The Orlando Dreamers have confirmed to WESH 2 that Rick Workman, the founder of Heartland Dental, has committed to be the “anchor investor” of their efforts to bring a Major League Baseball team to Orlando.“We are that confident that Major League Baseball will embrace Rick Workman as anchor investor in our control ownership group,” the Dreamers co-founder Jim Schnorf said Tuesday afternoon.>> Video above is previous coverageAccording to the Heartland Dental website, Dr. Workman founded the company in 1997 “to introduce dentists across the country to the highest quality non-clinical administrative support.” Schnorf had previously told WESH 2 that the anchor investor had ties to Central Florida. Workman is a Windemere homeowner. “(Rick) is an extraordinary businessman,” Schnorf said. “He is incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about baseball and so if you look at the qualities Major League Baseball likes to see in an owner, Rick Workman exemplifies those.”John Morgan, the owner of the nation’s largest injury law firm, also confirmed to WESH 2 that he’s invested in the Dreamers’ MLB push. “I have agreed to invest substantially if they can move the team to Orlando,” Morgan told WESH 2 in a text message late Tuesday evening. “Barry Larkin is driving the train.”Last week, the Dreamers announced they had raised about $2.5 billion toward their pursuit of an MLB franchise: about $1.5 billion toward acquiring a team and another $1 billion toward building a stadium.Barry Larkin is the MLB ambassador for the Dreamers, who is spearheading the efforts. “We are extremely pleased with the recent rapid progress in financing interest towards a prospective MLB team acquisition,” Larkin said in a news release last week. “It is clear that these seasoned investors understand the compelling opportunity represented by our unsurpassed market metrics and proposed state-of-the-art domed stadium, located right in the middle of the Orange County tourist corridor that will welcome approximately 80 million tourists this year.”The Dreamers are also moving forward with plans to add staff and move from interim quarters in the Maitland area to a more permanent office space in downtown Orlando.After the Tampa Bay Rays backed out of the deal to build a new stadium in St. Petersburg, the Orlando Dreamers announced in March they had a potential ownership group and private funding for a ballpark in Orange County.“Is that group prepared to make an offer to Stu Sternberg to buy the Tampa Bay Rays?” WESH 2 asked Schnorf in March.”So that question gets asked a lot,” he said. “Our position has been we are not going to interfere in situations in other cities. What we are going to do is make it visible to everyone that Orlando is prepared to host a team, to acquire a team and relocate it, whatever that path is, Orlando is ready.”The New York Yankees spring training home in Tampa, Steinbrenner Field, is hosting the Rays home games this season after Hurricane Milton ripped apart the roof over Tropicana Field.”I have spoken to the commissioner of baseball, Rob Manfred, and he has given me assurances there is no way they want to leave Florida,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said in March about the Rays future. “They’re committed to it working here because we have the fastest growing state.”Schnorf told WESH 2 in March that if Orlando were to get a Major League Baseball team, it would be through an expansion slot or relocation of another team.MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred hopes to select two cities for expansion teams before he retires from the job in 2029, Schnorf said.Schnorf also said Major League Baseball insists on a public-private partnership to build a new ballpark. An Orange County spokesperson previously told WESH 2 that groups have pitched plans to Mayor Jerry Demings to build a baseball stadium, “but nothing definitive developed from those conversations.”Two years ago, an Orange County citizen advisory task force did not recommend using tourist development tax dollars to build the Dreamers’ proposed 45-thousand seat domed stadium on a 35.5-acre parcel of land near SeaWorld Orlando and the Orange County Convention Center.According to the organization, the stadium project would yield 25,000 permanent jobs and create $40 billion in economic impact to Orange County over 30 years.The Dreamers also say their MLB initiative would generate an additional $26 billion annually in tourist development taxes.

ORLANDO, Fla. —

The Orlando Dreamers have confirmed to WESH 2 that Rick Workman, the founder of Heartland Dental, has committed to be the “anchor investor” of their efforts to bring a Major League Baseball team to Orlando.

“We are that confident that Major League Baseball will embrace Rick Workman as anchor investor in our control ownership group,” the Dreamers co-founder Jim Schnorf said Tuesday afternoon.

>> Video above is previous coverage

According to the Heartland Dental website, Dr. Workman founded the company in 1997 “to introduce dentists across the country to the highest quality non-clinical administrative support.”

Schnorf had previously told WESH 2 that the anchor investor had ties to Central Florida. Workman is a Windemere homeowner.

“(Rick) is an extraordinary businessman,” Schnorf said. “He is incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about baseball and so if you look at the qualities Major League Baseball likes to see in an owner, Rick Workman exemplifies those.”

John Morgan, the owner of the nation’s largest injury law firm, also confirmed to WESH 2 that he’s invested in the Dreamers’ MLB push.

“I have agreed to invest substantially if they can move the team to Orlando,” Morgan told WESH 2 in a text message late Tuesday evening. “Barry Larkin is driving the train.”

Last week, the Dreamers announced they had raised about $2.5 billion toward their pursuit of an MLB franchise: about $1.5 billion toward acquiring a team and another $1 billion toward building a stadium.

Barry Larkin is the MLB ambassador for the Dreamers, who is spearheading the efforts.

“We are extremely pleased with the recent rapid progress in financing interest towards a prospective MLB team acquisition,” Larkin said in a news release last week. “It is clear that these seasoned investors understand the compelling opportunity represented by our unsurpassed market metrics and proposed state-of-the-art domed stadium, located right in the middle of the Orange County tourist corridor that will welcome approximately 80 million tourists this year.”

The Dreamers are also moving forward with plans to add staff and move from interim quarters in the Maitland area to a more permanent office space in downtown Orlando.

After the Tampa Bay Rays backed out of the deal to build a new stadium in St. Petersburg, the Orlando Dreamers announced in March they had a potential ownership group and private funding for a ballpark in Orange County.

“Is that group prepared to make an offer to Stu Sternberg to buy the Tampa Bay Rays?” WESH 2 asked Schnorf in March.

“So that question gets asked a lot,” he said. “Our position has been we are not going to interfere in situations in other cities. What we are going to do is make it visible to everyone that Orlando is prepared to host a team, to acquire a team and relocate it, whatever that path is, Orlando is ready.”

The New York Yankees spring training home in Tampa, Steinbrenner Field, is hosting the Rays home games this season after Hurricane Milton ripped apart the roof over Tropicana Field.

“I have spoken to the commissioner of baseball, Rob Manfred, and he has given me assurances there is no way they want to leave Florida,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said in March about the Rays future. “They’re committed to it working here because we have the fastest growing state.”

Schnorf told WESH 2 in March that if Orlando were to get a Major League Baseball team, it would be through an expansion slot or relocation of another team.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred hopes to select two cities for expansion teams before he retires from the job in 2029, Schnorf said.

Schnorf also said Major League Baseball insists on a public-private partnership to build a new ballpark.

An Orange County spokesperson previously told WESH 2 that groups have pitched plans to Mayor Jerry Demings to build a baseball stadium, “but nothing definitive developed from those conversations.”

Two years ago, an Orange County citizen advisory task force did not recommend using tourist development tax dollars to build the Dreamers’ proposed 45-thousand seat domed stadium on a 35.5-acre parcel of land near SeaWorld Orlando and the Orange County Convention Center.

According to the organization, the stadium project would yield 25,000 permanent jobs and create $40 billion in economic impact to Orange County over 30 years.

The Dreamers also say their MLB initiative would generate an additional $26 billion annually in tourist development taxes.