ReD FLaG WARNiNG!!

 

The announcement of the relocation by the Ms. Braves from Pearl to Columbus, GA raises HUGE red flags for the fans of the Montgomery Biscuits. While the Skitz sister team, the Richmond Squirrels occupy the top spot in all of Double-A baseball in regards to attendance, removing the Braves leaves Montgomery next to last in Double-A butts in seats. Unless the local attitude towards buying tickets changes, the Biscuits could very likely be the next to pack up for new digs.

Where? Who knows. Pearl now has an available facility opening up, as does Jackson, TN. With the shift to the east, the Southern League might be willing to engage Panama City, Tallahassee, Augusta, or almost any other southern city offering a working ballpark and money to renovate it. 

Which is the underlying issue and not a new concept for consideration on these pages. How many thirty year old minor league ballparks are there? I'm not sure, but we know there aren't many and none in the current Southern League, once the Lookouts and Smokies get their new yards finished. As the Biscuits celebrate twenty seasons in Montgomery, many fans wonder how many more are left in the tank.

 

Surely the Braves saw that moving to an old park in a new city was a better financial plan than dumping money into upgrading Trussmark Park, which was built in 2005, a year after Montgomery's ballpark. With major renovations looming at Riverwalk and the threat of MLB upgrade requirements, the same financial issues are likely at play in Montgomery. The cost of new umpire rooms, expanded clubhouses, the VERY UNPOPULAR net additions being mandated, not to mention the usual upkeep of a city amenity now more than twenty years old all becomes an easy fix when you find a new city to fund a new park for you. 

If we are lucky, that happens in Pike Road or Prattville. Montgomery is littered with sporting facilities and the recent municipal investment in whitewater rafting likely signals a move away from traditional team sport support. I am finding it difficult to be optimistic. 

Unless something drastically changes to alter the landscape, it is hard to envision the Biscuits celebrating their thirtieth season in Montgomery.

OFFSEASON NEWS

The annual Coaches Dinner will feature Hall of Famer Jim Kaat as the guest of honor. Always a nice evening that helps raise money for a good cause, host Barry Dean has made the Coaches Dinner a highlight of the offseason. With a silent auction for memorabilia and a chance to dine with local sports legends as well as former Big League greats, I always try to find a chance to get to the dinner, this year on Feb 1st.

WHO WILL MANAGE IN THE GUMP?

Expect an announcement of the Montgomery coaching assignments soon. With just a few weeks before spring camp starts the Rays surely will have mapped out their ideas on who goes where. My money is still on Wuarner Rincones but theres no real way to know who the brass wants filling out the lineup cards.

RESEARCH CONFERENCE

The Montgomery History and Legends Conference prep is coming along. We are working to secure hotel accommodations and putting together the stadium tours. I also will be meeting with the Alabama Archives folks to talk about some items for display during the MHLC/SAC.

We will be discussing topics including the Montgomery Rebels, the Montgomery Climbers, The Montgomery Grays, The Montgomery Bombers, The Southern League and Southern Association, the Negro Southern League and the Montgomery Gray Sox, the Montgomery Biscuits and the Major league teams that have played in and around the Montgomery area.

Also we hope to include military teams from WW1 and WW2 that included both major league players as well as local talent and the very popular but unheralded Industrial League teams.

If you have an idea or suggestion, we welcome your input!