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Rochester Red Wings turn profit in 2013

Rochester Red WingsThe Rochester Red Wings (Class AAA; International League) turned a profit in 2013 — albeit a small one — despite a rainy spring and covering losses incurred by the Batavia Muckdogs (short season A; NY-Penn League).

The profit may have been small — just $3,000 — but it comes in the face of $173,000 lost on Muckdogs operations, an upgrade to Frontier Field (upgraded weatherization of the suite level) and a rainy spring that saw three rainouts and smaller-than-planned crowds on other dates. On the flip side, the team had a turnstile attendance of 259,000 — up 8,000 from 2012 — and drew 8,000 more to two playoff games. What helped immensely: a close-to-six-figure profit from a PepsiMax Field of Dreams exhibition with Reggie Jackson, Ozzie Smith and more. From the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle:

RCB’s sixth year operating the attendance-starved Single-A Batavia Muckdogs resulted in a $173,000 pre-tax loss. The Wings have lost close to $900,000 since assuming operational control of the Muckdogs in 2008. The team remains for sale, and Wings CEO/COO Naomi Silver remains confident a buyer will be found.

“We have to find the right location where the team will be profitable,” she said. “We remain confident we will. Teams move. Things change.”

RCB will receive 5 percent of the eventual sale price for every year it operates the Muckdogs, with a cap of 50 percent. That figure will be up to 35 percent after next season. New York-Penn League rules mandate that no team be sold for less than $5 million.

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