So what about Huntsville/Biloxi? Latest: Rain isn't helping

[Mass Haas]

By Carl Prather, WAFF

 

It all hinges on Biloxi, Mississippi's plans for a professional baseball team. The governor of Mississippi announced Thursday the state will put $15-million toward the project.

 

That money is coming from BP, money the state is getting to put Mississippi back on its feet after the Gulf oil spill.

 

Governor Phil Bryant said he hopes to build a stadium that holds 14,000 people. He said the state will make up its $15-million investment in no time.

 

But what does this mean for the Huntsville stars? The Stars are under current lease with Huntsville for two more years. Still, the rumblings are getting louder about the Stars or another possible franchise in the Southern League making a move sooner rather than later.

 

According to a report by the Mississippi business journal, a team that's close to the end of their city lease agreement with their current city would be prime candidates to possibly make the move to Biloxi. That leaves one of two teams in the Southern League - the Jackson Generals and the Stars.

 

The caveat though is the Generals' city lease doesn't expire for eight years. The Stars lease ends with Huntsville in 2015.

 

Earlier Thursday, WAFF 48 News made calls to Southern League President Lori Webb and Stars Majority Owner Miles Prentice. As of this report, we did not receive answers from either.

 

Stars General Manger Buck Rogers wouldn't make any comments regarding the news from Biloxi.

[TheCrew07]

MH you're a machine. After dealing with the Joe all these years it would stink to get the boot and have another organization get into a brand new facility. Nothing against the Huntsville community but they haven't been very supportive.

[TooLiveBrew]

City officials have also floated the idea of a new stadium.

 

New city manager of urban and long-range planning Dennis Madsen recently told The Times, "A new ballpark would really do wonders for the franchise. I think it would be just a great thing to have. Let's say you had it on Clinton (Avenue). You'd come down off the Parkway, and there's the Von Braun Center here and the ballpark here, and it's this great gateway into downtown. It's that kind of iconic moment that when people are visiting, they remember. When you drive into Chattanooga and see the bridge and the aquarium spiking over the river, that's the thing that sticks in your head. It has value beyond just the dollars you put into it. It's something that resonates deeper inside us - it moves us and gets us excited."

I realize I haven't been following the Brewers' farm system all that long, but this is the most pro-new-stadium message I can recall seeing from any City of Huntsville representative.

[Mass Haas]

I think it's super-important to note that it'd be awesome if the cities of Nashville, Huntsville, heck, Helena all stepped up, but up to now, that hasn't been the case.

 

Most of us are here as Brewer fans, not necessarily Nashville or Huntsville fans.

 

It's no guarantee for a strong farm system, but Brewers fans should want the organization's farmhands training and playing in state-of-the-art facilities.

 

If Huntsville (or Nashville, etc.) loses their franchise, that's not good for their local fans, and that's not good for the employees of those affiliates, many of which we've made personal contacts with here at Brewerfan.

 

It's shallow on our parts, but we hope they can understand that we are only looking at things from a player devleopment standpoint when we get excited about the possibilities of Brewer relationships in shiny new playhouses (and training rooms, and batting cages, and packed houses).

[TheCrew07]

BA's take, nothing that MH didn't already post in those other articles.

 

Southern League Franchise May Move To Biloxi

[Mass Haas]

Stars' owner can't clear the air on reports team is Biloxi-bound for 2014 season (updated)

By Mark McCarter, Huntsville Times

 

As the Huntsville Stars return home Sunday for a five-game series with the Birmingham Barons, their on-field improvement -- 15-13 in May after going 9-16 in April -- will be overshadowed again by off-field issues.

 

On Thursday, it was announced that Biloxi, Miss., is building a 7,000-seat, $36 million downtown ballpark that will be ready for play in 2014 and will house a Southern League team.

 

Mississippi media reports indicated the Huntsville Stars are the franchise most likely to move there, though a source close to the negotiations told The Huntsville Times/al.com that the Stars were not the targeted franchise.

