SCL & Macon Music Suspend Operations for 2008

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kekemortson
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SCL & Macon Music Suspend Operations for 2008

Post by kekemortson » Sat Mar 29, 2008 1:37 pm

Macon Music won't play in 2008
By Jay Adams - jadams@macon.com

League timeline
October 2006:The South Coast League made its initial public offering, or its first sale of stock.
May 17, 2007:The South Coast League kicks off with its first game. The Macon Music defeated the Bradenton (Fla.) Juice 5-3 at Luther Williams Field.
Sept. 2, 2007: The South Coast League's first season wraps up with the South Georgia Peanuts defeating the Music 8-2 to win the league championship.
Feb. 27, 2008: Water and power to Luther Williams Field are shut off due to outstanding money the Music owed the city. Former manager Phil Plantier tells The Telegraph he is still owed a paycheck and reimbursement for housing and travel by the league.
March 11, 2008: Members of the league's front office meet with city leaders to discuss the league's debt and how to get it paid off.
March 12, 2008:The Music make national headlines when they announce they plan to hold an Eliot Spitzer Night promotion to poke fun of the disgraced former New York governor.
March 25, 2008: South Coast League CEO Jamie Toole announces his resignation.
March 28, 2008: The South Coast League announces it has suspended operations for the 2008 season.


The Macon Music will not play this summer because the South Coast League decided Friday to suspend operations for the 2008 season. Instead, an official with the league said it will spend the next year trying to chip away at a pile of debt while finding new investors.

SCL chief development officer J.D. Hardin told The Telegraph early Friday afternoon that the league's ownership group, the Joliet (Ill.) Jackhammers, made the decision to cancel the season.

"There's a lot of debt out there, and just like everybody else, we've had a tough time closing in on that debt and securing new equity for the company," Hardin said. "Because of that, we don't necessarily have the funds to put on the season that we want to put on for all of our markets."

Hardin said he plans on setting up an e-mail account by Monday where Music season ticket holders who have put down a deposit on seats or have paid for tickets in full can request a refund. Those requests also can be made by calling the league office at (47 8) 314-7251.

The move to suspend operations comes just days after SCL CEO Jamie Toole announced his resignation. Toole cited the need for a fresh outlook on the league's financial problems as the main reason for his decision to step aside. Toole told the Anderson (S.C.) Independent Mail in January that the league was was about $500,000 in debt.

Toole told The Telegraph on Tuesday that he had discussions with the ownership group about what the league's next step would be. He said the possibility of canceling the season was discussed during that meeting.

Hardin, who became the contact person for the SCL when Toole's resignation became official, said he had planned on talking to the ownership group this week to determine what would be done next.

Hardin said he suspects the league's owners are looking for investors interested in buying the league.

"They've put a lot of money into this, and anybody who puts a lot of money into something and doesn't get their return, they're going to look for ways to try to get some return," Hardin said.

A member of the ownership group, John Costello, was in Macon on Friday to discuss the future with league officials. He could not be reached as he was traveling back to Joliet late Friday afternoon. Jackhammers executive vice president and general manager Kelly Sufka declined to comment on the SCL on Friday.

Hardin said, however, that the league is expected to be back in operation for the 2009 season.

"The league isn't folding; they're just shutting down operations as it pertains to a baseball season," Hardin said. "The league is still going to be around, we're just going to take this 2008 season to kind of regroup, still seek additional capital and possibly new owners."

Macon-Bibb County Parks and Recreation Director Larry Fortson said the league's decision not to play this season may result in additional issues. Fortson said he is going to get in contact with the city's attorneys Monday to determine how the league's contract with the city is worded pertaining to the the 2008 season.

There is a chance, Fortson said, the Music could be in violation of its contract with the city if the team does not play this year.

"If that's the case, then their deposits and all that stuff would go against what they owe, and I can't tell you how much they owe or what the balances would be," Fortson said

If the team is found to be in violation of the contract, the parks and recreation department would then take back control of Luther Williams Field.

