Above: Atlantic League executive director Joe Klein, Southern Maryland general manager Keith Lupton, York manager Andy Etchebarren, ODP vice president Hugh Schindel during Etchebarren’s recent visit to Frederick.
York manager Andy Etchebarren spoke in Frederick, Md., last week. The talk, hosted by Frederick’s Rotary Club, was centered on the possibility of an Atlantic League team coming to Frederick.
An ownership group, led by Reston, Va., attorney John “Jack” Lavoie submitted a proposal for a long-term lease at Harry Grove Stadium on April 15. Backed by York’s ownership group Opening Day Partners, Lavoie would like to place an Atlantic League team in Frederick for the 2012 season. The Frederick Keys currently play in the stadium, and the Keys also submitted a proposal. The Keys are the Baltimore Orioles’ Class A affiliate in the Carolina League. The Keys have operated at the stadium after signing several short-term leases. The city of Frederick wants a longer commitment from the team leasing the stadium. The city may be able to maximize its lease by turning to the Atlantic League.
No timetable has been established for a decision, but the hope is a decision could be announced in the next 30 to 90 days.
York Daily Record/Sunday News Sportswriter Jim Seip has covered minor league baseball since 2001. He's covered the York Revolution since the franchise's first game in 2007.
“Atlantic teams normally play a 140-game schedule, but one team drew so poorly last year that it will play all of its games on the road this season. The other teams will play 72 home games.”
Have to love things presented as concrete fact that are blatently un-true. It’s obvious the media in Fredrick is in the tank for the Keys, ignorning the superb work the Atlantic League has done to bring real minor league baseball to markets like York and Lancaster that have been blacklisted by MiLB. The homerism by the media in Frederick makes Harry Caray look like Walter Cronkite.
For anyone new to the league, the Newark Bears did not become the Road Warriors. They moved to the shorter season Can-Am Association, with lower overhead costs. Yes they were last in the Atlantic League in attendance last year, but that is hardly indicitive of the league falling on hard times or not being legitimate. Someone has to be in last, and the Can-Am just made more sense for that franchise.