 

Stars owner Miles Prentice, in an interview Friday night with The Times/al.com, was legally unable to clear the air.

 

"I can't comment," Prentice said, referring to a Southern League directive against public comments regarding potential franchise moves. "We have strict instructions."

 

Asked if he is selling the Stars, Prentice said, "I've talked with people from time to time."

 

He acknowledged he has talked with potential local investors or purchasers but "nothing is developing."

 

Prentice, an attorney in New York, reiterated what he said in a wide-ranging interview with The Times/al.com last December in Nashville.

 

"As I told you then, the right place, anything is for sale. Nothing has changed with that," he said.

 

Prentice said he has had no recent conversation with Huntsville city officials about a potential downtown ballpark, but said a new park would have a "significant" impact on the Stars' franchise.

 

"For now, we're moving along and trying to make the stadium as inhabitable as can be and Buck (Rogers, general manager) is doing a good job with that," Prentice said.

 

The Stars host the Southern League North-leading Barons at 4:03 Sunday, then continue with games Monday through Thursday beginning at 6:43. The Stars' doubleheader Saturday night in Jackson, Tenn., was postponed because of wet field conditions.

[Mass Haas]

From a player development standpoint, that statement in bold in that last story may be the most depressing in the thread.

[jerichoholicninja]

Not to turn this into a political thread but is this really the best use of funds from the oil spill? Aren't people up in arms about this money not being used to repair the coast or something that was at least harmed by the spill?

[Mass Haas]

Via Mark McCarter of the Huntsville Times:

 

The continuing saga for Huntsville baseball is not so much how the team will be in the second half as it is where the franchise will be next year. Huntsville and Jackson, Tenn., are the cities being reported as most likely to lose a team as Biloxi builds a new stadium and plans to be in the Southern League next season.

 

Tuesday (today, June 18th) was the deadline for groups to file a petition with 1,500 signatures to prevent the Biloxi bond issue from going forward and a number of special interest groups have raised their voices in protest.

 

Stars owner Miles Prentice refused comment on the matter in a recent interview, citing a Southern League gag rule, while Jackson owners have stated their intent to remain there and are seeking to build a hotel and convention center adjacent to their ballpark.

[TheCrew07]

I thought posted this but apparently not as I don't see it in the thread.

 

Local Opposition Could Hinder Biloxi Ballpark Project

[Mass Haas]

Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle visits Regions Field in Birmingham

 

Of course, no indication this means any new stadium plans in Huntsville are off the ground, or heck, have ever been seriously considered as of late.

[Mass Haas]

City isn't ready to invest in new stadium for Huntsville Stars

by Shea Allen, WAAY TV

 

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. - The debate resurfaces every year. Stars management says they need a new stadium, the City of Huntsville balks at the price tag and all the while Joe Davis gets another year older.

 

But Friday, city officials began looking at what it might take to change the game. Step one was a trip down south to a Birmingham Barons game to check out the competition.

 

"You noticed a lot of things like a lot of promotions. Things like Friday night fireworks, bobble-head giveaways and things like that. We're not seeing those same kind of promotions here," said Mayor Tommy Battle.

 

According to Stars General Manager Buck Rogers, he and his staff is doing the best they can do with the aging stadium. Battle believes the out of town ownership is having a serious impact on the "in-game" experience.

 

"We in this community, we haven't seen our owner once this year," said Battle. "We've got to get where we have a good partnership with somebody who wants to make sure that they provide a good show."

 

For the past three years, attendance at Stars games has ranked in the bottom 50% of all minor league teams. Out of 258 total teams, the Stars came in 166th, 197th and 212th. Last year, the Stars ranked last out of the ten teams in the Southern League with an average attendance of just 1,973.

 

"We're concerned. We are watching it very closely. We are looking to see what the future of that group because obviously they are not putting a lot of effort into the Huntsville market," said Battle.

