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False alarm (and false hopes) -- it's Carolina (Reds), not Huntsville, moving to Pensacola's new park

Mass Haas

By Mass Haas,
in Brewers Minor League Talk

Mass Haas GOAT

Mass Haas

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Rather than add this potentially big news on to our lengthy Huntsville stadium and fanbase issues thread, we'll start a new topic:

 

From Ballpark Digest:

WINTER MEETINGS -- Pensacola Pelicans (independent; American Association) owner Quint Studer says he's on the verge of buying a Double-A Southern League team to play at his new waterfront ballpark in 2012, with an announcement expected in the next few weeks.

 

Based on conversions we had at the Winter Meetings, the team in question is most likely the Huntsville Stars, whose ballpark issues do not appear to have any resolution in sight.

 

If the purchase happens, it's most likely the Pelicans will go dark for the 2011 season.

 

One issue, though: territorial rights concerning neaby Mobile.

 

The race to put an affilated team on Florida's panhandle appears to have been won by Studer and Pensacola. Earlier this year Panama City officials were openly seeking an owner for a potential ballpark on city-controlled land.

 

***

 

This is horrible news for Huntsville locals (the few diehards that remained, several of which visit with us regularly), but potentially tremendous news for the Brewers. A brand new facility, and one year to hopefully impress the Pensacola folks to renew with the Brewers for 2013 and beyond.

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Mass Haas GOAT

Mass Haas

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Double-A baseball in Pensacola's future?Pelicans' owner Quint Studer close to purchase of franchise

D.C. Reeves • dcreeves@pnj.com • December 10, 2010

 

It's looking like Pensacola may have Double-A baseball in its future.

 

Pensacola Pelicans owner Quint Studer confirmed Thursday night that he's getting closer to purchasing a Double-A franchise with the idea of eventually relocating it to Pensacola. Studer placed the certainty at "90 percent" that the area could have an affiliated team for the 2012 season.

"We're real pleased," Studer said. "I think we're very close to acquiring a Double-A baseball team. We think that within the next two or three weeks we will have what we think is a very exciting announcement for the city of Pensacola."

The team, which would supplant the independent league Pelicans, would be a franchise in the Southern League. Citing a confidentiality agreement, Studer could not specify which franchise he is currently in negotiations to purchase. The Southern League includes teams from nearby cities like Mobile, Montgomery and Birmingham.

The new team would serve as a centerpiece of the multi-use facility at the Community Maritime Park, which is currently under construction. Studer said that the sale would be contingent on Minor League Baseball's approval of the lease and the stadium.

"What we've tried to do is under-promise and over-perform. When the Community Maritime Park (project) started, the thought was to move an independent team in there to play 45 home games (per season)," Studer said. "But to move a Double-A team downtown and play 70 home games, it's a game-changer."

A Double-A franchise would be a significant upgrade to the area's baseball landscape. It would mean that a Pensacola team would serve as an affiliate to a Major League club, and that the organization's top prospects would spend time playing on the Pensacola team while working to move up to Major League Baseball.

The Southern League would also be a much better geographic fit. Six of the 10 current Southern League teams are within a six-hour drive from Pensacola. The closest opponent in the Pelicans' current league, the American Association, is Shreveport, about a nine-hour trip from Pensacola.

 

Southern League Commissioner Don Mincher was not available for comment on Thursday, and Southern League Vice President of Operations Lori Webb declined to comment.

 

The News Journal interviewed Mincher in 2009 about the possibility of an affiliated club moving to Pensacola.

"The No. 1 thing (for Pensacola to get a Southern League team) is to find an affiliated club that is interested. Once you do that, everything falls into place," he said. "(Pensacola) would fit our footprint very, very well."

Mincher said at the time that the average cost for a Double-A franchise was $12 million to $15 million.

