The San Antonio Missions (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) have secured city funding for Wolff Stadium improvements, including upgrades to player facilities.
After hosting Class AA Texas League baseball for years, San Antonio will welcome Class AAA baseball this season after the former Colorado Spring Sky Sox relocated there and assumed the Missions name and branding. Wolff Stadium, home to the Class AA Texas League Missions from 1994-2018, will receive some upgrades ahead of its inaugural Pacific Coast League season, including improvements to player facilities such as the batting cages, dugouts, and clubhouses.
On Thursday, the San Antonio City Council approved two ordinances to help fund ballpark improvements. Though no formal proposal has emerged to this point, Missions owner Elmore Sports Group is still expected to pursue a new ballpark as part of the team’s long-term facility plan. However, the upgrades should make Wolff Stadium better equipped to immediately handle the transition from the Texas League to the Pacific Coast League. More from the San Antonio Express-News:
“With the anticipation of Triple-A baseball coming this year and knowing we needed to, we’re going to add some additional space to the clubhouse and do some renovations,” [Missions president Burl] Yarbrough said. “Those are the things a major league club is most concerned about for their Triple-A affiliate.”
The city approved a cement waterproof coating at a cost of about $488,000.
In a separate ordinance, the council approved “funds for the design and construction of the Wolff Stadium Improvement Plan” totaling $364,000, according to the city council meeting agenda. Yarbrough said those funds represent about 70 percent of the project, with the team providing the other 30 percent to total more than $500,000.
The city’s money comes from the Wolff Stadium Capital Improvement Fund, generated through a portion of the club’s rent and a fee associated with ticket sales.
The arrival of the Pacific Coast League to Wolff Stadium and San Antonio is part of a series of franchise shifts that the Elmore Sports Group has made ahead of the 2019 season. The former Class AA Texas League Missions have moved to Amarillo, where they will open a new ballpark in April as the Amarillo Sod Poodles. Meanwhile, the former Helena Brewers (Rookie; Pioneer League) have shifted to Colorado Springs to replace the Sky Sox and have been rebranded as the Rocky Mountain Vibes.