 

According to Rogers, the outdated video board that belongs to the team has been broken for several years and recently the radar gun that clocks pitch speed has gone out of commission. Rogers admits that many salaried positions have been replaced in recent years by unpaid internships.

 

Battle said in the minor leagues, the draw of a baseball game is the entertainment value it provides the community. In the meantime, Battle said a new stadium with a estimated cost of $25-30 million, is just too high given the product the team is producing.

 

"We can do everything in the world but if we take the same product that we have at Joe Davis now and take it somewhere else, all we are doing is replicating the same product. We're not seeing the value yet."

[Mass Haas]

Just the tiniest glimmer of hope for at least a notion of a new ballpark in Huntsville --

 

Vision for new downtown ballpark in Huntsville grows more clear -- and hopefully closer

[Mass Haas]

Latest update: Biloxi admits 2015 is the realistic opening date, not 2014, as we predicted.

 

Mark McCarter of the Huntsville Times with the latest

 

When asked which team would move to Biloxi, Tim Bennett, head of Overtime Sports, told the newspaper, "I really can't answer that question. I have to be very careful about what I say about that right now.

 

"I think we'll have something worked out in the next couple of weeks," said Bennett.

 

***

 

Well, there's only five weeks left in the Southern League season. Like Carolina in 2011 before moving to Pensacola in 2012, either the Huntsville of Jackson affiliate will have a "lame duck" 2014 season.

[Mass Haas]

Consultant: Biloxi baseball stadium project a home run

By Warren Kulo, GulfLive.com

 

BILOXI, Mississippi -- Consultant Charles Johnson told a standing room only audience and the Biloxi City Council Tuesday that the city's proposed baseball stadium project is a home run.

 

"I can't think of a better location," Johnson said of the project, "or one that needs it more."

 

The economic impact study, compiled by Johnson's company, Johnson Consulting of Chicago, Ill, suggests millions of dollars in revenues could be had by the city from a AA minor league baseball stadium, while only sharing in a portion of the cost.

 

The city has proposed to issue $21 million in bonds to fund the stadium, along with $15 million from the state, coming from a BP grant. In addition, the stadium is planned for property owned by the Beau Rivage adjacent to the intersection of I-110 and U.S. 90. The casino would donate the land.

 

"You're providing a smaller percentage of the stadium cost, but still engendering all the tax revenue benefits," Johnson said.

 

The study estimates $25.4 million in direct spending from the stadium, with total spending of $34 million. In addition, taxes generated are estimated at $4 million in the first year, with the city receiving $1.54 of those revenues.

 

Those revenues would more than adequately cover the annual debt service on the $21 million in bonds, the report says.

 

The report also investigated several other minor league stadiums built in recent years, including those in Tulsa, Okla., Pensacola, Fla., Birmingham, Ala., Trustmark Park in Jackson, Miss.

 

If the stadium is built, the plan is to bring an existing Southern League AA to Biloxi. Johnson said the stadium's proximity to casinos and beaches may make Biloxi "the most attractive destination in the entire Southern League."

 

The study estimates average attendance for games at the Biloxi stadium at 4,300, which would put it in the "top tier" of Southern League teams. Average total attendance for all events, including concerts and festivals, is estimated at 445,000.

 

Councilman George Lawrence, who has indicated he would prefer the stadium be built in east Biloxi, asked Johnson if his firm considered any other potential sites in Biloxi. Johnson said no, the focus of the report was the Beau Rivage property.

 

Councilman Kenny Glavan also asked if anything was left out of the report, given that it was completed in less than two weeks. Again, Johnson replied no, saying he simply put additional staff on the project to complete it more quickly.

 

Lawrence noted the study only estimated about 104 events at the stadium each year, meaning it would sit unused many nights "unlike a Bass Pro Shop. It's open 365 days. If we could get a Bass Pro Shop, that would be huge."

