Talking elimination, 2 teams, finances, changes
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It's hard to say that you're in a playoff race when you've spent almost the entire summer in sixth or seventh place in a seven-team division, but Washington was still alive because of simple mathematics.
The only thing remaining for the Wild Things this week in a road series at Schaumburg and a home set with Windy City is the chance to avoid finishing in last place, both in the East Division and the overall standings. Washington enters Tuesday 1 1/2 games ahead of last-place Lake Erie in the East and two games in front of Schaumburg, which currently has the league's worst record at 37-53.
This is the seventh time in eight years that Washington has missed the playoffs. There has been only one postseason game played at Consol Energy Park since 2007. One! That's all.
For those who remember what this franchise once was, and to compare that to what we see now, the difference is stunning.
It's painfully sad.
You might recall the post on this blog from July 21 of this year in which I ranked the 13 Frontier League franchises (the Greys, the traveling team, was not included) according to their current state and attractiveness to potential players. Washington was slotted No. 10. The three franchises I ranked behind Washington were Normal, Florence and Rockford. With Normal winning the West title and making the playoffs for the first time, the CornBelters have to be re-ranked ahead of Washington. If Florence makes the playoffs as a wild card, it will be the Freedom's second postseason berth in four years. Florence also would be re-ranked ahead of Washington.
That leaves only Rockford ranked behind Washington. And Rockford's situation is so dire that, according to sources, the Frontier League recently took over the daily operations of the Aviators and will run the team for the remainder of the season. It's almost a lock that Rockford will fold after this season.
The Wild Things failed to capitalize -- both on the field and at the gate -- on last year's playoff run. Washington currently has 18 fewer wins than a year ago, second only to Schaumburg's 21 for biggest drop in wins, but the Boomers won the league championship last year. Washington's attendance is seemingly stuck between 1,800 and 1,900 for the second year in a row.
This is a franchise that is stagnant at best, a sinking ship at worst.
That means the upcoming offseason will be the most important one in Wild Things history. There are many topics that must be addressed. A good game plan for the future is desperately needed.
The first question to be asked in the offseason should be this: Is it really in ownership's best interest to run two teams, the Wild Things and the Pennsylvania Rebellion of the National Pro Fastpitch league? If you think things are bad with the Wild Things and the Frontier League, then you need to check out the Rebellion and the NPF. The Rebellion make the Wild Things look like the New York Yankees. The Rebellion missed the playoffs in a five-team league. Four teams went to the postseason. One of those playoff teams was a first-year team that wasn't wasn't even allowed to acquire players through an expansion draft but still finished ahead of the Rebellion.
How any NPF team can remain in the financial black is beyond me. Judging by their poor attendance and the cost of having to fly to Florida and Texas to play games, the Rebellion have to be losing money.
A lot of money.
That might be why the Wild Things had to leave at 2 a.m. last Tuesday, instead of on Monday (a travel day in the league schedule), to play at Traverse City. That's about a 10-hour bus trip, then straight to the field. All to save the cost of one night's lodging. The Wild Things players were glad to see the game rained out last Tuesday in Traverse City. Washington, however, left at 5 a.m. this morning and will be playing at Schaumburg a few hours after arriving in Chicagoland. Again, apparently all to save a few dollars.
I have a feeling the Rebellion's financial losses are now impacting the Wild Things. If that's the case, it's a very bad sign. One of financial trouble ahead. And the solution is not to raise ticket or parking or concession prices.
Operating two teams, with one front office staff, and neither team able to sell out a small ballpark, makes no financial sense. The time to pull the plug on the softball team, if it is indeed a financial drain on the Wild Things, should be before 2016, which happens to be the final year for Consol Energy's naming rights deal at the ballpark. A 10-year-contract was announced by Consol and the Wild Things in April of 2007. That means the deal runs through the summer of 2016. If another company doesn't step forward and put its name on the ballpark, it will be a big financial hit for the Wild Things.
There also has to be changes in the Wild Things' baseball operations. When you miss the playoffs seven times in eight years, there is something very wrong. The way you find players, the people you get recommendations from, where you're looking for players, it all has to be re-evaluated and changed. Somebody needs to think outside the box.
As one reader of this blog wrote last month, "Major changes need to be made at season's end because the way the Wild Things are doing things are not working. If you do the same things year after year and expect different results (that) is insanity."
