Orlando Dreamers' Push to Bring MLB to Central Florida Continues After Founder Pat Williams' Passing
The inspirational Founder spearheaded the effort to bring Major League Baseball to Orlando, advancing the process to the final stages
The Orlando Dreamers' leadership team, in conjunction with the Williams' family, announce that the MLB initiative will continue; Pat's dream remains alive
ORLANDO, FL / ACCESSWIRE / August 1, 2024 / The Orlando City Baseball Dreamers, LLC (Orlando Dreamers) announced that the effort to bring Major League Baseball to Orlando will continue, despite the passing of Founder Pat Williams on July 17 at the age of 84, following a short illness. The sports icon, who was instrumental in bringing professional sports to Orlando, had an unparalleled career spanning over 50 years in the NBA and MLB. He was recognized as one of the 50 most influential people in the history of the NBA before retiring from the Orlando Magic in 2019. After his retirement, he launched the initiative to bring Major League Baseball to Orlando.
According to Jim Schnorf, Co-Founder of the Orlando Dreamers, who is handling all the financing and ownership structuring of the prospective MLB team and stadium, "Pat was instrumental in advancing our process to bring MLB to Orlando to the final phase where we are today. His vision and knowledge across so many aspects, including stadium location and design amenities, have enabled Orlando to present the most compelling case as the next location for Major League Baseball. We are heartbroken by the loss of our friend and visionary, and it is in his honor that we work to make his dream a reality."
The Dreamers recently commissioned RedChip Companies to validate a comparative analysis of the cities that have been identified as potential candidates for an MLB franchise and release the results. Eleven attributes deemed critical to the success of an MLB franchise were analyzed, with data drawn from various independent sources. Orlando ranked first in nine of the eleven categories and finished second in the other two.
Andy Herdliska, the longtime confidant of Williams, who is responsible for sales, marketing, and sponsorship for the Dreamers, emphasized that Pat envisioned "passing the torch" upon completing all the steps under his area of responsibility. "There were certain aspects of our process for which only Pat had the capability to conceptualize and get key third parties to embrace and buy into his vision. He succeeded with flying colors in accomplishing those objectives. Pat's plan all along was to be the catalyst in moving the initiative to the point where the rest of the leadership team and the ownership group could successfully execute the playing of Major League Baseball in Orlando for many years into the future. Without his vision and leadership in getting us this far along in the process, it would have been difficult to continue our MLB initiative in his absence."
Williams' wife, Ruth, and her children indicated that bringing a second professional sports team to Orlando was his "final dream", on which he focused over the last five years. "Pat was very enthusiastic about bringing Major League Baseball to the area, and he derived great enjoyment from being a key participant in the process. The family is so pleased to see the effort continue so that Pat's dream can be realized", the Williams family stated.
Schnorf further noted that the MLB expansion process could be re-ignited shortly. The St. Petersburg city council approved significant financing for a new Rays' baseball stadium on July 18. Pinellas County voted on July 30 to provide additional stadium funding. Uncertainty regarding the Rays' stadium situation has been the primary impediment to Major League Baseball formally initiating the expansion process.
The Orlando Dreamers previously reported an independent study completed in 2023 indicated that bringing MLB to Orlando, with games played in the planned domed stadium located on the 35.5 acre parcel adjacent to SeaWorld and the Orange County Convention Center, would create approximately 25,000 permanent jobs and generate over $40 billion in economic impact for Orange County over 30 years.
About Orlando city Baseball Dreamers, LLC
Orlando City Baseball Dreamers, LLC was established to bring Major League Baseball to Orlando and Central Florida. Updates can be found at www.orlandodreamers.com.
Contact:
Dave Gentry
RedChip Companies
1-800-733-2447
dreamers@redchip.com
SOURCE: Orlando City Baseball Dreamers, LLC