 

Councilwoman Dixie Newman asked Johnson if any of his company's previous study's which supported stadium construction had not panned out. Once again, Johnson's answer was no -- all of the stadium projects they found to be favorable and were built turned out to be successful.

 

He also added there have been stadium projects which his company studied and did not recommend.

 

Councilman Felix Gines asked what Johnson thought would be more successful -- a theme park or a stadium.

 

Johnson noted theme park construction is more costly, but added "I don't think they are mutually exclusive. I think you should try to have both. I think one can help fund the other."

 

"If you don't do something," Johnson said. "You're at risk. You have a small overall economy, but you have a larger tourism economy than anyone else (on the coast). You have the third largest gaming economy in Mississippi behind Atlantic City and Las Vegas.

 

"You only have to pay for a portion of (the stadium), you get more tax revenues from it than anyone else and you get a chance to change your economy."

 

Councilman Paul Tisdale noted Johnson is putting his company's and his own reputation on the line with the report -- and assessment with which Johnson agreed.

 

"I'm very comfortable with our findings," he said.

 

City spokesperson Vincent Creel said the complete report from Johnson Consulting would be available later Tuesday at the City of Biloxi website.

 

***

 

Here's another report on the consultant's presentation today.

 

We'll let you know if they get that Bass Pro Shops or not...

[Mass Haas]

September 12th update:

 

They're campaigning, still not constructing, when it comes to potential Biloxi stadium

Mark McCarter, Huntsville Times

 

The movement continues to bring a Class AA baseball team to Biloxi, Miss., something perhaps impacting the Huntsville Stars' future, but it remains in the campaign rather than construction process.

 

The issue of a new stadium was addressed today in a private session of the Biloxi City Council, with the Biloxi Sun-Herald reporting that the council could vote before the end of the month to support a $21 million bond issue to help build the stadium.

 

The Huntsville Stars have been reported as one of the more likely teams to be purchased and moved to Biloxi, along with the Jackson, Tenn., franchise, though the summer has been swirling with a variety of rumors that could include a domino effect across the league.

 

The only certainty is that the Huntsville Stars will be doing business at Joe Davis Stadium in the 2014 season. Stars general manager Buck Rogers reiterated that point Thursday morning and Biloxi officials have acknowledged that 2015 would be the earliest a team could move there.

 

Stars majority owner Miles Prentice, visiting with family in New England Thursday, could not be reached for comment. In previous interviews, he invoked a "gag order" he said was issued by the Southern League office not to talk about on-going negotiations.

 

Sources say Prentice is asking upwards of $17 million for the franchise he bought from Huntsville investors in 2001 for a reported $6 million, saying that day, "I'm looking to keep the team in Huntsville forever."

 

Note: That's a telling statement from that source, isn't it, that a dollar figure has floated and linked? Especially when combined with the article in the next post. -- Jim (Mass Haas)

 

Continuation of McCarter article --

 

Ken Young, who owns four other minor league clubs and would own the Biloxi franchise, told the Biloxi Sun-Herald that it is essential that the city begin making progress toward finalizing plans and starting construction on the stadium. Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant pledged $15 million toward construction from funds the state received from its settlement with BP after the Deepwater Horizon accident; that pledge has drawn criticism from those who believe the funds should be devoted to conservation.

 

Biloxi has plans for a $21 million bond issue to fund the remainder of the project, which will take place on land to be leased from the adjacent Beau Rivage Casino. However, the City Council has not provided backing for it.

 

Councilman George Lawrence wants to see the stadium built on public property while Councilman Robert Demming III raised the question of possible tax increases to help fund the park, something Young said was not the case in Albuquerque and Norfolk, other cities in which he owns teams.

 

Young's interview with the Sun-Herald was very much a plea to the community and leaders for support of the franchise, saying that baseball "adds life" to a city and "there's nothing better than minor league baseball to bring (quality of life) out. The team becomes part of the community."