Somebody in the front office or ownership needs to answer this: Why has a franchise that could pack the house almost every night fallen so far so fast that now it can't fill half the ballpark unless pyrotechnics are involved? If the answer is because the novelty of pro baseball in Washington has worn off, then that's too late to change. If it's the economy, then the Wild Things can't change that. But if it's because the front-office staff can only spend half its time selling tickets to Wild Things games because the other half is spent hawking Rebellion tickets, or if it's because the games have become boring, or the parking fee and ticket prices are too high, or the giveaway items have become worthless, or the team can't win, or the between-innings promotions are stupid or nobody in Pittsburgh/Westmoreland County/Fayette County hears/reads/knows about the Wild Things, or the customers are not treated with respect etc., then those things can and must be corrected. In other words, eliminated.
posted by Chris Dugan at
7:56 AM
9 Comments:
Well said Mr. Dugan. I haven't always agreed with your postings, or the postings of others, but you have hit the nail right on the head. We have been partial season ticket holders for a number of years, and I can assure you we have no intention of renewing. We received our renewal letter last Friday, and it went right to Arden landfill with the rest of the trash. We have been attending Wildthings games since the onset, and this year was the worst I have ever seen. If this team is to survive, major and I mean major changes need to be implemented. But, I won't be there to see any changes, if they do indeed happen.
I believe the intention is to run the franchise into the ground, tear down the stadium and make the property into commerical development. That would generate more revenue.
Chris, you will be "stewed" for writing the truth.
I'll be checking to see if this appears as an article in the O-R sports page.
What a shame it will be to see the "tax payer turf" landfilled!
Think back when they had the Wild Things and the Riverhounds. That was even more of a mismatch than the Things and Rebellion!
Whenever the Rebellion have their own stadium in downtown Pittsburgh, I'll be more inclined to agree with you.
Start building, Stucifer!
Natural Grass said,"Chris, you will be "stewed" for writing the truth.
I'll be checking to see if this appears as an article in the O-R sports page."
---------------------------
Yes, I agree. This piece needs to appear as an article in the sports section rather
than on a blog. Everybody that reads this blog already knows about what Stu Williams
has done to this franchise. So, it’s time that he be taken to task in a MUCH more public
way and show the general public just how much he has mishandled the management of
the Wild Things. Just as Barack Obama has done to the United States, Mr. Williams has
fundamentally changed the face of Frontier League baseball here in Washington. Everything
has changed from what it was prior to his arrival. It was obvious as horse manure that Williams
thought he knew all there was to know about how to run both a baseball franchise AND
an amusement park in the same place and, at the same time. This man would stand in front
of the season ticket holders and spin the most ridicules tales of how he was going to turn
CEP into the entertainment capital of southwest Pennsylvania. This transformation was just going to
be wondrous. However, when all was said and done, it was all just a load of hot air and I’m proud
to say that I was probably the only person that recognized it for just what it was – pure unadulterated
Bovine crap. Sure, it made me enemies within the Wild Things organization and also among the gullible
season ticket holders that actually believed all this pipe dream. It’s absolutely amazing how many people
were afraid of Williams and would not resist all this flim-flam stuff. It was the old “Sucker born every minute”
nature of the claims he made that was so, as it turned out, to be so unbelievable.
Williams came riding in here just like a snake oil salesman claiming that if we bought his magic
elixir all would be fine in a short time. All we had to do was give his medicine enough time.
Well, the elixir was indeed potent but – it was poison and has darn near killed the patient.
All the results we have seen from drinking the ‘kool-aide’ is a failing organization, run by Stu
Williams and a few ‘yes men’, that make it VERY clear that they don’t know s**t from Shinola
about how, or what, it takes to successfully put together a cohesive franchise. Throwing money
at a problem is NOT the answer.
I was somewhat flattered to see Chris quote me in his remarks because I now realize that I’m
not the only one that can see just how poorly this organization is run. I’m now becoming convinced
that what is happening to the Wild Things is indeed a very deliberate act to justify the disbanding
of the team. I think Natural Grass is close to the truth about the future of CEP. I just wish that there
were more persons with the guts to stand up to Stu Williams and tell him the same things they say to
me. What do all of you think he can do to you? Shoot you? Many fans, including myself, have waited
for a baseball team here in Washington for years and we finally have it. It’s disgraceful that we are on
the verge of losing it. However, it won’t be our fault if that happens, it will lie directly at the feet of Stu Williams,
a man wealthy enough to buy a minor league franchise and not know what to do whit it after he had it. Well,
some of us have money and some of us have knowledge, it’s too bad that so few have both! So, Mr.
