SCL Comeback

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wellington
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Post by wellington » Thu Jun 19, 2008 3:17 am

[quote=""Kearupt""]The biggest reason why a troubled business contacts a consultant for help- inflexibility! Even proven models will not work in every situation. The best way to put it, simplistically, is "keep an open mind".

To use the weekend games example: if that works in Anderson, use it in Anderson, but if it doesn't work in Macon, then schedule Macon traditionally. A league can function doing both. It'll just take more time and effort from the schedule-maker!
[/quote]

Its good to hear that you and Mike will have a common sense approach with the ACL. I was thinking something similar the other night -- instead of molding the city to the business plan; develop the plan to fit the city. I think in general (not always) independent ownership (especially local ownership) are going to be more in tune with what works in their city.

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Post by MikeH » Thu Jun 19, 2008 3:46 am

[quote=""wellington""]Its good to hear that you and Mike will have a common sense approach with the ACL. I was thinking something similar the other night -- instead of molding the city to the business plan; develop the plan to fit the city. I think in general (not always) independent ownership (especially local ownership) are going to be more in tune with what works in their city.[/quote]

Tell me what you all think.

A 2010 start.

This will give the ACL and its franchises one year to market each franchise, sign players, hold camps, get the players and franchises fully involved with each community, secure sponsors, give the old SCL markets one year to warm up to ACL franchises and finally get on board.

Does that sound like the better plan considering we are in crunch time at the moment?
**HOMETOWN CLUBS**
Durham Bulls (Class AAA International League)
Carolina Mudcats (Class AA Southern League)
Winston-Salem Dash (Class A Advanced Carolina League)
Greensboro Grasshoppers (Class A South Atlantic League)
Burlington Indians (Rookie Appalachian League)
**CINCINNATI REDS' AFFILIATIONS**
Louisville Bats
Carolina Mudcats
Dayton Dragons
Billings Mustangs

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wellington
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Post by wellington » Thu Jun 19, 2008 3:52 am

[quote=""MikeH""]Tell me what you all think.

A 2010 start.

This will give the ACL and its franchises one year to market each franchise, sign players, hold camps, get the players and franchises fully involved with each community, secure sponsors, give the old SCL markets one year to warm up to ACL franchises and finally get on board.

Does that sound like the better plan considering we are in crunch time at the moment?[/quote]
I agree 100%. If you are going to do it you want to do it right, so holding off till 2010 seems like a really smart decision. It gives you a chance to get your ducks in a row and also let some of the dust settle in the SCL markets especially if you decide to have franchises in some of those cities.

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Post by MikeH » Thu Jun 19, 2008 4:30 am

[quote=""wellington""]I agree 100%. If you are going to do it you want to do it right, so holding off till 2010 seems like a really smart decision. It gives you a chance to get your ducks in a row and also let some of the dust settle in the SCL markets especially if you decide to have franchises in some of those cities.[/quote]

This is the main aspect that fuels my desire to do this, the fans. Fans are the number 1 most important aspect of any sport.
**HOMETOWN CLUBS**
Durham Bulls (Class AAA International League)
Carolina Mudcats (Class AA Southern League)
Winston-Salem Dash (Class A Advanced Carolina League)
Greensboro Grasshoppers (Class A South Atlantic League)
Burlington Indians (Rookie Appalachian League)
**CINCINNATI REDS' AFFILIATIONS**
Louisville Bats
Carolina Mudcats
Dayton Dragons
Billings Mustangs

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wellington
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Post by wellington » Thu Jun 19, 2008 4:42 am

Any chance we can see minor league baseball return to Columbia, SC? No knock against the Blowfish (is Darius Rucker of Hootie and the Blowfish affiliated with this team? -- if not, maybe he would be interested in an ACL team???), but they deserve better. Too bad USC killed off minor league sports in Columbia -- just look at what happened with Columbia's hockey team the Inferno. That being said its a huge market and when I was driving down I-77 I heard on the radio that a lot of folks in Columbia really want a thriving minor league sports scene especially a baseball team. The Capitals old stadium definitely needs some work, but again LOTS of potential. With some upgrades maybe it would be a good fit for the ACL.