 

Young stressed a sense of urgency, noting stadium construction would take more than a year and that the 2015 season opener is nearly 18 months away.

[Mass Haas]

Ken Young says baseball stadium will help revitalize, 'add life' to Biloxi

by Mary Perez, Biloxi Sun-Herald

 

BILOXI -- The city council could vote by the end of the month whether to back a $21 million bond for a Minor League Baseball stadium in downtown Biloxi.

 

Ken Young, who owns four minor league baseball teams, met with the City Council Thursday about bringing his fifth team to Biloxi.

 

Young is in the process of buying a franchise, and can't yet identify the team. When they move to Biloxi, where they came from will be history and the team will have a new name, new stadium, new mascot and new fans.

 

The site in on U.S. 90, north of the Beau Rivage Resort and Casino on land used as a parking lot. David Staehling, retired director of administration for the city, said the combination of a free site provided by MGM Resorts International, parent company of the Beau Rivage, and a $15 million grant from the state make the project a winner.

 

"The financial leverage on this project is the best thing I've ever seen come to this city," he said. Councilman George Lawrence again said he wants to see the stadium moved to his ward off Fifth Street in East Biloxi. He also continues to maintain that the stadium should be built on city-owned land. "As a business person I look at risk," Young said, and there is always risk coming into a new community. He said the city also needs to look at the chance of success and the other things that will be good for the city by building the ballpark. "It's worth taking this risk," he said.

 

Councilman Robert Deming III asked Young if he knew whether taxes increased in any of the four cities where he has baseball teams to support the stadiums. "The fact is no, none of them had to raise taxes," said Young. He said the stadiums he built in Norfolk and Albuquerque continue to generate surpluses. "The stadium in Norfolk has been the catalyst for major development in the downtown," he said.

 

Young said it takes 16-18 months to get a stadium built and the start of the 2015 baseball stadium is 18 months away. "It's important for us to get moving on it," he said. He already can envision walking into the stadium opening night, feeling the fan reaction and feeling like a kid again.

 

What minor league baseball does for a community, he said, is add to the quality of life and unify a region. "There's nothing better than minor league baseball to bring that out," he said. "The team becomes part of the community."

 

The stadium also could help revitalize downtown Biloxi as ballparks have done recently in Pensacola, Fla. and other cities around the country. With 70 home games, a team brings people downtown and businesses follow. "It adds life," he said.

 

Young started working as a vendor in the stadium in Philadelphia, Pa. when he was still in high school. After graduating from Penn State University he went to work with Aramark in the recreational food division that serves stadiums and concerts venues. He started his own company, Ovations Food Services, and has 40 years in the food service business. He invested in his first minor league team 21 years ago in Norfolk, Va., and was named the 2009 Baseball America Minor League Executive of the Year.

 

Like a business, a baseball stadium needs the right ingredients, he said: "A good stadium, good entertainment-affected baseball and then operate it correctly and you can have a successful franchise - one that the community appreciates."

 

He's done that in Norfolk with the International League Tides, with the Eastern League Bowie Baysox, the Carolina League Frederick Keys and the Pacific Coast League Albuquerque Isotopes. The Biloxi team would play in the Southern League.

 

Tim Bennett with Overtime Sports has been working for years to bring baseball to Biloxi and approached Young before Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Bennett was able to get a team in Pearl near Jackson and Young said he was interested in finding a team for Biloxi. The stadium will transform what is now a parking lot into a ballpark where three or four generations of family can share a game, a college baseball matchup, concert or other event, he said.

 

For the baseball purist it can be all about the game. For families, "It's everything going on around the baseball game," he said. They enjoy the music, the scoreboard and between inning contests. When they leave, Young said some of the fans don't know the final score but they know they had fun.His teams have a base run for kids at the end of the game. "Every night," he said. "Kids remember that. It's a Minor League stadium but it's a Major League field."

