ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Major League Baseball’s lockout is a major bummer for Spring Training in the Bay area.

Ball fields are dark, fans are waiting and some local businesses dependent on Spring Training are wondering when they will hear “play ball.”

Baseball’s work stoppage, its first since 1995, began Dec. 2 following the expiration of a five-year labor contract. Training camps will remain shuttered Wednesday, when pitchers and catchers had been scheduled to start workouts for a 2022 season that remains in doubt.

The longer the lockout goes on, the more likely some type of economic impact will be felt, though it remains to be seen how much.

"We are not having a problem filling hotels, having visitors come to the destination,” said Santiago Corrada, President and CEO of Visit Tampa Bay. “But it is something that will be missed because we don't have it, and we you don't have something like that, obviously there's a piece of that tourism puzzle that's missing."

Tourism has been strong in Tampa for months now coming out of the pandemic.

So although the loss of Spring Training in places like Dunedin, Clearwater, Bradenton, Port Charlotte and Tampa is a disappointment, it isn't necessarily a deal breaker for tourism like it would have been in a weaker market.

That's good news overall, but for businesses close to  spring training facilities, these small businesses say they are worried about how long the lock out will go on.

George Pavlakos owns Mom's Place diner down the street from Steinbrenner Field, where the New York Yankees train in Tampa.

"People that work at the parking lots, people that work at the concession stands, people that either sell products at the stadium or near the stadium, the ushers, it really effects everybody in this general area," Pavlakos said.   

So far, there is no end in sight to the lockout.

There was hope for Wednesday as the day pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report would force an agreement. But it has not.

The next big date is at the end of February when full teams would be back in town.

MLB does not intend to publicly acknowledge any delay until it becomes apparent that preseason exhibition games cannot begin as scheduled on Feb. 26.

Opening day is set for March 31, and players don’t start accruing salary until the regular season. Given the need for 21-28 days of training and additional time to report and go through COVID-19 protocols, an agreement by the end of February or early March is needed for an on-time start.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.