Could Minor League Baseball be coming back to Orlando?

An Orlando Businessman announces a partnership with the New York Yankees to explore the possibility of moving the team's minor league affiliate from Tampa to Orlando.

Everyone involved Thursday warned these were the very early stages and is just talk.

But it seems like they have some county support, and even a piece of land right next to SeaWorld's Aquatica. And the county might lease them to build that stadium. 

With Yankees officials and even former player Ken Griffey Sr standing behind him, businessmen Armando Gutierez said he felt a little like Walt Disney.

"Everyone didn't think Walt Disney would do it, and he did it, and everyone doesn't think we will bring baseball here but we are going to do it," Businessman Armando Gutierez.

Gutierrez said he had discussions with more than half the major league franchises and settled on a partnership with the New York Yankees to explore the possibility of bringing a minor league franchise to Orlando.

The team's single-A affiliate in Tampa.

"Obviously, they aren't at their capacity because you've got a major league team in town, so the idea is you move the best brand out there to Central Florida which has no baseball and you are going to be a success," Gutierez said.
 
"After some reviews we think city of Orlando and fans are deserving of having baseball in their town again," said Yankees Chief International Officer Felix Lopez.

Where other franchises failed, they hope to capitalize on tourism, building a stadium and Yankees museum on International drive.

They said the key to success could be the location-- the Orange County Convention Center on the other side of the beachline and all the traffic that leads to the theme parks.

Locals are already looking for feedback.

"This really is the beginning of a community conversation about this. Is this something community wants to do, is this something Yankees want to do? Today starts a broader dialogue," said Orange County mayor Richard Crotty.

Still a lot of questions out there, what they won't talk about are the plans for the stadium, how much it would cost or how many seats it would have.

The mayor said he wants to see architectural drawings soon. What News 13 has been told is taxpayer dollars would not be used.

It could take a while to iron out details, but Gutierrez said he wants the team to open play here in 2013.

The Yankees would keep their spring training site in Tampa.

History of baseball in Orlando

The Orlando Rays were the last Minor League Baseball team to play in the city, at Tinker Field as the class-A affiliate of the then Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

That team moved to Champion Stadium in 2000, before ultimately relocating to Alabama as the Montgomery Biscuits in 2004.

Before the Rays, the team was affiliated with the Chicago Cubs from 1993 to 1996, and the Minnesota Twins from 1973 to 1992.

The Twins used Tinker Field as their spring training home for decades, including part of the team’s history as the Washington Senators, before moving their spring headquarters to Fort Myers in 1991.

Tinker Field was also previously used for spring training by the Cincinnati Reds and Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1920s and ’30s.

 Current spring training headquarters near Orlando

• Lake Buena Vista: Atlanta Braves
• Kissimmee: Houston Astros
• Viera: Washington Nationals
• Lakeland: Detroit Tigers