Minor League Baseball — the governing body of all the affiliated minor leagues — has a rule that once Studer's acquisition of a Southern League team is complete, he can't be approved as the official owner until he has sold his independent league team. Studer said there is a tentative agreement in place to sell the existing Pelicans franchise, which would likely stay in the American Association but move west to make the team a better geographic fit for that league.

That means if the purchase happens, there would likely be no professional baseball in Pensacola in 2011. Although Studer would own a Southern League franchise, that team would stay in its current location for a final season before being relocated for the 2012 season.

"The goal is always to provide the highest quality of product you can possibly provide," Studer said. "When we thought it was possible to move into the affiliated world, it became evident that when we can go from 45 home games a year (in independent league), to having 70 games with 200,000 to 300,000 people (per season) coming downtown for the games, I think that's significant. I truly think that it puts Pensacola in a wonderful position."

"The feeling that we've gotten from (Minor League Baseball) is that they're excited about Pensacola," Studer added. "They're excited for the location, and they're excited for the city as a whole."

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jjkoestler ACL Brewers

jjkoestler

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http://roandosales.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/images/pelicanslogo.267195359_std.jpg

 

 

http://pensacolapelicans.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/mascot_2010-199x300.jpg

 

http://www.bobblebums.com/bobbleheads/BHimages/1000-1499/resize_1006a.jpg

 

The logo, mascot, and bobblehead are all pretty cool. I'm on board.m,

"Fiers, Bill Hall and a lucky SSH winner will make up tomorrow's rotation." AZBrewCrew
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Mass Haas GOAT

Mass Haas

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Miscellaneous thoughts --

Hunter Morris was hoping to play in his hometown of Huntsville, looks like he'd need to see AA in 2011 to do so, which is certainly a possibility, especially by midseason.

While the Pelicans is the mascot and logo that Pensacola's independent league team has used while playing in a mostly aluminum bench park on the campus of the University of West Florida (link), that doesn't mean they will be the Pelicans going forward, given their new affiliated identity in the new stadium. With the waterfront (and alliteration), it is a pretty cool identity, though.

It's only 58 miles from Mobile, AL (Diamondbacks) to Pensacola, so as noted above, the BayBears may have some concerns. That wouldn't preclude the league from moving forward to a brand new facility when things in Huntsville seem rather hopeless.

502 miles from Pensacola to Viera, home of the Manatees (route)

443 miles from Pensacola to Nashville (route)

Pensacola is 352 miles due south of Huntsville.

This past season, the Pelicans averaged 1,150 fans in 44 dates for an independent league team playing in the college campus bleacher stadium linked above.

Huntsville averaged 1,403 over 65 dates (actually surprised it was that high), by far last in the Southern League in 2010.

The Huntsville Times' online coverage of the Stars fell off the map in 2010, after years of decent exposure. We can hope the the Pensacola News Journal, which is online in the same format as the Appleton Post-Crescent, will be all over the new team. We would miss the current excellent Huntsville audio coverage, but that should be covered by local Pensacola media as well given the excitement around the new ballpark.

The Brewers must be giddy about this -- if this news was solidified prior to the affiliation alignment season this fall, there probably would have been interest in "Huntsville / Pensacola" as a destination by other organizations, probably seeking to take advantage of the maximum four-year agreement through 2014.

The Brewers have placed representative, competitive teams in Huntsville for the majority of their stay since 1999, and the small market big league club has had many identifiable players represent the Stars on their way to the bigs. The Brewers should be able to sell themselves to the new ownership group, and will have 2012 as a direct opportunity to do so. It would be a bummer to be a "one year and out" club with that spanking new facility. But if at all possible, you approach Miles Prentice and see if you can extend from 2012 to 2014 now, unless you think that somehow this deal won't be made. Southern League president Don Mincher is a Huntsvillian, and it would crush him to move the Stars to Pensacola, but I'm not sure he can reasonably keep that from happening. As for the 2014 extension, Prentice would likely defer that decision to the new ownership group, and when would that sale happen -- prior to the 2011 season or after?

