Manchester officials and Boston Red Sox executives announced today that a minor league baseball team is coming to the city in 2004.
The team will eventually play in a new downtown stadium, which is part of a 100 million dollar development.
Manchester Mayor Bob Baines announced the deal for Manchester baseball to about one hundred people in City Hall.
Today the red sox, have informed major league baseball, that they have granted six to four to three the right to operate a double a, minor league team in Manchester. :09
Manchester needed the permission of the Red Sox because as the major league team in New England, the Sox have veto power over a minor league team affiliated with another major league team.
The team that will play in Manchester will relocate from New Haven, Connecticut.
That team is affiliated with the Toronto Blue Jays, a rival of the Red Sox.
Despite this, Larry Luchino, the chief executive of the Red Sox, said he didn?t veto the Manchester deal because New Hampshire is Red Sox country.
09 213 first of all, loyalty is a two way street. This town, this state, have been extraordinarily loyal to the red sox. Its appropriate that the red sox should return some of that loyalty and support to this town and this state. 09 227 clap to 233
Six-four-three, the company bringing the team to Manchester, has experience running a minor league team.
Drew Webber of 6-4-3 is president of the Lowell Spinners, a minor league affiliate of the Red Sox.
Webber says he?s excited to be bringing a team to Manchester.
10 237 I am convinced this city will be a wonderful home for our team, with loyal fans. I promise to return the favor.
Manchester?s new team will play its first season in 2004 at a renovated Gill Stadium.
The renovations there will cost 4 million dollars, and the team will only stay one season, before moving to a 6,500 seat stadium downtown.
Almost lost in the discussion about the baseball team is that the new downtown stadium will be part of a huge downtown building project.
In addition to a ballpark, plans call for a Hilton hotel, condominiums, a power plant, and retail establishments on the banks of the Merrimack River.
All that development takes attention away from New Hampshire?s existing minor league baseball team.
The Nashua Pride play in recently renovated Holman Stadium, which has averaged 1,800 fans a game for the past few seasons.
Despite the new competition for fans from Manchester, Pride General manager Todd Marlin says he doesn?t object to having another team up the road.
. You know its to the point where its going to make some more challenges for us. Um, we?re up to the task, you know we?re still going to put a quality product on the field you know as far as the team and the promotions and everything like that. :20
Manchester officials say securing the baseball team was the key to their plans for downtown development.
Now that development can proceed, because the Red Sox essentially said, ?play ball?.
