a team, finally?
RTD has the full story on a team the Richmond Baseball Group is in talks to buy.
A Richmond group hopes to buy a franchise that belongs to the Class AA Eastern League, the Connecticut Defenders, and move it to Richmond, according to sources familiar with the situation.
Bryan Bostic said the goal of Richmond Baseball Club LC, the organization he chairs, is to purchase a franchise by early April. Minor League Baseball rules prohibit Bostic from discussing the league or the franchise, he said. Bostic earlier this week confirmed that Richmond Baseball Club LC has made formal application to Minor League Baseball to acquire a specific team.
“I’m not allowed to say any level, any team, any city, any affiliation,” Bostic said. “That day, we believe, is coming.”
I am also not to mention that we don’t care what team we pick as long as it makes me loads of cash
Newsworthy information …..Please read carefully, as the Romans said, “caveat emptor.”
http://www.theday.com/re.aspx?re=b6ee4be9-7e5e-4ed3-893b-4650699e7ae0
Virginia ball club is reportedly interested in buying Defenders
Norwich team could move to Richmond if $15M deal is realized
By Claire Bessette
Published on 2/14/2009
The Connecticut Defenders take on the Binghamton Mets at Dodd Stadium in Norwich on July 2, 2007. A Virginia newspaper has reported that the team could be sold and moved to Richmond as early as the 2010 season.
Norwich – Separate deals are in the works that could culminate in the Connecticut Defenders moving to Richmond, Va., and a lower-level minor league team playing the warmer – and more lucrative – summer months at Thomas J. Dodd Memorial Stadium.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported Friday that Richmond Baseball Club LLC, a group led by Bryan Bostic, hopes to buy the minor league Class AA Defenders and move the team to Richmond for the 2010 season.
No matter who the owner is, the Defenders definitely will be in Norwich for the 2009 season, which begins April 16. The team’s lease with the city runs through 2012, and the Defenders don’t have an early buyout option until after the upcoming season. If the team exercises the option and leaves Norwich, it is obligated to pay a $140,000 early departure penalty.
Defenders of ficials, including owner Louis DiBella and General Manager Charlie Dowd, declined to comment on any aspect of a potential sale of the team.
”We are fully engaged in getting ready for April 16, 2009,” Dowd said Friday of the team’s opening day.
The Richmond paper reported that sources said the purchase price would be $15 million and that the business group confirmed it has submitted an application to Minor League Baseball to acquire “a specific team.” The deal reportedly would be complete by early April.
The Defenders fell $310,000 behind on rent payments to the city in the past year, and in a payment agreement reached in December, Dowd wrote that the team had “a financial transaction in process that we anticipate will produce sufficient proceeds to pay off these obligations in full.” The team agreed to pay the full amount, plus interest, by the start of the baseball season.
At the same time, secretive talks apparently are under way to bring a Class A short-season baseball team to Dodd Stadium.
Short-season teams – the nearby New York-Penn League has teams in New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Vermont and Ohio – play from mid-June through early September, not including playoffs. That timeframe would coincide with peak attendance at Dodd Stadium, which plays host to miniscule crowds at chilly April and May games.
Lagging attendance
A team source said Friday the Defenders have been losing significant amoun ts of money over the past few years, with low attendance and the sagging economy. Attendance at Dodd Stadium had declined steadily for years since the team arrived here in 1995 – even when the Norwich Navigators team was affiliated with the New York Yankees.
With aggressive marketing, Defenders attendance in 2007 jumped 14 percent from the previous year, and last year reached 202,004, topping the 200,000 mark for the first time since 2002, the last year a Yankees-affiliated team was in town.
Still, the Defenders finished second from the bottom in attendance in the 12-team Eastern League, and a team source said upper-level Minor League Baseball officials have questioned whether the Norwich market, the smallest in AA baseball, could sustain a 71-game home season.
Attendance in the 14-team New York-Penn League varied greatly in 2008, ranging from a low of 39,609 (Oneonta, N.Y., Tigers) up to 265,220 (Brooklyn Cyclones, a New York Mets farm team). The Batavia, N.Y., Muckdogs won the league championship but came in second-to-last in attendance with 43,167 fans.
Down-low discussions
All discussions on the potential sale of the Defenders or the acquisition of a short-season team are being conducted behind closed doors under a strict gag order imposed by Minor League Baseball, especially since Richmond is not in the Eastern League’s approved territory and Norwich is outside the New York-Penn League’s territory.
”I’m not allowed to say any level, any team, any city, any affiliation,” Richmond businessman Bostic told the Times-Dispatch in Friday’s story. “That day, we believe, is coming.”
