New Baseball Fields in Peoria?

Some of the most bull crap I've read about lately and I've read a lot. Includes Illinois's top spender, Dave Koehler who wants to take his spending talents to Washington,. D.C.

Back to the baseball subject. Baseball has been dying in Peoria and is almost dead. Those who think it isn't need to get an "insider" friend to tell them the actual financial position of the club. The banks that lent them the money are probably "between a rock and a hard spot". It's hard to sell minor league ball club stadiums, I've read.

Read the attendance figures printed after each game in the JS Sports page. Back in 2002, the break even was an average of 3500 a game. Only twice has the ball club gone over those figures this year; one Dare Day and the other a low cost beer night.

the Sunday Morning league at one time drew as many as 1000 spectators. These days, the players are lucky to get mom and dad, wives, or friends, to attend.

The people who presented to an eager city council couldn't sell their "junk" in Louisville, they probably heard that Peoria "fields" City Councils who can't say no to any project they really don't understand and besides, it's OPM.

Right.

Tim Cassidy and the PPD would love to have the city build the ball diamonds. Cassidy and Noble said they were "in process" back in 2002. Look it up, JS, 11/7/03, "Park District near deal for softball fields", but "construction probably wouldn't begin until 2005 because of lack of funds".

They are still in process today, JS, 2/22/10, "Scott Loftus, supervisor of athletics for the Peoria Park District said there are plans to build four or five fields on 80 acres of property near Fox Road and Rt. 91 (still owned by Bradley, see my previous blogs) only the PPD has no immediate plans for construction". Despite all their denials, the PPD is cash strapped for any expansion. I said on many occasions that they would be. Nor will their financial situation improve as the "African Exhibit" is budgeted to lose $750,000.00 this year which I feel is conservative.

Listen carefully to what your city council people are saying. You reelected two of the three who helped put us in this bind.

Hey, who cares, it's not their money.