Los Angeles Dodgers make it official: Bye-bye, Vero

The Los Angeles Dodgers formally notified Indian River County and Vero Beach on July 10th that they will not be returning to Dodgertown for 2009 spring training.

Craig Callan, vice president of spring training and minor league facilities for the Dodgers, delivered a letter to Indian River County Administrator Joe Baird stating that the Dodgers will terminate their lease on Dodgertown no later than Dec. 31st.

The Dodgers had delayed a formal decision on leaving Vero Beach while monitoring construction of a new spring training stadium in Phoenix to be certain it would be ready by February 2009. The pace of construction there has greatly accelerated in recent weeks.

Baird, who had anticipated the Dodgers would provide the notification prior to Monday since it would have cost them $575,000 to keep options open beyond that date, now can devote his full efforts to trying to bring a replacement team to Vero Beach.

Baird had no news today on negotiations he has been conducting with a team believed to be the Baltimore Orioles, who are viewed as the most likely spring-training prospect.

But even if the Orioles decide to leave Fort Lauderdale and shift spring training to Vero Beach, the high likelihood is that will not occur until 2010 -- and the Dodgertown will stand empty for the first time in more than a half-century in February and March of 2009.