 

TIM ISBELL/SUN HERALD PHOTO Ken Young hopes a proposed location for a minor league stadium across from the Beau Rivage casino gets the necessary votes. Young thinks the location is excellent for a minor league baseball team.

 

http://media.sunherald.com/smedia/2013/09/12/10/02/1ghy1a.AuSt.77.jpeg

[Mass Haas]

It's really time to stop pretending that Huntsville is not the targeted Southern League relocation-to-Biloxi franchise.

 

Here's a video report following up yesterday's articles linked above.

 

Now we already knew this from that video report:

 

Young would not say which baseball franchise he'll buy and move to Biloxi, but WLOX News has been told it's an existing team in the AA Southern League.

 

The Jackson (TN) Generals play in the league's smallest market, and in prior years, had been the subject of their own departure rumors. But unlike the very absent and very silent Huntsville owner Miles Prentice, the Jackson situation has really solidified and stabilized with investment as this 2012 article indicates.

 

This actually isn't our first Brewerfan extensive thread on the Huntsville situation. Back in July 2009, Gord Ash's blunt comments kicked off this mega-thread with multiple updates, including perhaps this most telling post from 2010 (some bare-boned investments have been made since then).

 

***

 

So, and I type this with due respect to the hard-working staff that keep the franchise running on a shoestring budget and the dedicated among the team's Booster Club, but the issue isn't whether the Stars will be in Biloxi in 2015 (and yes, that situation could still yet fall apart - stay tuned), but whether the Brewers are positioned to be the beneficiaries of the new stadium in Biloxi.

 

In the fall of 2014, it will be time to renew or start fresh with Player Development Contracts (PDC's) across minor league baseball. Here is the current status of AA affiliations, and technically, all those in bold could potentially be interested in hooking up with a great new stadium situation on the Gulf Coast:

 

Eastern League (AA)

Akron Aeros - Cleveland (signed through 2014)

Altoona Curve - Pittsburgh (signed through 2018)

Binghamton Mets - New York (NL) (signed through 2016)

Bowie Baysox - Baltimore (signed through 2014)

Erie SeaWolves - Detroit (signed through 2014)

Harrisburg Senators - Washington (signed through 2014)

New Britain Rock Cats - Minnesota (signed through 2014)

New Hampshire Fisher Cats - Toronto (signed through 2014)

Portland Sea Dogs - Boston (signed through 2018)

Reading Fightin Phils - Philadelphia (signed through 2014; owned by Philadelphia)

Richmond Flying Squirrels - San Francisco (signed through 2014)

Trenton Thunder - New York (AL) (signed through 2022)

 

Southern League (AA)

Birmingham Barons - Chicago (AL) (signed through 2014)

Chattanooga Lookouts - Los Angeles (signed through 2014)

Huntsville Stars - Milwaukee (signed through 2014)

Jackson Generals - Seattle (signed through 2014)

Jacksonville Suns - Miami (signed through 2014)

Mississippi Braves - Atlanta (owned by Atlanta)

Mobile BayBears - Arizona (signed through 2014)

Montgomery Biscuits - Tampa Bay (signed through 2014)

Pensacola Blue Wahoos - Cincinnati (signed through 2016)

Tennessee Smokies - Chicago (NL) (signed through 2014)

 

Texas League (AA)

Arkansas Travelers - Anaheim (signed through 2014)

Corpus Christi Hooks - Houston (owned by Houston; signed through 2016)

Frisco RoughRiders - Texas (signed through 2018; owned by Texas)

Midland RockHounds - Oakland (signed through 2014)

Northwest Arkansas Naturals - Kansas City (signed through 2016)

San Antonio Missions - San Diego (signed through 2014)

Springfield Cardinals - St. Louis (owned by St. Louis)

Tulsa Drillers - Colorado (signed through 2014)

 

Not sure how many truly unsatisfactory ballpark situations exist beyond Huntsville at the AA level. So even if the Brewers don't end up in a spanking new Biloxi stadium, the situation could only improve regardless. While Huntsville's on-site day-to-day management team raves about their relationship with the Brewers' staff, both field and operational, new ownership in Biloxi would have no past relationship with Milwaukee staff, no loyalty.

