Your 2009 Nashville Sounds -- Latest: McCalvy on Dillard's New Approach

[Mass Haas]

Tim Dillard audio with Cory Provus on the Brewer pre-game Monday night

[Mass Haas]

Getting To Know Your Sounds: Angel Salome

[Mass Haas]

Link for photo while active, text follows:

 

Nashville Sounds owner makes quiet inroads

New stadium is still tops on his private agenda

The Tennessean

Frank Ward, a New York real estate developer and one of three partners who own the Pacific Coast League Nashville Sounds, will wrap up his first full season of ownership in Triple A baseball next month.

Meanwhile, quiet talks continue with city officials about the possibility of a new baseball stadium downtown to take the place of aging, antiquated Greer Stadium as home of Ward's unique small business, which makes its living off bats, balls, hot dogs and beer sales.

Ward is everything the team's previous owner, out-of-towner Al Gordon, wasn't. He's approachable, visible around town, and he has a stake in the community with a daughter attending Vanderbilt University. He discussed the Sounds with Tennessean Business Editor Randy McClain.

How did you get interested in becoming a baseball owner? Had you ever been involved with a sports franchise on any level before this?

It was really my partner who pursued it. We ended up finally in September of last year reaching an agreement to buy the team (from Al Gordon). It took until the end of February to get Major League Baseball and minor league baseball's approval.

I was the one who volunteered … to come to Nashville for the season. I've been in real estate for 35 years. I spent the summer learning this business. My wife and I leased a house in Green Hills.

How profitable has it typically been to invest in a minor league team?

Most people make a profit when they sell a franchise - because it's a limited commodity and there's always a demand. There are 30 major league teams, so there are 30 Double A and 30 Triple A clubs in the minors.

The value of a franchise has historically gone up double digits for the last 10 to 15 years. There's always someone who wants to own a team. And the minors are an affordable way to come into sports ownership. You get to the major leagues and it's hundreds of millions of dollars, certain clubs $1 billion.

With the minor leagues you're not going to hit a grand slam in profits. I don't believe this business lends itself to taking $10 million, let's say, and turning it into $100 million in three years. You might turn it into $15 million or $16 million, and hopefully have a good time doing it and get to watch some baseball. It's not a bad way to spend the summer.

What's the range of franchise values in the minors today?

Triple A today can run from a low of $20 million for a team to a high of $75 million for the best. Double A is probably $12 million to $15 million. Single A is mom-and-pop; I don't have a feel for it. As you get into Double A and Triple A leagues, it's a real business. You have staff, salesmen, et cetera. The closer you get to the big leagues, the more complicated it becomes.

What impact can a new stadium have on franchise values?

Clearly, a new stadium increases the value of the franchise. It increases the cash flow; everyone wants to be in a new stadium. You'd get better attendance, more people at the games. And naturally that translates to more spending - you sell more hot dogs, soda and beer.

How much did you spend on repairs at Greer Stadium before this season?

We spent $2.5 million. When we did our renovations, I brought in someone who had worked with me in real estate for 25 years on all our office buildings. He was very accurate; we had a fixed idea of what we wanted to do, and we were able to accomplish it in 65 days. My real estate background helped with that a good deal.

How important are customer service - and a visible owner - in building loyalty among fans, so they come to more than one game a season?

I'm not a big back slapping-type. But I go out and say hello to the fans. They know me; I know them. And I think they're appreciative that ownership is here compared with the past five or 10 years.

Give us an update on the chances for a new stadium here. Is the probable location still downtown?

When we first met with senior management in the Milwaukee Brewers' organization (the Sounds' major league parent club), the first thing they said besides congratulations ... was, "You need a new stadium."

The Pacific Coast League says the same thing. Greer is not a long-term solution for viable baseball in Nashville. We made a deal with Mayor (Karl Dean) that we would start holding discussions and we'd do it in private, not in the press. I will keep my word on that.

I believe Nashville needs a new stadium. There are drawbacks to Greer that you can never fix. I believe (a new stadium) should be downtown. All the other sports complexes are there. It helps the local businesses, brings traffic to the restaurants and bars. It would be the best thing for the city.

How big should a new stadium be, how many seats?

You can't build a 10,000 fixed-seat stadium anymore. I think a new stadium is probably best with 8,500 seats and ... a nice grass berm and picnic areas where families can go with a blanket and watch the game at an affordable price.

Memphis, I think, made a very big mistake when they built their stadium. They have 14,500 fixed seats. You have to bring in an awful lot of people; you get 5,000 fans in that place and it looks like it's empty.

