Brewers Class A back in Wisconsin?

[foamboy1]

That is what some are hoping....

There is a well-heeled and very credible group of folks in Milwaukee that are working on buying a Class A minor league team and moving it to Delevan, next to the dogtrack. The goal would be to become the Brewers Class A affiliate, and do a bunch of cross-promotional things. They apparently would build (or someone would build for them) a new, small stadium as part of the deal.

These are not "fly by night" guys and the team they are looking to purchasing already exists, and would be moved.

[BillScottCanRake]

I always thought a big reason the Brewers moved was because of the climate and it was better for player development to have teams in southern climates? I know that the facilities in Beloit were an issue, too, but I thought weather was the bigger issue.

 

The fan in me would love to see the Brewers return to the Midwest League, but if the weather is as big a deal as I remember, it's going to take an awful lot to overcome that, no matter how committed the ownership group would be.

[JJHardy7]

From everything I've heard the Brewers don't want to lose minor league games due to weather. I used to live a few minutes from the T-Rats and went to games where there was snow and games cancelled due to snow. I don't think the Brewers want to do this, but I'm sure if a brand new stadium is possible they'll at least think about it. I'd rather it be an A team though than AA or AAA.

[colbyjack]

Thanks for the heads up foamboy. I could see the Brewers being interested if there are cross promotions involved and things of the like, but as others have mentioned, there was more to the Brewers move to the Sally League than just Beloit's stadium, and of course there isn't a fit at the high-A level.

 

In addition, would this new location replace one of the current Midwest League teams? Since the need for teams is determined by how many big-league clubs there are out there, some team out there would have to close shop for this to happen, and the Midwest League is really the only league that this would work for, unless they're talking about a level higher than A, and I don't see a fit in a community as small as the Delavan area (meaning no AAA, which would really be the only other league that would work from what I can tell).

 

I'm curious, has there been any talk about possibly using this stadium for both a minor league affiliate and for a possible Northwoods League team? I know there has been some talk about the NWL expanding to somewhere in SE Wisconsin (the Waukesha/Delafield area was once tossed around, but there really aren't any good stadium options in that area), and if a new stadium is built in the Delavan area, it sounds like a perfect fit.

 

If I had a couple of extra million to spend, I know where I would build a stadium in hopes of trying to lure a club, but I can't share that info until I manage to find a couple of extra million to spend http://forum.brewerfan.net/images/smilies/smile.gif.

[foamboy1]

This transaction contemplates the acquisition of an existing Midwest League team and then a relocation to Delevan into a new stadium (that hasn't yet been built of course).

 

This deal has been talked about for 18 months or so but now seems to be heating up and likely.

[davego]

Kane County? I seem to recall some issues there. Be it the field or $. Not sure.

 

Side note, when do I ge to be well-heeled and credible?

[JohnBriggs12]

Don't the Brewers lose a ton of games in Florida in the summer?

 

Davego, Kane County nearly outdraws the D-Rays. This is a down year for them on the field but they are still averaging over 7,000 per game. I doubt anyone is going to abandon that location for some time.

[colbyjack]

Here are the attendance figures in the MWL this year. I agree with JohnBriggs, I don't see Kane County going anywhere.

 

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/stats/stats.jsp?t=l_att&lid=118&sid=l118

 

I know the Twins just re-upped with Beloit, despite the continual rumblings that Beloit wants to somehow build a new stadium (Delavan isn't that far from Beloit FWIW). One of the Iowa teams, Quad Cities, Clinton and particularly Burlington makes a lot of sense if it were to happen. Burlington is also the furthest South of the Iowa teams, which would help centralize the league a little better, despite Peoria still being in the middle of IL.

[colbyjack]

This conversation reminded me of a great website that I used to use as a resource when the Snappers were still affiliated with the Brewers, MWLguide.com. Their history and attendance pages have some info that may help make the speculation a little easier. Here's a link to their history page for this decade:

 

http://www.mwlguide.com/history/overview2000s.html

 

With this note:

 

The decade began with the long-anticipated shift of the Rockford franchise to Dayton, and 2007 has seen the transfer of the troubled Battle Creek (Michigan, Southwest Michigan) franchise to Midland (Great Lakes). Except for those blemishes, the decade's story's about new and renovated ballparks: Cedar Rapids, Dayton, Great Lakes, Peoria, and Quad Cities all have new facilities, while Burlington, Clinton, Lansing, and West Michigan have substantially upgraded their yards. Kane County has a major upgrade in queue, while Fort Wayne's seriously considering building a downtown park. Beloit, too, is pursuing a new stadium, though a recent setback seems to have put the franchise in jeopardy.

 

The Midwest League is thriving. One success indicator is the price of a franchise: When the Waterloo team was sold in the early 1990s, the reported $2 million sale price was widely considered to be outrageous. By the late '90s, the Fort Wayne team was reportedly purchased for a then-record $4.75 million. The current asking price appears to be $7 million....

 

It sounds as though Fort Wayne may be up for sale, but that doesn't mean that they will be moving necessarily, as the above comment also notes that they are seriously considering a downtown stadium.

 

EDIT: I just re-read the comments I added, and that doesn't necessarily mean that Fort Wayne is up for sale, just throwing out what the asking price may be for any of the MWL ballclubs.

[BillScottCanRake]

Don't the Brewers lose a ton of games in Florida in the summer?

