In Kalamazoo, "life sucks"
Interesting article in the Kalamazoo Gazette about the Kings' attendance problems. The Kings apparently lost more than $100,000 last year and are on pace to lose that much again this season. Some interesting quotes in this story:
Check out the story here.
Check out the story here.
posted by Chris Dugan at
9:12 PM
10 Comments:
I wonder if the Wild Things organization lost money last year and how about this year financially?
Maybe Kalamazoo can hire Kevin McClatchy to turn things around. It appears he needs a new job...
This should come as a surprise to nobody. Franchise stability is a major issue in the Frontier League. It seems that about every couple of years a team either folds, moves to another city, or a new team pops up out of nowhere.
To hear the League tell it there are investors almost breaking down the doors to get a franchise - I simply don't believe it! It's just a lot of hype.
If the Frontier League was that good it would have a lot more baseball talent then it does at the present time.
NO main-stream sports publications cover this League at all! Baseball Weekly and Baseball America almost totally ignore it! Perhaps a sentence now and then - but that's all.
If the Wild Things have more than two losing seasons in a row you will probably see the same thing happen here.
Franchise stability is not a cocnern of only the Frontier League. It's a major issue in every league this side of the NFL. From MLB (Montreal/Washington) to the NBA (Charlotte/New Orleans/Oklahoma City or Vancouver/Memphis) to all minor leagues, franchises move for various reasons. The Frontier League is actually at its strongest point in its 15-year history. If you eliminate Southern Illinois, Traverse City and Slippery Rock because each is a new franchise that has popped up in the last 2 years (The Rock is a temporary location), the 9 remaining teams all have been in their current city for at least five years. Four - Chillicothe, Evansville, River City and Windy City - have been in their current location at least nine years. That's pretty good by any minor league's standards.
As for no mainstream publications covering the Frontier League, hey, that's why we're here.
I hope you are not saying the O-R is a MAJOR sports publication!! Please don't become the apologist for the Frontier League. I mean no offense to the O-R but we must be honest here!
You did not mention these failed franchises: Canton, which has failed twice, Springfield, Ohio Valley, Richmond, Erie, Johnstown, Kenosha, Lancaster PA, London, OH, Zanesville and Mid-Missouri - and probably more that I have forgotten. MLB hardly has that sort of miserable track record.
If is NOT fair to compare MLB to the Frontier League. MLB subsidized Montreal for many years before allowing the move to Washington - I doubt the Frontier League would have the resources, or the inclination to do the same. It is also unfair to compare sports franchises other than baseball to this discussion as it is necessary to compare "apples to apples".
I don't dislike the Frontier League but I think it should not, and indeed is not, something that should be taken too seriously. It is just entertainment, pure and simple, nothing more - nothing less! Fans should not be too surprised when their favorite team packs up and leaves town!
And the guy posting above should not be taken too seriously. As far as I can tell, nobody is comparing the Frontier League to MLB. Has anybody else wondered ... for somebody who says the Frontier League should not be taken seriously, this guy sure spends a lot of time on a board talking about the Frontier League. He apparently takes his "entertainment" seriously.
WOW
Finally some blog action.
I thought I was reading the Chillicothe blog for a second.
Please, do not twist around what I have written and make baseless accusations just to support your views. First, I am not, and never will be, an apologist for the FL. If I were, the Kzoo story and the headline I put on the post would have never been used. Second, I was stating a fact. The FL is at its strongest point in its 15-year history. If you want to know about the franchises you mentioned, here goes: Kenosha, Canton and Johnstown (failed), Ohio Valley was a traveling team (same as the Road Warriors in the Atlantic, Greys in the Can-Am, and the old co-op teams that Minor League Baseball did away with about 15 years ago), Erie and Springfield (didn't fail, just moved when those cities got Double-A franchises), Mid-Missouri (actually still in the FL but is not fielding a team until its ballpark situation changes), Richmond (great location, lousy ballpark - if you've ever been to Richmond, you know what I mean), Zanesville (it played on a football field - think Wash High Stadium in the 1930s), Lancaster, OHIO and London, ONT., I don't know much about. The league probably outgrew both of those ballparks. Third, I was not comparing the FL and MLB. Again, I was simply stating fact. Franchise stability is a concern for every league this side of the NFL. Did you not pay attention to what happened with the Penguins in the last year? Or what is going on in Nashville? Whether its 3 of the Big 4 or on down to the FL, Class A Midwest League, MLS, CBA, ECHL or some semi-pro football league, franchise stability is a huge concern. And fourth, I did not call the O-R a MAJOR sports publication. Because the FL is not covered by Baseball Weekly or Baseball America or any da-da-da network, this gives its followers a place to read about some of the teams, places and people in the league.
Chris,
I was afraid you would react this way. Perhaps I should have chosen my words more carefully.
I did NOT accuse you of being an apologist for ANYONE! I said please don't become one!
You did point out some things that I was not aware of and I appreciate that.
However, since one response to my post was meet with a personal attack, (a tactic used by persons that are intellectually bankrupt and have no responsible remarks to make), and the fact that we are not going to agree on this subject, I will end my participation on this subject.
I feel that the FL is a business that does not produce a product that I like so I refuse to "buy" it. I have not been to a Wild Things game this season and will probably not do so until I see some improvement in the "product". The top brass in the FL appear to be satisfied with a n inferior performance level because it is, in their opinion, good enough. With the attendance levels at Consol Energy Field I suppose they may be correct with that assumption. If the casual fan is satisfied with baseball filled with fundamental mistakes (not knowing what base to throw to or, worse yet, not knowing when NOT to throw, not knowing what to do during a run-down, etc., etc., etc. Add to that absolutely horrible scoring. I know the Wild Things hire their scorer - an obvious conflict of interest!! If "Joe Six Pack" doesn't care then why should the FL?
It would not be so bad if this was boldly billed as "Professional Baseball"!! I guess it's all in the eye of the beholder.
Chris, I am sorry if you feel offended, I did not intend to do so. I guess our view of the FL is just different.
I thought all sports were just entertainment and not to be taken seriously. .... ''baseball filled with fundamental mistakes (not knowing what base to throw to or, worse yet, not knowing when NOT to throw, not knowing what to do during a run-down, etc., etc., etc. '' .... sounds like a Pirates game to me.
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