Richmond-Connecticut baseball deal remains on hold

If the Connecticut Defenders are going to relocate to Richmond for next season, a proposed deal needs to close by the end of the month.

It's still probable that the Connecticut franchise is headed here, but there have been delays in the sale process, uncertainty where once there seemed near-certainty.

Lou DiBella, Connecticut's president/managing partner, said in early April that a deal involving his franchise and Richmond Baseball Club LC appeared "imminent," the same word used last Tuesday by Bryan Bostic, chairman of Richmond Baseball Club LC, when speaking of a deal time frame. Eastern League President Joe McEacharn early last week also used "imminent" to describe the deal's likelihood.

But there is no deal yet, and the proposal expires May 31.

DiBella chose not to comment yesterday. Speaking of Richmond Baseball Club LC, he told the Norwich Bulletin last week, "If they didn't have some obstacles, if they weren't encountering some difficulty, this deal should have been closed over a month ago."

Bostic could not be reached for comment yesterday. The deal is for $15.4 million.

Mayor Dwight C. Jones didn't specify which franchise would relocate to Richmond next season but yesterday said that he has received assurances from the Eastern League that one of its 12 franchises would play at The Diamond. The Defenders are affiliated with the San Francisco Giants and will be through next season, after which the affiliation could change.

Franchises commonly switch affiliations every two years. Player Development Contracts bind them to major-league organizations. The Eastern League needs to know by Aug. 1 which one of its franchises will be in Richmond so the league can begin planning next year's schedule.

Jones noted yesterday that the Eastern League's commitment to Richmond, even without a long-term ballpark solution, will allow the city to thoroughly explore the proposal for the $318 million Shockoe Center and its $60 million ballpark. Previously, Minor League Baseball representatives suggested they wanted to see a firm ballpark plan before a relocation application would receive approval.

"We will have baseball in Richmond," Jones said yesterday, referring to next season. "That's something that at first seemed to be a pressure point that's no longer a pressure point."

He called the modified position of Minor League Baseball and the Eastern League "a key element."

McEacharn and Minor League Baseball officials have emphasized that The Diamond is a short-term solution. It's possible that the franchise could move again if Richmond doesn't make plans for a new ballpark, but McEacharn said the Eastern League wouldn't set a deadline by which a ballpark plan needs to be completed.

"It's just not appropriate to force this," McEacharn said.

Contact John O'Connor at (804) 649-6233 or .