Officials in Port Angeles, WA are confident that the city will land a West Coast League (WCL) team in time for the 2017 summer collegiate baseball season.
The current proposal calls for a WCL team to set up shop at Civic Field in 2017, with Kitsap BlueJackets owner and general manger Matt Acker leading the franchise. Acker has been working with city officials to ensure that Civic Field is ready for next year and to procure a few key points for the operation, including permission for advertising and alcohol sales within the ballpark.
As Acker and local officials move forward with the plan, there are a few dates to watch, primarily a meeting in front of the city’s parks, recreation, and beautification commission on May 19. With that date approaching, those involved in the effort appear to be confident that the proposal will be well received. More from the Peninsula Daily News:
“There isn’t any deal-breaker,” [city parks and recreation director Corey] Delikat said of the pact.
Acker used the same terminology in a separate interview last week.
“I don’t think any side sees anything that’s a deal-breaker,” Acker said.
That goes, too, for Wilder Baseball, the venerable senior Babe Ruth baseball team for 16-to-18-year-olds that has played at Civic Field since 1979 and would share diamond-time with the older West Coast League team.
“I think we can work something out,” Wilder Manager Mike Politika said Friday, adding that the team is proud of its history.
“It’s just the details of how we can all share the field, and those are details that will get worked out,” he said.
Delikat said the baseball diamond does not have the same drainage problems as Civic Field’s football field, which has water-saturation issues in the fall and winter.
Acker has already discussed a few plans for the franchise, including the operation of a team store in downtown Port Angeles. Beyond the May 19 meeting, the biggest step will be the finalization of the agreement from the city council. Under the current schedule, the council might review the lease by June.