Reply With Quote
Im still waiting to hear whats more important that the city or county that NEEDS to be adressed IMMEDIATELY!!
Dude.A stadium here in SA does not need a roof!!!
A 12 o clock sunday day game in August would disagree.
Retractable roof, or sunroof thats able to open, and that fixes the problem.
Minute Maid Park is fine in May with the roof closed.
Im still waiting to hear whats more important that the city or county that NEEDS to be adressed IMMEDIATELY!!
if only you knew the real reasons behind the salary purge.
try having the worst stadium lease in baseball that you cant do anything about.
marlins make nothing off parking.
make nothing off concessions.
make pretty much nothing on luxury boxes.
they are lucky to make money off ticket sales.
that and attendance is in miami.
if this franchise had a real financial base like the other 29 ballclubs, this would never have happened.
Damn.if only you knew the real reasons behind the salary purge.
try having the worst stadium lease in baseball that you cant do anything about.
marlins make nothing off parking.
make nothing off concessions.
make pretty much nothing on luxury boxes.
they are lucky to make money off ticket sales.
that and attendance is in miami.
if this franchise had a real financial base like the other 29 ballclubs, this would never have happened.
More facts.
Gotta hate that.....
- Homelessness
- dropout rate
- low overall education and skills
- lack of good-paying jobs
- roads
Nah, let's spend $500M on a stadium with a retractable roof. Bread and circuses worked just fine for the Romans, after all.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/met...s.34e99c9.html
Hall of Fame pitcher backs S.A. Marlins idea
Web Posted: 03/21/2006 12:00 AM CST
Tom Orsborn
Express-News Staff Writer
Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan on Monday endorsed Bexar County's efforts to lure the Florida Marlins to San Antonio, saying Texas could support a third Major League Baseball franchise and this city is the right spot for it.
"The demographics of the state allows for another team to come here," Ryan said. "Given the projected growth of the state and the exciting things happening in San Antonio, I think (San Antonio) would support (a team)."
Ryan also suggested he would consider investing in the Marlins should they move here.
"You never rule things like that out," Ryan said. "We would be interested in seeing where the (Marlins) ownership is on that."
Ryan's comments came after he had lunch with County Judge Nelson Wolff, County Commissioner Tommy Adkisson, County Budget Officer David Smith and County Chief of Staff Seth Mitc at the Plaza Club atop Frost Bank's downtown tower. Ryan's sons, Reid and Reese, also were there.
Wolff, who is spearheading local efforts to land the Marlins, said he was thrilled to hear Ryan's comments. Wolff has a framed picture of Ryan, baseball's career strikeout leader, at his office at the Bexar County Courthouse.
"What Nolan said adds credibility to our efforts and will have an impact locally and with Major League Baseball," Wolff said. "It's great to hear he thinks Texas can have a third team and that (San Antonio) can support one. Those are key statements."
Wolff has said the Marlins must include local owners in a minority role if they move here. Auto magnate B.J. "Red" McCombs said recently he would "seriously consider" investing if it would ensure relocation to San Antonio.
"I'm going to pass on what Nolan said to the Marlins, and we'll see where it goes," Wolff said.
Texas has two Major League Baseball franchises, the Houston Astros and the Rangers in Arlington. Ryan, who played for both in a 27-year career, is a special assistant to Astros general manager Tim Purpura.
The Marlins are exploring relocation options because stadium talks in South Florida have stalled.
Last season, the Marlins drew 1.8 million fans to rank near the bottom of the National League. Team officials believe attendance would increase if the club played in a baseball-specific stadium rather than the stadium it shares with Miami's NFL team.
The Marlins are waiting to hear from MLB on whether they can engage in more serious relocation talks with Bexar County.
MLB decided to take a closer look at the San Antonio market after Wolff faxed a stadium-financing proposal to the Marlins on March 8 that called for the county to pay two-thirds of the cost for a $300 million open-air ballpark.
Wolff says the county could raise $200 million if voters were to extend hotel/rental-car taxes used to build the AT&T Center. The deadline to call a November election is August.
Wolff hinted Ryan would campaign for the tax extension.
"It would help us tremendously to have his name attached to this," Wolff said. "It would make an election in November a lot easier."
