Two professional sports projects in San Diego County are among the construction projects likely to be curtailed by Thursday’s court decision upholding the Legislature’s move to abolish local redevelopment agencies and shift the money to the state government.

Without redevelopment funding, a plan for a 9000-seat baseball stadium in Escondido to lure a minor league team appears doomed. City officials had tentatively earmarked $50 million in redevelopment funds to build a venue for a San Diego Padres farm team now playing in Tucson.

Padres principal owner Jeff Moorad purchased the Portland Beavers and moved the team to Tucson for the 2011 season, with the goal of moving the team to Escondido once a park was built. If the Escondido move is not possible, Moorad has said he will probably sell the Tucson Padres.

In San Diego, the court decision ends any thought of using redevelopment funds to build a downtown football stadium for the San Diego Chargers to replace Qualcomm Stadium and keep the team from moving somewhere, like Los Angeles.

Without redevelopment funds, the city would be more dependent on bond funding or have to design a project in which a stadium is only part of an entertainment complex. Mayor Jerry Sanders has promised to unveil a financing plan by the end of March, with a public vote to follow.

The Chargers have floated the idea of a project that includes an expansion of the waterfront convention center and a new stadium nearby — although that project has critics.

“We never believed redevelopment money would be available once the Legislature and governor acted last year,” said Chargers spokesman Mark Fabiani. “Even had the court today ruled the other way, we felt the governor and Legislature would just have found some other way to get at the money. Hence our combined stadium-convention center expansion idea.”

–Tony Perry in San Diego

Photo: Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego. Credit: Gregory Bull / Associated Press

 

Posted at: 12/27/2011 7:05 PM

By: Liz Lastra, KOB Eyewitness News 4

Two pro baseball players are in Farmington this week teaching pitching techniques to local kids.

Jason Ray with the San Diego Padres and Eddie Carl with the Kansas City Royals are teaching a one-hour pitching clinic Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at San Juan College.

The class is for anyone ages 10 and up with all levels of experience.

“We just try to teach them the proper ways to pitch so that way when you are pitching you can always fall back on the mechanics because that’s the most important part rather than getting frustrated with yourself,” Ray said.

The clinic is $100 for two days or $40 for the last day.

Contact the Health and Human Performance Center at San Juan College to sign up.

The biggest trade of baseball’s offseason thus far sent the San
Diego Padres’ best pitcher away to the Cincinnati Reds one week
ago, delivering in return prospects and a reclamation project of a
starter.

The trade brings the Tucson Padres an everyday catcher and might
signal the trade of their most popular player. 

Here’s a hot stove look at how the deal shapes the Triple-A
club:

A new backstop. The trade of San Diego ace Mat Latos netted 2008
All-Star starting pitcher Edinson Volquez and three prospects:
first baseman Yonder Alonso, catcher Yasmani Grandal and reliever
Brad Boxberger.

Volquez and Alonso will certainly start the season in San Diego,
while Boxberger could pitch out of the big club’s bullpen. 

Read more about the Padres in Saturday’s Arizona Daily Star.

Carlos Beltran and the World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals
agreed to a two-year contract pending results of a physical, a move
that would fortify the team’s lineup following the departure of
Albert Pujols.

The team disclosed the agreement Thursday night and said it
expects to make a formal announcement shortly after the
holidays.

KMOX, the Cardinals’ flagship radio station, reported the deal
is for $26 million over two years _ the same figure cited by a
person familiar with the negotiations who spoke to The Associated
Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because financial
details of the agreement were not announced by the team.

The 34-year-old Beltran batted .300 with 22 home runs, 84 RBIs
and a .385 on-base percentage for the New York Mets and San
Francisco Giants this year. He likely will be the opening-day right
fielder for the Cardinals next season. Lance Berkman is expected to
move to first base, taking Pujols’ spot.

Beltran and Berkman are switch-hitters, giving new manager Mike
Matheny lineup flexibility.

