Pitchmen Paul Kreckman and Bryan Bostic said they would answer all questions. Then they didn’t do it.
The men who would build a baseball stadium in Shockoe Bottom made a presentation in Albert Hill Middle School’s auditorium on Apr. 22. The early-evening meeting was advertised as open to the public. Maybe 70 or 75 people showed up to listen to Kreckman, of Highwoods Properties, and Bostic, of Richmond Baseball Club.
The crowd was told to hold questions until the presentation was done. The audience complied and sat politely through the structured part of the night.
Kreckman spoke mostly about money aspects of the developments his outfit has designed for the Boulevard and Shockoe Bottom.
Bostic spoke mostly about the baseball stadium he wants to see built, to be the home field for a minor league franchise his group is in the process of buying. With his intensity ratcheted up, Bostic said, “There’s a game out there ... it’s called baseball.”
Kreckman was folksy and well-modulated. But his take-it-or-leave-it threat was clear -- if the stadium component of the plans doesn’t fall into place, Highwoods will walk away from the whole shebang.
Later Bostic said, “It’s not about wins and losses, it’s about the experience.”
By that Bostic was talking about how the fans coming to see his team play will be more interested in the stadium’s festive atmosphere -- the view of the skyline, the bells and whistles, which will appeal to folks who don’t care about actually watching baseball.
Kreckman said, “I’m not a baseball fan.”
Bostic said, “It’s not about the game ... it’s about sunsets.”
Of course, they both said a lot of other things, too. Neither man was particularly convincing. What happened during the Q&A session was more telling than the spinning numbers and blue sky projections had been.
Among the initial half-dozen questions, some were challenging. Obviously, there were some citizens in the room with a bone to pick. So, a new rule was laid down -- only one question per citizen.
Tougher questions were asked. A man brought up Bostic’s history with Richmond Baseball Initiative, the group that effectively put the kibosh on the plan to renovate The Diamond, with its push for a baseball stadium in Shockoe Bottom five years ago.
Bostic bristled. He labeled the question, “unfair!” Then he blustered about The Diamond’s $18.5 million renovation plan. He cracked that the figure would have turned out to be “$30 million.”
In other words, we should not have bought what the Richmond Metropolitan Authority said, but Highwoods’ estimates are as good as gold. Bostic mocked the RMA, while he wants to create a new “authority” like it to own the new stadium and issue the bonds.
Shortly afterward, with hands aplenty raised to ask questions, the meeting was declared over. It was frustrating to leave the room with a head full of questions. Questions like:
The Diamond is almost 24 years old. Is it common to issue 30-year bonds on a building that has a 20-to-25-year life?
For the first two years, Bostic’s new team will apparently play at The Diamond. If the deal for Shockoe Bottom doesn’t happen, how willing is Bostic to talk about staying at The Diamond?
Minor league baseball is no sure thing. Say Bostic has to sell the team in five years, what would happen if the new owner wants to move it to another city?
If the revenue from the taxes earmarked to service the bonds isn’t there, the bondholders can then seize the stadium, according to Highwoods. So, what would that do to Richmond’s credit rating? And, who would buy such a facility?
What will leaving the two surrounding counties out of the new stadium deal do for the spirit of regional cooperation?
In 2005 City Council agreed to hold a referendum, to ask the voters where they wanted professional baseball to be played. Then the worthy idea was cast aside. Why?
Isn’t such a hot potato referendum, something that would get the politicians off the hook -- Boulevard or Shockoe Bottom? -- the best way to judge the righteousness of the Highwoods vision for Richmond?
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Saturday, April 18, 2009
For Gwinnett, it’s back to the minors
I am a Gwinnettian. Though technically not a native (I lived in Dekalb County for my first four years), I have lived in Gwinnett virtually my entire life. If I did not have a soft spot for my county, I would not have bought my first home here nor would I invest my time to publish the Buzz. That being said, once I step foot outside of Georgia, I am an Atlantan. Someone in Alabama or Florida neither knows nor cares where Gwinnett is but they sure know Atlanta. In fact, even here in our own city, the concept of “Atlanta native” is far more commonly heard than “ native.” The point is this:as much as I care about Gwinnett County, Gwinnett is simply a part of the whole that is Atlanta which is a top tier U.S. and - and by virtue of the 1996 Olympics - international city. However, last night, with the first home game of the Gwinnett Braves, our county symbolically took a step back from this illustrious association.