Sources with the Defenders and the city say DiBella and existing ownership has made it almost a condition of any deal that Minor League Baseball help orchestrate the move of a short-season team affiliated with a major league team into Dodd Stadium.
Joe McEacharn, president of the Eastern League, said Friday all the talk of teams moving into and out of Norwich is speculative and that any deals would be subject to a strict process by the leagues involved and the Minor League Baseball umbrella organization.
”No Eastern League team has permission to speak about moving to Richmond, and it remains that way,” McEacharn said Friday. “It’s still not an Eastern League territory.”
And, he added, “No New York-Penn League team has permission to even talk about coming (to Norwich) right now.”
Further, McEacharn said, “Nobody has filed a relocation application to move to Richmond.”
Field not up to snuff
McEacharn acknowledged that the Richmond market would be attractive to the Eastern League, but not without a solid deal to build a new stadium or make major upgrades to the existing stadium, The Diamond, which he said has “awful field conditions.”
Richmond lost the Atlanta Braves’ Class AAA affiliate last year because The Diamond falls far short of prof essional baseball standards. A new stadium is part of a $700 million proposal for redevelopment in Richmond, but McEacharn questioned whether that proposal is viable in the current economy.
”There is zero chance they will have a team in Richmond until they have a stadium deal,” McEacharn said.
As for the New York-Penn League moving to Norwich, McEacharn said a team would have to ask the Eastern League for permission to discuss a possible move, and if the league denied the request – the territory would remain the Eastern League’s market even if the Defenders leave – the interested team could ask Minor League Baseball for permission.
City wants focus on field
Norwich Mayor Benjamin Lathrop said he would leave it up to Defenders officials to announce anything related to the team. He said if the Defenders do leave Norwich, he would welcome a short-season team. Lathrop said the Single A team’s warm-weather schedule would be an advantage for Dodd Stadium.
Several officials, from the Eastern League president to the mayor and the Defenders general manager, said they regretted that news of a potential sale has emerged as the team is trying to gear up for the 2009 season.
”What bothers me is what that might do to attendance this year with people knowing they (might be) leaving,” Mayor Lathrop said. “Within the transition, people aren’t going to be enthused about going, and that’s a shame. That stadium is fantastic, and it’s a good, cheap night out.”
”I wish everyone was talking about the (Major League) prospects that are coming to Norwich this year,” McEacharn said.
Norwich could have six of the San Francisco Giants’ top 10 minor league prospects this year, including two highly regarded pitchers and possibly a catcher who was the top draft pick.
C.BESSETTE@THEDAY.COM
Lagging attendance?
Why look, they’re not in an urban stadium:
http://tinyurl.com/dk8hsm
Replace all those trees with big vacant warehouses and a Greyhound station, and it would look a lot like the Diamond!
C’mon, Shockoe…
More News to Note:
Gwinnett officials says stadium still a deal – Despite overruns, and now lean times, 3 officials not sorry
http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/m…
Play ball? Stadium deal continues to draw criticism as costs rise, slow economy hampers potential benefits
http://atlanta.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2009/01/12/focus1.html
Even more…
http://www.sabernomics.com/sabernom…/
Joe, thanks for posting those links! Do you see these events in Gwinnett affecting any stadium talks in Richmond?
I think they should serve as a cautionary tale for the citizens of Richmond. One would hope that we might be able to find ways to make sure the problems of Gwinnett are not visited upon our city.
As baseball great Yogi Berra said, “sometimes this feels like deja vu all over again.”
Funny that people want to argue about $25k for a triathlon that will bring people to our city from all over the east coast and produce large amounts of income for our city from tourists but can justify $15 million for a baseball team… something we wouldn’t be worrying about if people actually went to the games in the first place. I agree that these are two completely different topics. One being a yearly event, the other having games and events several times a week during the season. One attracts people to our city, the other brings people out and about who are already in the city or live around it.
I’m very confident that having a new baseball team, and a new stadium will be a breath of fresh air for Richmond. However, I think the problem lies a lot deeper than just the location of the field, and the team that plays there. I think it’s a overall problem with getting people into the city for things such as baseball games, festivals and other things. While the city has done a great job of making the downtown area more friendly, and safer for people to frequent, it will take sometime before people will really feel comfortable coming to the city from the suburbs to walk around, get lunch etc. as some do in Cary town (which is mostly Fan residents anyway).
In my opinion the baseball team is the last thing on the list of things that are needed to make such a project work. There needs to be a plan to rebuild the areas that will be surrounding the field so that it’s not an oasis in an area that people don’t want to go for anything other than a baseball game. This means family friendly restaurants, stores, and things to do. Aside from providing a nice environment for the stadium, it also gives something for the surrounding areas to lean on while baseball is not in season.
