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Rochester probably will run MuckDogs in ’11; team on the block

Batavia MuckdogsThe Rochester Red Wings (Class AAA; International League) will probably run the Batavia MuckDogs (short season A; NY-Penn League) again next season, and team officials confirm what we’ve heard: that the MuckDogs are now very much for sale.

Running the MuckDogs hasn’t been the most financially lucrative move for the Red Wings: the team lost $396,884 the first two years of a three-year management deal that ended this month. And while the Red Wings initially indicated they would not return in 2011, the fact that the team is on the block convinced Naomi Silver and crew to return.

Indeed, there’s less of a risk than you might think: the deal with the nonprofit Genesee County Baseball Club provides the Red Wings to be paid back once the team is sold. And with the team now on the market, there’s a pretty good chance the Red Wings will recoup its entire investment.

Still, repaying the Red Wings will eat up a pretty good chunk of whatever Genesee County Baseball Club receives for the club. Silver says it should fetch $4 million, which may be a tad high based on recent and as-yet-to-be-announced team sales. Still, it’s in the ballpark.

And we’re guessing whoever buys the team will almost certainly be leaving Batavia. Dwyer Stadium is a very modest facility, to say the least: the opportunities for making money are few and far between because of the limited concessions there; staying in Batavia would require some huge ballpark investments from someone, and we’re not sure the market warrants such an investment.

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