For my entire life, Atlanta has been a major league city, home to a minimum of three major professional sports teams at any given time. Unfortunately, Gwinnett apparently thought being part of such a city was not sufficient and, as such, decided to hitch its wagon to a minor league horse. In doing so, Gwinnett has attempted to more closely identify itself with second-tier cities such as Durham, NC, Louisville, KY, Norfolk, VA, and Syracuse, NY. For these cities, a AAA minor league baseball is a big deal for they do not have the luxury of being home to a major league franchise and all that brings. So, what can a minor league baseball team bring to Gwinnett County? Do our county commissioners, who shoved the stadium deal down taxpayers’ throats, fancy themselves as “mayors” of a twin “city” to Atlanta? Surely not! Gwinnett is hardly Ft. Worth to Atlanta’s Dallas. Gwinnett has many positive aspects, but it is merely a suburban county whose identity is largely tied to being a part of a city such as Atlanta. Unlike for a city seeking a major league sports franchise, a minor league team can bring little cachet to Gwinnett County. Thus, the only significant benefit that the Gwinnett Braves can bring to our county is simply that of another entertainment option.
While being an entertainment outlet is not a wholly unworthy cause for an organization’s existence, this benefit is significantly degraded when one recalls how the team’s stadium was shoved down Gwinnett taxpayers’ throats. Gwinnett County cannot build a police precinct or a school without a referendum on the tax initiative to fund such projects. However, Gwinnett commissioners committed the taxpayer to an excessive investment for Gwinnett Stadium with a mere commission vote. This expenditure looks all the more foolhardy in light of a looming tax increase due to the inability of the commission to balance the county budget. This is precisely the kind of fiscal irresponsibility on the part of elected officials that tea parties across the country are protesting. Maybe the next Atlanta Tea Party should be in the parking lot of the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center!
So when the G(overnment-funded) Braves took the field last night at the sparkling Gwinnett (Taxpayers’) Stadium, rather than being a great moment for Gwinnett, it was a moment to memorialize government taxpayer abuse and to lament the symbolic downgrade of our county from part of a world class city to a second-tier minor league community. For Gwinnett, April 17, 2009 will be the day that Gwinnett County was sent back to the minors.
For my entire life, Atlanta has been a major league city, home to a minimum of three major professional sports teams at any given time. Unfortunately, Gwinnett apparently thought being part of such a city was not sufficient and, as such, decided to hitch its wagon to a minor league horse. In doing so, Gwinnett has attempted to more closely identify itself with second-tier cities such as Durham, NC, Louisville, KY, Norfolk, VA, and Syracuse, NY. For these cities, a AAA minor league baseball is a big deal for they do not have the luxury of being home to a major league franchise and all that brings. So, what can a minor league baseball team bring to Gwinnett County? Do our county commissioners, who shoved the stadium deal down taxpayers’ throats, fancy themselves as “mayors” of a twin “city” to Atlanta? Surely not! Gwinnett is hardly Ft. Worth to Atlanta’s Dallas. Gwinnett has many positive aspects, but it is merely a suburban county whose identity is largely tied to being a part of a city such as Atlanta. Unlike for a city seeking a major league sports franchise, a minor league team can bring little cachet to Gwinnett County. Thus, the only significant benefit that the Gwinnett Braves can bring to our county is simply that of another entertainment option.
While being an entertainment outlet is not a wholly unworthy cause for an organization’s existence, this benefit is significantly degraded when one recalls how the team’s stadium was shoved down Gwinnett taxpayers’ throats. Gwinnett County cannot build a police precinct or a school without a referendum on the tax initiative to fund such projects. However, Gwinnett commissioners committed the taxpayer to an excessive investment for Gwinnett Stadium with a mere commission vote. This expenditure looks all the more foolhardy in light of a looming tax increase due to the inability of the commission to balance the county budget. This is precisely the kind of fiscal irresponsibility on the part of elected officials that tea parties across the country are protesting. Maybe the next Atlanta Tea Party should be in the parking lot of the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center!
