Arizona Tribune - Orlando Dreamers Announce Addition of MLB All-Star Johnny Damon as MLB Strategic Advisor

ORLANDO, FLORIDA / ACCESS Newswire / December 30, 2025 / The Orlando City Baseball Dreamers ("Orlando Dreamers" or the "Dreamers") announced today that former Major League Baseball All-Star and Orlando native Johnny Damon has committed to substantive involvement in the initiative to bring MLB to Orlando by formally joining the Dreamers as an MLB Strategic Advisor. In his expanded role with the effort, Damon will be actively involved in community and fan engagement as well as advising on baseball-related strategies as the Dreamers move their effort into the next phase of progress in 2026. Major League Baseball Hall-of-Famer Barry Larkin, the MLB Ambassador for the Dreamers, welcomed the news, "We are thrilled to have Johnny expand his role in helping us bring Major League Baseball to Orange County and Central Florida. He will be a major asset to our group with his tremendous ties to the Orlando area as well as his knowledge and passion for baseball. Johnny's engaging personality makes him the perfect fit for this critical, expanded role."

Larkin further commented that the timing of Damon's further strategic involvement is ideal. "We have had positive visibility in recent weeks from our participation in the Orlando Winter Baseball Meetings. In addition to Florida gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds tweeting his support for having Major League Baseball in Orlando, MLB super-agent Scott Boras also publicly endorsed Orlando as a highly deserving location for an MLB franchise. We are entering 2026 with extremely positive momentum, and having Johnny onboard in a more strategic role will be very additive as we move forward," he said.

Jim Schnorf, co-founder of the Orlando Dreamers who has been coordinating the team acquisition and stadium funding, elaborated on Larkin's statements. "Having Johnny's substantive involvement as we progress into our next level of actions will be of monumental value. Fans young and old remember the highlights of his storied career. He has always been immensely popular and will continue be a fan favorite, which makes him the perfect choice for this expanded role," Schnorf said.

Schnorf further stated, "We had over 15,000 local fans immediately express interest in season tickets when we announced our intentions of pursuing an MLB franchise for the area. This response was generated from only a public announcement and a rudimentary website-no marketing, no social media. In early 2026, we will be ramping up local community engagement efforts and having Johnny Damon's strategic assistance will be invaluable as we plan to greatly increase our visibility. With the significant progress already made, Orlando is the only ready solution for any MLB situation in need, whether via relocation of an existing franchise or one of the planned expansion slots."

Damon, a two-time World Series champion, emphasized his excitement regarding his confirmation of the expanded role with the Dreamers. "I am incredibly excited to be part of the effort to bring Major League Baseball to Orlando, where I have spent most of my life and raised my family. Being able to play a strategic role in helping obtain an MLB franchise for the area is a dream come true. I look forward to doing my part to make this dream become a reality."

Orlando is experiencing a surge in tourism, including meaningfully increased travel resulting from the recent opening of the Epic Universe theme park located a short distance from the Dreamers' proposed stadium site. The Orlando metro area is the most-visited destination in North America and is the #15 media market in the country, having passed Miami, Denver, and Minneapolis-St. Paul in recent years. It is anticipated that Orlando will pass Detroit in the near future to become the #14 media market, the largest without an MLB team. Orlando will receive almost 80 million tourists this year, and revenues from the Tourist Development Tax again set an all-time record for the fiscal year just ended at approximately $385 million dollars.

The Orlando Dreamers previously reported that based on an independent study completed in 2023, bringing Major League Baseball to Orlando and playing in the planned domed stadium located on the 35.5 acre parcel adjacent to SeaWorld and the Orange County Convention Center will yield approximately 25,000 permanent jobs and create in excess of $40 billion dollars in economic impact to Orange County over 30 years. In addition, the study concluded that the MLB initiative would generate an additional $26 million annually in Tourist Development Taxes.

About Orlando City Baseball Dreamers, LLC

Orlando City Baseball Dreamers, LLC was established to bring Major League Baseball to Orlando and Central Florida. Updates can be found at www.orlandodreamers.com.

Contact:

Dave Gentry
RedChip Companies
1-800-733-2447
[email protected]

SOURCE: Orlando City Baseball Dreamers, LLC

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

Ch.Campbell--AT