Baseball could be back at Uni-Trade Stadium in 2018, as a revival of the Mexican League‘s Tecolotes is closer to securing an agreement to use the ballpark.
Uni-Trade Stadium was home of the Laredo Lemurs (independent; American Association) from 2012-2016, but the team was removed from the American Association’s lineup for 2017 and beyond after a legal battle over control of the team and the ballpark’s lease. Under a plan that is being led locally by Danny Lopez, the Rojos del Aguila de Veracruz franchise would play as a new version of Tecolotes and use Uni-Trade Stadium for half of its home games, with the remaining games played in Nuevo Laredo.
While Nuevo Laredo is already expected to be a home for the team, Laredo has taken a step forward. On Monday, the Laredo City Council approved a motion that allows city manager Horacio De Leo to begin negotiations on a letter of intent with the franchise. More from the Laredo Morning Times:
“It’s a dead stadium that we have to maintain,” said Councilman Vidal Rodriguez about Uni-Trade Stadium. “It’s about quality of life for the people coming in. We are just trying to relive the glory days by bringing back the Tecos and providing a better quality of life for the residents of Laredo, but this time with local involvement.”
The project is being spearheaded locally by Danny Lopez, the general manager of the Danny’s Restaurant chain. He is serving as an operational partner dealing with daily operations.
Lopez said the two sides would begin negotiations and that he planned on “mirroring what the Laredo Lemurs had.” He also confirmed that Veracruz was going to play in Nuevo Laredo next year regardless of Laredo’s decision and that the LMB has already approved the team playing half its schedule inside Uni-Trade Stadium.
“We have an idea what the city wants and hopefully we can compromise at the end of the day with something fair for both parties,” Lopez said. “My job is to facilitate baseball games and the facility to the citizens of Laredo.
Los Tecolotes de los Dos Laredos (Owls of the Two Laredos) is a bygone Mexican League club that for many years, beginning in 1985, split its home games between Laredo and Nuevo Laredo. Officials are hoping to have an agreement in place for Uni-Trade Stadium in time for the 2018 season.
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