 

And given eight sub-.500 seasons in the last ten, including the most recent five seasons, new ownership could easily seek a more "sexy" and successful partnership.

 

Baseball Reference - Huntsville Stars All-Time W-L Team Records

 

So Brewers fans just need to watch the Biloxi city council vote later this month, we'll keep you posted.

[And That]

Don't know if Ken Young would even be interested, but I wonder if members of the Brewers' ownership group would be willing to invest in the new Biloxi franchise in order to help the Brewers stay there in 2015, and well beyond. The Biloxi Brewers... very alliterative.

[jerichoholicninja]

Other than having a nice stadium for their players to play in how would the Brewers benefit from this? Do they get a cut of he revenue from minor league teams?

[TheCrew07]

Other than having a nice stadium for their players to play in how would the Brewers benefit from this? Do they get a cut of he revenue from minor league teams?

 

I would love it if the Brewers would buy their minor league affiliates like the Braves have, then yes revenue would matter to them, in this case we're talking mostly about getting modern training and practices facilities such as a weight room, nice indoor batting cage, and so on. From my perspective it's about creating the best possible environment to develop your players in. I realize I'll have much higher expectations given my perspective coming from a football background and being intimately familiar with the facilities of the Packers and Badgers, but I also don't expect minor league teams to have 3-5 different kinds of rehab pools and such either. I do expect modern rehab equipment like magnetic/ultrasound machines and a rehab pool, and if the franchises can't afford to do those types of things then the organization should just do it for player development. They'd be much better off wasting a couple hundred K when switching an affiliate than overpaying some veteran MLB has been on a yearly basis.

 

I would argue that having a poor facility in a place like Helena for short season ball doesn't matter anywhere near as much as it does in AAA and AA. Our players go from top notch facilities in WI, to similar facilities (but no fans) in FL, to garbage in AL and TN. I'm sure the players care about the other amenities like a player lounge, nice lockers, TVs in the club house, a dining area, and so on... I primarily care about the medical equipment and potential athletic advancement available in a new facility.

 

If you want to keep players healthy and care about athletic development then you need modern facilities. The Brewers are slowly coming around on both accounts.

[Mass Haas]

Other than having a nice stadium for their players to play in how would the Brewers benefit from this? Do they get a cut of he revenue from minor league teams?

 

That's a fair question.

 

It's purely a matter of player aesthetics, both physical and mental. Top-notch training facilities, cages, weight rooms, etc., plus playing for a full or nearly-full packed house night after night.

 

Having brand new facilities the last five years in Nashville or Huntsville would not have made much difference in the Brewers' system ranking with Baseball America and others, probably around that 25-28 range. You still have to have the talent.

 

But for all those other reasons, yes, there's an intrinsic benefit to player development.

[Mass Haas]

Pending a planned upcoming council vote, if funding does go through in Biloxi, look for former NBA star Tracy McGrady to be part of the new ownership team, and as we've surmised, it's likely but not a slam dunk that Huntsville is the club up for eventual sale / relocation. (See how I worked in the basketball term?)

 

Still no date set on the city financing vote.

 

McGrady story

[Mass Haas]

Too little, too late?

 

Huntsville Times poll

[Mass Haas]

Tuesday morning, October 8th is the Biloxi City Council vote. If it passes, it should not be long before we learn which Southern League team (most signs point to the Huntsville Stars) will be the 2015 tenant.

 

As we've detailed quite a bit throughout this thread, the Brewers association with the Huntsville franchise would need to be renewed beyond the 2014 season, so even if stadium construction is officially authorized, it's not a guarantee Brewers farmhands would be hosting games there.

 

Biloxi baseball is a vote away - Special meeting scheduled for 10 a.m. Tuesday