Bexar steps up to plate with stadium plan

[pache100]

I love minor league baseball.

I had tickets to a missions game one time & I couldn't find the stadium, never made it there.

Was this when they still played at St. Mary's, or was this after they built the new stadium. That old stadium at the university was a little hard to find. I find the new one easy to find and very accessible. My ONLY problem with it is that it's so dang far from where I live and spend most of my time.

I don't think the stadium would fare as well downtown as it would in an outlying area where the traffic would be less of a nightmare. That keeps a lot of people away from things like this, they just don't want to deal with the traffic problems getting in and out when something is located in a heavily congested area. They run the buses for regular season and post-season Spurs games and events, but I doubt if it would be lucrative enough for VIA to run the buses for baseball games. Parking and access downtown would be over the top. It would be much better to put it in a developing area accessible to major thoroughfares and where they could have adequate parking. If they put it downtown, they will be killing it before it gets off the ground, IMO.

[gameFACE]

but the NFL is the shiniest toy in the box.

That's the real trick here. People associate the NFL as the more powerful and glamourous and kick ass than baseball. As if it somehow offers more legitimacy or stature for your city. (Kind of reminds me of George Carlins old baseball vs football skit.) I'll post some income info you might want to check out in my old Marlins thread in the Baseball Clubhouse.

So we should just sit around and "wait" for football to come around. In the mean time we can continue to consider Wolff Stadium too far or complicated to get to being that it is in a bad location while people in Houston drive 45min to 1 hr downtown sometimes to see both the Rockets and the Astros. And they also have to drive to south Loop 610 to get to Reliant Stadium. I guess all the texans fans live near there so they don't have to drive very far. Are we really that laid back?

To be honest all I want to do is sit at the game and sip a couple of beers.

[pache100]

That's the real trick here. People associate the NFL as the more powerful and glamourous and kick ass than baseball. As if it somehow offers more legitimacy or stature for your city.

And, that's weird to me. I guess it's because I was raised a baseball kid. I sat in the dark with my family when I was growing up and listened to the Atlanta Braves on the radio, no light other than the green radio dial, and I could see those games like I was there. Summers, I lived at or between little league, school, or Legion baseball fields from the time my brother was 5 years old until my sister graduated from high school (and even still some softball leagues after that).

STILL, to this DAY, when I think of sports in New York...I don't think of the Jets or the Knicks first...first and foremost, I think - YANKEES! (and then, as an afterthought, of course, the Mets).

I always think of the baseball team when I think of any major city in the US. It's an association thing. It would be interesting to know how many others do the same.

The only city whose football team comes into my mind first is Dallas.

[jcrod]

That's the real trick here. People associate the NFL as the more powerful and glamourous and kick ass than baseball. As if it somehow offers more legitimacy or stature for your city. (Kind of reminds me of George Carlins old baseball vs football skit.) I'll post some income info you might want to check out in my old Marlins thread in the Baseball Clubhouse.

So we should just sit around and "wait" for football to come around. In the mean time we can continue to consider Wolff Stadium too far or complicated to get to being that it is in a bad location while people in Houston drive 45min to 1 hr downtown sometimes to see both the Rockets and the Astros. And they also have to drive to south Loop 610 to get to Reliant Stadium. I guess all the texans fans live near there so they don't have to drive very far. Are we really that laid back?

To be honest all I want to do is sit at the game and sip a couple of beers.

Because for most people it is, baseball use to be #1, but its not anymore. Texas is footbal country, most people would pick to watch football than baseball. What game is the most watch televised event of the yr...SUPER BOWL. To have a chance for your team to be in the SB would be awesome.

For me baseball is to long and to boring. Do they really need 160+ games a yr? I even think basketball has to many games, but baseball has twice as much. And only four teams get into the playoffs and 8 times out of 10 the most successful teams are the ones with the owner has a load of money. No cap like football or basketball. Small market teams most times than not are not in the race to win it all.

You take what you can when you can, but give me football any day of the week instead of baseball. I would go and support them if they do come though.

[Melmart1]

That's the real trick here. People associate the NFL as the more powerful and glamourous and kick ass than baseball. As if it somehow offers more legitimacy or stature for your city. (Kind of reminds me of George Carlins old baseball vs football skit.) I'll post some income info you might want to check out in my old Marlins thread in the Baseball Clubhouse.

So we should just sit around and "wait" for football to come around. In the mean time we can continue to consider Wolff Stadium too far or complicated to get to being that it is in a bad location while people in Houston drive 45min to 1 hr downtown sometimes to see both the Rockets and the Astros. And they also have to drive to south Loop 610 to get to Reliant Stadium. I guess all the texans fans live near there so they don't have to drive very far. Are we really that laid back?

To be honest all I want to do is sit at the game and sip a couple of beers.