Marc Ganis, a national sports marketing expert who was a relocation consultant for the NFL's Cardinals, Raiders and Rams, said Ryan adds "celebrity cache" to Wolff's project.
"He has credibility, which can be helpful from a marketing standpoint," Ganis said.
Ryan and Houston businessman Don Sanders are the principal owners of the Round Rock Express and the Corpus Christi Hooks, both minor-league teams. Reid and Reese Ryan also have stakes in the teams.
"Our teams are San Antonio's neighbors to the north and the south," said Reid Ryan, chief executive officer of the Express and the Hooks.
"We wanted to go down and talk to the judge and find out what his take was about the possibility of the Marlins moving to San Antonio and how it would affect our fan bases. It wouldn't be wise for us to sit around and do nothing."
[email protected]
^^I was about to post that.
How about education and infrastructure? For a city it's size SA has a low literacy rate. IF taxes are going to come out of my pocket I would rather it be spent on schools and libraries. I would love to see infrastructure improvements on whatever land deal gets done for the A&M campus on the southside (assuming it gets done) for example. Those things have more importance to me than a pro sports team. Teach Joe Six Pack to read and write. I'm also a strong supporter of the arts and recommend that to anyone.
For now the Marlins ahave knocked on our door and the funding mechanism in place for the stadium is neither a sales nor a property tax. I'm down with that. Now i'm anticipating the reports on SA's viability. Those will be revealing.
I also agree that thaer are more important issues to the city than a sports franchise. I also realize that with sports franchises comes $ which over time should pay back the city two fold...Look what the spurs brought to the city, Robinson, Bowen, TD, and many other quality athletes..I cant even imagine how much these players have donated and also have endorsed organizatios to raise $ mentioned before....
Naturally a new stadium and pro team will improve SA's poor schools and streets.
Education? Who cares? This thread is about BASEBALL. MLB would bring like the 27 highest paying jobs in the city. You don't have to be able to read if you can throw a ball, just ask Vince Young!
I love Nolan Ryan and what he did with the Rangers when he played at Texas back in the 90s. But I will have to play devil's advocate right here. San Antonio is a metropolitan area of 1.8 million people. It has the 37th largest market in the country. No matter the projections that it predicted, it will be very hard for the San Antonio region to support Major League Baseball year in and year out.The demographics of the state allows for another team to come here," Ryan said. "Given the projected growth of the state and the exciting things happening in San Antonio, I think (San Antonio) would support (a team)."
Bud Selig now has baseball favoring large markets. Small markets like San Antonio and Sacramento can survive in the NBA because the NBA caters to small markets. Same with the NHL and to a lesser degree, the NFL. But MLB is a different story. Kansas City, a bigger market than San Antonio, has a hard time selling out 1 of 81 games in a season. Tampa and Minnesota(both small markets), was about to be contracted because of lack of money, fan support, and lack of interest within the community. You will not have enough money and you will have a hard time winning. Therefore, San Antonio could start out consistently losing and the franchise would be answering questions.
I would love to see another team in Texas, but considering how the MLB kisses the large markets ass. Would it be wise for San Antonio to have a team now? You practically have to be in a top 15 market to succeed nowadays. Because those teams have the money, enough fan support, and power to make a run. Rarely does a market team like Kansas City even has a chance to win.
I hope I am wrong. But stating an opinion.
Plenty of jobs available, MORE govt social bull doesn't need to be poured into that.Homelessness
dropout rate
low overall education and skills
lack of good-paying jobs
roads
Drop out rates wont be helped by throwing money at it, nor will education.
The whole system needs to be overhauled. Throwing money at it ISNT WORKING!!!!
Lack of good paying jobs? Govt money needs to create that?? Uh no...
Keep making deals with big companies like Toyota and Washington Mutual and those jobs will come.
Roads??
What, the construction on 410 isn't enough more roads have to be torn up and left for crap?
No thanks..
The tax is a carry over, its not a new one.
Cut some bull social programs and i am right with you.I would love to see infrastructure improvements on whatever land deal gets done for the A&M campus on the southside (assuming it gets done) for example
No more new taxes.
No, but more jobs are created.Naturally a new stadium and pro team will improve SA's poor schools and streets.