(For that matter, there's no reason not to extend Brevard and Wisconsin through 2014 now as well.)

Mark McCarter, the nationally respected writer with the Huntsville Times who often chimes in on these matters, is on vacation until December 16th. Not sure what we'll read about from the Stars' perspective until then. By tossing some of these notions out there, we've hopefully given him some story angle ideas http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif.

As noted, while the Brewers are probably thrilled, don't look for any official comments from them, you'd think. Not until any arrangement becomes official, they will likely steer clear.

Lost in all this is that we need to respect the current Huntsville staff top to bottom, and of course, will. Hopefully any new ownership group will recognize all their efforts and bring those wishing to move on to Pensacola with them. That said, it will be an awkward 2011 season if indeed it's a lame-duck year for the Huntsville locals.

Even the potential new owner, Mr. Studer, used "90 percent" as a measuring stick for this happening. Those are good odds, but as we saw with the Nashville downtown stadium all of us thought was a lock (including the Brewers, who were burned by a subsequent four-year affiliation agreement), nothing happens until it happens. At least the stadium is being built this time around, while we wait on the sale and the move announcement.

We've asked our friends at Baseball America, so adept at investigating the business side of minor league baseball, to peek in on the situation as well...
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hsvstarsfan Prep Ball

hsvstarsfan

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Quite an upgrade. I hope the people of Pensacola upgrade will embrace their club. The ballpark location is fantastic. I would regret seeing the Stars leave Huntsville, but the city, from its mayor and council to the people who live in the area, have shown how they feel about baseball. Miles Prentice did little to nothing for the fans, even though he had the money to bring us a new ballpark that could compete with the newer ballparks in the league. Management frittered away its valuable goodwill by disbanding the old Booster Club, alienating many fans including season ticketholders.

 

The "quality of life" factors Huntsville's city leaders brag about as they try to sell the city to those who are affected by base realignment (BRAC) closures becomes a joke. There was little to attract visitors here (unless they like to shop a lot) and there will be even less after the Stars leave, assuming the worse.

 

As for me, I regret to say I am discontinuing www.starsboxscore.com and will no longer be renewing my subscription with my server. It's really hard to care when so many people in the position of keeping the Stars here, from the top down, no longer care. I'll continue to follow the Brewers, the Stars, and the Southern League through this website, and contribute at my free will. however, I feel like a Brooklyn Dodger fan in 1957, and it's difficult to get excited about their future, when there seems to be no future.

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Southern Leaguer Prep Ball

Southern Leaguer

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I agree, David. I told someone at work today that I will almost be glad to see them go. As long as they are there, I will want to go see and support them but it's getting harder and harder to make the trip (at least 1 hour each way) to sit in a 10,000 seat stadium with 300 or 400 other folks, a scoreboard that doesn't work and all of the other bush-league things that go with attending a Stars game. We will start weaning ourselves off of the games this year and look forward to maybe one trip a year to Chattanooga, Memphis, Birmingham, etc.

I will also continue to follow the Brewers and former Stars where ever they are playing and continue following this website. Brewerfan.net is the best.

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Mass Haas GOAT

Mass Haas

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So much for the gnashing of teeth and speculation -- well, we never said it was definitive, but boy, we're learning the hard way that assumptions are just that -- assumptions:

 

It's the Cincinnati Reds who will benefit, and the forlorn relationship between the Stars, Joe Davis Stadium, and the Brewers continues. That's not to say it's a bad relationship between the Stars and Brewers' front offices, it's all the material things that surround the relationship.

 

Announcement of Double-A baseball team could come todayGood-bye Pelicans, hello Carolina Double-A baseball

D.C. Reeves, Pensacola News-Journal

 

The Pensacola Pelicans baseball team has been sold, a move that clears the way for a Double-A franchise to relocate to Pensacola.

