127 0 All The Olde English Ds^1371 Sports Business - The Boys Of Spring 3/01/06, 10:00am An interesting article on the business side of spring training only a true Baseball Geek will enjoy. excerpt: The emphasis on spring-training marketing coincided with the widening of the revenue and payroll disparities that began plaguing the industry in the mid-1990s. While small-market clubs can't compete with big-market teams for regular-season television money, spring training is a chance for a more equal playing field. The Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers both drew over 100,000 fans last spring--not far off the New York Yankees' and Atlanta Braves' totals. "Teams are viewing spring training as a profit center rather than a cost center, to the point where it's becoming common to negotiate better stadium terms [with local governments]. It's become a microcosm of the larger industry," says sports business consultant David Carter. [The Olde English Ds from Whitmore Lake/MI] Replies: