muckdogs

The prospect of keeping professional baseball at Dwyer Stadium is looking brighter after the Batavia City Council unanimously passed a resolution authorizing the assignment of the Dwyer Stadium lease to the New York-Penn League and its wholly owned subsidiary, Batavia Muckdogs Inc.

The NY-P has decided to step in and run the Short Season Class A team, which had been operated by the Rochester Red Wings for the past decade. The league ended the agreement between Rochester and the Genesee County Baseball Club Inc., in November.

“We had several conversations (with NY-P officials) in late fall, and they expressed a desire to stay in Batavia for 2018,” City Attorney George Van Nest said at tonight’s meeting at City Centre Council Chambers.

Van Nest said the issue of extending the lease and sublease is time sensitive since the NY-P hopes to begin assessing Dwyer Stadium later this month. He said the all terms of the current lease will remain the same – removing the GCBC from the lease -- and the extension will be in force through April 2019.

Councilwoman Rose Mary Christian noted that the Red Wings “removed their equipment,” inferring there could be additional City expense above and beyond the $25,000 it contributes to the stadium on an annual basis.

Van Nest said NY-P officials talked about improvements to the facility.

It also is believed that pre-existing agreements for local high schools to use Dwyer Stadium will continue. It is unclear if the NY-P will supply its own staff or use local employees, including longtime groundskeeper Don Rock, who attended tonight’s meeting.

In other action, Council:

-- Agreed to consider leasing three City-owned City Centre Mall parcels (known as the Dent property) to the Batavia Players theater troupe, but expressed concerns about the rent schedule, square footage and the ability to sell the parcels if desired.

Christian questioned Patrick Burk, Batavia Players president, about the number of employees, wages, volunteers and hours invested into their productions. Burk said there are 15 to 20 part-time employees throughout the year at their current location of 56 Harvester Ave., some who receive stipends that pay them “more than minimum wage in some cases.”

But Christian said she had a “problem with leasing any parts of the mall.”

“I want to totally get out of the mall,” she said. “I have a problem with nonprofits not paying property taxes.”

The lease agreement calls for monthly rent charges of $747.92 for months one through six ($1 per square foot), $1,223.86 for months seven through 12 ($3 per square foot), and $2,991.66 for months 13 through 60 ($4 per square foot). It also allows the City to sell the property, with 180 days’ notice. By multiplying the initial rent times 12, that comes to 8,975 square feet that the City would be leasing to the Batavia Players.

Councilman Robert Bialkowski said he found a discrepancy in the square footage, and asked if the City would end up subsidizing part of the maintenance fees.

Van Nest said he and Interim City Manager Matt Worth would look into the fees and square footage and provide that information to Council prior to the Feb. 12 Business meeting.

Council members John Canale and Patti Pacino spoke on behalf of Batavia Players, with Canale calling the organization “a pillar of the community” that would draw much activity to downtown.

“Plus, with the DRI (Downtown Revitalization Initiative award that the City received), part of it is to get the arts to the downtown area,” he said.

Burk said the Batavia Players are seeking more than $500,000 from the City's $10 million DRI award to fund most of the organization's relocation project.

Pacino urged her colleagues to “please put feet on the street downtown” by leasing space to Batavia Players.

In the end, Council voted to move the proposal to the Feb. 12 meeting contingent upon an accurate count of the square footage to be leased.

-- Moved resolutions concerning the 2018-19 budget, water rate changes, Business Improvement District plan and City Centre concourse user fee local law amendments (see preview story below) to the Feb. 12 Business meeting.

-- Agreed to consider a contract with In Site: Architecture LLP, of Perry, to assess the deteriorating condition of the pillars at the north entrance of Redfield Parkway, and conduct design work as required related to lighting, preparation of bid documents, construction specifications, bidding coordination and construction administration at a cost of $4,860.

Worth said In Site: Architecture has an outstanding track record of historic work, and called its bid a “soup to nuts proposal.”

Earlier, Council heard from city resident John Roach, who asked that if it was possible to create a special use taxing district – likely consisting of residents on or near Redfield Parkway -- to pay for the repairs.

“The study will cost $4,800 and it may take $17,000 to fix them (the pillars),” he said. (A special taxing district) would raise money to pay for the pillars without irritating the rest of us.”

Worth and Van Nest said they will look into that.

