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Youth baseball tournaments backed by the Chicago White Sox and Major League Baseball could be worth as much as $46 million a year to the region, an economic-impact study commissioned by the county found.

That's more than four times the economic value of the White Sox spring training season here.

That makes the report good news for the White Sox management, which is pitching the idea of a year-round youth baseball tournament site as an alternative for the team's continuing to train here in the spring.

The White Sox are set to play in a brand-new $100 million stadium in Glendale in 2009, provided the team can get out of its contract with Pima County. That contract says the Sox have to play in Tucson until 2012 unless they can find a replacement team.

The team's proposal is to convert and expand the existing youth and practice fields around Tucson Electric Park to allow for eight lighted, major-league-quality fields that could be used for youth tournaments throughout the year.

The White Sox would pay the estimated $3 million to upgrade the fields and would pay to operate and maintain the site, a cost currently paid by the county.

The White Sox said the facility would tap into the expanding number of highly competitive travel teams. Parents of these young athletes expect to travel to support their children's athletic pursuits and would spend money during their stays at hotels, restaurants and other attractions.

Tucson would be competitive in drawing tournaments by offering year-round play and the experience of playing on a major-league field.

The White Sox also said Major League Baseball is interested in operating a youth academy here.

The county paid for an economic-impact study of the proposal with a state grant. The study used projected attendance numbers provided by the White Sox to estimate a tournament facility would draw more than 99,000 people a year, compared with almost 18,000 who come from out of town to watch the Sox play in the spring.

County Administrator Chuck Huckelberry, who earlier termed the idea of a youth tournament facility to replace the White Sox "probably dead on arrival," was more open to the idea Monday

He said the county needs to look seriously at the proposal because it may be the best opportunity to get something out of the White Sox.

If the county turns down this offer, the Sox could play out their contract and leave without offering any replacement.

But two questions still loom:

● Will the public accept a proposal that may offer more tangible benefits than spring training but lacks the cachet and national profile?

And what happens to spring training in Tucson if it's reduced to two teams?

The Colorado Rockies, who have pushed for significant renovations at Hi Corbett Field and talked with Marana officials about moving there, can break their contract with the city if there isn't a third team.

Arizona Diamondbacks President Derrick Hall said he supports the idea of a youth tournament facility, provided it doesn't interfere with the team's use of Tucson Electric Park during spring training. But to stay in Tucson, the Diamondbacks need teams to draw other Cactus League teams to town, he said.

"We really need more than two teams," Hall said. "Ideally, we need four teams. Maybe this would encourage that because there would be more interest in Tucson."

County officials and Tom Tracy, chairman of the Pima County Sports and Tourism Authority, said letting the White Sox out of their contract doesn't mean the county and the sports authority cannot continue to woo major league teams.

"If we can buy enough time, we can do both. I'd like to think we can do both," Tracy said.

But in a letter to Tracy, Huckelberry said Pima County was at a competitive disadvantage when it comes to recruiting major league teams because it will not offer the kinds of tax incentives or stadium amenities available elsewhere.

An effort by the sports authority to get the Legislature to agree to a new tax to fund stadium improvements failed in the last session. Its future is uncertain. If the Legislature were to approve it next year, it still would have to go before voters.

Supervisor Ramón Valadez, whose district includes TEP and who has been involved in discussions with the White Sox, said there is a lot of excitement from parents about the possibility of a high-quality youth baseball site, but he wants to know how the wider community feels.

"Our backs are up against the wall," he said. "There are no teams coming out of the Citrus League (in Florida) until 2014 or 2016. But we need to make sure it's acceptable to our constituencies and to the public."

Huckelberry has asked the sports authority to review the proposal and the economic-impact study closely and come back with a recommendation.

Tracy said the authority will hold one or two public meetings on the proposal before making any recommendation.

On StarNet: You can discuss this story with others at go.azstarnet.com/youthtourney.