A committee evaluating bid proposals from the Frederick Keys (High Class A; Carolina League) and a group with ties to the independent Atlantic League will recommend the Keys keep the lease for Harry Grove Stadium, though the mayor and the board of aldermen retain final say.
The committee of five city employees looked at the proposals from Maryland Baseball LLC and a group led by attorney Jack Lavoie; the identity of the employees was not released, and the bids are not public until presented to the mayor and the aldermen at the end of July. Until then, the city will be negotiating a new lease with the Keys of at least five years, and preferably ten, using the submitted bid as the basis for terms.
The issue of who would land the Harry Grove Stadium lease has been a hot one in Minor League Baseball: there’s never been a case where an independent team landed a lease sought by an affiliated team, and the fact things got to the point of a formal bidding process caused some consternation in N.A. circles. Still, the process was geared toward an affiliated team keeping the lease — one of the criteria giving the Keys an edge in the bid process was placing an affiliated team in the ballpark — and there certainly would be some political fallout in Frederick if the city lost a Baltimore Orioles affiliate.
RELATED STORIES: Two bids submitted for Frederick lease; Keys: We want to stay in Frederick; Frederick: Affiliated team to have advantage in ballpark bidding; Frederick to put ballpark lease to bid; Keys on market; Ballpark Visit: Harry Grove Stadium / Frederick Keys
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