Joseph a Triathlon does not require a building like a Ballpark and that is the way they have into Shockoe Bottom. But I agree with you we really don’t need all of this but Developers don’t see it the same way
I think that the physical structure itself is a minor part of the issue, just as is the team that plays there(notice I didn’t say free). If baseball is something that we’re going to have in Richmond, considering the condition of the diamond, building a new stadium, or repairing the old one, is a must.
My point in bringing up the Xterra east coast champs was that people are hesitant to spend $25k for an event that, in the past, has brought a huge amount of tourism money to our city (significantly more than the $25k investment), and played a part in developing a health conscious image for Richmond. However, these same people are willing to spend $15 million on something that requires thorough consideration. Might I add that from where I see it, the thorough, thoughtful consideration has not been had at this point. I might be wrong, but the general feeling I get is that the people behind this just want to throw money at the problem and think it will fix itself. We ought to invest in a group of urban planners to decide the best way to integrate a ball park into the city to ensure a long last structure that can have a symbiotic relationship with the city and it’s surroundings. Otherwise it’s $15 million down the drain and, once again, an empty stadium.
Joseph the structure would be a small issue if we did not have people forcing it to be in Shockoe Bottom. If they rebuilt the Diamond and did all the improvements they had planned they would do Ok but Shockoe Bottom Does not need a Ballpark and they would have to spend a few million to build.
The X games would be another good event and it is just providing the space in most cases but they would have to cover crowd control. and they have done that in Orlando. They only want to spend money on something they can get bribe money one and right now the Developers are trying influence votes.
BASEBALL IN THE BOTTOM!!!
I am glad the Braves are gone and a new team may finally come to town. I am, however, mystified as to why ANYONE would want to build ANY kind of stadium in the bottom. First, the Diamond is in a very accessible location, just off of I-95 near the I-64 interchange. No one could have GIVEN someone a better location. Second, the Shockoe Bottom location is horrible because people would have to travel many miles, through crime-ridden neighborhoods, to get there. Also, the Bottom is a FLOOD PLAIN, people!!! All that needs to be done is to renovate the Diamond. Reduce the number of seats accordingly, do the other necessary repairs and you have a renovated stadium for a fraction of the cost of a new one.
Walter Ring – not sure where you live but the Bottom is just off of I-95. You do not have to travel through crime-ridden neighborhoods (I live in one of those neighborhoods) to get there – and it is no farther than the current Diamond location. Make an argument but please – make it sensibly.
Karen that is what they plan to use when the whole thing fails so he is not so far off the mark. Though we are not as crime ridden as they say.( unless that will stop them from building here then we have crimes happening every second)
The Boulevard is just as bad (if not, worse) an area as the bottom is, if you’re going to talk about crime. Also, given the layout of the Boulevard, its more like a suburban sprawl which is made far more unattractive by the interstate, train tracks, and greyhound station being closeby. How’s that movie theater shopping center going? I haven’t heard of any other projects signing on. I’ve read the developer is being very selective…that screams “nobody wants it!”
JR, the first time you posted that Connecticut article I asked you to clarify your reasons for it. Again, what is the point of bringing up all those concerns when much of the problem lies in the site (Norwich) due to the size of the town and the climate during nearly half the season? The city authorities themselves have stated that a short-season team would be better suited.
Also, re: floodplain…did it flood this weekend? We had a whole lot of rain, and I’d guess they’re doin alright down there. Brace yourself, here comes a cliche: Where’s the flood?!
SBD, I don’t usually agree with what you say (I know you are opposed to a stadium in the bottom) however I think we are in agreement with the perception that the city is crime ridden, particularly the Bottom. What a shame that people don’t see the good things in the Bottom – lots of new restaurants and hangouts – character that you don’t get anywhere else. The thing is yes, the city has a lot of crime – but there are lots of good things about coming to the city.
Karen we are considered a desolated landscape right up until the time people want to go out and drink. But you know they will use Shockoe Bottom’s rep to be an instant out when things go south. I mean it is perfect they wash their hands of everything because they didn’t know things could go so wrong and yet they planned it that way
Anna, that’s a great point. Because the Bottom didn’t flood in this weekend’s casual rain shower must mean the area is no longer an historic flood plain.
Must be a perfect place for a $100 million taxpayer funded boondoggle:
http://www.vaemergency.com/newsroom/photos/resp_rec/Gaston04.cfm
“we are considered a desolated landscape”
Not true. Just having taken the Loft Tour literally gives you a different perspective. Except for the black whole in the middle of it the Shockoe area is booming. Now we just need to plug that hole with something other than a bus station.
