Some interesting developments in Nebraska -- which could have an impact here in Vancouver.... read on...
PCL: What if the city and Royals won't play ball?
BY ROB WHITE
OMAHA WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER
A sparse crowd watches Tuesday afternoon's game between the Omaha Royals and the Tacoma Rainiers at Rosenblatt Stadium.
If the Omaha Royals say goodbye to Omaha, the city isn't likely to say hello to another minor league team with a major league affiliation.
That's according to the presidents of the three leagues that might be considered a geographic fit for the city.
The Royals are in negotiations to use a new downtown stadium. But if an agreement isn't reached and the team leaves, the city's best bet for a replacement is likely to be an independent league team, which would lack ties to a major league organization and would offer a lower level of play.
It's hard to gauge the likelihood that the Royals would leave Omaha.
Negotiations with the team to use a new stadium starting in 2011 are under way, but those talks won't get serious until after the city and the NCAA have signed the formal contract to keep the College World Series in Omaha for 25 years, said Joe Gudenrath, a spokesman for Mayor Mike Fahey. City officials are hopeful that the NCAA deal will be finalized by June 10.
Filling a vacancy
If Omaha were to lose its Pacific Coast League team, could another PCL team move in?
There is a precedent. Albuquerque, N.M., lost its team to Portland, Ore., only to rebuild its stadium and eventually welcome a relocated Edmonton team several years ago.
But PCL President Branch Rickey calls that "an extraordinary exception."
In Albuquerque's case, a team left town before a stadium was built, and a different team was attracted by a new stadium. In Omaha, a team would decide to leave, at least in part, because of a stadium plan already in place that caters to the College World Series and not a minor league team.
Another situation is brewing in Nashville, Tenn., where the team is looking for a new stadium. As in Omaha, there has been at least some discussion about moving to the suburbs.
Could an unhappy Nashville franchise cast an eye toward Omaha?
No one is going that far. "We want to keep focused on what our options are in Omaha," Rickey said. — Rob White
The Royals and the team's league have expressed numerous concerns about Omaha's new stadium, including its larger-than-they-desire size and the financial plan in the new lease. Officials of the city and the Metropolitan Entertainment and Convention Authority, which will run the new stadium, have said that the stadium can work even if the Royals don't commit to play there. Still, both sides have expressed a desire for the team to remain in Omaha.
Presidents of three leagues — the Royals' current Class AAA Pacific Coast League, the Class AA Texas League and the low Class A Midwest League — all expressed little interest in moving another team to Omaha. Geographically, Omaha makes the most sense for those three leagues.
The Pacific Coast League operates at the top of baseball's minor leagues — one level from the majors — and is filled with many of the game's rising stars. Teams in the league are affiliated with clubs such as the Kansas City Royals (Omaha), Chicago Cubs (Iowa), St. Louis Cardinals (Memphis) and Colorado Rockies (Colorado Springs).
"If the PCL were not able to continue in Omaha, it'd be difficult to envision how another (PCL team) would go back in there at a future date," PCL President Branch Rickey said.
Texas League President Tom Kayser said his eight-team league is set for the next generation. Six new parks have been built in the past seven years and perhaps another is on the way in Tulsa, Okla.
"We're not interested in going outside of our (geographic) footprint, unless something extraordinary happens," Kayser said.
Midwest League President George Spelius, whose league extends into Michigan and Ohio, was surprised at the suggestion of Omaha joining that league.
"I've never had any thought of that, because it's not too often that you've had a city with a triple A team for that many years that suddenly wants to come to our league," he said. "Our farm directors (representatives from major league teams who oversee their minor league players' development) and the operators of our league would have to decide if they would want to go that far west."
One reason the PCL can operate in Omaha is that most PCL teams are near larger airports, allowing them to fly from city to city. Even though the PCL stretches from Tacoma, Wash., to Tennessee and from New Orleans to Fresno, Calif., flying enables teams to reach the next city within hours of game time.
The Texas and Midwest leagues, on the other hand, are considered "bus leagues," making it important that teams are close enough to allow most travel by bus. Omaha would be on the far western edge of the Midwest League and the far northern edge of the Texas League.
One league executive is interested in Omaha.
"If Omaha became available, we would love to talk about it," said Miles Wolff, commissioner of the independent American Association, which includes the Lincoln Saltdogs. "But the Royals still have two years to run on their lease, so anything like that is premature."
Local businessmen Warren Buffett and Walter Scott each own a 25 percent share in the Omaha team and would have to sign off on a move.
But it isn't a stretch to say that another city would be happy to welcome the Royals franchise. Minor league baseball had another record-setting year in 2007, drawing more than 42 million fans and close to $600 million in revenue.
"There are a lot of good markets out there," said Kevin Reichard, publisher-editor of Ballpark Digest, who tracks minor league stadium issues on ballparkdigest.com.
Vancouver; Tucson, Ariz.; and s Sugar Land, Texas, a Houston suburb, are among cities Reichard has mentioned that would be interested in the Royals.
Royals President Alan Stein would not confirm interest in other cities. He spoke only about formal negotiations that under way are with MECA.
"We've got a (negotiating) window, but it's not a terribly large one," he said. "But we're moving forward in good faith to explore every opportunity to be a tenant at the new stadium."
MECA President Roger Dixon said he has heard from a league interested in playing at a new stadium if a deal with the Royals doesn't materialize. He declined to reveal the league or whether it was an affiliated or independent team.
"I'd just as soon not say who right now, because I don't want to build up anybody's hopes," Dixon said. "And the first direction we're heading is to keep the Royals here. If they choose not to be here, then we'll move in a different direction."
Gudenrath, the mayor's spokesman, said the mayor is focused on keeping the Royals in Omaha and on making use of the new stadium beyond the CWS.
"That's why we're looking at Creighton (baseball) and other opportunities, such as concerts and other events — to get as much use out of the stadium as possible," Gudenrath said. "That's the overriding philosophy, and the first step is reaching an agreement with Creighton and the Omaha Royals."
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