Wednesday, June 24, 2009

So much info my head is going to explode

Let's start with Tuesday's game. I'm glad I spoke with Steve Decker before the game because he was in a closed-door meeting much too long afterward for me to speak with him then.

The conversation was foreshadowing. He told me that he thinks guys press too much at Dodd Stadium opposed to on the road. He added the one thing they don't have at home is the three-run homer. As it turned out, Portland did.

Joe Paterson gave up a bomb that broke 5-5 tie in the ninth for an 8-5 Sea Dogs win. Jon Still, who hit the homer, was 6-for-65 heading into the game.

Mike McBryde left the game in the second inning with a strained groin. It's considered mild and day-to-day.

Off the field...

Yes, the Defenders are going to pay back the rent they owe the city -- over $222,000. I saw the checks with my own eyes. The debt will be paid today.

It's kind of funny that the money gained as a penalty from the failed purchase attempt by Richmond Baseball LC made this possible. After all, they did agree to pay the bill.

Also, the Shockoe Bottom development that included an expensive stadium for a team -- believed to be the Defenders -- was 86'd Tuesday by not the city, but the developers. They claimed they never wanted to use city-backed bonds to finance the project, but that's not true. If it were true, when the city's report came out over a month ago, the developers, Highwoods Properties, would have said so then. Instead, they pushed their agenda.

Where does this leave the Defenders? Right where they were before the news. Nothing's changed.

4 comments:

greg8370 said...

Boy--I wish I could listen in on that conference call.
Joe-assuming the Defenders go south, who do you think gets stuck moving into the Northern Division, assuming of course they stick with two divsions?

Joe said...

I think the swap Connecticut/Richmond with Erie. The only other logical choice is Reading, but don't see that move. Then again, knowing the Eastern League, no one moves.

Joe said...

Greg,

They are somewhat hidden on the web site, but I hope you saw the letters Joe Courtney sent to MiLb and the EL.

greg8370 said...

Saw the letters....the one to milb doesn't open on my computer for some reaon.
Courtney writing to Joe M. for a NY/Penn team seems strange on fave value, but I understand the move from Courtney's POV.
Everytime I read about the latest turn in Richmond now I hear the voice of the late Sonny Bono of Sonny and Cher fame singing " The beat goes on:"

"The beat goes on, the beat goes on
Drums keep pounding a rhythm to the brain
La de da de de, la de da de da"

Hope you make it to the park more often as the seconf half of the season starts today; check out my mid-term grades--see if you agree/disagree.