Going, going ... almost gone
Assuming the paperwork gets filed on time and passes the inspection of the South Atlantic League and Minor League Baseball, the Columbus Catfish will be playing in Bowling Green, Ky., in 2009 under a different name.
That raises the likelihood that Golden Park could be empty for quite some time.
According to South Atlantic League president Eric Krupa, the SALLY League can't expand unless Major League Baseball does the same. Two things would have to happen in order for Golden Park to have a tenant other than pigeons in 2009.
(1) Another ownership group would have to step forward and poach a team from another South Atlantic League market and move it here. That seems unlikely in the immediate future since the Catfish aren't officially gone yet and a sale and change of location for a franchise would require months of preparation and reams of paperwork.
(2) Independent league baseball anyone?
In the past, I've used this blog and my column to examine some of the issues surrounding the Catfish. Assuming the deal closes and they move on, it's difficult to imagine Columbus not having a minor league baseball team.
What do you think would have to happen in order for Columbus to maintain baseball in some form or another? Is local ownership enough? Does the location of Golden Park work against attendance?
Feel free to voice your ideas in the comments section or e-mail me at johnsont@ledger-enquirer.com.
2 comments:
I'd sure hate to see the Catfish leave. But I wouldn't be surprised.
There's enough blame to go around about why they'd be leaving, if they do. But the blame doesn't sit with the players themselves.
The Wife and I have begun to follow other teams, just in case. Particularly the Montgomery Biscuits of the Southern League (AA). And teams in the South Coast League (Independent).
And, the sad thing is, if everybody around here attended JUST ONE game each season ... that's one out of 70 home games ... Columbus would lead the league in attendance.
Oh, well.
Agreed. The players put on a great show and are true professionals in how they operate. Based on my experiences, I can't say the same for the Catfish's owner and front office (exluding the manager, of course).
The likelihood of a Catfish sale has been one of the worst-kept secrets in Minor League Baseball since last summer. You'll notice that team officials have never denied being on the block despite having numerous chances to address the issue.
I understand that any owner would be motivated to sell if attendance remained flat. I'd be curious to hear from long-time fans on this one. Do you feel the franchise did all that could be reasonably asked of it to earn community support?
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