ドラゴンズ2軍本拠地の誘致が本格化…35自治体が検討　2030年代前半に移転予定　募集条件詳細を公表 (26/05/27 17:24)

Where will the Chunichi Dragons' new minor league home field be? Details of the application requirements were revealed on the 27th. "Today, we are beginning the public recruitment of local governments to relocate the farm team base, in order to further strengthen the player development environment," (Tetsuhiro Kuno, Management Planning Manager, Chunichi Shimbun). The Dragons' minor league base, Nagoya Stadium in Nakagawa Ward, Nagoya City, was scheduled to relocate due to aging facilities, but on the 27th, the application requirements and specific schedule for the relocation site were revealed. "We hope to work with local residents to produce and nurture the next generation of players like Shohei Ohtani from the new farm facility," (Masao Sato, Head of Management Planning, Chunichi Dragons). The concept for the new base is the "Dragons Baseball Town Concept." Three key perspectives for realizing this concept were also announced. The site area will be double the size of the current facility. The first is "the best development environment." The aim is to cultivate future talent through interaction that transcends generations and positions, and to become a top-level development base in the baseball world. The second is to create a "baseball promotion hub" that can raise the overall level of baseball culture in the region. The third is a "sustainable operation model" that works in conjunction with the community. Furthermore, the conditions presented were that the facility should be accessible by public transport within a one-hour drive from Vantelin Dome Nagoya, and have an area of ​​approximately 70,000 to 80,000 square meters to accommodate a total of eight facilities, including a main stadium and sub-stadiums. The site area would be about twice the size of the current facility. "We have an image of the main stadium's seating capacity, around 3,000 to 4,000 seats. Since it's a minor league stadium, we're envisioning something similar in size to Vantelin Dome," (Hiroyoshi Oshima, Director of Financial Affairs, Chunichi Shimbun). With expectations for regional revitalization rising, it seems that various local governments will begin to seriously pursue attracting a minor league baseball base. According to the Chunichi Shimbun, there are 35 municipalities in the Tokai region considering attracting a minor league baseball team base. The preferred negotiating partner will be decided around May 2027. Inuyama City Mayor Yoshinobu Hara of Aichi Prefecture is highly motivated to attract the minor league base. "We were the first in Aichi Prefecture to express interest, so we are ready to enter the competition. We want to seriously pursue this," (Mayor Hara) Inuyama City's strength lies in its brand power as a tourist destination. "The economic zone between Gifu and Aichi has about 1.5 million people. Inuyama receives about 2 million tourists annually. Providing that 'people' is one advantage. Secondly, we have 'history and culture.' We can also offer those stories. Our strength is 'tourism.' We want to combine the tourism experience with our proposal to the Chunichi Dragons," (Mayor Hara) Citizens have also expressed their expectations. "I think attracting them is a good idea. We could go and watch the second team's practice up close. It would be fun if some players from that team made it to the first team." (Inuyama resident) "I really hope they come (to establish a second team base). It would help Inuyama develop, and it would be great for children to be able to watch professional baseball up close." (Inuyama resident) According to the Chunichi Shimbun, 35 cities and towns in the three Tokai prefectures are considering attracting them. However, there are some concerns… Last year, the Chunichi Dragons signed an official partnership agreement with Nagoya Railroad to revitalize the region, and announced plans to launch events such as sponsored games named after the company. Will this have any influence on the selection process? Q: Is there a possibility that municipalities along the Meitetsu line will be given preferential treatment, putting municipalities along the JR line at a disadvantage? (Nanami Nishio, Announcer) "I think this is a separate issue from the relocation itself. The relocation site will ultimately be determined by an overall evaluation." (Masao Sato, General Manager of Management Planning, Chunichi Dragons) Q: "The principle is that the new location should be within one hour's drive from Vantelin Dome, but are there any exceptions?" "The first and second teams travel back and forth, and first-team players may also come to the practice facilities that will be developed. For that reason, it is desirable to be within this timeframe." (Hiroyoshi Oshima, Director of Financial Affairs, Chunichi Shimbun) The team has set the first deadline for public applications as July 17th, and will decide on the preferred negotiating partner around May 2027. They aim to relocate in the ...