Lack of attendance is killing the St. Louis Cardinals New York-Penn League affiliate, the Batavia Muckdogs.
Alanna Stage of the Batavia News wrote an article which outlines the lack of financial progress being made by the Batavia Muckdogs franchise.
Key factoids:
- With 1,024 fans per game, down from last season, the Muckdogs are last in attendance in the New York-Penn League. The next worst team averages over 1,400.
- The chairman and COO of Rochester Community Baseball (RCB), operator of the team, is threatening to make the decision to end their management agreement unless attendance improves, perhaps even before the season is out. RCB is only committed through the 2010 season.
- Remarks from the chairman of The Genessee County Baseball Club, owners of the team, support RCB’s concern over the low level of fan support.
From past articles: link
- Upon the club’s sale, RCB would pick up five percent ownership of the Muckdogs for each year they have operated the club. 2010 is their third season.
- RCB lost $400,000 running the Muckdogs during their first two years of operation, 2008 and 2009.
- The franchise may be worth from $3 million to $5 million on the open market. If sold, it would certainly be moved away from Batavia, likely forever.
I spoke with a senior Cardinals official who would only say that any negotiations for the organization to remain associated with the franchise would not be discussed until after the season ends. The Cardinals player development contract is up this fall.
Follow me on Twitter.
Follow The Cardinal Nation Blog on Facebook.
Saturday lineup from FOX Sports Midwest:
Lopez 3B Jay CF Pujols 1B Holliday LF Ludwick RF Molina C Ryan SS Hawksworth P Miles 2B
Thank you, Brian!
Here we have another lineup, which not only which defies complaint, but also has the very welcome addition of an old friend! May the success of his past couple of games in Memphis spill-over into this one!
Lets hope Luddy brought his bat. Its too bad guys like Flip and Matt can stand around sleeping and be right back in there the next day.
If I remember right, last winter Muckdogs boosters and civic leaders gave it their best to promote the team. It seems like the economy of the area and changing populaion demographics are just too much to evercome.
Luddy’s back!
Gorzelanny is a lefty, which explains the absence of Colby and Skip.
Roy Oswalt update. Oswalt definitely willing to restructure his contract to go to the Cardinals. Houston has rejected offer of Brendan and Jay. Negotiations still ongoing,
blingboy: While I certainly agree wholeheartedly with the sentiment (“Its too bad guys like Flip and Matt can stand around sleeping and be right back in there the next day”), I hasten to remind everyone of the following:
- Matt’s was the lone hit in the 11 inning upset against Philadelphia
- While Albert went “Oh, for…!” in yesterday’s game, Matt had a hit…
crdswmn: Check out blingboy’s story in yesterday’s thread (he posted it last night, just after everyone logged-off…)
I read it last night 57. I don’t think Roy is the problem. The problem is for who the Astros want to trade him. They may be asking for more than Mo is willing to give them.
While I may certainly be wrong about Roy overplaying his hand, I thought blingboy’s story was golden.
In the Oswalt negotiations, the Cardinals have been stymied from the outset by an apparent lack of good judgment and connection with reality on the part of Astros’ ownership and general management.
My guess would be Houston wants Shelby Miller and Mo is reluctant to part with him.
The latest report on ESPN indicates some face-saving back-pedaling on the part of the Astros, with the Ownership suddenly saying that they do not want to deal with a divisional rival…
Well that may be 57. But I get the impression that Roy will be a lot more expensive for any other team to get.
Indeed, the other teams (bona fide World Series contenders) are saying that he is overplaying his hand…
Let me assure you that no one wants Roy Oswalt in our starting rotation more than me.
Maybe Roy figures if he can’t go to the Cardinals he will take his chances with FA.
MATT HOLLIDAY HITTING STREAK
Looking back through all the box scores, I am electrified to find that Matt Holliday has quietly assembled an 8 game hitting streak! After his 3-run homer (on the 9th), he was hitless on the following day, but with a “sacrifice RBI”. Then, beginning on the 11th, he has collected at least one hit in every game that he played (aye, his was the lone hit in the 11 inning shut-out).