Lots of ushers, vendors and what not.
Oh, right, those arent "the right jobs"
of course....
If the Marlins spend a little money, and are a good team that goes to the playoffs, they will have fan support.Would it be wise for San Antonio to have a team now? You practically have to be in a top 15 market to succeed nowadays. Because those teams have the money, enough fan support, and power to make a run. Rarely does a market team like Kansas City even has a chance to win
The Marlins have a great farm system and have a good core.
Spend a little money on FAs and they will be good again.
This, when given a good budget, is a very good franchise.
Agreed and I hope you're right because the Rangers have not found pitching in over 30 years(hopefully this year is different though). But with the market size of San Antonio, can the money easily be attainable? In Miami, it is easy to get the revenue because it is one of the largest markets in the nation. San Antonio on the other hand is not. Therefore it could be harder to get that same money which would get those same free agents. I don't know. We shall see and I hope I'm wrong.
I am glad that you mentioned the farm system though. That, of course in any sport, is how you build a successful team. They got really lucky in 97 by getting all those players but there 03 championship was homegrown talent.
San Antonio IS one of the largest markets. You have to look at recent data on growth and numbers.
Marlins team can be very good in the future. They are very young.
No it's not. Especially in MLB standards. San Antonio is one of the smallest markets.
Mike Greenberg: Big league ballpark should be part of the urban center
Web Posted: 03/26/2006 12:00 AM CST
San Antonio Express-News
Memo to County Judge Nelson Wolff and Mayor Phil Hardberger:
I'm all for bringing Major League Baseball to San Antonio, and I hope the Florida Marlins can be persuaded to move here on terms that will benefit the team and this community.
They'll have to change their name, of course. We don't have marlins in San Antonio, except maybe at SeaWorld. The San Antonio River Rats? I like that.
The idea of paying for a ballpark with hotel occupancy and rental car taxes, the way we financed the AT&T Center, makes sense. We pay such taxes when we travel to other cities, and we might as well get it back somehow.
But it's a good idea to acknowledge reality. Express-News columnist Ken Rodriguez's analysis in Wednesday's paper was correct: The full cost of building a ballpark and its related infrastructure is not the $300 million figure that's been floated, but probably closer to $400 million.
Assuming the public has to pick up $275 million of that cost, the voters need to be presented with a proposition for $400 million.
Why's that?
Well, Nelson and Phil, old pals, since you're going to the refrigerator anyway, you might as well get me a $125 million performing arts center, including a 2,000-seat concert hall, a 500-seat black-box theater and the full cost of renovating the Alameda Theater, with the addition of a state-of-the-art stage.
You know we need the arts facilities as much as we need a ballpark, and you know they'd bring at least as much economic benefit as a ballpark, so why not?
Well, actually, major-league sports facilities don't produce much economic benefit, but Major League Baseball offers the best hope for generating economic cheer beyond the stadium boundary because of the large number of home games. The benefits can vary widely with location, however.
We can't just let the Marlins pick a site somewhere on the I-35 corridor, as has been suggested.
Sports franchises like a location where the attendees are captive and will spend all their money within the facility. That means a location that's accessible mainly by freeway, with all parking on site.
It means, in other words, a location like that of Wolff Stadium, the city's minor league ballpark out on U.S. 90 West. Though that location was chosen, ostensibly, for the economic benefits it would bring the West Side, no discernible benefits have occurred.
Most people drive directly from the freeway to the parking lot, and then walk directly into the stadium, and then reverse course after the game. There are no opportunities to spend money — no opportunities for entrepreneurs — in the neighborhood outside the park gates.
To create opportunity, a ballpark needs to be part of the urban fabric, not separate from it. Most of the parking has to be scattered a few blocks off-site, so that attendees walk past restaurants, bars and stores between the parking lot and the ballpark.
And a lot of the traffic has to be dispersed on regular streets, with locally owned businesses, rather than channeled directly onto freeways. High property values on freeway access roads favor large chains and disfavor small, locally owned businesses.
The downtown fringe has several strong potential sites for a ballpark. The old Lone Star brewery is one possibility. There are industrial properties that could be converted north of St. Paul Square, just east of downtown, and very near the former site of Mission Stadium to the south.
