Saw your post this morning on the Baseball Episode of Just Two Guys we taped last week. If you want to get involved, we’d love to do a face to face interview with you to discuss some of your ideas for bringing baseball back to Springfield. Or we could do a phone interview, whichever you’d prefer. Back when this whole discussion got started, I thought you had some great angles on the whole issue. You are certainly more well-versed in baseball history than Micah or me. Hit me up on the e-mail if you’d be interested, and we’ll talk.

The baseball show we taped was really more to get the word out into the community. I think we could follow-up with some thoughtful discussion, and that would get people thinking more seriously. Maybe we could even do a roundtable discussion with some other bloggers or baseball “authorities” in the community.

Let me know, man.

John

Secondly, I’d love the idea of a “real” minor league team back in town- “real” meaning consisting of players one may actually have a realistic shot of seeing in the Bigs™ one day- but unfortunately I don’t think there would be enough support. There hasn’t been iin the past, folks, not since the Redbirds first left.

I fully 100% agree first of all that it’s a great idea. I also concur that it should be a franchise from a “neutral” team- i.e. non-Cubs, Cardinals, or White Sox. Perhaps not so much so with the Sox, but having a Cubs or Cardinals farm team would be too polarizing to really get its due support. However, the problem therein is that if it is not a farm team of the Cubs or Cardinals, I’d be afraid there wouldn’t be enough interest due to the lack of local fan base for the parent club (i.e. the Sultans). So whaddya do?!

Plus, as much as I hate to say it, I really would rather see players that might one day make the bigs. If I’m going to watch essentially anonymous players play ball basically because they enjoy the game, then I can go watch high school games for $4.50 instead of dropping $10-20. I know we won’t steal the Redbirds back from Louisville (or any team of equal level) or anything like that, but it was always kinda cool to be able to watch an MLB game and say I saw that guy play AA ball or A ball or whatever here in l’il ol’ Springpatch- i.e. the Glenn Brummers, the Tito Landrums, etc. Whether they went to the Cardinals or not.

I’m not sure a downtown stadium is feasible. It’s a great idea, but it’s just not feasible. Where would you put it?! The “Legacy Pointe” idea wouldn’t be bad, I suppose. I just don’t think there’d be enough funding for it, and I really doubt the city would pass a tax increase for a new stadium under the premise of “If we build it, HOPEFULLY they will come”.

Anyway, great to have you back.

Sounds like a great idea. I’d love it if there were a minor league team so close to home (non-Cubs affiliated, of course, kudos on that line of reasoning.)

Both guys at the Just Two Guys blog posted about their dream of minor league baseball returning to Springfield and the need for a new stadium, which was followed by supportive posts from Dave and the 26th Man. This is……

I think you lay out a great case for a new baseball team and stadium in Springfield. The Robin Roberts connection is a beautiful one. Micah and I have been bouncing around ideas for teams, and we both agree that a Cubs or Cardinals affiliated team would be problematic. You’re just not going to have 100% rooting power behind one of those teams. We had bounced around a White Sox club, but the Phillies would be a perfect fit. And to do a modern take on Shibe Park would really fit in with the “historic” feel that we’re trying to achieve in Springfield.

Great stuff.