Though the weather may not indicate it, baseball season has begun.
Teams all over the country, from the lowest levels of the minor leagues to the highest, have players trying to catch a ride with a major league team.
Bowling Green may soon become a part of that pipeline.
Talk of bringing a minor league team to south central has resurfaced after a year’s hiatus.
Talks began in 2005 to relocate an existing team to Bowling Green, but later stalled, the Herald previously reported.
According to Mayor Elaine Walker, the talks have resurfaced because of the General Assembly passage that would create tax increment financing districts.
Walker said investor Art Solomon, former chief financial officer for the Fannie Mae company, has the option of buying a class A team with an option for local ownership.
Solomon is the owner of the Manchester (N.H.) Fisher Cats, a Class AA team and affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays.
The move is still a long way from completion. Walker said the city has to approve the plan and then will submit it to the state. However, plans would have the ballpark open by April 2008.
The location would be adjacent to property for the SKyPAC and bound by College Street, Kentucky Street and between Seventh and Eighth avenues.
The figures that really stand out are the money needed to bring the team and the stadium to Bowling Green.
Walker said the overall plan would cost $50 million in private investments, including $11 million to buy land for a 4,000-seat stadium.
Randy Mobley, president of the Class AAA International League, said the cost of a team usually includes costs for a franchise, land and stadium.
He said he would guess that in addition to the cost of land, the franchise cost is probably $8 to $9 million, making the cost of the stadium $30 million, based on the average numbers for Class A teams.
According to Mobley, the overall cost for a AAA team is roughly $70 million to $75 million.
Why is the price tag for a Bowling Green team so high?
Mobley said the price was simply “conceivable.”
While the average turnout for a Western baseball game isn’t a good indicator, a minor league team could succeed in Bowling Green, as long as the team is marketed and utilized effectively.
A prime example is the Lexington Legends, a Class A affiliate of the Houston Astros. At an average of 5,539 fans per game in 2006, the Legends outdrew 11 Class AAA teams.
The Legends are very family-oriented, with a kids area featuring a carousel as well as a promotion every game that includes $1 beers on Thursdays and hot dogs for 25 cents on Tuesdays.
The appeal of a professional team is different from a college team, and having one in Bowling Green would surely spark more interest than the Toppers. But if fans hope to land a pro team, they might want to show up far more often at Denes Field.
Jason Stamm is sports editor and columnist for the Herald. Reach him at sports@wkuherald.com.
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