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Here come the Suns?
Copy of letter implies city talking with Hagerstown team
By Alex Bridges -- abridges@nvdaily.com
WINCHESTER -- Days before the City Council is scheduled to discuss a proposed minor league baseball stadium deal, a copy of a letter of intent appears to confirm that the team Winchester officials are talking to is the Hagerstown Suns.
Whether the minor league baseball team relocates from Maryland depends on if the Winchester City Council gives land to the Economic Development Authority for the $15 million stadium.
The council takes up the request at its regular meeting Tuesday night. The meeting agenda includes a public hearing on the proposed construction and operation of a professional minor league baseball stadium in Jim Barnett Park. The council also may see on first reading a proposed ordinance that, if passed, would convey land in the park to the EDA for the stadium. While the EDA initially sought approximately 12 acres, the agency has since decreased that to just under 8 acres in the northeast section of the park.
The proposed ordinance states the property would revert back to the city should the EDA fail to build the stadium by June 2013.
EDA Director Jim Deskins also submitted a draft lease that the authority would sign when it secures a minor league team. No official has publicly identified any team with which the EDA would enter the lease agreement.
However, rumors floated for weeks indicated that the Suns entered into talks with Winchester officials, even as the club owners sought millions of dollars in renovations to Municipal Stadium in Hagerstown.
A letter of intent regarding the relocation of the minor league baseball team from Maryland lays truth to the rumors that began floating in the community months ago. City officials included a redacted copy of the Jan. 19 letter in material available in advance of Tuesday's council meeting. The materials are available on the city's website, winchesterva.gov.
The name of the team's owner, Hagerstown Baseball LLC, is redacted in all but one instance in the letter. A partially obscured signature appears at the bottom of the letter.
The Suns, a farm club for the Washington Nationals, play as in the Class A South Atlantic League, which has teams stretching from New Jersey to Georgia.
Hagerstown Mayor Robert E. Bruchey II did not return a phone call or email requests for comment on the possible move by the Suns. The mayor told the Herald-Mail newspaper in Hagerstown that he has known of the letter of intent since mid-January.
The letter states "In consideration of the EDA and the City of Winchester's expenditures, mutual promises, and efforts in furtherance of this project, Hagerstown Baseball, LLC agrees to the following: [redacted] Baseball LLC has presented a draft Lease Agreement ... which has been reviewed and revised based on comments of EDA Staff and Staff for the City of Winchester."
The letter goes on to state the owner would execute the lease agreement if, by April 17, the EDA formally approves the document, the city transfers the park land to the authority and approves the funding for the project. The team owner agrees to reimburse the city and the EDA for the costs up to $75,000 related to the project should the lessee fail to execute the lease even if the other parties complete the three tasks, according to the letter.
If all the claimed improved quality of life benefits that a minor league baseball team could bring to Winchester are true and valid, why would Hagerstown not fight to keep their team and those benefits? Attendance at major league ball games is in a slow decline. Perhaps over the long term, the liabilities far outweigh the benefits? What are the game attendance figures for Hagerstown? Is it reasonable to assume the Hagerstown game attendance figures wax and wane in step with the won - loss record of the team, but overall financial support from fan attendance is declining with time and Winchester represents fresh red meat?
In the long term, Winchester will be come Hagerstown, ultimately not caring if the team stays or leaves. Let the game of musical chairs begin.
Let us hope this is true. Winchester and the Shennadoah valley have supported baseball for years and the location of a minor league baseball team here would bring tens of millions of dollars of tourism income to the area.
Looked at the letter that they posted online. The fact that they missed blacking out one of the mentions of Hagerstown in a very short letter tells me that they have no eye for details. I wonder how much in the $15 million dollar contract has slipped by unnoticed.
Add to that they originally wanted to have the baseball stadium facing the wrong direction and they want it to be artifical turf, even though MLB and MiLB have tried to rid the sport of it.
Good concept or not, there is no way in hell that these amateurs should be negotiating this deal.
I think the City of Winchester's Planning Commision has entirely too much of our tax money to do with as they will. Just like the stupid flag pole at the corner of East Piccadilly St. How about you try putting some of these decisions to a public vote? Shouldn't we be allowed to vote for or against what we are paying for?
How about a tax cut instead of looking for little boy toys to spend our money on?
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