 

If the Brewers were really concerned about the weather (and maybe they aren't so concerned, but they wanted a PC way to not re-up with Beloit?), I'd think they are more bothered by the conditions in which the games that are played more so than having games canceled. Games that are rained-out can be made up, so lost development time isn't a huge deal. If a player pulls a muscle playing on a 40 degree night and misses two weeks, that's a bigger deal. I think I still have frostbite from that Fanfest game that was played in Beloit a few years ago in the drizzle and 40 degree temps.

 

If the weather isn't a big deal to the Brewers, and they are coming back, from a fan's point of view, that's awesome. I have missed not seeing guys like Braun and Jefferess play in person and I'd welcome getting the chance again.

[jaybird2001wi]

Delavan? That move would not make any sense at all. Delavan is like a half hour drive from Beloit. Beloit has a hard enough time getting people to their games, having a team in Delavan would make about as much sense as putting a second MLB team in Miami.

[dadofandrew]

Delavan would draw from Milwaukee. I have also heard that rumor, Foamboy, as I was e-mailed a questionairre by someone associated with it, or at least, curious about it. That was in the Fall of '06, both A ball and college wood bat were mentioned. Milwaukee is about 40-60 minutes from Beloit, depending on which side of the city you live on, and Delavan is just a few minutes for some, and up to what, 20-25 for others? Milwaukee is a blue collar town in which $5-7 seats and free parking would go over well, and much moreso for an affiliate of the Crew.

 

EDIT: Sorry, I got Delafield and Delavan mixed up.

[jaybird2001wi]

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/images/spacer.gif

http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/milb/images/info/geographical/wisconsin.gif

This is a geographic map of all the teams near Milwaukee.

[dadofandrew]

Given how good Appleton's park is, I'd much prefer they end up there, and hopefully, that will occur at some point.

[foamboy1]

I wouldn't be surprised that you received something last year, Al. This has been planned for quite awhile, yet it's bubbling up quite hot right now. The only reason I mention it is that the likelihood seems high at the moment.

Nice graphic Jay...the team that would be acquired and moved is on your map.

This is an atypical transaction...part real estate play, part Milwaukee baseball guys, etc.

There is one former Brewer involved as well.

[jaybird2001wi]

I just don't think a team in Delavan is feasible. As I look at the attendance figures of an already-lagging Beloit Snappers, which has been struggling the past decade with attendance AND a new stadium, I highly doubt a team in Delavan will be successful. Delavan and Beloit are too close together. As I said above, this move makes no geographic sense and I bet the Beloit Snappers Baseball Club will have something to say about this move and even try to block it. It is not that long of a drive from Delavan to Beloit, all you do is get on Hwy 11 west and then hit US 14 all the way to I-43 and Beloit is within 10 miles of the on-ramp.

I could see an A ball team being placed in Kenosha, but not Delavan. There isn't enough commercial value in the Delavan area and the people would not even bother attending games because they already make the trek to Beloit, which as I said before, isn't too far away. It is like moving a Major League club to Orlando, FL where there already is a struggling team in nearby Tampa.

http://www.acevideography.com/images/map.jpg

 

 

[colbyjack]

I agree that the placement doesn't make much sense given how close Delavan is too Beloit, but Beloit does pretty lousy job at drawing crowds, and maybe this new team can draw more fans from the growing communities SW of Milwaukee (Muskego, Mukwanago, East Troy, etc.). And who knows, maybe this group is looking to buy the Snappers, wait out their agreement with the Twins and try to re-up with the Brewers in three years. It's going to take a year or two or more for a stadium to be built anyway.

[foamboy1]

Hmmmm....think about it.

[wvpowerblkwel]

Leave my low class A boys alone! We really like these guys in Charleston, WV...we used to have a hard time drawing 100,000 for a season before the new park, and I bet we cross 250,000 in attendance this year. I really like the SAL, and having the Brewers feeding my entertainment! Hell guys, I'll start pipin' live video feed to the board if you supply the gear!

[Brian the Automator]

Hmmmm....think about it.

Obviously, you're alluding to the Snappers moving to Delevan.

I'd sure as heck appreciate it becoming a Brewers affiliate, but they moved out because partly because of the weather. I guess I just don't see them leaving WV since their relationship seems to be pretty strong.

[dadofandrew]

Actually, I just realized my e-mail was from a group talking about Delafield/Oconomowoc, not Delavan. My mistake.

[PeaveyFury]

I'm guessing that they used the weather as a convenient excuse to leave rather than harping on the dilapidated facilities they had in Beloit.

[tony2sweet]

I heard awhile back that a group in Kenosha had interest in bringing a Brewers single A team to town. The places they were looking at for a stadium were at Simmons Field (formerly the home of the Kenosha Twins a single A team for the Twins). but they would have to drop some decent cash to to fix it up. They were also looking at a location on I-94 between Racine and Kenosha. Both Kenosha and Racine are two well popultated areas and close enough to Milwaukee to draw very well.

[billyhallfan]

that would be awesome, I still go to a lot of Snappers games, but it isn't the same watching the Twins. Matt Garza, Paul Kelly, Chris Parmelee, and Kyle Waldrop were all fun too watch. But I would rather watch Brewers, this is the best news I've heard in a while, I still will never understand why Madison can't support a Brewers single A team, I know the Muskies and Black whatever failed, but the Mallards draw crazy, keep the beer prices the same, call them the Madison Brewers, and half the croud will think they are watching the Milwaukee Brewers by the end of the 3rd. Warner park is basiclly identical to wrigley.

[colbyjack]

wvpowerblkwel, you don't have anything to worry about, at least through the year 2010, which is how long the Twins Player Development Contract with the Snappers goes through, unless the PDC's can be re-negotiated when there is a change in ownership.