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Magic co-founder unveils logo for proposed Orlando MLB franchise

Joe Kepner / Twitter/Joe Kepner

Orlando Magic co-founder Pat Williams held a press conference Wednesday to announce his plan to bring a third Major League Baseball franchise to Florida.

The team will be called the Orlando Dreamers, and Williams revealed the official logo.

"Orlando keeps growing, folks," Williams said. "And ... sports needs to be a part of that. So, the next logical step in this sports growth is to try and become a Major League Baseball city."

The Tampa Bay Rays and Miami Marlins have had the lowest attendance numbers in MLB for two consecutive years, and the Tampa Bay franchise has been considered a candidate for relocation. The Rays have also explored the possibility of splitting the season between Florida and Montreal.

"We are proud of our strong fan support in Orlando, and we're pleased to see their enthusiasm about Major League Baseball," the Rays said in a statement issued Wednesday evening, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.

Williams isn't concerned by baseball's failings in Florida and considers Orlando to be a unique market, according to Joe Kepner of WFTV. He said that if 2% of tourists went to games, the club would bring in 1.6 million fans a year. Williams suggested that number could eventually rise to 3 million per season.

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