The Orange County Flyers are taking a one-year hiatus from the diamond to work on plans to renovate a downtown Fullerton ballpark now that the independent minor-league baseball team’s lease has expired at California State University, Fullerton.
The team’s ownership, a 25-member limited liability corporation, plans to spend the coming months raising money and deciding where to play, according to Alan Mintz, president and chairman.
“We’re not going to have the benefit of any revenue for 2011, but our group of investors has been very committed, dedicated and loyal,” he said. “My guess is that everybody will come up with a little more money.”
The hiatus comes three months after the Fullerton City Council unanimously approved an exclusive negotiating pact with the Flyers to develop Amerige Park in the city’s downtown. The park has a stadium and fields used for youth baseball and youth soccer.
The plan is to modernize the stadium, expand capacity to 4,500 and build adjacent commercial properties to generate revenue and defray construction expenses.
Private funding would finance the plan, which could cost $20 million to $30 million, said Bob Young, a Flyers partner and the team’s point person for the project.
“We want to stay in the Fullerton area, preferably,” Mintz said. “We look at the opportunity with Amerige Park as something that would be mutually beneficial for us, the community and our investors.”
Hiatus
The Flyers had planned to play this year at Amerige Park, which would have been fitted with temporary locker rooms and restrooms. But the city could not resolve scheduling conflicts with the Fullerton Pony Baseball league in time, Mintz said.
The decision to skip this season comes five months after the Golden League, where the Flyers have played since their inception in 2005, combined with two other independent leagues to form the North American League.
The new league will begin play this summer with nine teams, including four from the Golden League and squads from Texas, Illinois, Hawaii, Arizona and the Canadian province of Alberta.
The Flyers had applied for a one-year hiatus with the league in case the lease to play at Cal State Fullerton’s Goodwin Field would not be renewed, Mintz said on the team’s website.
The Flyers plan to maintain their telephone banks and website during the hiatus, according to Mintz.
Response to the decision to skip a season was strong, he said.
“I am shocked at the disappointment in the reaction, and the amount of calls we got from sponsors, corporate users, Little Leagues and so forth,” Mintz said. “It turns out that there’s a little base of core fans. I would say I was pleasantly surprised by the disappointment voiced.”
The Flyers averaged 800 to 900 fans a game at 3,500-seat Goodwin Field last season. The team has lost $2 million since Mintz’s group purchased it in 2007.
Cal State Fullerton helped the club cut expenses by offering reduced rent and not charging for the use of locker rooms and batting cages, or for holding practices and promotional events at Goodwin Field.
The university normally charges $11,095 a game to rent Goodwin Field.
The Flyers paid $3,375, which included field maintenance and preparation, electrical and sanitation costs, custodial care, an event manager and security.
Financial Hurdles
The relatively slow economy appears to be a hurdle for the Amerige Park project, Mintz said.
“We got three or four calls from developers as soon as the announcement was made,” Mintz said. “We got one call referred to us of developers who had some interest in developing hotels, condos and restaurants. But right now, it’s just very tough to get any financing done.”
Fullerton’s Interim City Manager Joe Felz said he remains optimistic.
“Discussions have been a bit delayed but it’s not like there have been big milestones to hit right now,” Felz said.
Mintz expressed confidence that the Flyers will play again, whether in Fullerton or elsewhere.
“The Flyers will be around in 2012, somewhere,” he said. “I would say it’s 75% it’ll be in Fullerton at either Amerige Park or Cal State. But we are keeping our eyes open for some other options, be they short term or long term.”
Those options include Long Beach, Palm Springs and Mission Viejo’s Saddleback College.
“What role Amerige Park will play will determine our capital needs,” Mintz said. “I think that given enough time, we’ll be able to position (the Flyers) so we’ll be ready to play in 2012.”
D’Hippolito is a freelance sports writer who lives in Fullerton.
