The Huntsville Stars are always mentioned as a Southern League franchise available for relo, but owner Miles Prentice always shoots down the rumors. His faith in the market may be on the verge of being rewarded, as Huntsville city leaders float the idea of a new downtown ballpark.
The Huntsville Stars are always mentioned as a Southern League franchise available for relo, but owner Miles Prentice always shoots down the rumors. His faith in the market may be on the verge of being rewarded, as Huntsville city leaders float the idea of a new downtown ballpark.
Right now it's just talk, but there is a new sense of urgency after Milwaukee Brewers assistant GM Gord Ash visited town and proclaimed disappointment with the city's support of pro baseball. "This is a very apathetic baseball town, and something's going to have to change," Ash told the Huntsville Times. "They're going to be sorry in a couple of years when they don't have baseball. I don't know if they're going to lose the team, but they're going to lose our interest in being here because there's no enthusiasm." We all know the politics of baseball: Ash would not make such statements about the status of a farm team without any discussions with Stars ownership.
Prentice has passed on offers to sell the team over the past few years, even though the Stars lag far behind in Southern League attendance rankings. Joe Davis Stadium, built in 1984, is a very basic facility, but the team's lease is so good — just $10,000 a year, with no maintenance or upkeep costs in the mix — it's actually hard not to make a little money on operations, which is why Prentice can be patient with the market. But that lease expires at the end of 2010.
Which means the team could be a free agent if a new ballpark is not forthcoming. While city leaders say they don't want to spend public money on a new ballpark, there will surely be calls for the city to do so if Prentice threatens a move or sale — and the choice will be whether or not baseball in Huntsville is worth saving.
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