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 MJHankel |
Why not Tyler, TX? |
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Posts: 187 (15-Apr-08 01:49:19) |
I am just curious if anybody thinks that Tyler would be a good expansion location. Does anybody know why nobody has tried Tyler sense 2001? I haven't heard
the AA, UBL, or even CoBL mention it. Did I miss something? Mike Carter Field seems like a nice old stadium with a bit of charm.
Just curious on anybody's thoughts. |
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HorseRaider |
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Posts: 193 (15-Apr-08 06:29:40) |
It's not a bad ballpark at all, I agree. They did have a franchise in the fledgling All American Association back in 2001 when the Fort Worth Cats, Baton
Rouge, Tennessee, Albany GA, and Montgomery were together for one season. The Roughnecks lasted one year and averaged only a little over 500 fans a game was
all. The league folded and the team was moved to Jackson, MS the next year as part of the CBL. Tyler hasn't been mentioned since as an expansion city
anywhere since then. The city's population is only like 90,000 and it's out in the middle of nowhere.
Would seem to be hard to find someone willing to pony up for a franchise in any league for that city knowing you wouldn't draw flies as far as fans go. |
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dittrich1414 |
Tyler | ||
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Posts: 134 (15-Apr-08 19:46:23) |
Tyler would be a good location geographically for the AA.... splitting the distance between Fort Worth / Grand Prairie and Shreveport. It is certainly a tad
small and would have to be operated very frugally to survive. The ballpark is nice although locker rooms would have to be constructed. However, the biggest
problem in Tyler is beer sales. It is in a "dry" county requiring restaurants serving alcoholic beverages to be "private clubs". This can
be solved in that manner, but it is further complicated by the fact that the ballpark is owned by the Tyler Independent School District. No beer can be sold
on school property, as it the case with pretty much all ISD's. As you stated, the Cats played with Tyler in the All-American Association in 2001, before
the re-construction of LaGrave Field. They played at Lon Goldstein Field which was owned by the Fort Worth ISD, thus no beer sales. Without the sponsorship
funding from the beer distributors as well as the added per-capita revenue from beer sales at the games, it is extremely difficult for a team to be successful.
JPD
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HorseRaider |
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Posts: 194 (16-Apr-08 03:57:29) |
Excellent point about the beer sales John. I forgot about that and how that's a big part of what makes the wheels turn in having a successful franchise, be
it indy or affiliated ball. I don't know of one minor league franchise of any kind that has no beer sales and is successful..maybe someone out there can
enlighten me if there is one.
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JohnU11 |
no beer | ||
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Posts: 177 (17-Apr-08 13:05:51) |
I don't know of any pro baseball franchise that is "dry" but it would seem that Tyler's population is apparently happy with that arrangement
overall, so maybe the question is: Can they find 3,000 non-drinking baseball fans?
I do see here in Gary that beer is $5 a bottle, so it's not like they are actually promoting it hand-over-fist. The money of course from the distributors on special nights would be an issue. Again, it seems like beer isn't a real big part of life in Tyler. (Did somebody mention Prohibition?) |
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nlfan |
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Posts: 5597 (17-Apr-08 22:20:04) |
No one really "promotes" beer aside from the usual advertisements and "Beer Batter" promotions (which is more really more about fan
participation than drinking for most). The distributors are not part of the equations. JPD can correct me but you buy/hire them to supply it then sell.
In Tyler TX's case it makes clear precisely why they're skipped over in all the discussions of indy ball. If a league as desperate to expand like the CoBL isn't trying to tap into that market there has to be some strong reasons to it. |
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dittrich1414 |
Beer /Tyler | ||
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Posts: 135 (19-Apr-08 01:02:46) |
I would say that most independent clubs count on about $75,000 - $100,000 per year in sponsorship money from the beer companies. That money is for stadium
signage, program ads, sponsorships of promotions, season and group tickets. That is a big portion of the sponsorship revenues for every team. Also, while
it may be true that the people of Tyler are perfectly happy with the lack of beer sales at the ballpark, that did not bear out in previous attempts by the
Texas-Louisiana League, All-American Association, etc. I do not know of a single, solitary city in minor league baseball with no beer sales. If there is such
a place, I can assure you it is a VERY unique place and not likely to be a very successful operation. JPD
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nlfan |
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Posts: 5600 (19-Apr-08 01:56:03) |
I guess that includes places like Utah (where much of the state has been "dry" for years).
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dittrich1414 |
Utah | ||
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Posts: 136 (19-Apr-08 04:42:54) |
I know they have wet bars in the suites at the Salt Lake Bees games. The Bees are owned by Larry Miller, who also owns the Jazz.... pretty sure they serve
beer at the Delta Center too! JPD
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HorseRaider |
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Posts: 196 (19-Apr-08 07:46:57) |
I know that back in 2002 when I spent a week in Salt Lake at the Winter Olympics, the Delta Center sold beer at the events I went to there, couple hockey
games, speed skating, etc. Restaurants around town did too, although not all of them did.. Now I don't know if that was just a one time deal for selling
beer at Olympic events and then shutting it down after that was over with or not, but it surprised me that it wasn't a problem if you wanted a "cold
one" somewhere you could find it at that time.
The point you guys make is valid, though. Whether one drinks beer or not or approves or disapproves, if you own a sports franchise, you know that beer sales help make the world go around for that franchise of yours. |
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bdmathews81 |
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Posts: 4 (27-May-08 23:59:40) |
I grew up in North East Texas before moving to KC a few years back and I dont think a team could get the support that it needs in Tyler.
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