Taxpayers in Castle Rock and Brighton may have to put a price on their love of baseball as the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball offers to place teams in the communities in exchange for stadiums.
Earlier this month, American Association officials asked Castle Rock to build a 4,000-seat stadium worth up to $15 million. Brighton is considering a 4,000-seat ballpark with luxury suites and grass-berm seating for an additional 1,000 people. Similar ballparks have cost up to $18 million.
The cities will conduct a joint study of the costs versus benefits, as well as community support.
“We really are hoping this study will tell us how much something like this will generate for us,” said Manuel Esquibel, Brighton assistant city manager.
The market for baseball is growing nationwide. More than 40 independent professional teams have sprung up in 10 leagues since 2004 and need a place to call home.
Backers courting Front Range cities say baseball is a grand slam.
“I think historically we found that the best places for our teams are in the shadows of Major League teams, and the places around Denver are prime territory for us,” said Miles Wolff, commissioner of the American Association, a 10-team league of professional ballplayers trying to break into Major League farm systems.
Teams would find themselves ensconced between Major League Baseball’s Colorado Rockies in Denver and their Triple A Sky Sox farm team in Colorado Springs.
But many times, costs are prohibitive.
In 2005, the independent Central Baseball League proposed building its own stadiums in Aurora and Arvada, but the backers later balked at the cost.
While Castle Rock Mayor Randy Reed loves baseball, he’s no fool with the town’s money.
“I love the idea, I really do,” he said. “But, one, we have to see how the people in town feel about this. Then we have to figure how to pay for it.
“Right now, I think a cultural arts center ranks a little higher than a sports stadium, but we’ll see.”
The association also hopes to field a team in Larimer County in the next few years. The county is considering whether to build a multi-use baseball stadium at The Ranch, the county’s 240-acre fairground complex.
Commerce City Mayor Paul Natale also would like a piece of the minor-league action.
“This is a great sports town and we’ll watch any baseball team that comes here,” Natale said.
In other cities, teams have helped generate profits. The recent sale of the Harrisburg, Pa., Senators for a record $13.25 million to a group called Senators Partners LLC will net that city more than $500,000 annually in naming rights, revenue admission tax and mercantile revenues, according to Ballpark Digest.
Colorado communities already are enamored with baseball, without the assistance of new stadiums.
Parker began play in the Mountain Collegiate Baseball League this month, playing its games at 1-year-old Double Angel Ballpark in a growing residential area.
They joined a 2-year-old league that includes Fort Collins, Greeley, Laramie and Cheyenne. Golden will join the league next year, with officials eyeing future teams in Boulder and Longmont and Scottsbluff, Neb.
The teams consist of unpaid college all-stars hoping to draw the attention of Major League scouts. Players live with local families and work part-time summer jobs between practice and games, unlike their better-paid professional counterparts.
“Parker is a natural,” said Parker Xpress general manager Dave Gardner, a veteran of Triple A ball and professional sports marketing. “People out here tend to have a little more income, and they like their entertainment closer to home, something to call their own.”
So when the Xpress’ Jeff Squier was thrown out at first base during a recent game with the Fort Collins Foxes, it was felt more deeply than a missed opportunity to put a man on base.
“He’s one of the family,” said Robin Daniels, who is letting the third baseman from Sterling live in her family’s home.
Daniels brought 30 cheerleaders ages 3 to 13 from her Alpine All-Star Cheerleading school to perform on the field between innings.
Her daughter Jessica, 10, and son Jackson, 3, cheered. Son Jordan, 16, wore the costume as team mascot, XPresso, the red and blue pony.
“This is Parker’s team,” Daniels said. “We love them.”
Publicly funded stadiums would have to provide more events than baseball, said municipal leaders.
“We would have at least 50 days of baseball,” said Castle Rock’s Reed. “My question is: What do we do with it the other 315 days (a year)?”
Larimer County is considering rodeos and other events, but that could add to its final price, officials said.
But they are confident a baseball team would be a good draw. The local semi-pro hockey team, the Eagles, already is setting attendance records, said county manager Frank Lancaster.
“For the average sports fan, they can’t afford a Rockies or Broncos season ticket,” Lancaster said. “But with minor-league ball, you can take the whole family to a game for only $50.”
Mike Veeck, owner of six of the 10 teams in the American Association, said affordability is a major appeal to minor-league ball.
“You can get a $1 hot dog and a $2 drink in our ballparks,” he said. “Find that deal at a Major League stadium.”
Staff writer Joey Bunch can be reached at 303-954-1174 or jbunch@denverpost.com.
