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Don't look for Lincoln to pursue Royals

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By KEN HAMBLETON / Lincoln Journal Star

Wednesday, Aug 06, 2008 - 12:56:25 am CDT

Major-league baseball will allow aluminum bats and courtesy runners before Lincoln becomes a likely candidate for minor-league baseball.

The Lincoln Royals are not in the plans, on the radar or even in discussion as the Triple-A Omaha Royals pursue a new home.

The Omaha Royals, affiliated with the Kansas City Royals, will lose their home when 60-year-old Rosenblatt Stadium is torn down after the Royals finish the 2010 season.

Story Photo
Rosenblatt Stadium, home to the College World Series and the Omaha Royals will be torn down following the Royals 2010 season. (LJS File)
Definitions:

Independent baseball (Saltdogs and the American Association): No affiliation, players have been released from major-league organizations. Fielding and hitting considered on par with Double-A and Triple-A baseball. Pitching often on Class A level. Few players sign with major-league clubs for minor-league assignments.

Triple-A: Teams comprised of the 15 players on the 40-man major-league team roster not eligible for the major leagues. Often top prospects go through AAA before the major leagues.

Double-A: Most fluid group of players going up quickly to the majors.

Class A, Low A, High A, Rookie Leagues: Rookies, players sharpening skills, major-league rehabilitation assignments.

The College World Series will move to the new 24,000-seat stadium in downtown Omaha, near the Qwest Center, and play there through 2035. But the Omaha Royals prefer a smaller stadium and free parking.

Lincoln’s Haymarket Park is not an option right now, said Martie Cordaro, general manager of the Omaha Royals.

Charlie Meyer, president of the Lincoln Saltdogs, echoed that, saying there is no pursuit of the Royals or any other minor-league affiliate.

The Saltdogs are part of the American Association, which has no affiliation with major-league baseball.

“There are a number of issues that come up, including minor- league baseball creates scheduling issues, would limit our flexibility and would have significant costs for us and the city,” Meyer said.  “We have an agreement with the University of Nebraska and a great partnership with them and the city for 35 years, with other options for 70 years.”

The 140-game Triple-A baseball season starts in early April and would bump heads with the Husker baseball program for at least two months. The Saltdogs have a 96-game schedule that starts in May.

Membership in Triple-A costs about $750,000 and there is a minimum requirement of 10,000 seats.

“It would cost quite a bit to reconfigure Haymarket Park,” Meyer said. Haymarket Park currently has chair-back seating for 4,419 people and 16 luxury suites. Including seating on the grass berms, the park can hold about 8,500 fans.

The Saltdogs paid $1 million to join the 3-year-old American Association and they pay an annual fee to run the league office and pay for umpires.

“If we were to go to affiliated baseball, AAA, AA or A minor leagues, we would lose the ability to play the best players every night — because some minor-league teams are assigned their players and are told which players must be on the field because of contracts and such,” Meyer said.

“We also have a lot of freedom in terms of promotions, roster changes and how we want to present the game to the fans,” he said.

The Saltdogs are averaging 3,713 tickets sold per game, down from close to 4,500 three years ago. The average attendance does not account for actual number of fans in the seats, which is not disclosed by the Saltdogs.

The Omaha Royals average 5,430 tickets sold per game, also not a figure for actual attendance.

Cordaro said Lincoln would also have to find travel partners in minor-league baseball. In Triple-A ball, the next-closest team is Des Moines in the Pacific Coast League. In Double-A ball, Tulsa and Springdale, Ark., are the closest teams to Lincoln and in Class A, Davenport, Iowa, is the closest team. “All of the towns would be a long bus ride from Lincoln,” Cordaro said.

Reach Ken Hambleton at 473-7313 or khambleton@journalstar.com.


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loper wrote on August 6, 2008 7:21 am:
" they should come to kearney, ne. the fan base would be great here plus the baseball stadium is a pile of crap. with the royals there would be enough revenue to build a small new stadium with free parking "

 Larry wrote on August 6, 2008 8:08 am:
" Jim Able isn't going to allow anything that's going lessen his revenue from the ballpark. If he can't make more money with the Royals then it's a no deal! And god forbid we get in the way of UNL and the Huskers!?! You got Harvey to deal with there. It's his way or the highway in this town. "

 Not what I heard wrote on August 6, 2008 8:31 am:
" I heard there were early discussions betwen Lincoln and the Royals but they broke down. It looks more and more like the LaVista Royals. "

 Ivan wrote on August 6, 2008 9:10 am:
" I think it should go to Grand Island. Everything else is. "

 I wonder wrote on August 6, 2008 9:19 am:
" Couldn't some concessions be made? What about not charging for parking at the new Omaha complex and the Royals agree to play in the larger stadium? Seems like that would be the most cost effective plan or leave Rosenblatt alone and keep the Royals there. "

 JB wrote on August 6, 2008 10:31 am:
" Who would want them? Omaha hasn't supported them in ages. "

 Kevin wrote on August 6, 2008 10:43 am:
" We can't fill the stadium right now with the Saltdogs let alone another team that would come in here. Lower your prices of all the food, tickets, and other crap and maybe people would show up and have more than 1500 people at the park. "

 Bill wrote on August 6, 2008 12:38 pm:
" Wow they are building a ball park for just the college world series. That seems like a lot of money for an empty ball park for 11 months of the year. That is the city of omaha at its finest. lets kick out the baseball team that provides free parking and fun family event and build a new stadium and charge for parking and only use it for 3 weeks in a year. I am glad I moved out of that money hungry city. "

 Mike wrote on August 6, 2008 12:59 pm:
" I agree with Kevin on prices. I used to be an avid Saltdogs supporter, attending numerous games every summer. Last summer that number was down to 2, this summer I have not been to any games.

Yes prices of everything go up, but the value just has not seemed to be there to justify the amount in price jumps the Saltdogs have had the past couple years, especially after so many of the fan favorite players are no longer on board.

I don't see how lower prices wouldn't result in more attendance/revenue in the long run. And, even though it will not happen, having the Royals in town would be outstanding.. a better value in my opinion. "

 Erik wrote on August 6, 2008 2:17 pm:
" How about moving the Royals to Sherman Field here in Lincoln? I think that place would be the PERFECT place to host a minor league team. It's old, falling apart, and I don't think many people would support it. "

 good grief wrote on August 6, 2008 3:29 pm:
" "Major-league baseball will allow aluminum bats and courtesy runners before Lincoln becomes a likely candidate for minor-league baseball." Actually, Ken, the Saltdogs are *gasp!* a minor-league baseball team, but I'm sure everyone there thanks you for the insult. "

 Justice wrote on August 6, 2008 4:40 pm:
" "Good Grief" is you want to be technical, the Saltdogs are a professional baseball organization in an Independent baseball league. They are not a minor league as they have no affiliation to the major league. "

 Mike in DC wrote on August 6, 2008 8:15 pm:
" Maybe Nebraskan's don't understand. It's Triple-A. You have to have a base of at least 500,000 in the metro to get a team. The Springdale, AR area, with SW Missoura and NW Arkansas is a likely choice if they don't already have a team. The Walmartian Empire has fostered one of the fastest growing areas in the country with a region of over 1 million people (if you could ONLY hear the Missoura state senators talk about it--you'd think it was the new Jerusalem); and I wouldn't be suprised to see the KC Royals be down that-a-way in about a decade. "

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