So when the G(overnment-funded) Braves took the field last night at the sparkling Gwinnett (Taxpayers’) Stadium, rather than being a great moment for Gwinnett, it was a moment to memorialize government taxpayer abuse and to lament the symbolic downgrade of our county from part of a world class city to a second-tier minor league community. For Gwinnett, April 17, 2009 will be the day that Gwinnett County was sent back to the minors.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Tex’ Simone Still Rides High as Chiefs’ Leader
This cowboy is not quite ready yet to ride into the sunset. Tex Ritter was an American country singer and actor whose programs were featured at the Acme Theater on Syracuse’s north side every Saturday morning during the 1930s.
Seven-year-old Anthony Simone and his friends would take in the shows and later go to the park and reenact “cowboy and Indian” scenarios that they enjoyed on the silver screen. Of course, Simone insisted on being “Tex,” and that nickname has stuck to this very day.
Now at 80, Simone has rode all the way to the top of the Syracuse Chiefs baseball organization, a Triple-A club that competes in the International League.
He started out on the grounds crew in 1961, and today is the executive vice president and chief operating officer of the minor league baseball organization.
Simone has certainly left an indelible imprint on the world of baseball in Central New York. In 2001, he was inducted into the Syracuse Baseball Wall of Fame. In 2008, he was inducted into the International League Hall of Fame.
What attracted Simone to the Chiefs was his passion for “America’s pastime.”
He played at North High School in Syracuse from 1946-47 and competed in semi-pro ball as well, although he was never signed to a pro contract. “I love baseball, but never made it as a player because I couldn’t hit that good,” he said.
Although slowed a bit following surgery for throat cancer in 2007, Simone still exhibits passion for a sport that he simply calls “his life.”
“I’m basically involved in everything,” he said. “I make sure everything is run right and properly,” he added, noting that everyone on staff is involved in the marketing aspect of the operation.
“I think the biggest thing that I really enjoy the most is the way people treat me and what they keep thanking me for. They are the ones who created me and was the reason I got involved,” he said.
Road to the top
Simone literally climbed the ladder to success with the Chiefs, straight from the bottom rung. Following his stint in the service, Simone took business courses and began working for Bonn Bread in Syracuse in 1955.
He worked there for several years and became general manager of the corporation, overseeing about 80 people.
When he heard that baseball had a chance to come back to Syracuse after a four-year exodus, he responded to what would be his life’s calling.
Minor league baseball left Syracuse after the 1955 season and Syracuse was without baseball until 1961 when it bought the Montreal Royals franchise from then owner of the Dodgers, Walter O’Malley. The Dodgers had left Brooklyn in 1957 and four years later moved their Triple-A team to the West Coast, making Montreal available.
Simone said the Chiefs are the only club left in professional baseball that is owned by stockholders. In 1961, the state of New York established it as a corporation and gave the club 20,000 shares to sell at $10 a share in a measure to bring baseball back to Syracuse.
When Syracuse acquired the Montreal franchise in ‘61, Simone decided that he wanted to get a job with the club despite his success at Bonn.
“I accepted a grounds crew job, and my wife Joanne couldn’t believe it,” he said. “The grounds crew consisted of two people.”
In June of that year, the club’s trainer suffered a heart attack, and general manager Don Labruzzo told Simone to “take care of the club. I can’t find anybody.”
For the next month or so, Simone proceeded to maintain the field from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and then served as the clubhouse trainer until 2 a.m. the next day.
Training was not Simone’s forte, but he was assisted by many people—particularly players—in learning the trade.
“That’s how I got started,” he said. “That’s how they created me.”
He was offered several major league jobs, but decided instead to give up training and get into front office management in 1967.
The reason he turned down major league offers was simple: He had fallen in love with what he had created at MacArthur Stadium, and “the people fell in love with me.”
In ’67, “Tex” worked as the club’s business manager and public relations director. In 1970, he took over as general manager.
The native Syracusan excelled in his front office position and was named the International League’s Executive of the Year in 1970, 1973, 1976 and 1994.
