Senior Baseball League Plans Expansion

PHOENIX — The Senior Professional Baseball Assn., which launched play this year with eight teams in Florida, plans to expand into Arizona and California, the league president said.

“It’s up in the air as to when. I don’t think it’s up in the air as to whether,” league President Rick Horrow said Tuesday.

“This is a really neat opportunity,” he said. “I personally think Arizona is a golden opportunity, and I’ve prevailed on these owners to expand as quickly as they can. A key will be if the corporate investors and political and business interests are there.”

The league’s teams began a 72-game schedule three weeks ago. Teams are based in St. Petersburg, Orlando, Winter Haven, Bradenton, West Palm Beach, Ft. Myers, Pompano Beach and St. Lucie.

Team owners have voted to authorize Horrow to take expansion applications, and Horrow said the league envisions creation of a western division in Arizona and Southern California.

Several of the teams could be in the Phoenix area, with Tucson and Yuma also possible, he said. Palm Springs and other cities in Southern California also would be considered.

Although the league got off to a slow start in attendance and cable TV ratings, Horrow said the owners are prepared for first-year losses and expect to turn a profit after a couple of years because the league has three-year commitments in television, merchandising and licensing rights.