SALT LAKE CITY — In case you haven't heard, there's a chance for Major League Baseball to come to Utah.
In April of 2023, the formation of "Big League Utah" was announced, with the Miller family leading the effort to bring an MLB team to the state.
It was a tremendous moment for several across the state, including Sen. Lincoln Fillmore.
"I just really wanted to be a part of making that happen," he said.
As the state senator representing South Jordan, Fillmore is also a huge baseball fan.
"I think I'm up to 39 ballparks now, so that includes some that are no longer in use, like the Kingdome in Seattle and Candlestick Park in San Francisco. I've been to every currently existing Major League Park except three," he said.
Fillmore also spent nine seasons with the Orem Owlz as their stadium announcer.
"It was just a great gig," he said.
That's why he was proud to be the Senate sponsor of HB 562 in the 2024 General Session, which paved the way for the Power District — a prime piece of land along North Temple that could be developed into a baseball stadium.
"Being able to revitalize that area and turn it into an asset instead of a detriment to our capital city and to our state is really going to be phenomenal," Fillmore said.
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So, why baseball? The simple answer is that Utah loves it.
"Utah has the highest participation in Little League as a ratio among all states in the country," Fillmore said.
Not to mention the greatest baseball movie of all time was filmed right here in the beehive state.
(It's the Sandlot, in case anyone didn't know that already.)
However, there isn't a clear team for residents to root for.
"If you had this formula right, what is the largest city that is also the greatest distance away from any baseball team? It's Salt Lake City. We are encircled by Major League Baseball in Denver, Phoenix, Los Angeles, soon to be Las Vegas, Seattle, and Utah sits at the epicenter of that," Fillmore said.
With all those factors combined, a field is literally sitting empty, waiting for the green light to build a stadium.
So, what's the time frame? Well, there could either be a relocation or an expansion.
"I don't think Utah would be that picky about whether it was an expansion team or a relocated team. We would be open to either one, but I think expansion is probably the more likely scenario," Fillmore said.
For expansion, baseball would likely wait until their current collective bargaining agreement expires in 2028.
"As every time the calendar flips, we get that much closer. I hope that an expansion team will be announced for Salt Lake City in 2028, and that means we can get a team by 2031 or 2032," Fillmore said.
But you won't have to wait that long, as the push has attracted another opportunity.
Down at the ballpark at America First Square, the Salt Lake Bees are currently busy in their first season, and there's another opportunity they are gearing up for.
"I think as part of our broader push through Big League Utah, Salt Lake became kind of a target market of sorts for baseball events," said Ty Wardle, the general manager of the Salt Lake Bees and chief revenue officer for Larry H. Miller Sports and Entertainment.
The event is called the Home Run Derby.
"It's a two-day event that's a fun new product that Major League Baseball is initiating as part of its broader appeal to the game," Wardle said.
Nick Swisher, Manny Ramirez, and Utah native softball star Hannah Flippen are just a few of the names slated to participate.
"Hopefully, they'll hit even more home runs at this elevation here in Salt Lake City," Wardle said.
The goal of bringing baseball to Utah is not only about boosting home runs; at its core, it's about creating another opportunity and experience for Utahns.
"If Major League Baseball wants to expand, we'd love to be at the top of that list if that happens," Wardle said.
So, what can you do to help ensure Utah is at the top of that list? The answer is pretty simple, according to Fillmore.
"For Utahns to help out, take part in all of these events coming to Utah already—go to Jazz games, go to hockey games, go to Bees games, and go to Utah Archers games. Their season is just getting started, so just go out, enjoy it, and show that Utahns turn out for these kinds of events. This would make it an attractive place for a team to be," he said.
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