History lesson

For those of you who’ve not seen it, Friend of the Blog Todd Devlin has written what has to be the definitive word on baseball in Ottawa over at the Canadian Baseball Network.  It really doesn’t get any better than this; clearly this exhaustive piece involved a considerable amount of research and a significant investment of Todd’s time.  No stone has been left unturned as Todd chronicles the entire history of Lynx Stadium, all the way from 1989 when it was just a gleam in the late Howard Darwin’s eye, to its present day vacancy. 

The article should serve as a good history lesson for members of City Council who may have forgotten some of the facts surrounding the demise of the Lynx, their shoddy treatment of the team’s second owner (Ray Pecor) and their collective culpability in driving AAA baseball out of Ottawa -

Following the 2000 season, in which the Lynx drew a franchise-worst 2,339 fans per game, Darwin sold the team for $7 million — and handed over his field of dreams — to Vermont businessman Ray Pecor, who also owned the class-A Vermont Expos.
 
Pecor put his young Vermont general manager, Kyle Bostwick, in charge of the triple-A franchise, and provided him with a full front-office team. In a lot of ways, it was a fresh start for an organization that had, in just five years, become a shadow of its former self.
 
“We were very, very excited to take over and to do some great things,” said Bostwick, who remained the team’s GM until the end. “And (JetForm) was just a beautiful facility. It was a wonderful representation of baseball in Canada.”
 
The new ownership ramped up marketing efforts and got the message out that, indeed, Ottawa’s baseball stadium was not only still open for business, but it was still showcasing some of the best baseball in the country on a nightly basis. The new front-office team also provided Lynx fans with an enhanced experience at the ballpark, including in-game promotions and activities throughout the stadium, something that had been lacking in the past.
 
“We were asking people to give us a second chance,” Bostwick said. “For the most part, the fans responded.”
 
They certainly did in the beginning. For the first time in franchise history, attendance increased at Lynx games in 2001, up nearly 26%.
 
“There was new excitement and buzz,” Bostwick said. “The trend was definitely there.”

Quite honestly, this was a chapter that I’d forgotten as well, and I suspect that I’m not alone.  Ever since the Lynx left, the commonly preached story was that the decline in attendance (and interest in baseball in general) began after the first baseball strike and was steady.  Clearly, not so.  Unfortunately, we’ve heard this account so often that it has been accepted as dogma and, in my view, continues to cloud the reasoning of decision makers with respect to the legal issues surrounding the Lynx.

This is but one chapter in Todd’s comprehensive telling of the story.  I commend all of it to you.

A link to Todd’s ongoing work – The 500 Level, appears on this blog’s Friends of the Lynx blogroll.  Thanks to Todd Devlin for sending along the article.

Timely

In the never-ending search for content, it’s nice when the local paper of record can come through.  This was served up this morning by the editorial staff of the Ottawa Citizen:

“The treatment of the Ottawa Lynx Triple-A franchise would not have been so bad had the city (Ottawa Stadium’s landlord) just ignored the team. But instead, the municipality took actions that doomed the club. And there was no direction to staff for any of this. The only public discussion was that Ottawans wanted a baseball facility that would hold an International League club. That’s all.

 

Instead, city staff sold off the east parking lot beyond right field to big-box retail to garner funds. Then it sold off chunks of the west parking lot for the same reason. If that wasn’t enough, the city stopped street parking during game days in large chunks of neighbouring Vanier and Overbrook. The municipality strangled the life blood of the tenant for which the stadium was designed. Stupid management.

 

The Ottawa Senators have kicked tires twice about running the stadium and both times concluded the obvious — not enough parking. That’s the city’s fault. Only the City of Ottawa could build a $20-million stadium, then kill it through its own greed for property money. It even scared away a second tenant, the Rapidz of the Can-Am League, with talk of high rent.

 

Break-even for a baseball team at the stadium is about 4,500 people a night, at least for the old Lynx. Probably fewer for a new team. That’s roughly the number of people who can park in the lot that’s left. Where’s the room for profit?

 

Now three parties are interested in bringing sports back to the stadium. Let’s hope they are treated better than former Lynx owner Ray Pecor, a businessman too good for this community who took large losses to keep baseball in a city that wasn’t even his home. Municipal staff treated him like a piece of lint on a jacket.”