FSM just announced change in lineup. Flip is out, Miles batting 1st and Greene in at 3d.
Thank you, crdswmn, for the good news! blingboy will be happy to know that one of the culprits is getting his just desserts! The lineup now makes perfect sense!
Oswalt isn’t a FA until after 2011 at least, Astros have a club option for 2012.
If a guy strikes out the least he can do is run to first when the ball rolls 12 feet away from the catcher. Matt just walked back to the dugout where he would remain for a couple games if there was any justice.
Glad you liked the story 57, thanks for the compliments.
Maybe the Cards are an under the radar possibility for Haren and somebody else from Arizona.
Yankees are the front runners for Haren. I know Oswalt has the 2012 option. I was just speculating as to whether Oswalt was willing to stay at Houston rather than go to Philly.
This better not be a repeat of yesterday.
Blake will settle-in and do a much better job than Suppan: It’s the offense that needs to follow Jon Jay’s consistent example…
All RIGHT! Brendan has now ascended to .010 from the Mendoza Line!
Tyler had better not blow this opportunity!
IF Oswalt really wants to be a Cardinal he will beat the Reds today!
I’ll be damned if he did not! The small-ballers strike again!
No shutout! Yay!
(I really thought Yadi had a HR).
Truer words have not been spoken, Carioca!
A strikeout and 2 groundouts since the DP that he induced to end last inning. He won’t make it past 6 (his pitch count is too high), but Blake is nevertheless doing all right…
BTW, Al Hrabosky said there was an explanation for why Flip was out of the lineup, but he couldn’t say what it was. Very mysterious.
Ah, yes! I’m feeling the refreshing breeze of the tradewinds…
This may be another bottom of the lineup day.
When you’re the third baseman and a high pop up lands 30 feet from you in your area of responsibility and you never moved a muscle and a guy scores all the way from second, maybe your attitude when the manager mentions it before the next game could land you on the bench. Just speculation.
We must wait until we get to the bottom-half of our order (led by big bopper Ludwick) in order to inflict some damage…
blingboy, you’re “speculation” comprises justifiable disgust (to include the pitiful at bat in which Matt’s head was buried where the Sun don’t shine)
Has anybody noticed the Cubs catcher’s gear. Looks like he belongs on a star wars set.
There went Blake’s ERA…
Well… perhaps there are ways, other than performance, in which the Cubs suppose that Soto can outshine Yadier…
What was I saying about Blake doing a better job than Suppan?
Looks like we could have used Walters again.
We really need to pay Gorzelanny the same “respect”. Aye, ’tis nigh time for Luddy to lead the attack…
The game hasn’t gotten out of hand like yesterday, so I am cautiously optimistic.
If he is able to prevent any more bloodshed, an exhausted and battered Blake will be pulled by the end of the 5th inning…
Well, at least Brendan gave it a full count at bat…
Unless some scouts are seeing extraordinary potential in him, Brendan simply doesn’t represent tantalizing trade bait…
Now at 83 pitches, Blake has just enough gas for one more inning…
While only few pitchers are hitters, Blake is always utterly helpless to do anything for his own cause at the plate…
Tyler knows how to make it difficult for the Cardinals to send him back down to Memphis…
Does Aaron know how to capitalize on an opportunity to show his lead-off stuff?
Does Jon know how to sacrifice?
Does Albert know how to fly out?
Will Albert have another day of stranding runners?
Dependent entirely upon what is wafting in the trade winds, perhaps Dave Duncan is giving some serious thought about making Kyle a starter…
Is Mitchell able to find the strike zone today?
No.
This is just sad.
Blake is very grateful to Mitchell for adding those two runs to his account…
Matt just extended his hitting streak to nine games…
It’s shame that the at bat resulted in an out, because after 10 pitches, Luddy wore him out!
Brendan has something to say about his potential (he is now only .008 shy of the Menoza Line)!
Flip didn’t flop.
Okay, Tyler! Here’s some Major League PRESSURE… Show us how you handle it!