Williams, it’s time to put up or shut up. We’ve all heard enough of the BS. IMHO, the Wild Things need
to clean house starting at the top two, or maybe three, positions and put together a team worthy of
being called a team. Also, at least try to have less of an adverbial attitude when it comes to your customers.
CEP: Once the House of Thrills”, now the “House of Chills” both on, and off, the field
Ross, where are you now that we really need you? Seriously Ross, don’t come back until there is new ownership.
Believe me, you would have be be a ‘yes’ man or nuts to work for Mr. Williams. We already can see what happens
when one is a ‘yes’ man
Sure hope we've seen the last of Steve Z (I really doubt Williams will fire his chief lackey), Sam, the Nut Job, Mende (anybody that does what he did Saturday night needs help because hitting yourself on the head with the handle of a bat because they struck out really does need help), Max Garrett because he doesn't have the tools to be a catcher, and Bobby B. because he has every umpire in the Frontier League just waiting to mess him over and has created a culture among the players that whining is the way to play the game. How could Steve Z and Williams have been so stupid to have given him the job in the first place? Well, never mind trying to answer that one.
Sunday, as usual with the day games, was too freakin' hot to enjoy even though it was Fan Appreciation Day. All the people that did not show up during the entire season came to the ball park to try to win the prizes that didn't deserve because they are not really supporters of the team. The Wild Things should have special drawings that only season ticket holders are eligible to win. It isn't right that the people that did not attend games during the entire season usually are the ones that win all the good stuff. I sweated my buns off and never came close to winning anything. Oh yea, I came to every game this year. Fan Appreciation, my foot! It's just a dog and pony show.
As for cancelling the usual season ticket holders picnic and instead giving free tickets for a Wheeling Nailers game? Well, Stu can take his tickets and put them where the sun cannot damage them.
On to Parkersburg in 2017! How cares! It's all but a done deal. Wish they would at least be up front about it instead of trying to be coy.
C'mon down y'all. Wild Things heading to Parkersburg in 2017. Enjoy your last season in Pennsylvania. I hear the bulldozer engines starting and the wrecking ball has started swinging and is aimed at your stadium.
OPEN LETTER to Stuart Williams:
I see no baseball team here in Washington after the 2016 season, IF there
actually is a 2016 season.
With the way this franchise has been run the last few years it
seems you have formulated a deliberate plan to drive people away from attending a Wild Things game.
It's really both sad and, at the same time almost criminal, that you, the owner,
doesn't just straight out tell the fans that the team is moving if indeed, it is. The truth will set you free Mr. Williams. Whatever your reason for the ill
treatment of people that once believed in you has removed ALL doubt of
your real intentions. Why don't you just Man-Up Stuart Williams and tell
us the truth. Under your ownership and direction, nothing positive has
happened. You hired people into positions that are very obviously not
qualified and nobody in the front office seems to have the ability to evaluate
baseball talent.
The season ticket holders numbers have dwindled dramatically and many of
the remaining ones only attend a few games a year in absolute disgust of
your lack of leadership.
There are so many grievances amongst the fans that to list them all would
turn this letter into a volume the likes of "War and Peace".
So, Mr. Williams, for once in your somewhat checkered ownership, be honest
enough to present your customers with the unfettered truth about your
intentions. It's time to put aside your continued silence about the future
of Wild Things baseball. If you fail to address this issue publically, and soon, all
doubt should be removed from the minds of potential sponsors, season ticket
holders, and any other persons and/or organizations that have given any thought
to conducting business with The Washington Wild Things. The 'rumor mill' is churning at a rate that cannot be helpful if you actually intend to keep the
team in Washington. You could, and I believe should, put and end to all this
uncertainty with a completely honest statement regarding the team's future. Until
you do, I feel it would be a very unwise move for any individual, or group, to
purchase a ticket for even a single game because it may turn out to be a total
loss. Isn't it time that you show at least a little concern for your rapidly
falling number of customers? I think it is not only time to do so but is actually
very far everdue.
WOW! No comment from Williams. The silence is truly deafening. It also
proves the writer is correct and the rumors are true. The Wild Things are
getting out of Dodge. Pity the poor folks that renewed their season tickets,
because it appears you just lost a ton of money. Just can't trust lawyers.
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