The problems with our baseball program have been rehashed ad nauseam. High on the list of problems are the stadium and lack of fan support, which are certainly interrelated.
In some places (Nebraska comes quickly to mind, along with Springfield Teachers College), the program has benefited from a new stadium built to share with a minor league professional club.
Columbia now has a permanent population well in excess of 100,000 people. Couldn't Central Missouri support an A League team? It would seem that the Royals, the Cardinals, or a joint venture could stock such a team. Future stars such as Bubba Starling, e.g. would be on display just a couple hours from KC and SL, as well as right there for the good folks in the middle of the state.
A new stadium a la Haymarket in Lincoln or Hammonds in Springfield could do wonders for the program. The entire expense would not fall solely on the Mizzou AD, and the facility would be used for far more than just the Mizzou season.
I apologize (a bit) if this has been thoroughly discussed before, but it may bear revisiting.
In some places (Nebraska comes quickly to mind, along with Springfield Teachers College), the program has benefited from a new stadium built to share with a minor league professional club.
Columbia now has a permanent population well in excess of 100,000 people. Couldn't Central Missouri support an A League team? It would seem that the Royals, the Cardinals, or a joint venture could stock such a team. Future stars such as Bubba Starling, e.g. would be on display just a couple hours from KC and SL, as well as right there for the good folks in the middle of the state.
A new stadium a la Haymarket in Lincoln or Hammonds in Springfield could do wonders for the program. The entire expense would not fall solely on the Mizzou AD, and the facility would be used for far more than just the Mizzou season.
I apologize (a bit) if this has been thoroughly discussed before, but it may bear revisiting.
