The $3 million the state has spent on a baseball stadium for Marion doesn’t seem to be working out yet.
The press release on the Midwest League baseball Web site was brief, but packed quite a wallop.
It stated that a resolution was recently passed by the league’s board of directors, disallowing Marion as a “territory” for the league.
While this news is most certainly troubling to Southern Illinoisans who love baseball, it’s not necessarily the death knell for professional baseball in Southern Illinois.
The resolution was passed after discussion among league members and consultation with the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues, the governing body of Minor League Baseball, which supported the Midwest League’s resolution.
The Southern Illinoisan has also learned that Midwest League owners have at least temporarily rejected John Simmons’ bid to purchase the South Bend, Ind., Silver Hawks. It is possible that Simmons might later be able to reapply to league officials in an effort to purchase the team.
They can spin this all they like, but this is not a positive development by any means.
- Bigtown Girl - Thursday, Dec 8, 05 @ 7:10 am:
I’m in Cicago. Who cares?
- leigh - Thursday, Dec 8, 05 @ 7:24 am:
The people who care are folks like my 8 year old nephew who has been waiting for a team to watch play that is closer than St. Louis. (And his uncle and I would prefer he have his minor league team to satisfy him, and that he remain a sox fan)
- the Dude - Thursday, Dec 8, 05 @ 7:42 am:
If true, this will be a big loss for Southern Illinois. Blagojevich decicated some money to try to get baseball to Southern Illinois to help that region’s economic development efforts. In addition to lost reveunes from tourism, this will impact people like the above poster who’s child was looking forward to having nbaseball played closer to home.
Hopefully this will be resolved and Southern Illinois will get the field it deserves.
- AngryJolietan - Thursday, Dec 8, 05 @ 8:34 am:
My Joliet Jackhammers need some opposition. Its league, the Northern League, is looking for teams. Maybe the Frontier League? Both are independent leagues. That is going to be Marion’s best (only?) hope.
- ron - Thursday, Dec 8, 05 @ 9:15 am:
What a joke. Spending tax dollars to help a milionaire buy a baseball team. Interesting how Simmons and his law firm buddies made thousands of doallars in politicla contributions to the democrats and he ends up getting money for a team. Now he can’t get a team. Another example of pork waste at its finest. What tourism boom. The only people going to see the game are the ones already living in the area. people ae not going to drive in from outside the area to see a game in Mt.Vernon.
- Saluki - Thursday, Dec 8, 05 @ 9:17 am:
Big town girl- ‘who cares’ the bottom third of the state that’s who.
Jolietan- when I take the train to Chicago I go past the Jackhammer stadium, I hope the Marion team has a stadium and everything else like the Jackhammers do. But this lastest news is depressing because I’ll most likely have graduated by the time they get a team in Marion, too bad.
- LittleEgypt - Thursday, Dec 8, 05 @ 9:47 am:
Blago dedicated money to build this stadium for no other reason than to buy votes. Look past the pork, smoke & mirrors folks. A pro baseball team is not coming to southern Illinois anytime in the near future. Find another use for the stadium.
- OneMan - Thursday, Dec 8, 05 @ 10:00 am:
If you build it I guess they might not come…
I don’t live down in that part of the state but I have to say this is not a good development.
- Retired Legislator - Thursday, Dec 8, 05 @ 10:38 am:
Ron,I guess you didn’t mind it when G. Ryan was going to give the Cardinals 100 million in tax incentives to move to Ill. or the white sox stadium deal or the money for the Gateway Grizzlies. How about soldier field, I suppose that is Rod’s fault also. The fact of the matter is tourism is the number one economic engine that brings jobs and people to Ill. Try to think in more positive ways to get the anti Rod message out.
- Team Sleep - Thursday, Dec 8, 05 @ 10:53 am:
One option for the stadium would be to move the state high school baseball finals down to Marion. Marion is a beautiful town that’s fast-growing and right off of I-57, so it has the resources and location to host such an event.
But this is certainly a blow. Simmons, as much as I don’t like him politically, is a smart guy who is successful and knows how to run a business. This blindsided both Simmons and Mayor Butler. I hope a team that is not well-supported (of which there are probably many) is allowed to move into Marion and fill up that $17 million yet-to-be-built stadium.
- Southern IL. Dem - Thursday, Dec 8, 05 @ 12:37 pm:
Though there are a lot of folks from up north who hope this fails this stadium will be built and a team will play there.
The good people or Southern Illinois do not give up easily.
- anon - Thursday, Dec 8, 05 @ 12:48 pm:
Leigh, why not take a drive over to Carbondale and watch Saluki baseball. Some years you’re far more likely to see more talent on that field than you’d ever see with whatever entry-level minor league or frontier league team Marion would get.
I think its great that you and your nephew want to see more baseball games. But that alone doesn’t warrant a team, let alone a taxpayer subsidized stadium that may never field a team.
What would you say to the baseball fans of Springfield or Champaign or Bloomington, all much larger cities, that don’t have minor league baseball?
If desire to watch baseball was enough to field a team, every community would have a team. It’s not like Marion is getting discriminated against by the baseball gods.
No, I don’t live in Chicago.
- downstate - Thursday, Dec 8, 05 @ 1:25 pm:
This was another Blago giveaway and as usual it isn’t working.
