May 22, 2025 - Sports

Arizona leader warns Diamondbacks could be poached by Utah

Kim Bojórquez

Arizona Diamondbacks team mascot Baxter the Bobcat wanders the empty stadium. — Arizona Diamondbacks team mascot Baxter the Bobcat. Photo: Ralph Freso/Getty Images

Last year, Utah swiped a professional sports team from Arizona. Now, there's concern from our southern neighbor that it could happen again.

State of play: Arizona Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Danny Seiden appeared on the "The Mike Broomhead Show" this week to discuss legislative negotiations over a bill that would take sales tax money generated by the Arizona Diamondbacks and use it for ballpark renovations.

What he said: "If we are not careful, we are going to see the Arizona Diamondbacks become the Utah Pika or whatever awful animal they will change it to," said Seiden, who supports the legislation.

"They took our Coyotes and turned it into the Mastodon, Elephant or something. It is something terrible, I don't even want to say it. It hurts my heart. Some Utah nonsense," he said of Arizona's former NHL team, now called the Utah Mammoth. "We can't allow that to happen to the D-backs."

Context: Gail Miller and The Larry H. Miller Company, owners of the Salt Lake Bees and former owners of the Utah Jazz, launched a campaign in 2023 to attract an MLB expansion team, with plans to build a brand new stadium in Salt Lake City.

The Salt Lake Bees recently moved from Salt Lake City to a new stadium in Daybreak.

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Arizona leader warns Diamondbacks could be poached by Utah

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