Yeah, it appears that both Flip and Matt have managed to pull their heads out…
Grand opportunities come… and they go…
I like it when WE are the ones to hit infield singles!
Will Albert let us down again?
I REALLY like it when Jon faithfully sets the table…
Sacrifice flies are perfectly acceptable, Albert; especially when they result in a meaningful RBI!
That was an unwise SB attempt/
Except that Matt’s grounder would have been a DP anyway.
We can easily surmount a 2 run deficit in 2 innings (unless Marmol is “on” when they bring him on in the 9th)
You’re right on both accounts, crdswmn…
Jason’s velocity must be down: He’s allowing them to get under them for alarming fly outs…
Glad to see that he induced the groundout. The top of the 8th is critically important for us: We simply MUST add at least another run!
A big bopper has now begun to set the table for our small-ballers…
Yadier has followed suit!
Chalk-up an RBI for Theriot (on a beautiful double-error)!
The Flubs are gift-wrapping this one for us!
We have one more chance.
Here comes Marmol the Monster.
If we are to take advantage of that last chance, it will have to be Albert and Matt coming through in the clutch. Are we flooded with optimistic anticipation??
With Jon striking out, my optimism has been dimmed…
Matt has done wonderful clutch feats for us before…
The only thing good about this 3rd consecutive defeat is the superior performance that Fernando has once again given to us. Now, we rely upon Roy Oswalt to keep us in first place…
I will be watching the outcome of the Reds game very closely. Oswalt is pitching. If he wants to come to the Cardinals, he can make his case tonight.
I would disagree that there was only one good thing. I think the offensive resurgence after the miserable outing yesterday is a good sign. Carp pitchers tomorrow and then we get a day off.
If Roy can hit in the clutch bring him on.
Unprecedented this season, was the 8 game winning streak. Unprecedented this season, is the 3 game losing streak.
Yes, we need another pitcher who can hit in the clutch (like Adam and Brad); because we do not have hitters who are able to rise to such a challenge…
I’m going to take a late afternoon siesta (an old fart’s nap): I’ll see you guys back here in about 3 hours for the Oswalt game…
Hawk was not too good but this game was lost by the meat of the order repeatedly failing to deliver the big blow. That and Yadi’s passed ball/throwing error leading to two runs allowed. (that’s what it was however it was scored)
Hopefully Jimenez will not get his 16th today.
The latest trade scuttlebutt is that the Astros are asking for the moon for Oswalt. Astros asked for two big league ready players and a couple of prospects from the Dodgers. Good luck with that one.
Even though I think I am talking to myself, here is my best case scenario for the next couple of weeks. We win tomorrow with Carp. We take 2 out 3 from the mutts with Garcia and Waino. Then we come home for 6 games against the Pirates and the Astros, for which I like our chances. This is all depends on our 3 aces doing their thing and the offense doing its thing. Like I said, this is a best case scenario.
Why trade future for a top starter?
Because you think that is the missing piece that will put you over the top.
So, am I to understand Mo looks at the team and thinks that? Give me a break.
I don’t know what Mo is thinking. I do know that the Astros are being greedy, and they will end up keeping Oswalt and getting nothing. Frankly, I wouldn’t be too eager to get Oswalt anyway.
At least Bernie offers some sanity:
• I know everyone is all atwitter about adding Oswalt or Haren, but Cardinals hitters have scored three runs in a game nine times, two runs 11 times and one run 12 times, and have been shut out nine times. Their record in those 38 games: 5-33. If that isn’t an appeal for help, I don’t know what is.
• I mean, do you really want to give up the farm and a whole lot of money so Oswalt or Haren can come here and lose 1-0 or 2-1?
Jimenez cratered and burst into flames. 2 IP, 3 H, 6 BB, 6ER, plus a wild pitch. He’s about to take the loss unless the Rockies score 4 in the 9th to get him off the hook.