A Major League ballpark also would fit neatly on VIA Metropolitan Transit's bus parking and maintenance facility just north of downtown, and that site could allow mutually beneficial shared parking arrangements with San Antonio College, freeing some of the college's sprawling parking lots for more valuable uses.
The point is, we shouldn't just say we're going to build a ballpark. We need to think carefully about how to make a ballpark maximize its contribution to the community, and where that can best happen.
Why settle for a single if we can have a grand slam?
link
Good article by Greenberg. I totally agree with the cost estimate. It will be much closer to $400mil. BUt I think all Wolff has done is throw the "first offer" on the table. If the MLB decides that SA is a viable market then "real" negotiations can begin. I would think the hotel/car rental tax would have to fund more like $250-275 million when all is said and done.
I also like the location suggestions. The old Lone Star Brewery is a gread idea. Lone Star Stadium. That's probably better than H.E. BUTT Stadium ("come on down to da Butt!")
Such as......................
I assume you would be against raising city taxes for upgrading the Alamodome (city owned) then if an NFL team were to come here
^^I was about to post that.
How about education and infrastructure? For a city it's size SA has a low literacy rate. IF taxes are going to come out of my pocket I would rather it be spent on schools and libraries. I would love to see infrastructure improvements on whatever land deal gets done for the A&M campus on the southside (assuming it gets done) for example. Those things have more importance to me than a pro sports team. Teach Joe Six Pack to read and write. I'm also a strong supporter of the arts and recommend that to anyone.
For now the Marlins ahave knocked on our door and the funding mechanism in place for the stadium is neither a sales nor a property tax. I'm down with that. Now i'm anticipating the reports on SA's viability. Those will be revealing.
100% agreed and correct. I would rather see my tax dollars go toward things this city really needs to improve on, such as homelessness, education, and most important of all, the roads and highway system. What good is it gonna do for middle to lower-class citizens like me? How am I gonna benefit from having a baseball team in SA? How is the Spurs benefitting me? Now dont get me wrong, I did previously say that i would love to have another pro team in SA, but if its gonna require tax dollars, im voting against a new stadium.
Check out the Wolffman's latest on marketing locally:
Will Florida Marlins jump into city's net?
Wolff has gut feeling Alamo City will snag team
San Antonio Business Journal - March 24, 2006
by W. Scott Bailey
Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff helped bring minor league baseball back to San Antonio in the late 1960s, and he helped keep it here three decades later. Now he is the local leader swinging for the fences in an effort to lure Major League Baseball to the Alamo City via a relocation of the Florida Marlins.
Such a move will require a vote of approval from Major League Baseball owners, and Wolff hopes he will eventually have the support of Texas' two existing teams -- the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros.
The Rangers and Astros both have a history in San Antonio. Each have fielded minor league affiliates here in the past. And each have also worked, with varying degrees of success, to build up fan and media support in this area.
Wolff says he has not heard anything from the Astros or Rangers that would indicate they are working against San Antonio's drive to secure the Marlins.
Contacted by the Business Journal, a spokeswoman for the Astros would only say that the organization has "no comment" on the Marlins situation at this time.
"I don't know what issues there may be with the Astros," Wolff says. "I do know they have some fans down here. That could be a problem. But hopefully they'll be supportive."
Wolff says Rangers owner Tom Hicks reached out to San Antonio through Clear Channel Communications Inc. co-founder Lowry Mays when Major League Baseball was trying to find a new home for the Montreal Expos, which have since settled in Washington, D.C.
"So I assume there are no issues with the Rangers," Wolff says about the American League team, which plays its home games in Arlington, Texas.
But Gregg Elkin, senior vice president of communications for the Rangers, suggests the American League team is not anxious to see a franchise enter the San Antonio market. "Anytime there is talk of another team that close to us," he says, "there is concern that there will be an impact."
Elkin adds, "We want baseball fans in San Antonio to be Rangers fans. Two teams in Texas -- one in each league (American and National) -- makes more sense than three teams."
Wolff says if California can have five Major League Baseball franchises (Dodgers, Angels, Padres, Athletics, Giants), there is no reason Texas cannot make enough room for three. His son, Kevin Wolff, a huge baseball fan and a member of City Council, says neither the Astros or Rangers have worked that hard to embrace San Antonio over the years.