 

"Everything is signed and done now. We enjoyed the run," said owner Quint Studer, who bought the Pensacola franchise in middle of the 2002 season. "We enjoyed that we could see our local players play here and see Talmadge (Nunnari) manage. With the downtown ballpark, (everything) gets elevated."

 

Studer said the Pelicans' sale will be finalized with a closing today, and a formal announcement on a new Double-A franchise is expected.

 

The sale is a major step towards bringing affiliated baseball to Pensacola. The News Journal first reported last week that Studer was close to purchasing a Double-A franchise in the Southern League. Multiple sources have told the News Journal that the Double-A team Studer will acquire is the Carolina Mudcats. Studer would not comment, citing a confidentiality agreement.

 

According to Minor League Baseball, the governing body of affiliated baseball, an owner cannot control multiple minor league clubs. So before an affiliated Southern League franchise could be approved to move to Pensacola, Studer had to sell the Pelicans franchise.

 

"It's been whirlwind of a process," said Nunnari, a Pensacola native who has spent time as a player, hitting coach, general manager and field manager in his 10 seasons with the Pelicans organization. "But I am certainly grateful to have an owner as passionate about baseball as Quint is. There aren't many of them out there."

 

Nunnari is expected to stay on with the new organization in some capacity, but will not be the new team's manager.

 

The Mudcats are the Double-A affiliate for the Cincinnati Reds organization, and the affiliation will stay the same when the team is moved to Pensacola. There will be no professional baseball in Pensacola in 2011.

 

With Studer as owner, the Mudcats would play a final season in Raleigh, N.C., before relocating for the 2012 season. It is believed that the current Mudcats ownership is in negotiations to acquire a Single-A franchise to replace the Double-A Mudcats.

 

Once the deal is completed and Studer locks up the Mudcats franchise, the team name is also expected to change. The organization may run a contest to find a new name in the near future.

 

The Mudcats franchise would be the centerpiece of the Community Maritime Park, playing 70 home games at the new facility, compared to the Pelicans' 45 home dates on the University of West Florida's campus.

 

The level of play also would be greatly improved as the Reds' top prospects would play for the franchise while working to make the Major League club. In the American Association, players often leave when they are offered spots on Single-A affiliated clubs.

 

The Pelicans franchise will relocate to Amarillo, Texas, which gives the American Association a much more concise footprint for its Texas-heavy 14-team league. The team was purchased by Scott Berry and Gary Elliston, the principal owners of another American Association team, the Shreveport-Bossier Captains. They can own both teams since the American Association is not affiliated.

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Mass Haas GOAT

Mass Haas

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From Ballpark Digest in the initial post:

 

Based on conversations we had at the Winter Meetings, the team in question is most likely the Huntsville Stars, whose ballpark issues do not appear to have any resolution in sight.

 

***

 

Bad, conversations, bad! http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/embarassed.gif

Well, hope folks don't mind that we at least brought this to your attention, it was an enjoyable exercise to consider the possibility.

 

Don't think we're guilty of being mis-informed, just a bit anxious to interpret the information.

 

I do think we're learning as a fan forum community this year that you can't really call it until it's all in black and white (right, Yankees and Rangers?).

 

If nothing else, this sheds more light on Huntsville's ballpark and community status.

 

Thanks again for reading, and never hesitate to remind us that it isn't until it is, if you know what we mean...

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madbad2000

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That is odd that the Carolina team would move. When I went there a few years ago it was packed, the crowd was decked out in Mudcats gear and their stadium was pretty unique. Huntsville moving makes perfect sense...Carolina...interesting turn of events.

“I'm a beast, I am, and a Badger what's more. We don't change. We hold on."  C.S. Lewis

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Mass Haas GOAT

Mass Haas

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Now H-ville can move to Carolina.

 

From the article above --

 

It is believed that the current Mudcats ownership is in negotiations to acquire a Single-A franchise to replace the Double-A Mudcats.

 

That would seem to indicate that Carolina would still have a team playing in their stadium.

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