12/6/2017-FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The Pecos League of Professional Baseball Clubs Contact: Tucson Saguaros Tucson@pecosleague.com 520-909-5600

Tucson Saguaros Moving to Reid Park #5

The Pecos League of Professional Baseball Clubs has announced that the Tucson Saguaros will move from Kino to Reid Park for the 2018 season. This will serve as their primary location for home games Thursday-Friday-Saturday and Sundays. The field was built by the Colorado Rockies in 1993, when the Major League team held Spring Training in Tucson. Field No. 5 will initially have a capacity to accommodate 1,000 fans, which includes room for 300 fans in private chair seating and 700 in the grand stands.

Pointing to the costs involved with playing in Kino, which has a fan capacity exceeding 11,000, Pecos League Commissioner, Andrew Dunn, said, "From the first day we moved to Tucson in 2015 almost all supporters recommended the Saguaros to move to Hi Corbett. Hi Corbett was never an option. Reid #5 was built as a mirror of Hi Corbett. We will have locker rooms for home and away players and the City will be responsible for cleanup. Those were the two biggest issues at Kino. Our agreement didnt allow for use of locker rooms at Kino. Kino was the premier facility in our league in 2016 and was a great place to launch the Saguaros.

In 2017 when we moved into former 2016 California League affliated ballparks (High Desert and Bakersfield) they were much better for our league. We now have several stadiums that are similar for much less cost and much better amenties for the players. Bakersfield and High Desert hosted affliated minor league baseball in 2016 and had locker rooms and full amenities for the players and became the centerpoint for our league.

The cost to play in Kino is more than the other 11 teams combined and playing one game there cost more than most teams lease for the entire season. At the end of the 2017 season, supporters began to question whether we could survive at Kino. Many thought the Saguaros were done in Arizona in general. In August of 2017, Kino publicly released a statement in an attempt to get the Milwaukee Brewers to move Spring Training to Tucson. This move would have included their Arizona Summer League Team which would have displaced the Saguaros. The Saguaros nor the Pecos League were notified of the possibility of the Brewers.

We knew Kino was no longer an option. Reid Park was an outside of the box thought process that will allow baseball to stay in Tucson. We researched every possible angle to try to stay in Tucson and Reid Park is the best option.

JD Droddy, the Saguaros inaugural manager in 2016 and who still serves as a consultant to the league, issued the following statement: "Two things were in play in making this decision: (1) professional baseball is a business and teams must at least be able to break even financially in order to sustain operations in a particular location; and, (2) Tucson is a very special place for the Pecos League, and we wanted to find a way to remain here and bring professional baseball to the fabulous fans who have supported us the past two years. The fact that the City has stepped up to help us is great. The Reid Park option allows us to stay, which from my personal standpoint is fantastic. I love Tucson and the great fans who gave us tremendous support during our record-breaking championship run in 2016, as well as last year. We are going to do everything we can to continue to bring quality professional baseball to the Old Pueblo. The Saguaros are the latest in a string of professional baseball teams to have played in Kino Stadium, but subsequently moved elsewhere. "

Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium is owned by Pima County.

Reid Park is owned by the City of Tucson. The City also formerly operated adjacent Hi Corbett Field; however, effective July 1, 2017, the City no longer operates that facility. The timing of the move was perfect for the Pecos League and the City of Tucson. The City of Tucson lost control adjoining of Hi Corbett Field July 2, 2017 and wanted to have a field that could serve as a championship field for the many tournaments and leagues they host at the Reid Sports Complex.

The agreement between the Saguaros and the City includes locker rooms for both the home and visiting teams, as well as a coachs office. It also provides maintence and cleanup that were major issues of conflict at Kino. The location of the field and the quality of the playing surface will be 2nd to none in Tucson and the Pecos League. Reid Park was the location of professional baseball for over 50 years. The location of Kino Ballpark is the main problem is drawing fans and has always been a problem in Tucson.