Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, February 17, 1994 TAG: 9402170270
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: By RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The Pirates, who have discussed the possibility of bringing professional baseball back to Pulaski for the last 18 months, made the decision Wednesday morning at the club's spring training site in Bradenton, Fla.
``We're not going to be able to go into Pulaski,'' said Chet Montgomery, Pittsburgh's minor league director. ``There was nothing detrimental about Pulaski at all. The [Pirates'] ownership decided not to do this because of the ever-changing economic state of baseball.''
In December, it appeared that Pulaski and Beckley, W.Va., were the leading contenders to be added to the Appalachian League, one of only two short-season rookie leagues in the country.
The Appalachian League, which has 10 teams in Virginia, West Virginia and Tennessee, requested permission from the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues to expand by two teams in 1995, but may have to scrap those plans.
"I called Mike Moore, the president of the National Association, and told him to put our request [to expand] on hold," said Appalachian League president Bill Halstead, who was told by Montgomery of the Pirates' decision.
There is still the chance that Pulaski could join the league in 1995 if it secures an affiliation with another Major League club before June. None of the members of Pulaski's potential ownership group could be reached for comment, but it is believed the group will actively seek another Major League club.
"It's still possible [that Pulaski could get a team], but I don't think any other Major League clubs have shown any interest so far," Halstead said.
Several factors were involved in the Pirates' final decision. For one, there have been several personnel changes in the club's front office since talks with Pulaski first began 18 months ago. Cam Bonifay replaced Ted Simmons as general manager in 1992 and director of scouting Jack Zduriencik was fired last year.
Most importantly, it has been widely reported that the corporately owned Pirates may soon be under new ownership.
``According to the papers, the situation in Pittsburgh is a little unstable,'' Montgomery said.
The Pirates also are in a cost-containment mode. Reports vary, but the Pirates, a small-market club that has been unable to keep star players such as Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonilla and Doug Drabek because of a lack of finances the past three years, have lost in the neighborhood of $10 million each of the last two years.
In these frugal times, shelling out anywhere from $250,000-$500,000 to start a rookie league team was not appealing to the Pirates.
``The ownership didn't want to take a chance to do something that would cost more money when they're already losing money,'' said Montgomery, who had stated repeatedly that he wanted the Pirates to join the Appalachian League.
Pulaski has been without professional baseball since 1992, when the Atlanta Braves moved their Appalachian League team to Danville after a 10-year stay in Pulaski's Calfee Park.
Talks with the Pirates began almost immediately after the Braves pulled up stakes. The Pirates wanted to put a team in Pulaski a year ago, but the Appalachian League voted not to expand until it found two prospective new members.
"If we could have found someone else [to join them in expansion] a year ago, we would have been in that league,'' Montgomery said.
by CNB