Campaigns in full swing to lure franchise

Red Sox pitchers get loose before Game 6 against Tampa Bay with a jog in the outfield during batting practice. (Jim Davis/Globe Staff)

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Red Sox officials Larry Lucchino and Mike Dee will meet tomorrow with representatives from Sarasota, Fla., to continue negotiations for a deal that could move the team's spring training operations from Fort Myers to Sarasota, according to Sarasota county commissioner Joe Barbetta.

After a tumultuous week in which the city announced negotiations with the Red Sox had ended without a deal and then decided to reopen them, Barbetta believes the Red Sox still have a strong chance of ending up in Sarasota.

"I think if markets stabilize and don't get worse, there's still a 60-70 percent chance that we can still put this deal together," Barbetta said. "The business community is now coming alive, and there is support. I honestly think the Red Sox would like to be here if we can make the deal work."

Sarasota has set an Oct. 29 deadline to make a deal, Barbetta said. Talks between Sarasota's negotiators and the Red Sox fell apart briefly early last week.

When the collapse of the credit market devalued bonds held by Sarasota, it contributed to leaving the Red Sox and Sarasota roughly $15 million apart, Barbetta said. Sarasota negotiators Monday night gave the Red Sox a final offer Lucchino and Dee said they could not accept.

City officials informed the Red Sox they wanted to put out a press release Tuesday morning declaring negotiations dead and asked the Red Sox if they would sign off on it, Barbetta said. Lucchino told the city to hold off, on the release and that the Red Sox would sign off on it only if the city declared the negotiations had been "temporarily suspended," Barbetta said.

On Tuesday morning, Sarasota released a statement saying talks had been cut off for good. County officials and commissioners met in Sarasota to discuss reactivating talks. Meanwhile, the Baltimore Orioles contacted Sarasota to express interest in moving from Fort Lauderdale to Sarasota for spring training, Barbetta said.

Ultimately, after 90 minutes of "pretty intense discussion," Sarasota decided it would reopen talks with the Red Sox.

"It was a rather tumultuous day," Barbetta said.

The Red Sox have also been in communication with Lee County regarding their current home spring training home, Barbetta said. Fort Myers has hosted the Red Sox for 16 years.

"We continue to explore any and all options," Dee said. "Those discussions continue with the goal of addressing all long-term concerns for our players and fans."

The Fort Myers community has responded to Sarasota's push to become the new home of the Red Sox with an outpouring of support to keep them in Lee County. A local television station started a campaign, and The Globe has received 472 letters from people hoping to keep them in Fort Myers. A sampling:

From: Jack Wasik, Naples, Fla.: "This has to do with loyalty. Fort Myers bent over backwards to accommodate the Red Sox and will still do so in order to keep the team in Fort Myers. I understand the reasons for the move but sometimes it's not about money but the consideration of hard-working people depending on their livelihoods. What happened to working together so each can be happy?"

From: Wilfre Ouellette, Cape Coral, Fla.: "As a former resident of Maine, I and our immediate and extended family are lifelong Red Sox fans. Having worked at the JFK Building in Boston gave me an opportunity to see a number of games at the famous Fenway Park. As new Florida residents, we take in as many games as we can at City of Palms Park in Fort Myers. Please don't leave!"

From: Eva Knight, North Fort Myers, Fla.: "I have been a Red Sox baseball fan all of my life. I was born in Medford, Mass., and grew up in Arlington, Mass. My parents retired and went to New Hampshire and I lived there for 33 years - only 1 1/2 hours from Fenway! One of the reasons we chose the Fort Myers area to retire was so we could be near the Red Sox during spring training. Please don't leave us!

From: Anne Senich, Fort Myers, Fla.: "Please don't leave Fort Myers. We have had season tickets since you started here in Fort Myers. I have come to love the team and would miss them if they left. My husband had cardiac arrest at a game and has a get-well card from the team. It hangs on our wall in a frame. Please don't leave here!

From: Bob Shuffer, Fort Myers, Fla.: "A longtime Boston-area resident, I now reside in Fort Myers. I loved the Sox in Boston and enjoy the spring in Fort Myers with the Sox more. Please give Fort Myers an equal opportunity in your decision making. We have a far better airport with easy access and certainly provide great support for a great team."

Tony Massarrotti of the Globe staff contributed to this report.