The Chiefs captured the National Association Presidents Trophy in 1987, awarded to a minor league team each year that exemplifies the standards of a complete baseball franchise.
He named his son John general manager in 1997 and became executive vice president and chief operating officer from that point. His daughter Wendy works for the club as well.
John captured IL Executive of the Year in 1998.
The Chiefs have been honored more in terms of this type of recognition than any other IL team.
If you build it
Simone said his greatest accomplishment was helping to build Alliance Bank Stadium, which was completed in 1997. From 1997 to 2006, it was known as P&C Stadium.
Its predecessor, MacArthur Stadium, had been home to the Chiefs since 1934.
Simone said MacArthur became quite old while many of the other minor league baseball cities were building and refurbishing their own stadiums.
“I knew we had to make a move sooner or later,” he said.
Thanks to state representative Michael Bragman, the Chiefs were able to procure $16 million to construct the stadium.
Simone said baseball serves as an economic boost to the Syracuse area.
“When the other clubs visit your city, they go to hotels, they go shopping in the malls, and sometimes they need doctors,” Simone said. “They spend up to $5 million to $6 million between April and September. People don’t realize that.”
Simone’s efforts to promote baseball in Syracuse have not gone unnoticed in the community.
In 2000, he received the Blind Men and Criers annual “Edward J. Kearney Award” given to the individual who has given back to the Syracuse community. In 2006, he received Le Moyne College’s Rev. Vincent B. Ryan, S.J. Dolphin Award in recognition of outstanding loyalty, dedication and service to the college.
Simone said he enjoys involving community groups and businesses with Chiefs’ promotions. Special nights have been held for the Syracuse Chamber of Commerce, and for businesses such as General Electric, Carrier and Key Bank.
The publicity gained through such promotions helped both the Chiefs as well as participating organizations.
“They loved it. You would draw 8,000 to 10,000 people with all the tickets we gave them. That’s why the association is so good,” he noted.
Simone also said population numbers have decreased in Syracuse, making it tougher to draw fans. “Thank God we’re still making out,” he said. “Keep in mind that we have the lowest ticket prices out of the 30 minor league clubs.”
Simone said it’s been difficult to generate advertising revenue due to the poor economy, but “we’ve created enough to survive.”
The Chiefs are known to “think outside the box” when it comes to promotions. An example of that is the promotion of the Dave Mathews Band concert at Alliance Bank Stadium slated in August.
Keeping fit
Simone still keeps physically fit, walking two miles every morning. He had surgery to remove his cancer-stricken voice box in November of 2007, and now uses a prosthetic device to talk. “Thank God that I was able to live,” he said.
Has Simone contemplated retirement?
“Not really, not from baseball,” said Simone, noting the sport as been good to him.
He said baseball people oftentimes extend their careers beyond normal retirement age, unlike other business environments.
“People still say ‘thank you’ and ask for my autograph, and still ask, ‘Tex, how are you?’ “If it weren’t for them, the people who created me, and everything that they have done all these years, I would not be here,” he said.
The club is experiencing a new frontier beginning this year.
After a 31-year allegiance with the Toronto Blue Jays organization, the Chiefs recently signed a two-year affiliation with the Washington Nationals.
Simone said baseball has changed over the years, and is now faced with overcoming the controversy of players using performance-enhancing drugs.
Simone said this current scandal involving performance-enhancing drugs in baseball has certainly tainted the sport. Asterisks should be placed by records established by major league players such as Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriquez due to their involvement with human growth hormone and steroids, he said.
“It has hurt the reputation and respect for the sport,” Simone added.
He said the punishment for steroid use in baseball has to be tough enough to seriously discourage players from cheating. He said minor league players who are caught are assessed 50-game suspensions.
Quite a legacy—Simone’s son John said his dad has played a significant role in keeping baseball alive in the Salt City.
“He along with others—such as Anthony Henniger, Tom Higgins, Clayton Andrews, Don Waful, Dick Ryan, Michael Bragman and Stephen Rogers—are why baseball exists in Syracuse,” John said. “Their dedication to keeping Triple-A baseball in our community has allowed fans to see great players for over 50 years.”
John expressed pride in his dad’s accomplishments through 49 years of baseball.
