Class-A Rangers likely headed to Jupiter

By GLENN MILLER, gmiller@...


The Florida State League is losing one team but may add another for
next year.

The Charlotte Rangers, who play at Charlotte County Stadium, will
vacate the premises at the end of the season Sunday. The Texas
Rangers, who own the Charlotte County team, are moving their spring-
training headquarters to Surprise, Ariz. beginning in 2003.

The St. Louis Cardinals, who currently have Class A teams in the
Carolina and Midwest leagues, have purchased the Charlotte Rangers.

Although nothing is official, the Cardinals will likely move the
franchise to Jupiter, where the team has its spring-training base.

"I think that's what would happen," Charlotte Rangers general manager
Chris Easom said.

With most baseball attention focused this week on the player-owner
negotiations that averted a work stoppage, Cardinals officials
haven't been able to work out details of what they plan to do in the
FSL.

"Quite honestly, at this point we have not been internally informed
on this," said John Mozeliak, the Cardinals' director of baseball
operations. "I don't think I'm going to have our owner's ear."

Mozeliak hopes to know by Tuesday what his organization's plans are
for the Florida State League.

The Cardinals have long ties to the FSL.

Before moving their spring-training base from St. Petersburg to
Jupiter in 1998, the Cards had an FSL franchise in St. Petersburg.

If the Cards move a team to Jupiter, it will share Roger Dean Stadium
with the Jupiter Hammerheads, the Florida Marlins' affiliate in the
league.

The Hammerheads don't know much about any changes.

"Very little," said Rob Rabenecker Jr., the Hammerheads' general
manager.