And who is this “they” thing and why would they plan it that way?
I live here and I know better but it is the people who think that the space they want to use is not being used for anything and the ones who usually end up wandering around here drunk and that is about the only time they stay around here would be great examples of that. Those “they” are people who see this as a money making event for them and know that their statistics don’t match reality. They ride this as far as they can and stick it to the city they suckered into this and then only then do they make a dash and leave everyone hanging. That is the “they” I refer to. The whole thing is use Baseball as the lure and they think everyone will not see the giant hook attached to the lure.
Stuart, my comment was more that people were saying that the Bottom floods frequently; it was tongue in cheek. Yes, it flooded back in whatever year Gaston was…but that was a massive storm on just the right path. Has it flooded since the improvements to the drainage system? How often do we get hurricanes/tropical storms of that strength and not just reminents?
Oh them, the evil geniuses. What a dastardly plan. It a good this you live here and know better. We don’t want anybody thinking they can make money in Richmond. It’s far easier to build another “new urbanist” mall in Henrico. If you look carefully from Libby Hill you can see just that.
Paul I want a mall but without the large ballpark attached that will drag down everything. So if you want the ballpark there your welcome to it.
Doesn’t take an evil genius to steal money when people are so willing to fall for a slick presentation package without considering thinks like cost, construction or all of the other things that can and will go wrong. If you look at the diagrams and the location of where they want to do this it won’t fit not even close. But anyone who is against this hates their mom,apple pie and the american way.
Anna it has flooded since Gaston but the press did not cover it because no one was rescued or would catch viewers. Since then they have made more efforts to repair stuff. Like Battery park though they tend to ignore things until you have another major flood. So you don’t need water wings right now does not mean we will be flood free
If the Bottom gets one catastrophic flood every 20 years, isn’t that frequent enough to warrant not packing a gigantic $400 million development in there?
Gaston was five years ago and the probability of the next flood increases with every year that passes.
Oh noooo, not the apple pie shtick AGAIN!
In the Arlington area they have the Capital’s rink on top of the Ballston Mall, doesn’t seem to affect that area all that much. The parking for the mall is the parking for the rink. Same concept here – there are 70 home games a year, so don’t go shopping on those 70 (out of 365) nights. The ballpark is surrounded by the retail, et al…it won’t be in your way.
If the Bottom gets one catastrophic flood every 20 years, and therefore doesn’t warrant putting the stadium down there, how do you justify the current business in the Bottom? Or spending taxpayer dollars to design a park that would be ravaged by said ‘catastrophic’ flood?
And what if it does flood for a couple days every 5, 10, 20 years? “If” being the keyword here. Yes, Gaston did a lot of damage, but much has been done to prevent that damage from recurring. And even if the bottom did flood post Gaston, what made it unnewsworthy, in all likelihood, was the minimal damage it did. The water was probably gone in a day or two.
Wait a second…How does flooding prevent baseball but not a shopping center?
yes AGAIN. We will put the Mall on Stilts so there
“how do you justify the current business in the Bottom? ”
The area in question is nearly devoid of businesses and even structures because of flooding. That’s not hard to see. Next time you visit town, walk from Broad to Franklin on 17th and count the number of businesses, there are very few. The businesses that did recover closer to Main St. were of course helped by the $8.1 million in public FEMA funds that were dispersed.
As far as flooding vs. baseball/shopping, the problem is who is picking up the tab. If private money is being spent to develop a flood plain, that’s one thing, but when you want to flush this much public money into the James, that’s different.
Although now that I think about it, it is annoying that development is allowed in flood-prone areas, because inevitably it always takes public money to clean up from flooding.
Agreed on the ‘wasting’ of public funds, though from my (admittedly limited) understanding of the financing for this project, I see that the majority of it is privately financed. The vast majority. I’m curious to see Davenport’s findings as to the solvency of this specific project.
My point is still that the Bottom isn’t nearly as flood-proned as some may think, New Orleans is “flood-proned”. Our culture in the Bottom is important to our city and personally, I’m glad we’re finally paying attention to its development.
Also, considering cities everywhere formed on riverbanks, and engineering has come a long way, we’ve learned a great deal about controlling the occasional overflow in these areas. Not to mention the James isn’t nearly the river the Mississippi is. Regardless, the stadium has itself been planned with this in mind, with additional measures to assist draining. I don’t profess to be an engineering expert, but that has been expressed in the plans to my knowledge.