- Anon 2:00 - Thursday, Dec 8, 05 @ 2:02 pm:
Speaking of $3 million down the hole, anybody know what ever came of the $2.5 million Rod was going to spend on expired flu vaccines? he wanted to honor the contract, the comptroller said no; I don’t remember how that turned out. Anybody?
- ron - Thursday, Dec 8, 05 @ 2:14 pm:
Retired legislator. You must have voted for the projects you listed. I do not support public contributions for thses type of projects. We have a difference of philosophy. Building stadiums for millionaires or billionaires is not something the State of Illinois should do. Countless experts have determined with sound economic research the return on these projects does not warrant the expenditures of public dollars. If the State is going to spend money, why not spend money on attracting a company to Souothern Illinois that will offer high paying jobs. Let’s face it, how many contributors to Republican candidates have received funds for thses types of projects.
- leigh - Thursday, Dec 8, 05 @ 2:25 pm:
My nephew’s dad works in Saluki atheltics and he sees every baseball game. I live in “the burbs” and see plenty of Sox games. He was just hoping for a “big league” team to watch in the summer. Certainly not a reason in and of itself to build the stadium. It was a response for “who cares” just saying that people do care and will be affected by this outcome, so it does matter. For most people this is about tourism, economic development and entertainment, they could care less about the politics of the project.
- Yellow Puppy Democrat - Thursday, Dec 8, 05 @ 2:55 pm:
Southern Il. Dem - sure we give up easily. We gave up when we saw the end to coal mining and sat around waiting for someone to come to our rescue. There is no reason right now why Mt. Vernon should not be what Bloomington/Normal is with the convergence of I-57/I-64. They should have the commerce and the auto plant but they didn’t go for it. Or better yet, I-57/I-24 area where real estate is dirt cheap compared to the rest of the state. We gave up a long time ago pal. There is beginning to be some hope for some of the small towns whose mayors are banding together and finally figuring out that they can be a formidable lobbying group but it’s come a bit late. However, on the bright side, if you are interested in drop dead scenery, a gorgeous National forest, and extremely cheap real estate, head on down. We’ve got enough to go around.
- Anon - Thursday, Dec 8, 05 @ 2:58 pm:
No money has been provided yet to the marion baseball project. It’s appropriated, but has not yet been spent, so hold yer horses.
Also, the money doesn’t go to Simmons — it goes to the city of marion to cover the costs of public infrastructure such as sewers, water main pipes and the like. Everything from cities and towns to new business developments get these kinds of public infrastruture grants from the state. This is no different.
- leigh - Thursday, Dec 8, 05 @ 3:28 pm:
The infrastructure is already going in. If they don’t get a team, can the state back out?
- Team Sleep - Thursday, Dec 8, 05 @ 3:36 pm:
Yellow Dog Puppy, I agree. There are some areas down south where it seems like mayors and city council members would rather sit on their hands and wait for a handout than work for a factory or major business. However, Mt. Vernon is still a nice place with a lot of good shopping, eating and tourist places, and Marion and Carbondale are also prime spots.
- Anon - Thursday, Dec 8, 05 @ 4:35 pm:
leigh 3:28
If it doesn’t move forward, I’d imagine the state can back out. They’re not going to provide funds to project if it doesn’t move forward.
- Yellow Puppy Democrat - Thursday, Dec 8, 05 @ 4:41 pm:
Team Sleep, you and I agree on this one. My point is that back in the 70’s, the towns should have seen the mining shutdown coming with all the EPA rules that were coming out and been proactive instead of reactive. Southern Illinois is the most beautiful part of this State. It’s just too bad that big business doesn’t see the advantage of locating there and making those three cities even greater than they currently are.
- HappyToaster - Thursday, Dec 8, 05 @ 4:59 pm:
Temerate, low cost and nice scenery. Maybe the region and state should focus on drawing retirees?
- TheNeef - Thursday, Dec 8, 05 @ 5:49 pm:
The repubs have been beating up Blago. for giving everything to chicago from jobs to projects and when he actually does something for downstate you have everyone yelling that it is cronyism. Give me a break. People who are going to go to Chicago are going their weather blago or the Tops give the city money or not. It’s towns like Marion that need a small step up from the state and we criticise.
- muletown - Friday, Dec 9, 05 @ 11:21 am:
I don’t believe I can stretch my imagination that Governor Blagojevich gave much thought about this ball park helping Southern Illinois. I can fathom Governor Blagojevich seeing an opportunity to fill the pockets of a huge donor to his campaign fund. I would have much preferred the Governor spend allocated funds to complete the prison at Grayville which would have been a significant boost to the economy of Southeast which has no economy. It is aggravating to see the tradeoff when the allocated money went to build a meeting hall for gays and lesbians in Chicago. Downstate carried the current Governor in the primary when he finished third in Chicago during the last primary season. I do not believe Southern Illinois will be quite that naive this election. The Governor made promises during the last election to many on the campaign trail. He has failed to follow up on the promises to most if not all. Instead of promises he will be on the trail defending everywhere he goes. That combined with the Federal Investigation of Chicago hiring policies that could substantially cripple the Daley machine means Mr. Blagojevich has a very steep uphill battle ahead. I think if he were smart he would take the $14,000,000 in his campaign fund and head back to Malibu as a film producer with his buddy monk. Even with taxes taken out he would be ahead of the game.
- Troy News Guy - Sunday, Dec 11, 05 @ 2:14 am:
Are they going to name the team the Marion Meth-heads? How about using the millions to put some jobs down here so kids have something to aspire to??