Your lease calls for the Sounds to play baseball in Davidson County through 2013. Where do you want to be in four years?

That's a question not only for us to answer. In other words, does Nashville want professional baseball? Greer is not the long-term solution. The money we put into Greer was a band-aid. It doesn't make economic sense to put another $3 million or $4 million into Greer (on further improvements). The people of Nashville and city have to decide whether they want professional baseball. And, if the answer is yes, then we have to figure out a way to build a new stadium.

Is there a fun factor to owning a minor league team? Or is it all sales, leases and headaches?

I have found in any business you're in, if you're not happy in your job, you need to get out. Am I happy doing this? Yes. I've had a long career in real estate and done all that. I'm at an age in life when I can afford to do this. My 34-year-old son flew down for the weekend to watch games with me. My daughters (one who'll be a senior at Vanderbilt and the other about to start Ohio State) are here to watch games with my wife and me. Those are the pluses to this. It's fun.

But it's work, too. You don't realize how hard it is to get fans in the seats. We all have this idea, "Build it, and they will come." But really it's, "Build it, work your butt off and then maybe they will come."

Your career has been in real estate development. Have you done any other commercial real estate projects in Nashville?

We've looked at a lot, but we haven't done anything here so far. The economy is so bad nationally … there's no money out there to finance real estate projects today. The realities of the buyer and the seller are in different spectrums right now. We always looked at the Sounds baseball investment as part of a bigger real estate development project, and I think we still do. We may wind up getting a (new) stadium earlier than you can really do a real estate project. I'm not sure you can build an office building today almost anywhere in the country.

What are among your biggest operating costs with the Sounds? Your major league parent club pays players' salaries, right?

You normally have 30 to 40 full-time people on staff year round in most organizations. Game day or seasonal staff, add another 40 employees. You have a decent-size small business for all 12 months of the year. We also pay team travel, we pay for the hotels, pay for the bats, the balls. The Milwaukee Brewers, as you say, pay the uniformed employees.

Other than that, it's ours. We're in the entertainment business.

What was your most successful promotion this season?

Ryan Braun Bobblehead Night (Milwaukee Brewers outfielder, batting .313, with 26 home runs this season). We also had Bat Night, Hat Night and Back-to-School Backpack Night (among others).

Have you had a longtime love affair with baseball?

Yes, I'm a baseball fan, although I don't have a specific team I root for now. I'm an avid baseball card collector. The team I rooted for was the New York Giants (they moved to San Francisco in the late 1950s). I grew up with them … my brother was a New York Yankees fan, and I was a Giants fan.

I've never liked the Yankees since then. The Mets are fine, but it's not the same.

I played Rotisserie Baseball for 25 years; this is the first year I have not participated in it. I'm not sure I've even had time to look at a major league baseball box score most of the year … other than Milwaukee to check on one of our players who may have left (Nashville) to move up to the big leagues. I turned the Rotisserie team over to my son. He's doing a better job with it, anyway.

[battlekow]

On BA's PCL Top 20 Prospects list, Alcides Escobar was #6, Mat Gamel #13, and Angel Salome #18.

[colbyjack]

I was pleasantly surprised to see Angel Salome's name among the top 20 prospects in the PCL despite having somewhat of a down year at the plate. I think that proves that he still is a legit prospect, even if the love for him isn't as strong as it was a year ago. I still believe Lucroy is the better all-around catching prospect in the system, but Salome still gives the organization two exciting catching prospects.

 

I know his name is frequently brought up as potential trade bait, but I would like to see both Lucroy and Salome share catching duties at AAA next year with the Brewers finding an adequate stopgap for the 2010 season. Those two may very well serve an interesting tandem at the big-league level in 2011.

[Mass Haas]

Adam Stern of Ontario will tell you he plays "centre" field.

 

http://www.centrefieldsports.com/instructors.php

 

Stern has become the baseball entrepreneur north of the border. Article from the London Free Press

 

http://storage.canoe.ca/v1/dynamic_resize/?src=http://www.lfpress.com/sports/columnists/morris_dalla_costa/2009/12/11/1211ball.jpg&size=248x186

 

Adam Stern, owner of Centrefield Sports provides training in hitting, fielding, throwing and speed and agility training. With Stern is Jamie Romak, a professional baseball player and a Stern instructor. (SUE REEVE The London Free Press)

[thumperden]

Take off to the great white north, eh?! Take off, it's a beauty way to go.

[Mass Haas]

McCalvy with a detailed blog post on Tim Dillard