SURPRISE, Ariz. (AP) — The Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals reached an agreement Friday with city officials to move their spring training facilities to Arizona in 2003.
The Surprise City Council still must approve the deal, which calls for the building of a new stadium in the Phoenix suburb.
The teams had said as early as last year that they would move their spring training sites from Florida to Surprise if the city built a site.
That was assured in November when voters in Maricopa County approved an increase in hotel and rental car taxes to fund construction of a new stadium for the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals and other sports projects.
Two-thirds of the money for the baseball stadium will come from the tax hike and one-third from the city.
The Rangers exercised a one-year option to remain in Port Charlotte, Fla., for one more year. Texas has trained in Port Charlotte since 1987.
The Royals have trained in Haines City, Fla., since 1988.
