22 JUN 08: NO GOLDEN POND
Saturday night's Columbus Catfish game was suspended by rain, and will be completed this afternoon. Several fans brought their dogs to "Bark in the Park" night - and at least the dogs wound up with free water.
After months of speculation, it's now official - the Catfish will leave Columbus at the end of this season. The owner is moving the team to Bowling Green, Kentucky. Shouldn't a city with this name be required to get a Pro Bowlers Tour event first?
A nice new $25 million stadium is being built in Bowling Green, Kentucky for the Catfish. In fact, an online "name the team" contest already is underway. Aren't the "Kentucky Catfish" good enough for this area? Or are they looking for something along the lines of chicken?
Some of us suspected months ago that the Columbus Catfish were about to leave town. For instance, a camper-trailer has been parked outside Golden Park on the third-base side since April. [true] I have no idea who parked it there. But now I'm watching to see when the U-Haul truck will be parked next to it.
But some fans were stunned to hear the news about the Catfish moving away. One of them said on TV the other night, "Columbus is baseball!" Well, of course it is -- only Little League, high school and college games attract much bigger crowds.
City Manager Isaiah Hugley assured WRBL a number of minor league teams already have expressed interest in moving to Columbus, and replacing the Catfish. He apparently did NOT say which ones. If any of them are currently in the Pacific Coast League, I'd be very skeptical.
Columbus's biggest baseball blogger "Basil" notes a new minor league plans to start play next year - the Atlantic Coast League. But I'm not sure we want to be involved with that. I've heard of too many athletes developing A.C.L. problems....
. Attendance has been the biggest problem for Columbus minor league baseball in recent years. Friday night's game with fireworks attracted 1,630 fans. But "Thirsty Thursday" with one-dollar beer only brought out 1,097 -- and since I was at poker night across the street, I can tell you the tables were NOT that crowded.
We noted last September that the turnout at Golden Park was lousy, even as the Columbus Catfish raced to a South Atlantic League championship. The ballpark has an 82-year history. But when it doesn't have the fan support of Fenway Park or Wrigley Field, it may stop being "historic" - and simply become old.
I'll dare to ask it: should Columbus do what Bowling Green is doing? Is it time to build a new baseball stadium -- on the north side of town, in the J.R. Allen Parkway area? That may be where the fans are, around Northern Little League and Shaw High School. For many of them, South Commons has become downright uncommon.
A good place for a new baseball stadium could be around one of the big retail developments. My home town of Kansas City, Kansas has developed a popular minor league team in recent years, in an area with all kinds of shopping and restaurants. But then again, it has something else Columbus lacks - a big NASCAR track.
Of course, Columbus city officials might not want to bring up this idea right now. They're having enough trouble persuading voters to back the one-percent sales tax question. If the people are reluctant to approve safe streets, a place for baseball players to be safe at home could be impossible....
Speaking of baseball, how about those Bulldogs! Georgia advanced to the College World Series finals Saturday, by stopping Stanford 10-8. It could be an all-Bulldog final series, should Fresno State beat North Carolina today -- although part of me suspects Fresno's dogs only nibble on California lettuce and raisins.
>> Our poker adventures now have a blog of their own. Visit the all-new "On the Flop!" <<
BLOG UPDATE: So whatever happened to Hurtsboro? A public hearing on revoking the city's charter was supposed to take place Monday - but now it's been delayed until 21 July. In Hollywood, they call this sort of thing a "slow dissolve."
The supporters of eliminating Hurtsboro announced the delay at a Friday news conference. That group has hired Tommy Worthy as its attorney - so apparently members consider him more Worthy than the city's current mayor.
The Friday event may have marked Robert Schweiger's first public appearance since losing the primary election for Russell County Commissioner. The lame-duck constable actually told WRBL things in Hurtsboro "are getting better." Why do I suspect the election made his e-mails to us stop in recent months - not the good news?
Skeptics might say Robert Schweiger dreamed of a back-door coup -- trying to get the city government of Hurtsboro dissolved, so he could then oversee it as county commissioner. But it now appears he'll be without an office come January. And he still hasn't endorsed anyone in the Democratic runoff, in hopes of getting a paving contract or two.
Some people in Hurtsboro say dissolving the town is NOT the answer to its problems. Gregory Smith told the evening news the local citizens must resolve Hurtsboro's issues, not Russell County. Trouble is, the citizens elected to resolve those problems have been busy working out of town....
Let's see what else has come to mind this weekend....
+ Saturday's high temperature in Columbus was 90 degrees F. So in the evening, I turned on my air conditioner for the first time in four days. If you want Cape Cod weather in June all the time, you'll simply have to move there.
+ Thunderstorms knocked down limbs in parts of Russell County. But on Friday afternoon with a sunny sky, a sudden swirl of wind ripped part of the roof off a Fort Mitchell house. OK, which smart aleck drove by with the Oreck vacuum cleaner?
+ Columbus Police reported a drunk driver crashed his car through a door of the Warm Springs Road fire station. At least EMS technicians were on duty, to make sure the cause wasn't diabetes.
+ NorthStar Community Church went to a Phenix City Chevron station, and pumped gas for two hours at 25 cents off the usual price. Church members can expect a series of messages on stewardship in a few weeks....
(Cascade Hills Pastor Bill Purvis tells stories of how he used to drive down Interstate 185 late at night with filled gas cans. He's stop at a car along the roadside, offer free fuel -- then try to convert the driver. And this was the era before that sort of "conversion" meant buying a hybrid car.)
+ The Space Science Center on Front Avenue marked its 12th anniversary, with a visit by former astronaut Story Musgrave. He was the first astronaut to drink Coca-Cola in space - which finally explains why the center doesn't have Tang anywhere in its name.
+ Davis Broadcasting held its annual "Family Day in the Park" at Cooper Creek Park. Police say there were hardly any incidents this year - which could mean several more Peachtree Mall shops are about to close.
+ A tree company showed up at Toomer's Corner at Auburn to do work on the oak trees. A horticulture expert explained the trees have been "under stress" in recent years - which means they have something in common with Auburn's new baseball coach.
(So what are Auburn University students supposed to do, to protect the trees at Toomer's Corner? Will they be limited to single-ply toilet paper this fall?)
+ Instant Message to Wane Hailes: What's this rant about in your latest issue of The Courier - expressing frustration with people not showing up to work on time for the "Brother Man?" Does this have anything to do with the fact that Kirsten Barnes has disappeared from the Editor's title?
BURKARD'S BEST BETS: Gas for $3.90 a gallon at Dolly Madison on Victory Drive.... the blueberry pancakes at Ryan's weekend breakfast buffet.... and loitering enforcement increasing around the RiverCenter, as Miss Georgia week begins....
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