Potential rendering of Nashville MLB stadium pictured alongsideSan Francisco Giants Manager Tony Vitello who says he can see pro baseball being more permanent in Nashville. (Photos: FOX 17 News)
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — Texas Rangers first baseman Jake Burger is a lot more than just a baseball player. He’s also the father of 1-year-old Penelope who has Down Syndrome. That inspired him to start the Burger Family Foundation raising money and awareness for the cause.
Burger calls Nashville home in the offseason, and he’s not alone. Athletes, country singers and celebrities came together for the first Lucky Classic celebrity softball game at First Horizon Park on Sunday.
Former Tennessee Volunteers baseball coach Tony Vitello was back in town for the event in support of Burger, who he calls a good friend. Vitello is the new manager of the San Francisco Giants. With all of the MLB talent on the “softball” field, we asked the new Giants skipper if he can see these pros being more permanent in Nashville.
“I think for sure.” Vitello tells FOX17 News’ Johnny Maffei. “This is a city that people love to flock to whether its vacationing, or to move here especially the offseason for some of these professional athletes. You’ve got singers where, obviously it’s the heartbeat of the country, so I really feel like it’s the perfect recipe of fall weather in Tennessee, a great city and a lot of people again rallying together to help with a good cause.”
Maffei also caught up with Texas Rangers pitcher Jack Leiter who went to Vanderbilt and still works out on campus in the West End in the offseason. Leiter thinks Nashville deserves a MLB team at some point saying it’s his favorite city and “it would draw good fans and guys would like to play here.”
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Leiter adds a lot of other players spend the offseason in Nashville.
The Nashville Mayor’s Office says a new MLB stadium would need to be privately funded. Reports have Nashville on the shortlist for a MLB team. Whether that’s an expansion team or a relocation situation is not yet confirmed.
FOX 17 News Johnny Maffei has been following this story. He talked to a business site selector who says downtown stadiums are the current trend.
Other stars on the diamond included country singer Tucker Wetmore who is performing at the Country Music Awards this week and told Maffei what The Lucky Classic means to him.
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