Isles make a
pitch for minor
league ball

City officials and businessmen have
been discussing reviving pro baseball

---

By Cindy Luis
cluis@starbulletin.com

After a 14-year absence, it appears that Hawaii may again have a minor league baseball franchise.

Officials from the city and county's Office of Economic Development and Duane Kurisu, a Honolulu businessman and owner of the defunct Hawaii Winter Baseball league, have been discussing with a Maryland developer the feasibility of bringing back professional baseball to Honolulu.

The developer, Mark Rivers, has made several trips to Honolulu this month, including last week when he viewed potential sites for building a stadium complex that could open within three years.

"I think Honolulu is a community deserving of big-time minor league baseball and the opportunity to have a world-class facility," Rivers said in a telephone call from his Virginia office. "The trend in minor league baseball now is toward a terrific downtown stadium complex with mixed-use development that fosters family entertainment and community spirit.

"You see cities such as Memphis and Sacramento where their minor league team has been the sparkplug for downtown renaissance and civic pride. Certainly, Honolulu should be on the radar screen because of the potential."

Honolulu had a Pacific Coast League franchise, the Triple A Hawaii Islanders, for 27 years. The team left in 1987 due a combination of factors, including dwindling attendance after moving from Honolulu Stadium to Aloha Stadium and heavy financial losses by owner David Elmore, who relocated the team to Colorado Springs, Colo.

"All I can confirm is that the Office of Economic Development is involved with bringing a minor league team here," said Manny Menendez, OED executive director. "And that the stadium would be built within the urban corridor between Diamond Head and Aloha Stadium."

Potential sites include venues that have been previously considered by the Hawaii Islanders, the Hawaii Winter Baseball league and a group looking to build a soccer stadium. Four sites that have been discussed in the past were the Kakaako waterfront, Sand Island, the Ala Wai Golf Course and the McKinley High School athletic field.

The parties involved with the process would not confirm which franchise is being pursued nor which minor league level.

However, the stadium seating capacity being mentioned is that of at least 10,000, which is the minimum requirement for a Triple A team.

An announcement is expected within a week.

The Pacific Coast League has 16 teams from Western Canada to Nashville, Tenn. The league is as far-flung as the Western Athletic Conference and includes franchises in Edmonton, Omaha and New Orleans.

The Calgary Cannons are being sold and will be relocating to Albuquerque, N.M., for the 2003 season. The Albuquerque Sports Stadium is undergoing a $25 million renovation.

The Tacoma (Wash.) Rainiers have been for sale for more than a year. Team owner George Foster, who bought the Rainiers in 1991 for $5.5 million, is reportedly asking between $10 million and $12 million. He has said he wants to devote more time to his family and family business, Foster Farms.

Tacoma is averaging less than 4,100 fans in its aging Cheney Stadium. The team's lease is through 2005 and Tacoma Mayor Mike Crowley said he intended to hold the team to its contract.

However, the Tacoma Tribune reported yesterday that Rivers was planning to move the Rainiers to Reno in 2003. Last week, Rivers spoke with Reno city officials about building a stadium prior to his trip to Honolulu.

Reno hasn't had affiliated minor-league baseball since 1992, and that was a Class A team in the California league. Reno doesn't have a facility that measures up to Class AAA standards and, according to the Reno Gazette-Journal, the Reno city council has put off a decision on whether to pursue a Triple A team.

Gazette-Journal sports columnist Steve Sneddon wrote last month that building a ballpark using public funds is going to be a hard sell because of current economic conditions in the Nevada city.

Rivers told the Star-Bulletin that there were obstacles to overcome in Honolulu as well.

"There are some negative notions about the health of baseball in Honolulu, the legends of the old Termite Palace (Honolulu Stadium)," he said. "And, of course, there are the geographical challenges to overcome.

"I'm hopeful that Honolulu officials and the ambassadors of baseball in Hawaii will have the opportunity to fully explore the potential in Hawaii. The potential is, as the Pan-Pacific crossroads, to build a facility that is appropriate to international competition and Major League exhibitions, as well as being home to a minor league team."

Rivers' proposal for Honolulu sounds very similar to the one for Reno.

According to the Gazette-Journal, Rivers' complex would include 100,000 square feet for retail, restaurants and entertainment. The plan calls for 20 residential units and up to 20,000 square feet of office space. But the centerpiece of the proposal is the Class AAA ballpark.

Rivers, 36, is the executive vice president and chief strategic officer of The Mills Corp., which owns 12 shopping malls across the United States. He said his company was not involved with the baseball project.

"There is definitely some homework to be done and some challenges to get through to make this a reality," Menendez said.