same time that we

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Speaker 1: were you know, we had a vaccine that was ready

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Speaker 1: UM that we could start administering the vaccine. And so

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Speaker 1: that's happened. And we've had one site UM at State

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Speaker 1: Firm Stadium open twenty four hours and they have been um,

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Speaker 1: you know, just making sure that that is running smoothly

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Speaker 1: and getting those people back to their vaccines as they

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Speaker 1: come through, and that seems to be working successfully. And

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Speaker 1: now they're opening up Municipal Stadium and that is basically

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Speaker 1: during the day UM, and again that's going to impact

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Speaker 1: you know, hundreds UM. My belief they're starting at five

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Speaker 1: hundred day is what they're hoping to accomplish there. UM.

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Speaker 1: So the faster that they can get those vaccines out,

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Speaker 1: you know, the sooner we can start to see some progress.

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Speaker 1: And so that's very very promising UM. But it takes time.

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Speaker 1: All of that takes time. And I think overall, when

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Speaker 1: you look at what you know, without going into too

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Speaker 1: much detail in areas that I am not a subject

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Speaker 1: matter expert in, when I evaluate all of the information um.

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Speaker 1: Based on the exposure that I have, it's definitely moving

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Speaker 1: the right direction, and I think with every day that

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Speaker 1: we're able to get that vaccine out there. I think

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Speaker 1: really our biggest challenge right now is getting enough of

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Speaker 1: the vaccine delivered to Arizona. I think we're in a

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Speaker 1: position where we can, you know, get the vaccine in

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Speaker 1: the arms. We have the resource to do that, but

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Speaker 1: getting the vaccine enough of it to us fast enough

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Speaker 1: to keep up with what we're available to provide from

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Speaker 1: our federal partners, that's probably the biggest challenge right now.

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Speaker 1: I want to bring up something you touched on earlier,

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Speaker 1: and you hit the nail on the head, and experience

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Speaker 1: at a spring training game is something all baseball fans

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Speaker 1: should go through because it is a special event the

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Speaker 1: players are up there. I'm a Detroit Tigers fan and

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Speaker 1: I've been to Lakeland and I've seen Joker Merchant Stadium,

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Speaker 1: and I'm not gonna lie. When I was a kid, well,

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Speaker 1: who's Joker Merchant? I don't know who the heck that

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Speaker 1: he didn't play for the Tigers. Turns out Joker Merchant

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Speaker 1: was the parks and wreck guy in Lakeland and that's

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Speaker 1: where the park is named. And I bring all that

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Speaker 1: up because you learn those little intricacies. You get to

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Speaker 1: see the players up there, you get the shout out, hey, guys,

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Speaker 1: get them next time or something like that. It really

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Speaker 1: is a special thing where the players come up and

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Speaker 1: they signed autographs. M hm, they do. It's amazing, um.

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Speaker 1: And it is such a great family experience. And for

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Speaker 1: you know, to see people from all over the country,

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Speaker 1: from even globally that come for spring training to experience

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Speaker 1: it this way is um. There's just nothing else like it.

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Speaker 1: And as a result of experiencing America's favorite pastime, we

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Speaker 1: realize all of these other opportunities. I mean from our

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Speaker 1: study that we have conducted every time, you know, we're

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Speaker 1: we're looking at six out of ten fans and you know,

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Speaker 1: anywhere from one point seven to two million fans coming

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Speaker 1: to Arizona for spring training. Six out of ten are

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Speaker 1: coming from you know, out of state, from different parts

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Speaker 1: of the country, different parts of the world. Um. And

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Speaker 1: it's it's shown that spring training is the reason they come.

