Chukars face financial hardball
by Brian Snider, Outpost contributor
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Editors's note: Since the posting of this article, the Chukars have new local ownership, consequently becoming the Reno Blackjacks.
It's December, and baseball is in hibernation. The parks are closed, the mascots are gone, and the grass on the field has turned copper brown. The only thing that can keep the baseball enthusiast going through the long winter is that in three months he or she will be hearing that joyful phrase: spring training starts today.
While the game may be on vacation, the business of baseball goes on. In his small, musty office inside Moana Stadium, Reno Chukars Assistant General Manager Terry Donovan is busy working the phones. Today is like every other day this off-season: meetings, phone calls, and business lunches. In an office with only one other salesperson on staff now, Terry can't afford to slack off.
"Selling baseball is not difficult because people like coming out to see a game," Donovan said. "It's convincing potential investors that we're not moving this year, that's the real challenge."
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"It's a chore, trying to compete with the casinos for the entertainment dollar in this town," Donovan said. "Reno is 24-hours, and there are so many things to do that people just don't think of us as much when they want to go out."
The Chukars lack of financial success parallels its parent league, the Western Baseball League. It is one of six independent minor leagues in the United States today, and according to Donovan it ranks second only to the illustrious Northern League in attendance.
Despite this uplifting statistic, the 5-year-old league has seen some tough times.
Independent baseball leagues are non-affiliated, meaning that no major league organization has ties to any of their teams. This presents the WBL and other independent leagues with the problem of trying to generate public interest in teams with players who fans have not heard of.
"Oh we get it all the time, things like 'You guys aren't real baseball' and stuff like that," Donovan said. "When the (San Diego Padre-affiliated) Reno Silver Sox were here, fans knew they could go to the park and see a major league team's up and coming prospects. That's a lot easier to sell."
Because of problems like that, the WBL has flirted with financial disaster since its inception.
But it has managed to hold on. Teams continue to fold because of lack of support. Following last season, the WBL lost four teams (Grays Harbor Gulls, Pacific Suns, Bend Bandits, and Mission Viejo Vigilantes) and gained two (St.George, Utah, and Sacramento, Calif.). Because of these massive changes, the league will carry only a mere six teams next season.
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Mirroring the WBL's slow but steady progress, the Chukars also seem to be gaining a stronger foothold. Donovan said that paid attendance was up 10 percent last year, and total in-park attendance was up an impressive 30 percent. The team looks to improve on those numbers this coming season with the addition of Charley Kerfeld as manager. Kerfeld, a former major league pitcher for the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves, is a former Carson City High School star and still lives in the area. The Chukars hope to parlay his local popularity into financial gain.
Yet how can a team that, according to Donovan, lost about $80,000 last season expect any financial gain?
"It's not that we're expecting to make money," Donovan said. "We budget to break even, and no more. The owners are independently wealthy, so mainly they run the team because they love baseball and want to see the team succeed. They don't want to lose a ton of money, but if they don't make anything it's not a major concern."
Even so, being a financially strong franchise is the eventual goal.
"The Chico and Sonoma teams make money every year, mainly because they draw 2,000- to 3,000 fans a game," Donovan said. "Eventually we'd like to get there, and we feel we can do it right here in Reno."
Donovan said the team is hoping that improvements to Moana Stadium will help push them in the right direction. The team and the city recently agreed on three main changes that will be completed in time for the 1999 season. First, a new left-field wall will be constructed that will be twice the height of the old one. This is to cut down the amount of baseballs that are hit onto Moana Lane and strike cars and pedestrians. Next, new bathrooms and concession stands will be built, replacing the old, dilapidated facilities. Finally, the entire stadium and parking lot will be paved to give it a fresh, new look.
Despite the improvements, the failures of the Silver Sox and Reno Rage loom over the heads of the Chukar franchise like a dark cloud. Rumors persist that the team will move, that Reno is not a town that can support minor-league sports.
Donovan insists that isn't true.
"We're not going anywhere just yet," he said. "We're in the fourth year of a five year deal with the city to play here, and the owners seem to enjoy having the team here. We'll evaluate our situation when the contract expires, but right now our top priority is making the product of Reno Chukar baseball the best it can be."
And as for the future of minor-league sports in Reno?
"This town is growing, getting bigger every day," Donovan said. "The fan base is strong enough to support several teams, but it needs the right owners in the right environment with strong help from the fans. That's the only way minor league teams can succeed."
Posted Mar. 12,
1999
Copyright 1999 Nevada Outpost
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