The league, which moved its offices to Macon from Conyers after the season, has faced its share of tough times recently.

The city shut off power and water to Luther Williams Field in late February because of bills left unpaid by the Music. The city also threatened to change the locks if those bills weren't taken care of. Fortson said power and water still has not been restored at the field.

The league consistently has said that it was working on getting those debts squared away with the city, even going so far as to have a meeting March 11 with city leaders to discuss how the Music planned on paying off what it owed.

Former Music manager Phil Plantier has said that the league still owed him money from last season. Plantier said in February that the league had yet to give him his final paycheck and reimbursement for housing and travel expenses.

During the season, however, Macon led the SCL in attendance. Hardin said none of the teams in the league made money from last season, but the Music appeared to be in the best situation as far as attendance was concerned.

The Music accounted for 73,655 tickets sold last season, according to ballparkdigest.com. Not only did the Music lead the SCL in attendance, they also ranked 199 of 263 minor league baseball teams in attendance last season.

Minor league sports in Macon have a troubled history. Twelve teams, not including the Music, have set up camp in Macon and subsequently either left or folded. Two of those teams didn't even make it through one full season.

Macon's team history:

FOOTBALL
Macon Knights: 2001-’06

BASEBALL
Macon Peaches: 1904-’16; 1923-’30; 1936-’42; 1946-’55; 1964-'67; 2003
Macon Tigers:1917
Macon Dodgers:1956-’60
Macon Redbirds:1983
Macon Pirates:1984-’87
Macon Braves:1991-2002
Macon Music:2007-present

BASKETBALL
Georgia Titans:1977-’78*
Macon Blaze:2004-’05
Georgia Gwizzlies:2007-present

HOCKEY
Macon Whoopees:1973-’74*
Macon Whoopee:1995-2002
Macon Trax:2002-’05
* — did not complete a full season

http://www.macon.com/198/story/307468.html

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JoesFan
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'Bye SCL. We barely got to know ya

Post by JoesFan » Sat Mar 29, 2008 4:19 pm

Twenty years from now I guess all this Anderson Joes stuff will be valuable.
But I just can't stop wearing this hat. The JOES logo is just too baseball cool.

After the Clemson Tigers season is over this year I'll be making the drive - pardon the pun - to West End field to see the Greenville DRIVE play in the SAL.

JoesFan :cry:

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S.Sox
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Location: Sparks,NV

Post by S.Sox » Sat Mar 29, 2008 5:27 pm

JoesFan,

I know your a big Joes/SCL fan, in your opinion do you see the SCL coming back next year??

They started off so well......what a shame..

Now there are a few hundred more Indy players looking for work..

S.Sox
Last edited by S.Sox on Sat Mar 29, 2008 5:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.

robster2001
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Post by robster2001 » Sat Mar 29, 2008 5:56 pm

The SCL league website has the suspension announcement as its top news item.

GBALL76
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Looking to Buy Hats from SCL teams

Post by GBALL76 » Sun Mar 30, 2008 4:53 pm

Anyone with new stuff to sell, i am interested. I contacted every team and got ZERO responses.

Need a 7 1/4 fit game cap from each of the 6 franchises. For my personal collection. home or away. Can anyone help. Will pay hat cost plus shipping.

please email gottracking@mail.com

newarkeg
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scl

Post by newarkeg » Tue Apr 01, 2008 8:18 pm

Didn't know the Joliet Jackhammers were the parent company of the SCL,are the Jackhammers in jeopardy?Hope not because a few of the players from last years Peanuts have been recruited to play in Joliet.

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JoesFan
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All we have are memories

Post by JoesFan » Mon May 19, 2008 1:09 am

[quote=""S.Sox""]JoesFan,

I know your a big Joes/SCL fan, in your opinion do you see the SCL coming back next year??

They started off so well......what a shame..

Now there are a few hundred more Indy players looking for work..

S.Sox[/quote]

Not a chance!

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