Foul ball: Future of minor league baseball in Rio Grande Valley is uncertain

Minor league baseball in the Rio Grande Valley will become a thing of the past soon unless the Edinburg Coyotes and Harlingen WhiteWings are sold in short order.

For the teams to take the field in 2009 with their current league — or any other league, for that matter — they must be bought within the next month, said Brad Wendt, chief executive officer of United Sports Equities, the company that owns United League Baseball and the teams that play in it.

Last week, United Sports Equities filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to reorganize debts totaling $264,494. Part of the plan to restructure those debts is the selling off of all six ULB franchises, the rights to the prospective Brownsville Charros team and the league itself.

Wendt estimated the cost for a minor league team such as the Coyotes would be about $1 million, plus an additional $1 million franchise fee to join a new league.

"I would say we have to have a meeting of the minds within the next 30 days with a potential purchaser" for the Coyotes to avoid missing the 2009 season, Wendt said. Otherwise, the next window to shoot for would be the 2010 season.

Meanwhile, Edinburg city officials are under the impression the 2009 season will include the Edinburg Coyotes.

The Coyotes, who drew just over 2,000 fans per game last season — the third-highest attendance in the league — have a 10-year lease with the city for the use of Edinburg Baseball Stadium. The lease is for $25,000 per month and runs four months per year from May through August. That lease would be transferred from United Sports Equities to whoever buys the Coyotes.

The city is not included among the creditors listed with United Sports Equities' bankruptcy notice.

And at this point, the city hasn't received any communication that the team's 2009 season might be scrapped or that the lease revenue might not be coming.

"Right now it's business as usual for us until we hear different," said Irma Garza, the city's public information director.

"We haven't received any type of formal notification from anybody. So until we hear different, we're going to assume that we are going to have a season come May and that they're going to be here, and hopefully that's the case."

That hope also exists in Harlingen with respect to the WhiteWings. But United Sports Equities' relationship with the city of Harlingen is a bit more frayed than the company's relationship with Edinburg.

In the company's bankruptcy filing, Harlingen is listed as a creditor for $22,000, though the claim is disputed. A missed payment in December prompted the city to change the locks on the WhiteWings' home stadium, Harlingen Field.

Harlingen City Manager Craig Lonon was hopeful the city would get its money, regardless of who owns the WhiteWings or the ULB.

"We encouraged the baseball. We would love for the baseball to continue at that field," Lonon said. "We look forward to future opportunities. We'll just have to wait and see."

What seems apparent is that the debut of the Brownsville Charros will have to wait until at least 2010. Though Wendt said there has already been interest in that franchise, along with the other six teams and the league itself, finding a home stadium for the team would be a challenge.

Wendt didn't specify who showed interest in the team.

In November, the city stopped financing a ballpark project the ULB had initially funded. Wendt blamed the slowing economy for the organization's inability to get loans to build the facility.

"We welcome them if they want to invest their own money, which we'll support in any way," Brownsville Mayor Pat Ahumada said. "But to ask taxpayers to invest in a venture that is risky and is not for the benefit of the taxpayers — but for a very select few involved in this kind of venture — I just don't see it happening.

"Minor league baseball for the 2009 season ... I don't see it happening."

Brian Sandalow covers the Edinburg Coyotes for Valley Freedom Newspapers. You can reach him at (956) 683-4436.