The fact that Miklasz would offer such sanity is proof that it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure-out that our problem does not come from need of another marquee pitcher in our rotation, but comes from the reason that Adam and Chris have been screwed out of wins time and again. Miklasz, by the way, is the clown who alienated over half his readership by branding them as “irrational” for daring to question Tony’s judgment…
It would be nice to have Roy onboard, but ONLY at a bargain. Our chief concern, however, should be a potent bat up the middle (which would go far towards eliminating the problem of an inconsistent offense (the very reason that Oswalt’s Won-Lost record is so pitiful in Houston this year!).
As it would mean so much to so many true Cardinal fans for Adam to be first to reach 20 wins this year, I am happy to see that Jimenez has fallen short of notching his 16th…
After the shocking rocking that Roy got in his first third of an inning, he then settled-in. He will now have to tack on several hitless, walkless innings in order to have an impressive outing tonight…
By the way… We notice that Kendrick, fresh from a quick “feet-to-the-fire” at AAA, kept the Rockies to only a single run in 7 innings. There must be something effective about Philadelphia’s harsh punishment (it smacks of the kind of discipline advocated by blingboy)…
bb, not particularly in favor of giving up the farm for Oswalt but one could argue he’s worth it because we would win a lot of 1-0, 2-1 games that we would otherwise lose.
A lot of good it would do Roy if he were to go the distance and give-up no more than 2 runs and not receive anything more than 2 runs of support. A lot of good it would do Roy if he were to go the distance and give-up no more than 1 run and not receive anything more than a single run of support. A lot of good it would do Roy if he were to go the distance with a shut-out and not receive a single run of support (like the 11 inning one-hitter). Whereas Roy represents a splendid addition to our rotation (and a few more wins than we would get without him), a consistent offense represents the answer to all of our problems (and many more wins than we’ve been getting without it).
“IF Oswalt really wants to be a Cardinal he will beat the Reds today!”
- “Truer words have not been spoken, Carioca!”
IP-3 H-8 ER-6 BB-0 SO-2
All right, so he’s experienced a Chris-like meltdown tonight: Although he is certainly allowed to have the occasional bad outing, this is a really bad time for him to sustain one of those…
The Reds are on their way to bumping us out of first place: At 6 to zip, even though it is only the 4th inning, they need only a few more runs to blow it out…
I just walked in to discover that Ubaldo had a meltdown (good) and Roy O had a meltdown (not good).
Not exactly the way for Roy to pitch right now.
Well, 57, I spect there will be much more bumpin back and forth before the season is through.
If we straighten-up and fly right, we’ll have a few more extended streaks and put such a margin between us and the Reds that there shall be no mo’ bumpin’ back n’ forth!
Perhaps, Roy will be so demoralized and will feel so de-valued by tonight’s nightmare that he will take the reins away from his agent, grab the bull by the horns and avail himself to the Cardinals at a reasonable price.
…I can dream, can’t I?
I don’t think Roy has a choice. It is the Astros front office that is holding the cards. After tonight’s start , maybe they won’t be so greedy.
Since the Astros ownership has shown itself not to be so shrewd and greedy as much as it has shown itself to be out of touch with reality, it may not be so absurd that the deal-makers would greatly relent on the basis of a single night’s performance….
…I can dream, can’t I?
There has to be some decent pitcher out there at a reasonable price. What about Ted Lilly?
CC makes a good point. If we had given up 4 instead of six we’d have won today. If Hawk had given up one less home run.
I read that several teams had people at the Houston game to watch Oswalt, maybe he got nervous.
Boggs pitch may have fooled Yadi but it wasn’t wild. Normally Yadi is very active back there and shifts himself to block a ball rather than just sticking his glove out like he did today.
I am hoping that Oswalt represents a mere passing incidental delight (“a target of opportunity”) for our General Manager, in his search for a potent offensive/defensive solution up the middle…
I just want the Cardinals to stop giving me whiplash.
Whether it was a WP by Mitchell or a PB by Yadier, the need we’ve had all along doesn’t center around a home run given up by Blake today. With few exceptions, our pitching has been more than adequate: It has been our offensive inconsistency (lack of supporting our pitchers) which has been the recurrent and abiding headache.
