By Geoff Wilson
December 16, 2002

NASHVILLE—Technically, there hasn't been a lot going on during the minor league portion of baseball's Winter Meetings. But there have been things on owners', presidents' and general managers' minds even if they weren't being discussed much publicly.

Such situations exist in both the Southern and South Atlantic leagues. In the SL, the Orlando franchise is essentially up for sale to the highest bidder, with its destination all but assured to be Montgomery, Ala., for the 2004 season.

And in the SAL, the new Lake County franchise is approved for play in the league only for 2003, with a Minor League Baseball-mandated move to the Midwest League possible in 2004. The Sally League's sprawling geography has become something of a running joke in the industry--a speaker referred to it as the North American South Atlantic League at Sunday's awards luncheon--so there is sentiment to perform a few alternations.

Southern League president Don Mincher said after his league's executive meeting that the possible sale and moving of the Orlando franchise—owned by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and currently a Rays affiliate—has been informally discussed.

"We discussed the situation in Orlando and in Montgomery, but before we can really comment on it, we've got to have the paperwork submitted," he said. While the city of Montgomery approved money for construction of a new downtown ballpark in early December, Mincher said a potential owner still hasn't been established.

There have been at least four candidates for ownership in Montgomery mentioned, but the Montgomery Advertiser reported in its Sunday editions that Tom Dickson and Sherrie Myers will be the new owners. Dickson and Myers also own the Lansing Lugnuts (Midwest) and the Charleston Alley Cats (South Atlantic).

Mincher said the franchise relocation process brings a lot of red tape to sort through, and that process has still not begun. Whoever the owner ends up being, "they've still got a whole lot of paperwork to go through," Mincher said.

In the South Atlantic League, Lake County—based in Eastlake, Ohio, after moving from Columbus, Ga.—is gearing up for its inaugural season with the likelihood it will be the Captains' only season in the league.

"According to all I've heard, the official notification by the National Association (of the SAL membership) was approved only for the 2003 season," Lake County general manager Mike Edwards said. "By the historic and geographic market, Eastlake should be a Midwest League franchise."

Midwest League president George Spelius said his league would welcome the franchise. "As I understand it, Minor League Baseball would prefer to have the Midwest League in Eastlake," he said.

Like the SAL, the MWL hasn't discussed the potential of franchise swaps or realignment, simply because they haven't been forced to yet.

"It will become a discussion when it's thrown to us (by Minor League Baseball)," Spelius said. "What I think should happen—and I don't know how it could—is that we could become a 16-team league, which would make it much easier for scheduling purposes, among other things."

The primary problem, though, is that the Indians—who will likely stay affiliated with Lake County since Eastlake is a Cleveland suburb—have expressed a preference to stay in the SAL.

"They're happy in the South Atlantic League, and they've had that position from the beginning of the relocation process," Edwards said. "From a player-development philosophy, they feel it's a better fit."

To thicken the plot, the SAL has awarded Lake County its 2006 all-star game. Stay tuned.

QUICK HITS

• The South Atlantic League approved the sale of the Hagerstown Suns to Mandalay Sports Entertainment, which made an unsolicited offer to owner Andrew Rayburn last week. The sale still must be approved by Minor League Baseball and Major League Baseball, which won't happen at these meetings. The league also awarded its 2005 all-star game to Augusta. Mandalay might be interested in moving the franchise to a new ballpark to be built in Evansville, Ind., but an SAL source said that did not come up in discussions about the Suns.

• International League president Randy Mobley said the television package he would like to put together for both Triple-A leagues is still a dormant issue. The IL and Pacific Coast League had been close to a deal with CNN/Sports Illustrated at least year's Winter Meetings in Boston, but the network ceased broadcasting last spring.

• New Durham (International) general manager Mike Birling was attending his first function since being named Bulls GM earlier in the week. At 30, Birling is the youngest GM at the Triple-A level.

• The Appalachian League will likely add a Royals affiliate for the 2003 season, though the final approval may not be hammered out until the end of the meetings. The traveling squad—perhaps to be known as the East Tennessee Royals—would be based in the Tri-City area on the Tennessee-Virginia border.

• Everything except final approval from Major League Baseball has been done on the Pioneer League's Medicine Hat franchise, which will move to Helena, Mont., when the season begins in June. Pioneer League president Jim McCurdy said he doesn't expect any roadblocks after the team signed a two-year lease in Helena in November.

• Mike Fitzpatrick was named executive director of the Professional Baseball Umpire Corporation Saturday. Fitzpatrick's promotion will take effect Jan. 1.

• The 2003 Winter Meetings will be in New Orleans.