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Speaker 1: And as a result of that, they're visiting other parts

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Speaker 1: of our state and seeing other attractions and experiences throughout Arizona. UM,

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Speaker 1: they might even be visiting multiple ballparks and seeing they're

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Speaker 1: following their team to multiple facilities, and the way we're

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Speaker 1: positioned here in Arizona, with our facilities and such close

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Speaker 1: proximity to one another. UM, you know, it's manageable. It's

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Speaker 1: manageable for fans, it's manageable for the clubs. UM. It's

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Speaker 1: really an incredible experience and has become such a big

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Speaker 1: part of our identity in the state of Arizona. But

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Speaker 1: it's not no longer something that just impacts the economy

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Speaker 1: or impacts tourism. It's truly become a driver of tourism

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Speaker 1: in our state. And again just another example of the

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Speaker 1: many layers UM that it impacts that we're dealing with.

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Speaker 1: Bridget doesn't help you or hurt you visitor wise to

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Speaker 1: delay this thing till March as opposed to starting February

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Speaker 1: in terms of school breaks, when people are more apt

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Speaker 1: to travel March versus February. You know, that's a great question,

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Speaker 1: and I'm gonna tell you that my I am very

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Speaker 1: optimistic and a glass is half bowl here. We're focusing on,

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Speaker 1: you know what, what's the best scenario, what's going to

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Speaker 1: be the best opportunity again for a safe and successful

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Speaker 1: spring training. UM. It was a few years ago. UH

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Speaker 1: that's that spring training started to UM. Opening day was

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Speaker 1: earlier than ever before. UM. With changes with MLB, we

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Speaker 1: we're now starting in the third early fourth week of

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Speaker 1: February as opposed to the first week in March. UM,

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Speaker 1: and spring training actually hits later in the season a

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Speaker 1: typical season than it has historically. So I don't you know,

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Speaker 1: I think there's a tremendous opportunity still to really UM

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Speaker 1: if it were to be moved, for us to still

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Speaker 1: be able to UM appeal to all of the spring

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Speaker 1: break travelers. And that's when the influx really happens. The

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Speaker 1: first week to ten days of spring training historically, especially

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Speaker 1: with an earlier start, has been our biggest challenge because

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Speaker 1: that's mostly local folks, and UM, you know, we kind

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Speaker 1: of take it for granted. People notice there's traffic and

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Speaker 1: those stadiums are full, and oh gosh, spring training has started. UM.

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Speaker 1: It's usually early March, mid March when our attendance numbers

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Speaker 1: really start to uh increase and pick up through to

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Speaker 1: the end of the season. Well, we really really appreciate

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Speaker 1: you spending some time, as we said, a very timely

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Speaker 1: conversation with Bridget Binsbacker, executive director for the Cactus League.

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Speaker 1: Best of luck to you. We all want baseball back,

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Speaker 1: but we wanted safely and looking forward to something resembling

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Speaker 1: getting toward a normal season before too long. So we

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Speaker 1: really appreciate your time. Thanks Bridget, Thank you. I appreciate

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Speaker 1: the opportunity to be here and visit with you this morning.

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Speaker 1: This is the Bloomberg Business of Sports podcast on Michael Bar.

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Speaker 1: You can follow me on Twitter at Big Bar Sports

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Speaker 1: and I'm Mike Lynch. You can follow me at Lynch

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Speaker 1: e w CVB, and I'm Jason Kelly. Follow me at

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Speaker 1: Jason Kelly News. We're here each and every Monday, Wednesday

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Speaker 1: and Thursday exploring the world of money in sports. Join

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Speaker 1: this again. At the end of the week, we're going

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Speaker 1: to catch up with Rob Higgins. He's the executive director

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Speaker 1: of the Tampa Bay Sports Commission. They've got kind of

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Speaker 1: a big game coming up this weekend, but maybe not

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Speaker 1: exactly the sort of weekend they were hoping for when

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Speaker 1: they were awarded, but they got the home team playing.

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Speaker 1: Tom Brady heard of him, by the way, Lynchy, you

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Speaker 1: made the crack about shoveling snow and it went from

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Speaker 1: a snow gloat to Yukon and the North thound. Uh.

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