Earlier this month, St. Louis re-signed shortstop Rafael Furcal
to a two-year, $14 million contract and added left-handed reliever
J.C. Romero with a one-year, $750,000 deal. The Cardinals appear to
need only a few spare parts to finalize the roster.

After Pujols signed a $254 million, 10-year contract with the
Los Angeles Angels, Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. said he
expected his team’s payroll to perhaps exceed this year’s total of
$110 million.

Allen Craig, coming off an impressive postseason, gives the
Cardinals another strong option in the outfield but will miss at
least the first month of the season while recovering from knee
surgery.

A six-time All-Star, Beltran began his career with the
cross-state Royals in 1998, three years after Kansas City drafted
him in the second round. The switch-hitter has a .283 career
batting average with 302 home runs and 1,146 RBIs.

“Beltran is a proven outfielder who obviously has been a tough
opponent against the Cardinals for many years,” St. Louis general
manager John Mozeliak said in a statement. “It is going to be nice
to have his bat and competitive nature working for us instead of on
the other side of the field for the next couple of years.”

Beltran faced the Cardinals in a pair of NL championship series,
in 2004 with Houston and 2006 with the Mets. St. Louis won both
series despite several big hits by Beltran.

With a chance to put the Mets in the World Series, however, he
struck out looking to end Game 7 of the 2006 NLCS against Cardinals
right-hander Adam Wainwright.

___

AP Sports Writer Ronald Blum contributed to this report.

BASEBALL

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Texas Rangers have acquired catcher Luis Martinez from the San Diego Padres for minor league pitcher Ryan Kelly.

Martinez batted .203 (12 for 59) in 22 games for San Diego with one homer and 10 RBIs. He homered for his first big league hit on July 27 against Arizona. A 12th round draft pick in 2007, Martinez hit .323 at Triple-A Tucson in 58 games. He had one home run and 28 RBIs.

The Rangers added Martinez to the 40-man roster on Wednesday.

Kelly was 3-6 with a 3.95 ERA and nine saves in 40 appearances for Class-A Myrtle Beach last season. The 26-year-old right-hander will be assigned to Double-A San Antonio.

OTHER DEVELOPMENTS

Briefly: The Indians have agreed to a minor league contract with versatile free-agent infielder Andy LaRoche and invited him to spring training. He’ll have a chance to win the club’s utility infield job. … The Milwaukee Brewers have signed infielder Cesar Izturis and left-hander Juan Perez to minor-league contracts with invitations to spring training. The Brewers also invited catcher Anderson De La Rosa, left-hander Jed Bradley and right-hander Taylor Jungmann to spring training. … The Kansas City Royals have signed reliever Jose Mijares to a 1-year contract, giving manager Ned Yost another left-handed option late in games. The team announced the deal Wednesday. Terms were not disclosed.

A person familiar with the situation says the Chicago Cubs and outfielder Reed Johnson are closing in on a one-year contract. The Associated Press reported Johnson will be signed pending a physical. … … Creditors of the Los Angeles Dodgers are joining the team in urging a federal district judge not to halt implementation of a bankruptcy court order authorizing the Dodgers to begin a process for selling television rights to future games. In a filing Wednesday, the committee said there’s no guarantee that a sale of the team without the TV rights will result in Dodgers creditors being paid in full.

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Texas Rangers have acquired catcher Luis Martinez from the San Diego Padres for minor league pitcher Ryan Kelly.

Martinez batted .203 (12 for 59) in 22 games for San Diego with one homer and 10 RBI. He homered for his first big league hit on July 27 against Arizona. A 12th round draft pick in 2007, Martinez hit .323 at Triple-A Tuscon in 58 games. He had one home run and 28 RBI.

The Rangers added Martinez to the 40-man roster on Wednesday.

Kelly was 3-6 with a 3.95 ERA and nine saves in 40 appearances for Class-A Myrtle Beach last season. The 26-year-old right-hander was drafted by the Pirates in the 26th round in 2006.

Kelly will be assigned to Double-A San Antonio.