“Locally, I’m most proud of how many people respect him and appreciate what he has done for the community outside of baseball,” he said.
On the national level, John said many people outside of Syracuse also respect his father’s accomplishments throughout his many years in baseball.
John said he is also proud of “all the charitable organizations he gets involved with and the millions of dollars he has helped to raise for all those organizations using baseball as a vehicle to reach them.”
Seven-year-old Anthony Simone and his friends would take in the shows and later go to the park and reenact “cowboy and Indian” scenarios that they enjoyed on the silver screen. Of course, Simone insisted on being “Tex,” and that nickname has stuck to this very day.
Now at 80, Simone has rode all the way to the top of the Syracuse Chiefs baseball organization, a Triple-A club that competes in the International League.
He started out on the grounds crew in 1961, and today is the executive vice president and chief operating officer of the minor league baseball organization.
Simone has certainly left an indelible imprint on the world of baseball in Central New York. In 2001, he was inducted into the Syracuse Baseball Wall of Fame. In 2008, he was inducted into the International League Hall of Fame.
What attracted Simone to the Chiefs was his passion for “America’s pastime.”
He played at North High School in Syracuse from 1946-47 and competed in semi-pro ball as well, although he was never signed to a pro contract. “I love baseball, but never made it as a player because I couldn’t hit that good,” he said.
Although slowed a bit following surgery for throat cancer in 2007, Simone still exhibits passion for a sport that he simply calls “his life.”
“I’m basically involved in everything,” he said. “I make sure everything is run right and properly,” he added, noting that everyone on staff is involved in the marketing aspect of the operation.
“I think the biggest thing that I really enjoy the most is the way people treat me and what they keep thanking me for. They are the ones who created me and was the reason I got involved,” he said.
Road to the top
Simone literally climbed the ladder to success with the Chiefs, straight from the bottom rung. Following his stint in the service, Simone took business courses and began working for Bonn Bread in Syracuse in 1955.
He worked there for several years and became general manager of the corporation, overseeing about 80 people.
When he heard that baseball had a chance to come back to Syracuse after a four-year exodus, he responded to what would be his life’s calling.
Minor league baseball left Syracuse after the 1955 season and Syracuse was without baseball until 1961 when it bought the Montreal Royals franchise from then owner of the Dodgers, Walter O’Malley. The Dodgers had left Brooklyn in 1957 and four years later moved their Triple-A team to the West Coast, making Montreal available.
Simone said the Chiefs are the only club left in professional baseball that is owned by stockholders. In 1961, the state of New York established it as a corporation and gave the club 20,000 shares to sell at $10 a share in a measure to bring baseball back to Syracuse.
When Syracuse acquired the Montreal franchise in ‘61, Simone decided that he wanted to get a job with the club despite his success at Bonn.
“I accepted a grounds crew job, and my wife Joanne couldn’t believe it,” he said. “The grounds crew consisted of two people.”
In June of that year, the club’s trainer suffered a heart attack, and general manager Don Labruzzo told Simone to “take care of the club. I can’t find anybody.”
For the next month or so, Simone proceeded to maintain the field from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and then served as the clubhouse trainer until 2 a.m. the next day.
Training was not Simone’s forte, but he was assisted by many people—particularly players—in learning the trade.
“That’s how I got started,” he said. “That’s how they created me.”
He was offered several major league jobs, but decided instead to give up training and get into front office management in 1967.
The reason he turned down major league offers was simple: He had fallen in love with what he had created at MacArthur Stadium, and “the people fell in love with me.”
In ’67, “Tex” worked as the club’s business manager and public relations director. In 1970, he took over as general manager.
The native Syracusan excelled in his front office position and was named the International League’s Executive of the Year in 1970, 1973, 1976 and 1994.
The Chiefs captured the National Association Presidents Trophy in 1987, awarded to a minor league team each year that exemplifies the standards of a complete baseball franchise.
He named his son John general manager in 1997 and became executive vice president and chief operating officer from that point. His daughter Wendy works for the club as well.
John captured IL Executive of the Year in 1998.
The Chiefs have been honored more in terms of this type of recognition than any other IL team.
