The Diamondbacks want you to pester lawmakers for stadium upgrades

A bill in the Arizona legislature to fund improvements to Chase Field — and to keep the Diamondbacks in Arizona long-term — is on its last legs. And now, the Diamondbacks are asking fans to help resuscitate it.

Friday morning, Diamondbacks season ticket holders received an email from team president and CEO Derrick Hall with the subject line: "Help Us Keep the D-backs in Arizona." In it, Hall thanked fans who have reached out about how to support House Bill 2704, which would capture some sales and income tax revenue to pay for major stadium upgrades. Noting there "is absolutely no pressure," he also gently nudged other fans to take up the cause.

Hall's email directs fans to an advocacy site called KeepAZMajorLeague.com, which says it is the joint effort of several local and state entities, including the Arizona Chamber of Commerce, the Arizona Lodging & Tourism Association and the Phoenix Community Alliance. The site contains talking points about the bill and includes a form through which people can contact state lawmakers. Website data shows the site was created on March 5, just as HB 2704 was transmitted to the Arizona Senate.

It's not clear if the Diamondbacks have official involvement with the site; a Diamondbacks spokesperson told Phoenix New Times he would look into the question of the team's involvement but has not yet provided an answer. As for the email to season ticket holders, Hall said in a statement provided by the team:

"The Arizona Diamondbacks are proud to be part of this community, and we're incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support from our fans around HB 2704. They continue to ask us how they can help in the process, so we have provided a means that is free of pressure and volunteer in nature."

At least one longtime season ticket holder, who asked to remain anonymous, was taken aback by the email, however. "I've never been asked to lobby my state legislators for the D-backs in 12 years as a season ticket holder," he wrote in a message.

Stalled momentum

Hall's email comes after more than a month of radio silence about the stadium bill. In early May, though, the future of the Diamondbacks in Arizona was a hot topic.

In its initial iteration, HB 2704 would have diverted some tax revenue to fund improvements to Chase Field, the stadium the team has called home since 1998. The Diamondbacks promoted the bill, which would capture sales tax from ballpark sales and state income tax from team employees and deposit that money into a stadium fund, as a fair solution for improving the aging ballpark. In addition, the Diamondbacks promised to spend $250 of their own money on upgrades.

Sponsored by Republican state Rep. Jeff Weninger, the bill passed the Arizona House of Representatives in February, but then hit the skids. Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego called the bill a boondoggle, noting that the tax revenue diverted to stadium improvements would have otherwise gone toward other city services. Maricopa County, which owns the stadium, objected to changes Weninger made that put the county on the hook for funding some improvements.

In early May, Gov. Katie Hobbs held a stakeholders meeting so the county, city, team and state lawmakers could hash out a compromise. On June 4, Gallego told KTAR that progress was being made and the bill was getting closer to "fiscally responsible.'' But little else has been heard about the bill since. In the Arizona Senate, the bill stalled at the committee hearing phase. Now the legislature has its hands full trying to pass a budget, and the time for pushing the stadium bill over the finish line is running out.

Hall's email told fans that "the legislature will be voting on this important legislation in the next 10 days," though it's not clear if that will happen. New Times contacted Weninger and the offices of Gallego and Hobbs to ask about its status but has not heard back. Maricopa County spokesperson Jason Berry said, "I don't have much of an update on where legislation stands right now other than to tell you that the County is part of a stakeholder group providing input to try to reach a final version."

Time is running out to pass the bill, at least in this legislative session. The session is set to end June 30, and lawmakers and the governor are currently knee-deep in complicated, often clandestine budget negotiations. That doesn't make passing the stadium bill impossible, but the bill would appear to be trailing in the ninth inning.

Don’t make us leave

To breathe some life into the effort, the Diamondbacks and other organizations backing the bill don't mind a little fearmongering about the team's future in the state. The FAQ section of the KeepAZMajorLeague website includes an answer to the question: "Is it really possible that the Diamondbacks could leave Arizona?"

"The Arizona Diamondbacks have consistently said that they don’t plan to leave Arizona and that they would prefer to stay at an upgraded Chase Field," the site says in response. "However, we know from experience, seeing the Coyotes moving to Utah, that these things can happen. Other cities and states are attempting to lure MLB teams away by offering significant funding packages to build new stadiums. Just last year, the Utah Legislature approved $900 million to build a new stadium for an MLB team they don’t yet have."

The site also says HB 2704 entices the team to stay for the full 30-year term of the bill's tax capture arrangement because the bill forces the team to "pay a significant penalty" if it leaves early. In the high-priced world of professional baseball, though, those costs aren't all that costly.

The latest version of the bill would assess a $10 million penalty if the team leaves before the 2035 season is complete. The penalty drops to $5 million if the departure comes before the end of the 2045 season and just $1 million if before the end of the 2050 campaign. Even at its priciest threshold, $10 million is roughly the salary of two mid-tier free-agent relief pitchers. If the Diamondbacks are convinced that their fortunes are best served elsewhere — Utah, maybe? — that penalty doesn't seem likely to deter them.

In his email to season ticket holders, Hall cast the vote on the bill (if there is one) as existential:

"Chase Field and the Diamondbacks have long been pillars of Arizona’s economic and cultural life, generating jobs, tourism, and shared memories for millions of Arizonans," he wrote. "HB2704 is how we secure that legacy for generations to come.

"We have been working around the clock to get this across the finish line. Now, with your help, we can make it happen. There is definitely urgency, as the vote will take place in a matter of days. You will make a difference."