Batting Around: Minor Leagues in Cuba?

Approximately one year ago, the Obama administration announced it would resume diplomatic relations with Cuba. Could this significant and still-evolving policy change result in Minor League Baseball returning to the baseball-obsessed island nation?

Lou Schwechheimer, who spent the past 37 seasons with the Pawtucket Red Sox, certainly thinks so. For the past 12 years, the veteran Minor League Baseball executive has been quietly building a politically connected group calling itself the Caribbean Baseball Initiative. This group has obtained exclusive rights from Minor League Baseball to establish a team in Cuba, which last hosted an affiliated team in the form of the International League's Havana Sugar Kings. (The Sugar Kings relocated to Jersey City in the middle of the 1960 season as a result of the revolutionary upheaval then taking place).

Schwechheimer's longstanding effort in this regard was brought to light via a detailed feature-length piece by Dan Barry of the New York Times. Barry has already written extensively about Schwechheimer, albeit in a Cuba-free context, via his book Bottom of the 33^rd (a chronicle of the longest professional baseball game ever played, which took place in Pawtucket's McCoy Stadium).

Barry's article, while hopeful, details the many roadblocks that still must be overcome. These include the difficulties of navigating Cuban bureaucracy, continued political opposition and Cuban resentment "over the continuing and often risky defections of its ballplayers."

It is worth noting that, since leaving the Pawtucket Red Sox, Schwechheimer has worked to acquire majority ownership of the Triple-A New Orleans Zephyrs and the Class A Advanced Charlotte Stone Crabs, as well as a partial share of the Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders. However, Barry writes that, according to Schwechheimer, "None of these teams will move to Cuba," though they may participate in "various good-will initiatives."

If and when Minor League Baseball returns to Cuba, Brandiose may have the leg up when it comes to designing that team's logo. On Dec. 3, less than a week after Barry's article ran, the San Diego-based design firm announced it has long been involved with the Schwechheimer-led project.

We're thrilled to announce (publicly!) that we've been a part of the @BaseballHavana team for 9 years, working to bring @MiLB to Cuba.

- Brandiose (@Brandiose) December 3, 2015

Over the line

On Dec. 1, the City Council of Bristol, Tennessee approved a $35,000 study that will determine whether the Bristol Pirates need a new baseball stadium. The Rookie-level Pirates, members of the Appalachian League, were established in 1969 and since that time have played at Boyce Cox Field (which was built the same year).

If the study eventually leads to a new stadium, it would involve a relocation of sorts. Boyce Cox Field is located in Bristol, Virginia, while the study will be exploring the viability of a stadium located across the state line in Bristol, Tennessee. There is a recent precedent for this sort of "across the state line" relocation. Prior to moving into downtown BB&T Ballpark in 2014, the Charlotte Knights played in a ballpark located in Fort Mill, South Carolina.  

Rooms with a view

A common rationale for building a new downtown stadium is that it will spur "live, work, play" development in the area surrounding it. As regards the "live" portion of the equation, an apartment complex is set to open in downtown Lansing that will allow residents to watch Class A Lugnuts games from their balconies. The Outfield Lofts, currently under construction, are slated to open in time for Opening Day.

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The South Bend Cubs, who play with the Lugnuts in the Midwest League, may soon see similar development around their home of Four Winds Field. Earlier this month, team owner Andrew Berlin announced plans to build what the South Bend Tribune described as a "two-building, mixed-use development with apartments and shops beyond the stadium concourse in left field and center field." The paper went on to note that this project, if successful, would "finally deliver some of the spinoff development city officials predicted when they opened the stadium in 1988."

Hard Rock Hartford

Dunkin' Donuts Park, home of the Hartford Yard Goats, will open in 2016. The stadium was always touted as "the centerpiece" of a much larger downtown development project, and new detail regarding that development recently emerged. Last week, it was announced that Hard Rock International plans to open a Hard Rock Café and Hotel in the immediate area. For those keeping score at home, let it be known that this will be New England's first-ever Hard Rock Hotel.

Fayetteville? It may be so

As mentioned in previous editions of this column, Fayetteville, North Carolina is currently exploring the possibility of once again hosting a Minor League Baseball team. Earlier this month, Fayetteville city officials met with Minor League Baseball's top brass and came away with a sense of optimism.

"We consider Fayetteville a viable Minor League Baseball market and would seriously consider a return of an affiliated baseball team to the market if a new ballpark were a part of the equation," Minor League Baseball president Pat O'Conner told the Fayetteville Observer.

Everything's connected

Last month's column mentioned Amarillo's Double-A Texas League aspirations, as well as San Antonio's desire to build a new downtown stadium that would host a Triple-A team. With that being the case, is it possible that the Texas League's San Antonio Missions could move to Amarillo, thus leaving San Antonio free to pursue a Triple-A team? Yes. Yes it is.