GBL in 2008 and beyond

[GoBlaze]

I've heard some talk about a new team in Redding in 2008 and now wikipedia (whether or not you think it to be a reliable sorce) is saying that Redding is going to be the newest GBL team next season.

Couple that with the talk here on oursports that San Diego may be coming back and the idea of the GBL and PCL trading places if/when the Sidwinders move to Reno and we may be able to start looking at what the GBL could look like come next season.

So, I ask, does anyone have any idea whether or not any of the above cities could soon have a GBL team? Tucson wouldn't have one until after the PCL moves to Reno, but what about Redding and San Diego?

And wasn't Grand Junction supposed to get a team? I know they were going to get a team this season, but I guess that fell through because the league had to fold the Surf Dawgs.

Finally, I brought this up before, since we're on the subject of trading team cities (in this case the PCL and GBL), could the GBL be interested in moving to Oakland since the Athletics may soon be moving south to Fremont, California? Yes this is a few years down the road, so it's hard to say where the GBL will be at that point, but a major league quality city like Oakland could be great for the GBL, that is if they can find a ballpark to play in. (since I'm sure they wouldnt be able to play in McAfee Stadium) There are probably too many question involved here to really know if Oakland is a possibility just yet, but just thought I'd throw it out there.

[Silver Sox Fan]

We're all going to have to wait for plans for 2008 to be released since I am sure there are plenty of behind the scenes negotiations going on for more teams. I did find this piece of info in a search for Redding and the GBL:

As of a couple of weeks ago, it didn't look too good:

Complications for Redding Baseball

Redding City Officials are crying foul after plans to bring a baseball team to Redding may have been stolen right out from under them. Earlier this month, the CEO of the Golden Baseball League discussed with Redding city officials the possibility of bringing the Vacaville Stadium to Redding.

Talks of bringing the Golden Baseball League and possibly a professional team to Redding have come to a halt. “It’s like someone untied a balloon and the air just went out of everything,” explained Councilman Rick Bosetti, “You’re all pumped up and ready to go and then to have this kind of hit like this.”

In the beginning of July, GBL CEO Dave Kaval had a meeting with Redding officials. Kaval mentioned the idea of that the GBL would take apart the Vacaville’s Nut Tree Stadium, the former home of the Solano Steelheads and move it to Tiger Field in Redding on the league’s dime. Now, Councilman Bosetti has learned the plan was very tentative and that the Vacaville Ball Park’s owner, John Valentine, was not even interested in moving the stadium.

Bosetti says the meeting with Kaval was very misleading, “I think that he would’ve seen just as much enthusiasm from the city of Redding had he come in and said, ‘This is what I’d like to do, I’m going to go down and approach these people and this what I’m going to propose, would you be a payer if that comes to fruition?’”

Bosetti also learned that another city was in the running for the 1400 seat venue and is willing to pay for it. That is something Bosetti said he refuses to do, “I wish them good luck. You know, if that’s the case, then you know, and that’s their best investment, to go someplace else for a short term, then so be it. But I think for the long term Redding could be supportive of a team for many years.”

Action News’s calls to Kaval today were not returned. For now, city officials say they will have to wait and see if Redding will score a victory with this deal.