 

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/opinion/editorials/Ottawa+strikes/2311034/story.html

And…. we’re back

In a somewhat limited capacity this evening.  The old domain (ottawalynxblog.com) is gone, although if I want to spend over $300US, register.com will sell it back to me.  Let me think about that for a… no.  For now, the blog’s back to its old address, ottawalynxblog.wordpress.com.  The Can-Am blog has also been resurrected.

More soon, but for now, it’s good to be back!

Dispatches from the wilderness

Even as the UOLB sinks deeper into irrelevance, many of the team’s alumni begin their 2009 campaign.  Some, in new uniforms seem right on the cusp of making the big club -

kanganzhu: Both [Jason] Jaramillo and [Robinzon] Diaz will battle for the backup catcher position. Since both are relatively new to the organization, could you give us your early impressions of both players as they fight for the roster spot?

Russell: Jaramillo comes from us in a trade for Ronny Paulino. We’re excited to have him. I was fortunate enough to work with him when I managed the Phillies in Triple-A. He was my catcher. He’s a student of the game with solid catch and throw skills. He’s a switch-hitter, which is valuable and gives us options.

while others continue to struggle -

The Phillies were humbled by the Pittsburgh Pirates to open pre-season baseball. The Pirates picked up an 8-2 win behind nine pitchers… The loss went to Joe Bisenius (0-1), who was hammered for four earned runs in one inning of work, with the big blast coming in the form of a three-run home run by Shelby Ford.

And from the “has it really been that long since I updated the blog?” department, a long overdue congratulations to Former Lynx catcher and good guy, Dusty Wathan on his promotion to the Lakewood BlueClaws, the Phillies Class A affiliate in the South Atlantic League.

Q: What surprised you the most in your first year as manager?

Dusty Wathan: The only thing that surprised me was what you forget about, what you assume guys know. But you had to teach them. That’s not the way we’re going to do this. This is the way we’re going to do this. Nothing serious, but just the way we do things in the pros.  

And finally on this late February morning (some 40 days removed from Opening Day), I’ve been asked by a few people about the status of the legal issues as between the City and the Ottawa Lynx.  The short answer is that it is ongoing, some two and a half years after it began.  Among other things, this should serve as a cautionary tale for local sports franchises that believe the City will respond quickly and/or reasonably when they’re confronted with a lawsuit. 

But it probably won’t.

Jamey Carroll

Hat tip to good friend, and friend of the blog, Tricia for the pictures of Jamey Carroll, taken on a recent road trip.  We’re still concerned that Jared may be upset, but what are you gonna do?

Play of the game – nicely timed visit, Trish!

A-ha!  The unshaven “J.L” look!

Now that the Zip.ca era has ended at Lynx Stadium, I look forward to the day that Jamey’s jersey along with FP Santangelo and Jackie Robinson will be returned to the centerfield wall.

The Can-AM blog lives, but for all the wrong reasons

(Originally posted at the Unofficial Can-Am Ottawa Blog)

Talking about million dollar losses and a threatened baseball franchise on a day when the Dow Jones lost over 700 points may seem a little trivial, but we’re going to discuss it – at least over here.   First, a word on nomenclature, because there is a distinction to be made between the Ottawa Rapids and the Ottawa Rapidz.  The Rapids were the team envisioned by most of us, people like Miles Wolff, Don and Lorraine Charrette and my son.  A team that was snatched from the jaws of defeat more than once, and that had its zenith at the February 14th press conference with the introduction of its first manager, its front office staff, and its distinctive logo.  The people involved all held one unifying trait: They loved the game of baseball.

The contrast with the Rapidz was as stark as it was disquieting.  First the name and logo change – a pointless decision that needlessly upset many of the fledgling franchises fans.  Next, the firing of GM Don Charrette and the very clumsily handled dismissal of Ed Nottle, the latter a complete PR disaster.  Good things that had been done around the park were completely undermined and then forgotten.  In the two years that I’ve written the Unofficial Ottawa Lynx Blog I have yet to receive one email from a former or then current staff member criticizing the organization.  Not a single one.  The Rapidz?  Don’t even ask (scroll to the bottom of the link for “full disclosure”).

So where do things stand? 

It’s a great day,” Rapidz owner Rob Hall said. “I think we would have liked a little higher (attendance overall), but we got hit with some pretty bad rain in June.

”People are returning and realizing that we have a great product on the field, great food and concessions that are a little different, and it’s a great family experience. If you look at our trend, it’s up, and people are coming back and word is spreading how great it is to take the family to a Rapidz game.”

Hall is also looking forward to next year.