I totally agree with you on most of your points, Hector. I am torn about this, because I love baseball so much. It would be kickass to have a team. But the fact is, I am not sure if SA would support baseball. If it falls flat on its face here, not only will the city have egg on its face, but the NFL will never come calling either. We would always be a one-horse town.

As baseball lovers, its easy for us to say we would be at the games. But individual baseball lovers saying they would go is anecdotal at best. We need people who currently are not fans to go as well. Of course, the only way to find out if others would go is to do it. So its a catch-22 anyway you look at it. But having baseball in SA would rock the casbah for me, which is why I am torn.

[Buddy Holly]

Spurs Consider Buying MLB Team

Florida, Oakland, Minnesota Among Possibilities


SAN ANTONIO -- The San Antonio Spurs have joined efforts to bring a Major League Baseball team to San Antonio, team officials told KSAT News on Monday.

The Spurs are looking at the "probability" of owning a major league team, and are not limiting their search to the Florida Marlins, which visited San Antonio in December.

Sources close to the negotiations said the Spurs also plan to visit with the Oakland A's and Minnesota Twins to explore the possibility of relocation.

"Right now the Spurs are in business besides basketball," Spurs spokesman Leo Gomez said. "We're sincere in looking at the possibility of Major League Baseball in San Antonio."

Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, who had led the county's potential negotiations with the Marlins, embraced the Spurs' plans on Monday. Wolff said he introduced the Marlins to the Spurs during a December visit by the MLB team.

"You've got a bird in the hand," Wolff said. "We'll work with that bird, and if anything else comes along, we'll see what happens in the future."

Wolff said he will present a stadium-financing plan to Marlins management this week. A report from the county's financial advisor is expected to determine what kind of investment the county can contribute to building a new stadium.

Wolff has proposed asking voters to extend the county's hotel-motel tax to pay for a new stadium, which could cost up to $300 million.

"Bottom line, Major League Baseball will do their own research, and so will the Marlins," Wolff said. "They're not going to come here if we cannot support them."

In a related matter, car dealership magnate B.J. "Red" McCombs was among a handful of local private investors Wolff called on recently in an effort to lure the Marlins to the Alamo City.

Sources told KSAT 12 News on Monday that McCombs, who used to own the Spurs, the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Vikings, may be willing to once again be at least part owner of a professional sports franchise.

McCombs did not return phone calls for comment.


http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t...cid=1104672175

[Buddy Holly]

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2360397


San Antonio stepping up efforts in pursuit of Marlins

SAN ANTONIO -- Bexar County has taken another step in efforts to lure the Florida Marlins to San Antonio -- offering to put up $200 million toward an estimated $300 million ballpark if voters approve extending a tax on hotel and car rentals.

A Major League Baseball team would give San Antonio a second pro sport. The San Antonio Spurs are the reigning NBA champions.

Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said Wednesday that he faxed a stadium-financing proposal to the Marlins on Tuesday. The proposal would ask county voters to fund a stadium by extending a hotel and car rental tax approved in 1999. He said he hasn't received a response.

"They said they would look it over and let me know what the next step would be if any," he told The Associated Press.

A Marlins official confirmed that the team received a fax from Wolff but declined further comment.

Wolff estimated that the tax, which helped pay for the Spurs' arena, could be extended for 20 to 30 years. Voters could decide on the extension by the November elections, he said, adding that the response from the city has been positive.

"It moves San Antonio forward with another major sports franchise and will certainly lead to some economic development opportunities," he said.

The San Antonio Express-News reported Tuesday that billionaire B.J. "Red" McCombs, former owner of the Minnesota Vikings, said he would give "serious consideration" to becoming a minority investor in the team if it makes the move. He declined to comment on how much of the team he was willing to buy but said he did not want a controlling interest.

McCombs declined to comment when reached by the AP on Wednesday night.

Marlins president David Samson visited San Antonio in December as part of a preliminary search for a possible new home for the team. The Marlins have struggled to attract large crowds at Dolphins Stadium, home of Miami's NFL team, since their inception in 1993. Talks for a new stadium in South Florida have stalled.

The Marlins' lease at Dolphins Stadium expires in 2007. Marlins officials said they've also visited Portland, Ore., and talked with officials from Norfolk, Va.

[Buddy Holly]

Also, Wolff said its a 75% chance the Marlins relocate to San Antonio.

[jcrod]

The Marlins have struggled to attract large crowds at Dolphins Stadium, home of Miami's NFL team, since their inception in 1993. .

Well I hope they're not expecting large crowds here!

I hope it works just for you could be right once! J/K Lets hope they're not pulling our chain here. Man I'm using hope to much. Either way at least other teams, who are serious about moving will see SA is serious about getting another sports team here. Wether it be NFL or MLB.

[scott]

Good to see leadership taking this somewhat serious... but an open air stadium? In San Antonio? It really needs to be a retractable roof if its done at all.

