Baseball America touches on the situation in Richmond.
Cliff Notes
- No real fit for an International League franchise
- It’s on the “outskirts of both the Double-A Eastern and Southern Leagues; Bowie is currently the southernmost Eastern League club while; Carolina (located in Raleigh) is the northernmost Southern League club.”
- “[B]est geographic fits for Richmond would be the high Class A Carolina League and low Class A South Atlantic League”
- One Carolina League team has approached their President about moving
- At least one South Atlantic League team has contacted their President about moving
There is no official word, but the rumor is the Carolina team is the Kinston Indians who have seen their attendance dwindle to just 1,745/game in 2007.
As for the Sally League, the posting references the ongoing rumors of a move by Hagerstown
Rumors of a Hagerstown relocation is hardly news, but the Suns would certainly seem like a good fit in Richmond. The Suns play in Municipal Stadium, built in 1931, and are owned by Mandalay Baseball Properties, which owns six other clubs and has thrived in such markets as Dayton, Frisco, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and Staten Island. A call to Mandalay Baseball officials was not immediately returned.
Richmond is not closer to DC than Hagerstown (~75 miles to Hagerstown vs ~100 miles to Richmond) but Richmond is an intriguing option (provided a stadium agreement can be reached) and a move south would allow the Nationals to expand their reach towards the southern part of Virginia and perhaps into North Carolina. The tradeoff would be leaving western Maryland.
Brian Isemann | 06-May-08 at 1:49 pm | Permalink
Wow. You’re doing everything I do every morning, except, you’re making it easy to read. Awesome page. I’ll be viewing each and every morning. Thanks!
Dick | 06-May-08 at 2:06 pm | Permalink
If Kinston were to move to Richmond, wouldn’t the league then become the Virginia League with teams in Richmond, Salem, Potomac & Lynchburg (in an 8 team league)?
Seriously, Kinston moving to Richmond wouldn’t do anything for the Nats. Richmond might not be a good fit for the Sally league but I would happily trade western Maryland (Orioles country?) for central Virginia.
Brian Oliver | 06-May-08 at 2:08 pm | Permalink
Brian - Thanks
Dick - Very true about the “Virginia” League.
A wary fan | 06-May-08 at 3:00 pm | Permalink
The plurality of Carolina League teams is already in Virginia - the league has 1 in Delaware, 1 in Maryland, 3 in Virginia, 2 in North Carolina and 1 in South Carolina.
Dick | 06-May-08 at 3:20 pm | Permalink
Technically, Virginia and the Carolinas are tied with 3 each today. Not cause for a name change yet!
Ric | 06-May-08 at 4:12 pm | Permalink
Too bad the Nationals can’t get Richmond for their AAA affiliate. Assuming the Indians align with Columbus, and Syracuse with the Mets, it looks like the Nationals will be fighting it out with Toronto between Buffalo and New Orleans. With geographic proximity, I’d think Buffalo prefers Toronto. Maybe in 2010, the Nationals could align with Charlotte and move the White Sox to New Orleans, and end up with Charlotte (AAA), Harrisburg (AA), Potomac (A+) and Richmond (A) for their full season affiliates.
Sec 314 | 06-May-08 at 4:16 pm | Permalink
I guess I need to get out more often. I’ve been to R Braves games (but not in the past five or six years) and thought the facility and the crowds were fine. I’m kind of stunned that Richmond would go from being a AAA town to a Single A town.
I can understand the Braves wanting to have a AAA team closer to Richmond. Is the Stadium really that bad? The crowds really that small?
Where do I find a nice summary of what’s happening?
Tofu Dog | 06-May-08 at 4:56 pm | Permalink
Too much speculation too early. There is a good comparison of Posey vs. Beckham on BA who sent Matt Blood to watch both play this past weekend.
Suns Fan | 06-May-08 at 5:26 pm | Permalink
Mandalay wants to move the Suns or sell Hagerstown. Mandalay also has a contract with Hagerstown that should, in theory, keep the team here through 2009. $300,000 in improvements are scheduled for Municipal Stadium in early 2009. The Power Plant is in the process of being condemned, and if it is would likely become a Super Fund site. A parking lot could be built there and Municipal Stadium could be rebuilt, or the Suns could build a new stadium on the site of the Washington County Hospital after it’s demolished.
All this said, the Sally League franchise could well be the Savannah Sand Gnats. They draw worse than the Suns. The Sally League needs a team in Hagerstown for geographic purposes, and quashed the last attempt Mandalay made at moving the Suns.
From the lack of promotion, lack of involvement, etc, it appears pretty obvious to me that Mandalay wants to create the dynamics (last place attendance) where moving can be justified. That said, I think Kinston is probably more likely. But that could be just blind optimism there.
The conditions are actually pretty favorable for a stadium rehab/new stadium in Hagerstown. It’ll be a shame if Mandalay moves the team when progress could be made. And as for the contract, well they’re made to be broken.
Suns Fan | 06-May-08 at 5:31 pm | Permalink
Re: moving out of Western Maryland, I think that’s a poor idea. The reality is that the Nationals are competitors with the Orioles. The Suns could certainly do more to advertise their affiliation. But attendance growth in Washington is dependent upon expanding the market. Anything to the South (Virginia) is already in D.C.’s geographic market. To the west, it’s equal distance between Washington and Baltimore. Therefore out here is the real battle ground between the two teams for fans. From a long-term growth perspective, I believe the Nationals would be wise to stay in western Maryland.
BristowNats | 06-May-08 at 8:02 pm | Permalink
Is the PNats stadium deal done next to the Pfitz? They might be a good fit in Richmond.
Shawn | 06-May-08 at 11:55 pm | Permalink
A move from Hagerstown by the Nats would be a bad move for them with it coming just as they are making inroads here vs the Orioles
Wooden U. Lykteneau | 07-May-08 at 8:35 am | Permalink
Bristow - Nobody in their right mind — not even Angelos — is dumb enough to give up the counties of Fairfax and Prince William while having the luxury of a cheap stadium that doesn’t have to comply to the NAPBL standards. H’town is in the same boat, but it’s not nearly as affluent, so there’s a lot less risk in giving up there. Problem is, even the rednecks on the PWC board of supervisors know this and also know that Art Silber is bluffing when he threatens to move (to where?). The endgame is simple: Get a new stadium, or find someone else willing to take on the challenge, or hope that Kasten decides to buy him out.