“We took over this team three weeks before the season, so we were rushed to get everything done in 21 days,” Hall said. ”Now we’ve got eight months to plan next year, so we’re really looking forward to the opportunity to show Ottawa what we can do,” he said.

That was a mere 28 days ago.  And now:

The Ottawa Rapidz baseball club have struck out after only one season.
Team owner Rob Hall notified the Can-Am Baseball League his club will cease operations effective immediately after failing to secure a long-term lease with the city of Ottawa for use of Ottawa Stadium.

The Rapidz said they were told by the city in a meeting early this month that rent at the stadium would jump from its present $108,000 per season to in the area of $1 million once the current lease with the city expires following the 2009 season.

Now that’s a pretty big jump – a several hundred percent increase, pretty staggering.  But let’s back up for just a second.  Recently, according to Mr. Hall, “despite a 31-63 record and financial losses of “well over a million dollars,” co-owner Rob Hall said he had a lot of fun at the ballpark and is already looking forward to next year.”  And then there was this from former co-owner Rick Anderson:

So no regrets?

“None,” said Anderson. “We love it. We’re delighted, actually.

“Next year will be even better than this year. And the next year will even be better.

So how do you get from “looking forward to next year” and “delighted” to shutting down the team?  I’d suggest that the $892,000 increase is probably where Hall intends to lay the blame.  And I’d be prepared to join in the bashing of the City, particularly after what we went through in the days before Zip.  But there’s a little problem, several actually, and they’re called facts.  Blog sources at City Hall are saying that the City was prepared to offer a lease at far, far less than the purported “million dollars a year”.  The other story, which now has hit the MSM:

The Sun has learned that after only its first season, it could be the end of the road for the Ottawa Rapidz.

Either later today or tomorrow, city council will be informed by city staff that the Can-Am Baseball League team will file for bankruptcy after its inaugural season.

More details to follow.

If true, this is staggering.  Having operated the club for only five months, the team by its own admission lost well over a million dollars.  Now Ray Pecor reportedly lost at least a million per season every year he owned the club, but there are several differences between your Ottawa Lynx and the Zip Rapidz.  The biggest difference?  Expenses.  The Lynx operated Lynx Stadium year round and had to cover expenses for 72 home dates (as opposed to 40 something for the Rapz) plus higher travel costs (i.e. the occasional flight).  But getting back to the point, if the Rapidz are already bankrupt, this million dollar a year lease argument is entirely irrelevant – a red herring.  It’s pretty tough to blame the City for this – no more than I would blame an undertaker for not saving his unfortunate client.  For his part, the commissioner of the Can-Am League, Miles Wolff concurs – the City has bent over backwards for Independent baseball in Ottawa, they’re not the problem.

Watch closely as the facts continue to spill out over the next few days.

But for now, the old adage is true: All politics is local.  Which is why I face the unenviable task of once again having to explain to my son why baseball in Ottawa is very much in question. 

Unfortunately, unlike Mr. Hall, I can’t hide behind a spokesperson.

 

Turf wars

You wuz robbed, Josh!

Men of honor

Our baseball home away from home.

Long, long overdue.  We spent a week south of the border last month, indulging “the boy’s” fascination (bordering upon obsession) with all things baseball.  Cooperstown was certainly all that it was billed as: a charming, baseball lover’s paradise, nestled in upstate New York.  My recommendation?  If you have anything more than a passing interest in baseball, you’ll need more than a day to take in the Hall of Fame.  For a kid who’s a stats freak par excellence, Zak was in heaven.  He successfully stumped more than one adult in the “So you think you know baseball?” interactive game, the HOF version of “Who wants to be a millionaire”.  (Question:  Who holds the highest lifetime average?  Answer: Ty Cobb.  But to the amazement of the moderator, the freak, errr, my son also knew that Cobb’s average was .366.  Now if we could just get him to remember to pick his clothes up off the floor…)  The boy was visibly moved in the Hall of Fame plaque gallery, reflexively removing his hat out of respect for baseball’s greatest men.

Two of Zak’s heroes, Branch Rickey and Jackie Robinson.

The second leg of our trip brought us to Burlington, Vermont to take in a Lake Monsters game.  We timed the trip to coincide with the arrival of Dusty Wathan’s Williamsport Crosscutters.   Unfortunately - depending on who you were cheering for of course, Dusty’s team beat up on Vermont pretty badly that night. 

