Nolan Ryan’s business looking into Richmond situation
2004 / AP Photo / Pat Sullivan
Baseball Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan is investigating possible investment in an Eastern League franchise for Richmond.
Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan's Texas-based baseball business is sending representatives to Richmond this week to investigate possible ownership of the Eastern League franchise that is to move here next season.
Also, more than one Double-A Eastern League franchise wants to relocate to Richmond, sources recently confirmed.
Ryan-Sanders Baseball owns and operates two Texas franchises, Triple-A Round Rock (near Austin) and Double-A Corpus Christi; both are affiliated with the Houston Astros. Ryan is president of the Texas Rangers.
Ryan, his son Reid Ryan and Houston businessman Don Sanders established Ryan-Sanders Baseball, which includes several former professional players as minority shareholders.
"We're going to come over and take a look at the market and just kind of get a feel for what's happening in Richmond," Reid Ryan said yesterday.
"We have two clubs right now. We've been doing this since 1998, and during that time, we've looked at deals from California all the way to the East Coast, and we've only done two.
"Whenever there's a situation where there maybe is a change of ownership, or there's a possibility of a new team coming in, or a team moving around, we always try to at least get a meeting with the players and kind of see what's going on in the market, see if there somehow would be a fit for us."
Ryan called the trip "a preliminary look," but he also said that "we wouldn't be coming over and taking a look if we didn't feel Richmond was a great baseball town."
Ryan-Sanders Baseball, if it enters the Richmond market, could become the majority owner of the Eastern League franchise headed to Richmond, with Richmond Baseball Club LC serving as minority/operating partner.
Bryan Bostic, chairman of RBC, could not be reached for comment. RBC has been trying to purchase the Connecticut Defenders of the Eastern League, but two sources said the potential local ownership group hasn't met the sale price of $15.4 million.
The Erie, Pa., franchise of the Eastern League also may be an option for relocation to Richmond, according to sources, who declined to be named because of the sensitive nature of the negotiations.
The Eastern League and Minor League Baseball have assured Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones that one of the league's 12 franchises will be in Richmond next season. The team is to play at The Diamond until Richmond finds a long-term ballpark solution.
No Eastern League franchise has been identified formally for relocation.
"Richmond has had a great history of baseball over the years and has always been talked about as a superb market," Reid Ryan said. "I have some friends, some people who played there, and everybody I've talked to says great things about the city and says great things about the baseball fans in the area."
Contact John O'Connor at (804) 649-6233 or
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By the way - M&P 45 posted the following article in another section of the on-line RTD today. It explains why Highwoods was so intent on gettng this their proposal accepted a couple of months ago. They were pushing Richmond to move quickly and now we know why - apparently our little stadium project was going to help pay off their debt. This also helps explain why the cost was so much higher than that of other recently built stadiums, and why we HAD to have it in the Bottom along with millions in other constrcution. If we just renovate the Diamond property, Highwoods won’t make enough money. ENOUGH. The last thing Richmond needs is to get into bed with a developer with debt problems. I hope the RTD will follow up on this:
http://www.google.com/finance?client=ob&q=NYSE:HIW
wr70beth: what an ignorant statement. I love baseball, as do most of the folks posting here. We just don’t want to pay for it with taxpayer funds. That’s not dysfunction - that fiscal responsibility. If you’re so ashamed to call Richmond your hometown, move. Hey - maybe you can go to Georgia and join the ex-Richmond Braves. The big revenues they left for aren’t materialzing so maybe you can help them with yor love of baseball.
I don’t know why I keep reading the TimesDispatch. These comments showing Richmond dysfunction at its finest make me ashamed to call this place my hometown. If you say you don’t care about baseball, don’t post here or don’t read the article.
I’m aware UT is actually in Austin, I’m poking fun at the fact that you’re comparing college football to baseball. Two completely different animals.
Ghosty - you won’t have to wait, it’s coming next year. Its whether it sticks around that’s the issue.
As much as I’d love to see baseball come back to Richmond, I don’t think it will happen, at least not for a while. That’s OK. Our family likes to go to our local park and watch the games there. Those folks play baseball and softball for the fun of doing it, and that’s what I want my son to take away from it.
OutofLeftfield - Actually, that’s incorrect. Austin is home to the Univ of Texas. Richmond isn’t home to VT or UVA. Austin is what you would call a smart growth city. It isn’t dysfunctional. It’s constantly rated at the top of pretty much any survey in terms of quality of life. One of the reasons why it’s one of the fastest growing metros too.
ddub, by that logic, Richmond can combine the college football fanbases of VT and UVA and make an uber-fanbase for baseball!! They’re both public colleges with tons of alumni in the Richmond area….why not?!
express43, your comments hit home with those that can receive them without prejudgment. Thank you.
First and foremost, Richmond not having baseball is absurd, and not having the Braves takes it to the surreal level.
Nonetheless, it’s where we are. Anybody who wants to put a team here should be considered - positively.
Those of you that don’t like baseball, your opinion does not count here. As for the Braves not advertising,I agree. There are more people that like baseball than what live in Henrico, Chesterfield, Hanover, and Richmond. The Braves were destination for “out-of-towners” I live in Fredericksburg, and there are a lot of people around here that would support a team, and businesses around a stadium, if they knew when and where they were playing. Word of advice to potential owners, ADVERTISE OUTSIDE OF THE AREA TOO!!!
Express43 - Thanks for you post. However, there’s a huge difference in the TX team and the potential one in Richmond. It’s Austin area we’re talking about. Comparing Austin and Richmond is apples to oranges. UT in Austin has one of the best fan bases in college football…
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