New direction
Should San Antonio convince the Marlins and Major League Baseball owners that the Alamo City is a better fit than South Florida, there will need to be a new stadium constructed here. To date, much of the talk about where such a venue might be located has centered on the Interstate Highway 35 corridor as a means of attracting the Austin market, too.
But San Antonio may want to look to the south, where business leaders say a more passionate base of baseball fans exists.
Bill Summers is president of the Rio Grande Valley Partnership, a pro-business organization that has worked to try and help bring the NFL to the border region. He says the area is blessed with a large Hispanic population that is hungry for more professional baseball.
There are some examples to support such an argument. Last year, Corpus Christi, for example, christened a new $23 million Whataburger Field, which is home to the Texas League's Corpus Christi Hooks. In Mexico, leaders have lobbied Major League Baseball to put a team in that nation.
Wolff, who admits that the Spurs have enjoyed only limited success in their efforts to attract interest in Austin, says those South Texas leaders might be right.
"There may end up being more of a pull from there," says Wolff about the area stretching south from San Antonio to northern Mexico. He says the Marlins are open to the idea of perhaps playing some exhibition games in northern Mexico should the team move to San Antonio.
"I think that makes a lot of sense," Summers says. "The people down here are great baseball fans. I think he (Wolff) is looking in the right direction."
Gut feeling
The Rangers' Elkin says he believes the Marlins will remain in the Miami area.
"Major League Baseball is working hard to keep the Marlins in Florida," he says.
Wolff, however, remains confident that San Antonio will reel in the Marlins.
"My gut feels good right now," Wolff says.
If the Marlins decide to relocate to San Antonio, they will not arrive until a stadium is constructed. That means the team could be forced to ride it out in Florida as a lame-duck franchise until as late as 2010, likely bleeding even more red ink.
One solution might be to move the team into a temporary home closer to San Antonio until a new stadium could be completed here. But Wolff says such a scenario is highly unlikely.
"I don't think the Marlins are interested in a temporary home," he says. "I think they feel like it would not be a good representation of Major League Baseball."
The only alternative, Wolff says, is to expedite stadium construction here and try to cut down on the length of time the Marlins would have to play in Florida. (i.e., it will cost more - gF)
For now, Wolff and other local leaders are left to play a waiting game while they try to keep their eye on the ball.
Meanwhile, Wolff says Marlins officials continue to keep an eye on San Antonio.
"They're monitoring everything that is going on down here," Wolff notes. "It's like when we started working on the Toyota deal. The first thing they (Toyota officials) said was, 'We want to know if we're wanted.' It's the same with the Marlins. They want to be wanted."
link
Lone Star Brewery? That's being redeveloped into a major mixed-use center.
I assume you mean the old quarry on the northeast side.
San Antonio Can Support A Major League Team
Posted By: Mandi Bishop
This story is available on your cell phone at mobile.woai.com.
The future's so bright. San Antonio leaders say the city could easily support another major league team. News 4 WOAI has obtained a study that shows the city's growth makes now the right time.
Between this report and Fortune magazine's favorable ranking of San Antonio, Mayor Phil Hardberger says we should be seen as a major player for any team looking to relocate, especially the Florida Marlins baseball team.
Mayor Hardberger says San Antonio is definitely a contender. "A very serious contender. I think our chances are excellent. It's not a certainty and there are other towns that have something to offer other than San Antonio, but I really have a feeling that the Marlins are making serious consideration of San Antonio."
And why not? A new economic report shows San Antonio's employment rate is expected to go up 3.4% annually, San Antonio's income should go up by 8% each year and our population will increase 2.7%.
For our neighbor's up North, Austin's employment rates are expected to increase 2.7% annually, personal income will go up 6.9% and population will grow at a rate of 2.4%.
What that means for us is, when combined to form the I-35 region, there will be more than 2.2 million jobs that create 245 billion in income and nearly 5 million people to entertain by the year 2015.
Hardberger adds, "We are the third fastest growing city in the United States. That's pretty good...and we are the fastest growing city in the state of Texas."
