Arizona Republic from Phoenix, Arizona • Page 412

2., 21 Z17 MIDWEEK DECEMBER 29, 2010 Old Compadre Stadium left the Brewers a lot to desire By John Plaschko Regarding "City official explains why Chandler let the Brewers walk," Dec. 3, there is more to the story than MY TURN) displayed by Christine Mackay, Chandler's economic-development director. Chandler authorities did not have anything to do with the Milwaukee Brewers moving to Chandler or the building of the facility known as Compadre Stadium. A limited partnership, which included Dwight Patterson, father of the Cactus League, and Jim Patterson, former mayor of Chandler, and others, decided to build a baseball stadium and then offer it to the Brewers on land owned by Jack Bogle and called it Compadre Stadium. The stadium tenance.

Chandler said no. Then real-estate magnate John F. Long offered land he owned at Slst Avenue and Indian School Road, and the $11 million was spent on Maryvale Baseball Park, which is a super baseball park and facility for both minor- and major-league baseball players. Phoenix maintains the entire complex, and the Brewers have a facility that is unbelievable compared to the former site at Compadre Stadium. Chandler's loss was Mary-vale's gain.

Chandler did gain as it now has an expansive park system with the addition of Snedigar Park and all it offers. John Plaschko worked for the Milwaukee Brewers from 1988 to 2008 when the team played in Chandler and Phoenix. He lives in Sun Lakes. none in the Cactus League, as was the spectator part But each dugout had a portable toilet, which caused an undesirable stench. The players, both home and visitors, had to go through or next to the stands to get to the locker rooms.

The visitors locker room was also the weight room for the Brewers, which caused considerable problems, as you can imagine. The' umpires room was inside the visitors locker room, and the umpires shared the showers with the visiting team, regulation, to say the least When the Brewers took their showers after the game, the water ran into the hallway. The training room allowed only one or two players inside at a time. Office space was cramped. Locker and floor space was inadequate, which made it difficult to have daily team meetings.

Laundry-room space was not there. Drying uniforms meant hanging clothes on hangers on pipes in the Brewers clubhouse and hoping they'd be dry by the next day. The Brewers asked for improvements, and the stadium commission offered $11 million for a new stadium; the Brewers studied plans for two years. In addition, the stadium commission wanted to know who would maintain the new stadium before it would release the $11 million to complete the project. The annual estimated cost to maintain the stadium was approximately $200,000, which Chandler could use during the period when the Brewers were not there.

Rental use by others could have paid for the main CHERYL EVANSTHE ARIZONA REPUBLIC The Brewers play the Diamondbacks in Maryvale. was built without input from any major league. All without any input of financial help from Chandler. The Compadre group was to manage the new stadium. The playing field at Compadre Stadium was second to Live Pain Free INSTANT RELIEF WITH LASER THERAPY! Herniated And Bulged Discs Arthritis Spinal Stenosis Failed Back Surgery Accident InjuriesWhiplash Neuropathy Corrective SPINE and DISC SJ': ''S Lasers Proven to Heal Injuries! Sl Be one of the first 25 callers for 2 FREE TREATMENTS vr 'SWP GOODNIGHT 7 Lasers are proven by NASA to heal Sl.EliP WKLLNTSS CENTl tissue damage.

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