Diablos move to Joplin won't happen!

[Bonhomme2010]

Why?

Read the source

Joplin has a population under 50,000 (49,529 in 2012) and the minimum to have a chance to succeed was set at 100,000 by league commissionner Miles Wolff... and that was 10 years ago. Sioux City, the team that's been drawing barely 1,000 fans a game for years, has a population of over 80,000.

Joe Becker stadium is unappealing to say the least. Have a look! Would you be excited to spend many summer evenings in this venue? It would cost a fortune to make it halfway decent by today's standards!

If Missouri Southern State University has decided to build their own new baseball facility on their campus which is located only 2 miles away, there has to be at least 1 major reason.

Being the only summer recreational attraction in the area won't guarantee fans in the stands however the promoters spin the reality.

Joe Becker stadium has half the seats of a similar ballpark Wahconah Park stadium in Pittsfield, Mass. with a similar area population of 44,000. They never got a 850 fan average in 2010-11 under different owners as the Pittsfield Colonials and the figure was as dismal as the Berkshire Black Bears in 2002-03.

I just don't see how they could turn a profit... realistically! The Mickey Mantle era is long gone!

[nksports]

The stadium there is used by summer college teams, so it doesn't need a lot of investment for its current tenants.

[Paul S]

This isn't going to work.............this won't work at all. That stadium will not support any team, let alone an independent league club.

[Cleveland Fan]

[quote=""Paul S""]This isn't going to work.............this won't work at all. That stadium will not support any team, let alone an independent league club.[/quote]

It could probably work for summer college baseball. I routinely attend summer college games at the Pipe Yard (Prospect League)

http://www.ballparkreviews.com/template ... state=Ohio

and Walsh Field (Tri-State League, ex-Great Lakes League)

http://www.walsh.edu/baseballcomplex

So, summer college ball working long term in Joplin at that ballpark is not absurd. Pro ball, not so much.

[nksports]

The park already hosts the Joplin Outlaws of the MINK League, and I don't see the city needing to pour a lot of money into the park for that. A few years ago, Joplin turned down an arena proposal that would have landed them a CHL team. I don't see that city being a very big spender, especially for sports.

[crixus]

Seeing how the Joplin Blasters are about to begin their second season playing in the American Association, you naysayers were sooooo WRONG.

[nksports]

[quote=""crixus""]Seeing how the Joplin Blasters are about to begin their second season playing in the American Association, you naysayers were sooooo WRONG. [/quote]

I wouldn't go crowing too much yet, if this doesn't pick up this season, they may not last too long:
St Paul Saints 404,528 50 8,091
Winnipeg Goldeyes 258,922 49 5,284
Kansas City T-Bones 232,068 47 4,938
Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks 187,099 50 3,742
Gary SouthShore RailCats 165,306 47 3,517
Lincoln Saltdogs 171,605 50 3,432
Wichita Wingnuts 141,837 49 2,895
Sioux Falls Canaries 132,280 47 2,814
Sioux City Explorers 77,429 47 1,647
Joplin Blasters 67,975 44 1,545
Laredo Lemurs 62,517 48 1,302
Grand Prairie AirHogs 52,072 47 1,108
Amarillo Thunderheads 52,472 49 1,071
Total: 2,006,110 624 3,215

[suge night]

The Air Hogs barely averaged 500 per game last season, many of the teams listed are or have started to falter while attempting to inflate numbers even though low, they are still inflated.

As a matter of fact it was stated that they [hogs] will play in two cities this season and while being part of the same organization the numbers still didn't match 1,000 together last season,being that the Diablos were pretty much ran out of El Paso because of low attendance how could they improve in Joplin good luck with that........

[nksports]

[quote=""suge night""]The Air Hogs barely averaged 500 per game last season, many of the teams listed are or have started to falter while attempting to inflate numbers even though low, they are still inflated.

As a matter of fact it was stated that they [hogs] will play in two cities this season and while being part of the same organization the numbers still didn't match 1,000 together last season,being that the Diablos were pretty much ran out of El Paso because of low attendance how could they improve in Joplin good luck with that........[/quote]

The Diablos also got ran out by an affiliated team (which was ironic, because El Paso couldn't support a Class AA team, but now have a Class AAA team).

[crixus]

[quote=""nksports""]I wouldn't go crowing too much yet, if this doesn't pick up this season, they may not last too long:
St Paul Saints 404,528 50 8,091
Winnipeg Goldeyes 258,922 49 5,284
Kansas City T-Bones 232,068 47 4,938
Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks 187,099 50 3,742
Gary SouthShore RailCats 165,306 47 3,517
Lincoln Saltdogs 171,605 50 3,432
Wichita Wingnuts 141,837 49 2,895
Sioux Falls Canaries 132,280 47 2,814
Sioux City Explorers 77,429 47 1,647
Joplin Blasters 67,975 44 1,545
Laredo Lemurs 62,517 48 1,302
Grand Prairie AirHogs 52,072 47 1,108
Amarillo Thunderheads 52,472 49 1,071
Total: 2,006,110 624 3,215[/quote]

Nobody's crowing bird brain, the guy said that Joplin would never get a team...and they did. And they're about to complete their second season. AA players make almost nothing compared to MLB minor league players, so attendance obviously doesn't mean as much. It matters of course, but not as much as you think. And most of the staff are interns or they work for minimum wage. Nobody's getting rich in the AA, they do for the love of the game. And there's local tax incentive$ that Indie teams use as well.