Wolff presented 3 possible sites, all along I-35 in NE San Antonio. Smart. Begs the question though... why wouldn't they play at the professional baseball stadium that Holly Hills claims (or rather, Buddy Holly claims they claim) they will build near the SBC? Could it be that the Holly Hills sports complex is completely full of ?

[paparazzi]

Wolff sure knows how to present a pretty picture of MLB in SA.

[gameFACE]

Wolff is definitely handling this much better than Hardberger spewing out his hole last fall on the Saints.

To me all Wolff has really done is throw something out on the table. A first offer. If the Marlins want to counter they will. He also wants them to say that they want the retractable roof. I suspect after negotiations the county would offer more than $200 mil.

[Brodels]

The Missions averaged 3,874, 800 fans a night below the league average of 4,676, despite drawing from a market of nearly 1.9 million people according to our resident population analyst.

Holy crap. Some are actually thinking that a major league baseball team could survive in San Antonio despite the fact that the current AA team draws less than 4,000 per game?

Do you realize how pathetic that is? If nothing else, that should tell you that San Antonio doesn't care very much about baseball.

For what it's worth, the town I live in also has a AA team. The team draws 6,290 per game, despite the fact that very few people show up in April and May because there is snow on the ground and the temperature is very, very cold.

Oh, and the population of my city is 64,500. The population within a 50 mile radius is only 240,000. That is much, much smaller than San Antonio, and our team averages almost 2,500 more even with the snow and cold early in the season.

I simply cannot believe that San Antonio draws less than 4,000 per game. That is unbelievable considering the size of the city and metro area.

That to me is all I need to know about the chances of major league baseball making it in San Antonio. Yikes.

[Buddy Holly]

Do you realize how pathetic that is? If nothing else, that should tell you that San Antonio doesn't care very much about baseball

That should tell you San Antonio doesn't care very much about minor league teams.

Minor league football has always pulled in ty attendance in San Antonio.

Our second ABA (Mustangs) folded because of bad attendance.

Goddamn, people should atleast stick to a reason (why not) that makes some ounce of ing since.

[Buddy Holly]

why wouldn't they play at the professional baseball stadium that Holly Hills claims (or rather, Buddy Holly claims they claim) they will build near the SBC? Could it be that the Holly Hills sports complex is completely full of ?

Or could it be that you're talking out your ass.

HollyHills plan was to build the offices, the hotels, the retail, the housing not the stadiums.

[scott]

Or could it be that you're talking out your ass.

HollyHills plan was to build the offices, the hotels, the retail, the housing not the stadiums.

The semantics of who was to build the stadiums is irrelevant. The point is that you touted Holly Hills' grand plan for a mega sports complex with professional baseball, football, and croquette stadiums. Now when it comes down to real business, Holly Hills' master plan is nowhere to be seen, and the guy trying to attract the Marlins has thrown out locations clear across town from the supposed Holly Hills site. Maybe Wolff is just hiding his secret weapon...

[Buddy Holly]

The semantics of who was to build the stadiums is irrelevant. The point is that you touted Holly Hills' grand plan for a mega sports complex with professional baseball, football, and croquette stadiums. Now when it comes down to real business, Holly Hills' master plan is nowhere to be seen, and the guy trying to attract the Marlins has thrown out locations clear across town from the supposed Holly Hills site. Maybe Wolff is just hiding his secret weapon...

It's a proposal, wtf, are you re ed?

I always claimed it as a proposal. , if Holly Hills wants to, sans stadiums, they could build all that with investors and live up to their masterplan.

Btw, Scotty, Marlins will have the say so, the final pick, of where the stadium is built should they relocate. Not Wolff.

[scott]

It's a proposal, wtf, are you re ed?

I always claimed it as a proposal. , if Holly Hills wants to, sans stadiums, they could build all that with investors and live up to their masterplan.

Btw, Scotty, Marlins will have the say so, the final pick, of where the stadium is built should they relocate. Not Wolff.

You said you had an inside source (http://spurstalk.com/forums/showpost...&postcount=390), Holly Hills had a "winning proposal" (http://spurstalk.com/forums/showpost...&postcount=140) and had bought 1,100 acres of land adjecent to the SBC center (http://spurstalk.com/forums/showpost...&postcount=145), Holly Hills would be funding the stadium with private funds (http://spurstalk.com/forums/showpost...&postcount=177), and that this was a "done deal" (http://spurstalk.com/forums/showpost...&postcount=184)

So... either the above things are not true, or Nelson Wolff has been struck by short term memory loss, or he realizes that if we have TWO MLB stadiums, we can have TWO MLB teams! Just like New York and Chicago!!!

[kris]

Damn, ya'll spend a lot of time on wondering about the Marlins coming.

PS The Marlins will compete with the Silver Stars to see who goes more in debt.