If you build it
Simone said his greatest accomplishment was helping to build Alliance Bank Stadium, which was completed in 1997. From 1997 to 2006, it was known as P&C Stadium.
Its predecessor, MacArthur Stadium, had been home to the Chiefs since 1934.
Simone said MacArthur became quite old while many of the other minor league baseball cities were building and refurbishing their own stadiums.
“I knew we had to make a move sooner or later,” he said.
Thanks to state representative Michael Bragman, the Chiefs were able to procure $16 million to construct the stadium.
Simone said baseball serves as an economic boost to the Syracuse area.
“When the other clubs visit your city, they go to hotels, they go shopping in the malls, and sometimes they need doctors,” Simone said. “They spend up to $5 million to $6 million between April and September. People don’t realize that.”
Simone’s efforts to promote baseball in Syracuse have not gone unnoticed in the community.
In 2000, he received the Blind Men and Criers annual “Edward J. Kearney Award” given to the individual who has given back to the Syracuse community. In 2006, he received Le Moyne College’s Rev. Vincent B. Ryan, S.J. Dolphin Award in recognition of outstanding loyalty, dedication and service to the college.
Simone said he enjoys involving community groups and businesses with Chiefs’ promotions. Special nights have been held for the Syracuse Chamber of Commerce, and for businesses such as General Electric, Carrier and Key Bank.
The publicity gained through such promotions helped both the Chiefs as well as participating organizations.
“They loved it. You would draw 8,000 to 10,000 people with all the tickets we gave them. That’s why the association is so good,” he noted.
Simone also said population numbers have decreased in Syracuse, making it tougher to draw fans. “Thank God we’re still making out,” he said. “Keep in mind that we have the lowest ticket prices out of the 30 minor league clubs.”
Simone said it’s been difficult to generate advertising revenue due to the poor economy, but “we’ve created enough to survive.”
The Chiefs are known to “think outside the box” when it comes to promotions. An example of that is the promotion of the Dave Mathews Band concert at Alliance Bank Stadium slated in August.
Keeping fit
Simone still keeps physically fit, walking two miles every morning. He had surgery to remove his cancer-stricken voice box in November of 2007, and now uses a prosthetic device to talk. “Thank God that I was able to live,” he said.
Has Simone contemplated retirement?
“Not really, not from baseball,” said Simone, noting the sport as been good to him.
He said baseball people oftentimes extend their careers beyond normal retirement age, unlike other business environments.
“People still say ‘thank you’ and ask for my autograph, and still ask, ‘Tex, how are you?’ “If it weren’t for them, the people who created me, and everything that they have done all these years, I would not be here,” he said.
The club is experiencing a new frontier beginning this year.
After a 31-year allegiance with the Toronto Blue Jays organization, the Chiefs recently signed a two-year affiliation with the Washington Nationals.
Simone said baseball has changed over the years, and is now faced with overcoming the controversy of players using performance-enhancing drugs.
Simone said this current scandal involving performance-enhancing drugs in baseball has certainly tainted the sport. Asterisks should be placed by records established by major league players such as Barry Bonds and Alex Rodriquez due to their involvement with human growth hormone and steroids, he said.
“It has hurt the reputation and respect for the sport,” Simone added.
He said the punishment for steroid use in baseball has to be tough enough to seriously discourage players from cheating. He said minor league players who are caught are assessed 50-game suspensions.
Quite a legacy—Simone’s son John said his dad has played a significant role in keeping baseball alive in the Salt City.
“He along with others—such as Anthony Henniger, Tom Higgins, Clayton Andrews, Don Waful, Dick Ryan, Michael Bragman and Stephen Rogers—are why baseball exists in Syracuse,” John said. “Their dedication to keeping Triple-A baseball in our community has allowed fans to see great players for over 50 years.”
John expressed pride in his dad’s accomplishments through 49 years of baseball.
“Locally, I’m most proud of how many people respect him and appreciate what he has done for the community outside of baseball,” he said.
On the national level, John said many people outside of Syracuse also respect his father’s accomplishments throughout his many years in baseball.
John said he is also proud of “all the charitable organizations he gets involved with and the millions of dollars he has helped to raise for all those organizations using baseball as a vehicle to reach them.”
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