I should say, “It has been our offensive inconsistency (lack of supporting our pitchers, both on the field and at the plate) which has been the recurrent and abiding headache”. Indeed, we can isolate the problem at SS and 2B…
Hopefully Lohse can come back soon and straighten out the rotation a bit.
Having a bunch of underperforming middle infielders isn’t so hot, especially when they are also manning third base.
Here! Here!
Whereas our pitching is the best there is in the Central Division, our offensive production is third-rate…
No argument with that Nut. But the problem today was underperforming middle of the order guys. We were what, 1 for 8 with RISP?
When you gaze upon “Runs Allowed” and “Runs Scored” for each team in our division, I am certain that both Nutlaw and Carioca would hasten to remind us that stats don’t lie…
It’s official: The Reds beat the Astros 7-0 and we are a half-game back (hopefully, not for long and never again)…
Monday is an off day for us, and a light schedule around MLB. Maybe something will happen then. Something unexpected could happen.
Does anybody know what Ubaldo’s ERA is now?
I’m feeling the same glimmer of hope, blingboy…
Ubaldo’s ERA likely inflated no more significantly than Oswalt’s (since they’ve been predominantly lights-out throughout the season)
In Cy Young contention, a perfect game attracts an enormous amount of attention and consideration…
Are we talking about Roy Halladay now? Because Jimenez didn’t throw a perfect game.
U Jimenez 15W 2L 2.75ERA
Thanks BB.
Definitely, crdswmn. So it is, that I’m hoping that the attraction of his gem will be offset by our Adam (with a final ERA under 2.00 and wins of 22-25)…
Pitching a perfect game will not get you the CY unless you have the other stats to go along with it. Halladay so far is 11-8 with a 2.28 ERA and Waino is 14-5 with a 1.94 ERA. Good stats for Halladay, but I still like Waino’s chances.
Nothing in what I said constitutes a challenge for debate. I merely stated a fact (“In Cy Young contention, a perfect game attracts an enormous amount of attention and consideration”) and a golden wish for my favorite pitcher. The people against whom you may wish to take issue are the ones who shall be unduly enamored by the rare feat of pitching excellence.
I will be sure to take issue if Waino doesn’t win.
A problem today was the middle of the order, BB. The substitute starting pitcher was the other, as the bullpen didn’t allow any runs. Whereas the middle of the order has shown strong production this season, any starting pitcher not in the rotation at the start of the season has bombed to one extent or another.
I would agree entirely if you changed ‘strong production’ to ‘ strong but untimely production’.
By the way, I’ve been wondering if Brian will be doing any more articles for the Globe or what? Also wondering if Rains will continue to be part of the local sports media scene. Maybe Brian could give us some kind of update on that.
My position on the starting pitcher may be morphing somewhat. An upgrade or two would help I admit. And that fix might be more straitforward than trying to fix the woeful lack of clutch hitting.
Lopez might be getting ready to wear out his welcome . . . . again.
Regarding post #139, thank you for your interest. The entire sports department of the Globe-Democrat resigned last week. It had been a nice opportunity, but there were some major issues that weren’t able to be resolved. My weekly minor league column will continue in a new, but familiar location which I expect to be able to announce very soon – dotting the “i’s” and crossing the “t’s” is all that remains. Rob Rains is working on several locally-oriented options, and if where he settles is compatible with my focus, I predict I will remain engaged.
Well, good luck with all of that.
Baseball America interviewed Rochester Community Baseball head Naomi Silver who pretty much says Rochester is done running the Muckdogs after this season.
The situation with Batavia has got to be a basic issue of local economics. The local population is small. It would be like pushing water up-hill to turn a profit at Batavia. The Cards have provided good teams. The area has a venerable tradition for baseball. But the difficulty is the local economy is small and the Recession cannot be helping.
Its not an issue for the Cards. Batavia can sell its franchise and it can relocate to somewhere with a larger population. There have to be some vacant or underused stadia in New Jersey, Connecticut or Canada.
[...] reported here previously, RCB has accrued a 15 percent share of the Muckdogs, five percent for each year of operation. In a [...]