We caught up with Dusty briefly following the game and congratulated him on being named manager of the Crosscutters.  Earlier in the evening, Dusty had spotted Zak in the crowd and tossed him a baseball (Dusty later took the time to kid Zak about dropping the toss.  The boy elected to hang on to my camera and drop the ball instead.  Wise choice).

Dusty, putting down the signals.

I had the great pleasure and genuine honor of meeting Lynx owner Ray Pecor.  Blog regulars will know that I have always maintained a great deal of respect for Mr. Pecor (who insisted on being addressed as “Ray”), though I’d never met the man.  I’m exceedingly pleased to report that the man lives up to his reputation as a true gentlemen.   In a day when things such as loyalty and decency are increasingly rare, it is noteworthy that Kyle Bostwick is still standing by his side - a testament to the true character of both men.  It was a complete privilege to spend an evening with them, and to have the opportunity to express my very real regret for how things had turned out in Ottawa.  As Miles Wolff, Commissioner of the Can-Am League pointed out months ago, we here in Ottawa were lucky to have them.  That baseball is still being played on Coventry Road is largely due to them; no one person brought baseball back to Ottawa, but more than anyone, they made it possible.

 

(left to right) Kyle Bostwick, Ray Pecor, unofficial Lynx blogger.

They shoot horses…

Don’t they?

Oh, the irony.

Councillors Maria McRae and Bob Monette had earlier stated their support for a revitalization of Frank Clair Stadium, but Ms. Leadman isn’t sure. While she watched the stands fall with a “touch of sadness,” she’s not in any rush to build them again.

Ms. Leadman said, “the many attempts have been unsuccessful. There has to be interest from the community.”

The original Ottawa Rough Riders franchise folded in 1996. The team returned in 2002 as the Renegades and the ownership changed hands in 2005, and in 2006. Then CFL commissioner Tom Wright announced the club had ceased operations.

“I would step cautiously,” Ms. Leadman said. “That’s a big investment and once you build a stadium, it’s there.”

Aside from the multiple CFL franchises, she noted that the city also had trouble supporting its AAA baseball team, the Ottawa Lynx, which has since relocated to Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Emphasis added (not that I expect you needed it).  So the City (with a capital C) wipes out the southside stands shortly after discovering that they’re no longer structurally sound – readers will note that “shortly” is a relative term, particularly when the City is involved.  Ms. Leadman’s comments though are pretty much gospel from the City’s perspective: the city had trouble supporting it’s AAA baseball team.  In fact it was the City of Ottawa that had the most difficulty supporting it’s AAA team.  As a politician, it’s prudent to look at the facts – and the fact of the matter is the CFL franchise has failed in this city twice, and has had several owners, some of whom were unmitigated disasters.  It may be unwise to invest a significant amount of taxpayers money into a new stadium (although I have no doubt that they will study the matter to death through the investment of a significant amount of taxpayers money into consultants).  But bringing Lynx Stadium into the discussion does nothing to strengthen Ms. Leadman’s argument.  First, the stadium is paid for and has been for several years.  Second, unlike Lansdowne Park, it hasn’t suffered from the City’s neglect: Lynx Stadium isn’t falling down and shouldn’t for the foreseeable future.  And finally, due to the hard work of Miles Wolff, Bruce Murdock, councillors Bob Monnette and Rob Jellett, and the unselfish nature of Lynx owner Ray Pecor, even though the Lynx left there’s still baseball being played at the stadium. 

It’s an interesting study in contrasts, Lansdowne Park and Lynx Stadium.  For one, they used dynamite to begin to destroy it.  For the other…, well, you already know.

Blame Ottawa

Well, well, well. What are you gonna do? It’s strangely gratifying to see a AAA team struggling, when by most accounts the move to the tropical paradise of the eastern continental US was in part designed to make playing the game so much easier in April and May.  Because as we know, the hitters and the pitchers both fare equally poorly in the cold – you remember all of those scoreless tie games that went into endless numbers of extra frames here don’t you?  The games where the batters couldn’t make contact, couldn’t draw a walk and the hurlers couldn’t find the plate?

So what’s the problem now?  Perhaps it’s the difficulty the human body has in adapting from a freezing cold April climate, to a cold April climate.  I put the over/under on the story that finds some way of pinning an 0-8 (whoops, down 1-0 to the Braves after 3) start on Ottawa at two days.   Starting… now.

A pair of tickets to Opening Day to the first person who finds the story, or manufactures the best yarn.