We asked Mayor Hardberger what are our chances of disappointment are, like what we saw when we tried to lure the New Orleans Saints to town. He says one indicator that we'll have success this time is that the owners of the Marlins have invited him to sit with them on opening day in Houston next week.
http://www.woai.com/news/local/story...B-DF06A8AB0881
Sports teams may cheer for S.A.
Web Posted: 03/29/2006 12:00 AM CST
Travis E. Poling and William Pack
Express-News Business Writers
A new long-term economic forecast for the San Antonio and Austin areas is being touted as proof that the region can support two or more major league sports teams.
Although Bexar County officials who commissioned the study say they will use the data for long-range planning, it comes at a time when the county and the city are looking to land Major League Baseball's Florida Marlins and perhaps a National Football League team.
The report by Jon Hockenyos, managing director of Austin economic consulting firm TXP Inc., analyzed possible growth patterns over the next decade for the 39 counties within a 100-mile radius of San Antonio.
The population of the region, which includes Austin, should increase by about 1 million in the next 10 years, and the number of jobs should climb by half a million, according to Hockenyos' projections.
"This shows that we are at the cusp of a major economic expansion," County Judge Nelson Wolff said. "Looking to the future, we know that we have the capacity to support two or more major league clubs in our town."
Wolff is offering a deal to the Marlins, now in South Florida, of $200 million in tax revenue toward a new stadium in the San Antonio area. The money, which voters would need to approve, would come from an extension of the hotel and car rental taxes now paying for the Spurs' AT&T Center.
The Marlins estimate a new stadium in San Antonio will cost $310 million, not including a retractable roof or the cost of land.
But any sports team that might look to San Antonio as a new home needs proof of a regional fan base, disposable income and a strong corporate base to pump up sponsorship and luxury suite revenue.
The study found population in the region should increase to 4.92 million by 2015 from an estimated 3.99 million this year, or 2.3 percent a year.
The number of jobs is forecast to increase 2.8 percent annually to nearly 2.2 million, up from 1.7 million this year.
Total personal income could increase 7.2 percent annually to $238.9 billion from an estimated $128 billion this year.
Hockenyos' report says recent growth in the regional economy, mostly along the Interstate 35 corridor from San Antonio to Austin, has led to 478,000 net new jobs, or 3 percent above the previous year.
In contrast, national employment grew 1.5 percent.
"Growing appeal of the region as a site for expansion and relocation of both people and firms helps San Antonio/I-35 consistently perform 'above the line' relative to the U.S. as a whole," the report said.
San Antonio's "economic roll" includes the new Toyota manufacturing plant and suppliers, the selection of Fort Sam Houston as the new headquarters of U.S. Army South and new high school work force academies that help produce skilled workers.
Wolff said the study grew out of discussions about four or five months ago when the city was trying to lure the New Orleans Saints to town. Officials sensed the area was on the brink of a major economic expansion but needed an analysis to prove that those feelings were correct.
"We wanted a better idea of where we were headed" in the San Antonio Metropolitan Statistical Area, the judge said. "It's an exciting time to be here, and this data shows it."
Wolff said the purpose of the study, in part, was to show Major League Baseball that San Antonio could support a second major sports team, such as the Marlins, who've expressed interest in San Antonio as they seek a new stadium deal in South Florida.
The study clearly demonstrates that San Antonio could support a second professional team, the judge said.
By describing how much the regional economy will grow over the decade, the report also shows that in addition to the Spurs, two additional major league teams — baseball and football presumably — could be sustained by San Antonio in the near future.
If baseball still is three or four years away from opening here, at best, the region should be financially strong enough to host a third professional team shortly after that, Wolff said.
The San Antonio data is strong by itself, but additional information from Austin and other booming communities along I-35 should prove the region's long-term economic strength, Wolff said.
"I think we're right on the cusp of having both of them," he said.
Wolff said that aside from its value in the discussion over the Marlins, the study should help the county understand its economic prospects in the coming decade and guide decisions about infrastructure improvements.
County and city leaders will meet with Marlins officials at their season opener Monday against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/met....12d91050.html
Boy oh boy.
Hope this works out.
Having a pro baseball team would be so awesome its not even funny.
Do they have an idea, as to where they would play, if the Marlins moved here?
A temporary site so to speak.
There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)
Posting Permissions
