I
know I wasn’t here for the heyday of the Cincinnati Reds’ stay in Plant City, but I’ve been thinking about that time anyway. Mainly, I’m wondering if we’ll get some form of professional baseball back in town ever again.
The week before last, I sat down with Rhett Rollyson for our latest Learning the Ropes sports career feature and heard stories about his time working with the Cincinnati Reds as an intern. I’ve heard plenty of stories from people who grew up with the Reds playing here and still see the team’s gear around town from time to time, but it’s always cool to hear something new. In this case, insider info and bits about how players have interacted with the community. There’s certainly a lot of nostalgia in town — which is expected for a place that still maintains Pete Rose’s old locker.
Last week, I went to Buffalo, New York on vacation to visit friends and family. May 9 was my first Buffalo Bisons baseball game in many years (seating’s still the same, though) and I had a great time watching the hometown team run over the Rochester Red Wings, 7-0. It was a beautiful 82-degree day and conditions were perfect for an early afternoon game. There was even complimentary sunscreen available for everyone, which is something I think all Florida teams should adopt. The game had a really nice pace with help from the pitch clock and I left feeling like it was the perfect way to spend an afternoon.
I do like going out to Lakeland to catch the occasional Flying Tigers game or Detroit Tigers spring training game. I just wish they were closer to where I live, especially knowing we used to have these things and that the stadium still stands. Whether it’s up for today’s Minor League Baseball experience isn’t my call to make, but driving past the stadium several times a week is a reminder of what was and what could be.
Maybe in the not-so-near future, when Plant City has grown and we’re at or near Hillsborough County’s Imagine 2040 benchmarks, we’ll have baseball again. It makes sense to have that in a spot on the I-4 corridor, not far from the interstate itself. The stadium area’s not exactly walkable at this time, but eventually it could be. And if we ever do end up with an MiLB team, our town’s personality is perfect for branding it. Picture a cartoon strawberry swinging a bat or fielding a hit ball, then tell me that wouldn’t make for an incredible baseball cap. It would feature heavily in my rotation, that’s for sure.
Whatever happens, I’d just love to see pro baseball back in town and give the younger generation its own hometown team to follow. While we’re not quite ready for that in 2018, I do think we’re on the right track for the future.