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Young Drachma · 09-26-2007, 10:00 PM

SEEMINGLY SAFE FROM RELEGATION, BEES SEEK TO MOVE
Salt Lake City is a great place to raise a family, says Bees owner R.J. Covenant, it is not however, a lucrative locale for a major league baseball team. Saddled with debts from the team's unlikely ascent from family friendly baseball club in the Continental League to Major League franchise, the Bees have defied the odds and look to be spending another season in the majors despite their 2nd losing season as a major league club. Covenant has placed the ballclub on the market, hoping to cash in on an investment that was just $15 million in 1996 when he became a majority partner in a fledging minor league team that at the time was in a league that MLB had no intention of "promoting" to major league status. Or at least, so he believed.

"I never saw this as a chance to get us into the big leagues. Our guys have just played so well and well, when that happens, history happens and that's why we have a major league team in Salt Lake." But fans of the ballclub have apparently grown weary of the novelty of a major league club or maybe it's just a losing one. In any case, the team plays in the smallest venue in the majors -- Franklin Covey Field -- has a capacity of 29,500 and that's only because the team put bleachers in last year when they moved to the majors, giving them an extra 10,000 seats, but it's not cozy and most players feel the park is woefully minor league. And Covenant has said he's reluctant to pour more money into the club -- despite turning profits of over $100 million last year (due to the windfall of media money he got when the team made the majors) because he doesn't know how long they'll be in the majors.

Several owners have stepped forward and all of them have expressed an interest to move the club elsewhere. Covenant has been hushed as to where these locales might be, but some observers say the team could announce a move as early as the end of the World Series.

"They've got a nice core in place, so it'd be an attractive team for a city without a whole lot of distractions that would support major league baseball. There aren't a ton of those places out there, especially in today's landscape, let alone one with a stadium already ready for a new team, but, crazier things have happened," said A.J. West, of the Denver Chronicle.

OTHER CL NEWS
Meanwhile, the Durham Bulls will be moving to Charlotte next season and will become the Charlotte Knights. Team officials felt the team would do better in a metropolitan area and that with a growing city to draw from, the owners say this is "a move that will ensure that the Carolinas will someday have a team of their own in the majors."

In a surprising move, the New Orleans Zephyrs announced they will leave New Orleans after just one season in the Crescent City. Attendance for the last place Zephyrs wasn't what the team had hoped for when it relocated from Milwaukee last year and the team says it will be relocating to Newark, New Jersey.

The city is just completing a brand new stadium on the Passaic River and the team believes that its proximity to mass transit and being a stone's throw from New York City will be a boon to the fledging franchise. It'll mark the first time the NYC metro area has supported more than three major league teams in the modern era.

MLB ANNOUNCES MAJOR REALIGNMENT IN THE CONTINENTAL LEAGUE

On the eve of the Guinness Cup Series, MLB has decided for the first time to expand its junior circuit by six teams next year. This massive expansion represents a huge shot in the arm for the Continental League, which since its first season in 1996 has provided "a major league experience to cities across America," according to the MLB web site.

No discussion on an alignment for the CL after this year's expansion has been discussed.

The new cities are Nashville, Hartford, Milwaukee, Omaha, Orlando and Albuquerque.

MLB implemented a new rule that can give the league the right to reject the winner of the Challenge Series if that city doesn't have a stadium that meets minimum guidelines set by MLB. This is to prevent a situation like in Salt Lake City when the team was promoted without an "adaquate" facility by MLB and MLBPA approval.

The parameters for how this would happen seem hazy at best, but the rule seems brought on by the worry of the players union that Monterrey might win the Challenge Series and that players would be forced to spend an entire MLB season there.

While there have been no incidents in the city deems Mexico's "safest" since the Matadors arrived in 1996, some are said to be "wary" about having to play there a full year.

No official comments have been made regarding these fear, however.

09-26-2007, 10:00 PM	#80
Young Drachma Dark Cloud Join Date: Apr 2001	SEEMINGLY SAFE FROM RELEGATION, BEES SEEK TO MOVE Salt Lake City is a great place to raise a family, says Bees owner R.J. Covenant, it is not however, a lucrative locale for a major league baseball team. Saddled with debts from the team's unlikely ascent from family friendly baseball club in the Continental League to Major League franchise, the Bees have defied the odds and look to be spending another season in the majors despite their 2nd losing season as a major league club. Covenant has placed the ballclub on the market, hoping to cash in on an investment that was just $15 million in 1996 when he became a majority partner in a fledging minor league team that at the time was in a league that MLB had no intention of "promoting" to major league status. Or at least, so he believed. "I never saw this as a chance to get us into the big leagues. Our guys have just played so well and well, when that happens, history happens and that's why we have a major league team in Salt Lake." But fans of the ballclub have apparently grown weary of the novelty of a major league club or maybe it's just a losing one. In any case, the team plays in the smallest venue in the majors -- Franklin Covey Field -- has a capacity of 29,500 and that's only because the team put bleachers in last year when they moved to the majors, giving them an extra 10,000 seats, but it's not cozy and most players feel the park is woefully minor league. And Covenant has said he's reluctant to pour more money into the club -- despite turning profits of over $100 million last year (due to the windfall of media money he got when the team made the majors) because he doesn't know how long they'll be in the majors. Several owners have stepped forward and all of them have expressed an interest to move the club elsewhere. Covenant has been hushed as to where these locales might be, but some observers say the team could announce a move as early as the end of the World Series. "They've got a nice core in place, so it'd be an attractive team for a city without a whole lot of distractions that would support major league baseball. There aren't a ton of those places out there, especially in today's landscape, let alone one with a stadium already ready for a new team, but, crazier things have happened," said A.J. West, of the Denver Chronicle. OTHER CL NEWS Meanwhile, the Durham Bulls will be moving to Charlotte next season and will become the Charlotte Knights. Team officials felt the team would do better in a metropolitan area and that with a growing city to draw from, the owners say this is "a move that will ensure that the Carolinas will someday have a team of their own in the majors." In a surprising move, the New Orleans Zephyrs announced they will leave New Orleans after just one season in the Crescent City. Attendance for the last place Zephyrs wasn't what the team had hoped for when it relocated from Milwaukee last year and the team says it will be relocating to Newark, New Jersey. The city is just completing a brand new stadium on the Passaic River and the team believes that its proximity to mass transit and being a stone's throw from New York City will be a boon to the fledging franchise. It'll mark the first time the NYC metro area has supported more than three major league teams in the modern era. MLB ANNOUNCES MAJOR REALIGNMENT IN THE CONTINENTAL LEAGUE On the eve of the Guinness Cup Series, MLB has decided for the first time to expand its junior circuit by six teams next year. This massive expansion represents a huge shot in the arm for the Continental League, which since its first season in 1996 has provided "a major league experience to cities across America," according to the MLB web site. No discussion on an alignment for the CL after this year's expansion has been discussed. The new cities are Nashville, Hartford, Milwaukee, Omaha, Orlando and Albuquerque. MLB implemented a new rule that can give the league the right to reject the winner of the Challenge Series if that city doesn't have a stadium that meets minimum guidelines set by MLB. This is to prevent a situation like in Salt Lake City when the team was promoted without an "adaquate" facility by MLB and MLBPA approval. The parameters for how this would happen seem hazy at best, but the rule seems brought on by the worry of the players union that Monterrey might win the Challenge Series and that players would be forced to spend an entire MLB season there. While there have been no incidents in the city deems Mexico's "safest" since the Matadors arrived in 1996, some are said to be "wary" about having to play there a full year. No official comments have been made regarding these fear, however.