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Post by MikeH » Thu Jun 19, 2008 4:45 am

[quote=""wellington""]Any chance we can see minor league baseball return to Columbia, SC? No knock against the Blowfish (is Darius Rucker of Hootie and the Blowfish affiliated with this team? -- if not, maybe he would be interested in an ACL team???), but they deserve better. Too bad USC killed off minor league sports in Columbia -- just look at what happened with Columbia's hockey team the Inferno. That being said its a huge market and when I was driving down I-77 I heard on the radio that a lot of folks in Columbia really want a thriving minor league sports scene especially a baseball team. The Capitals old stadium definitely needs some work, but again LOTS of potential. With some upgrades maybe it would be a good fit for the ACL.[/quote]

They are on our list. Indy ball is Columbia's only hope for pro ball because of the stadium.
**HOMETOWN CLUBS**
Durham Bulls (Class AAA International League)
Carolina Mudcats (Class AA Southern League)
Winston-Salem Dash (Class A Advanced Carolina League)
Greensboro Grasshoppers (Class A South Atlantic League)
Burlington Indians (Rookie Appalachian League)
**CINCINNATI REDS' AFFILIATIONS**
Louisville Bats
Carolina Mudcats
Dayton Dragons
Billings Mustangs

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wellington
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Post by wellington » Thu Jun 19, 2008 4:51 am

[quote=""MikeH""]They are on our list. Indy ball is Columbia's only hope for pro ball because of the stadium.[/quote]

True. It does not seem like anyone is proposing money (whether public or private) that would be necessary to build a park and attract an affiliated team. So, its wide open for the ACL.

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Post by MikeH » Thu Jun 19, 2008 5:08 am

[quote=""wellington""]True. It does not seem like anyone is proposing money (whether public or private) that would be necessary to build a park and attract an affiliated team. So, its wide open for the ACL.[/quote]

Exactly!

Also, this is for everyone who reads this.

If you guys do not see any posts from me for a period of time over the course of 3 months, maybe a few here and there, it is because I am recovering from surgery.

I have a possible torn rotator cuff that is ten years old. I never had it checked out or examined.

This injury came from my football playing days. I injured it when I was 18, and I never had it checked out because I made sure I did what I could to heal it, or so I thought.

Anyways, I have an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon to examine it and will tell me if that is what is wrong with me.

The next step will be surgery and then about 2 to 3 months of recovery time.
**HOMETOWN CLUBS**
Durham Bulls (Class AAA International League)
Carolina Mudcats (Class AA Southern League)
Winston-Salem Dash (Class A Advanced Carolina League)
Greensboro Grasshoppers (Class A South Atlantic League)
Burlington Indians (Rookie Appalachian League)
**CINCINNATI REDS' AFFILIATIONS**
Louisville Bats
Carolina Mudcats
Dayton Dragons
Billings Mustangs

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Kearupt
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Post by Kearupt » Thu Jun 19, 2008 2:08 pm

[quote=""Baseball Insider""]All valid points. Omaha though is a market of close to a million people now. macon was one of the bigger markets in the SCL at 1/4 that. We were lucky to get 3 K for a fence sign. With fewer games, you would reduce the cost and therfore less revenue. With few games, your season ticket revenue would decrease.
- Just to say "they poorly marketed" is inaccurate.[/quote]

Omaha is a much bigger market. However, Omaha is also the most fickle market in the country, which is why they will never have "major league sports", and they really only steadily support the CWS. Even though I can't give you numbers because I never worked there, Sioux Falls, SD is roughly the same size as Macon. Their indoor football team, independent baseball team, and mior league basketball and hockey teams all do well. It's not only about the market size!
I never said the SCL was poorly marketed. I said the action to implement the plan means more than the plan. You give a good example, yourself, when you say you were lucky to get 3k for a fence sign. What did the SCL figure as the value of a fence sign? I don't know, but I'd bet it was a good bit more than 3k! So, when the team finds the community interest level is at 3k for a fence sign, there are two options. First, the team can stick to the original price and convince all of the possible sponsors that that is the right price while also trying to get them to pay the higher rate. Second, the price gets reduced to 3k, and the figures in the plan get adjusted to reflect the change.
If you drop the price to make the sales but don't adjust the cash flow plan to reflect the change in revenue, your cash flow will not be accurate. Then you know, if for example your original price was 6k per fence sign, that you will need to sell twice as many to reach the initial revenue goal for fence signs.
Sometimes, no matter how solid your plan is and how great the action to implement the plan is, the community has no interest! When that's the case, that market is not even worth the effort and needs to be left alone. Never really been to Macon, so I know nothing about it, but maybe that's the case?

One clear truth about minor league sports is they cannot survive without sponsorship dollars from the business community, unless they are owned by an individual with pockets deep enough to operate no matter what kind of community support there is. Unfortunately, there aren't enough Warren Buffets out there!

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wellington
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Playing for peanuts

Post by wellington » Fri Jun 20, 2008 2:21 am

Most of you have probably already seen it, but 'Playing for Peanuts' will re-air this Friday at 9:00 PM on Comcast Sports South channel.

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