The post-Jason Molino era for the City of Batavia gets under way tonight with City Council taking on a packed agenda that includes four budget resolutions requiring public hearings, the Redfield Parkway pillars, Healthy Schools sidewalk project, Habitat for Humanity’s proposal to build a home in the flood zone, leasing City Centre Mall space to Batavia Players and a Dwyer Stadium sub-lease with the New York-Penn League to operate the Batavia Muckdogs baseball team.

The Council’s Conference meeting, which is expected to be followed by a special business meeting to address the Dwyer Stadium issue, is scheduled for 7 o’clock at the City Centre Council Board Room.

Summaries of the planned discussions are as follows:

Budget resolutions with public hearings

Interim City Manager Matthew Worth is introducing resolutions that deal with the proposed budget ordinance, water rate changes, Business Improvement District plan and City Centre concourse user fee local law amendments. His proposal requests that these topics be acted upon at the Feb. 12 Business Meeting, with public hearings set for Feb. 26.

The 2018-19 budget calls for $5,249,947 to be raised by taxes, with previous reports indicating that the tax rate is expected to decrease by 3 percent – to $8.99 per $1,000 of assessed value. Total expenditures are $24.3 million (an increase of 1.9 percent).

Water rates will go up by 3.5 percent, with slightly higher increases in meter and capital improvement fees. There is no increase proposed for the sewer rate.

Since the BID plan has not been updated since 2005, the City proposes amendments that include a change in the district assessment charge to properly reflect operations, capital accounting for surplus funds, compliance with Open Meetings Law and Freedom of Information Law, and other budgetary compliance reporting.

The City Centre Concourse user fee proposal sets costs to Mall business owners at $2 per square foot, effective April 1, 2018 through March 31, 2021, and going up to $2.04 in 2021-22 and $2.06 in 2022-23.

Redfield Parkway pillars

City officials reached out to In Site: Architecture LLP, of Perry, to address the deteriorating condition of the pillars at the north entrance of Redfield Parkway.

The firm came back with a proposal to investigate the existing conditions, conduct design work as required related to lighting, preparation of bid documents, construction specifications, bidding coordination and construction administration at a cost of $4,860.

Council will be asked to appropriate the funds, contingent upon receiving a construction cost estimate prior to bidding the project.

Healthy Schools sidewalk project

Worth is reporting that Roman Construction Development Corp. of North Tonawanda has offered the low bid of $721,566 to complete construction of 12,300 linear feet of sideway in the City as part of the Healthy Schools Corridor Project.

Seventy-five percent of the project cost will be paid by the Federal Highway Administration and 25 percent will be paid from City sidewalk reserves and Consolidated Local Street and Highway Improvement Program (CHIPS), Worth said.

Habitat for Humanity’s proposal

Habitat for Humanity is looking to renovate and restore a home at 116 Swan St., property that was transferred by the City to the organization. However, this is the first property to be transferred that is in the 100-year flood zone, resulting in additional costs.

According to Lauren Casey, Habitat for Humanity executive director, the cost to demolish the existing structure and build a new home is $104,000, including $17,395 for engineering and architectural costs to design a flood-compliant home.

In a memo from Molino dated Jan. 11 (the day before his last day on the job), Council will be asked to cover the $17,395, utilizing some of the $48,000 remaining from the former Vibrant Batavia initiative. Molino said that the engineering/architectural information could be used for future new builds in the City.

Batavia Players lease

A lease agreement with Batavia Players Inc. to utilize three City Centre parcels for their productions calls for monthly rent charges of $747.92 for months one through six ($1 per square foot), $1,223.86 for months seven through 12 ($3 per square foot), and $2,991.66 for months 13 through 60 ($4 per square foot).

In a memo, Worth writes that relocation of the theater to the downtown area has been identified in the City’s 2012 Community Improvement Plan and 2017 Comprehensive Plan, and is under consideration in the City’s Downtown Revitalization Initiative application.

The lease agreement gives the City the right to terminate it upon 180 days’ notice and allows the City to sell the property as it sees fit.

Sublease of Dwyer Stadium to NY-P

With the Rochester Community Baseball organization (Rochester Red Wings) out of the picture, the New York-Penn League has assumed ownership of the Batavia Muckdogs.

According to Worth, the NY-P is agreeable to operating the team at Dwyer Stadium under the terms and conditions of the previous sublease to the Batavia Regional Recreation Corporation and Genesee County Baseball Club Inc. and declaration to the Rochester Community Baseball for the coming season.

Worth, in a memo dated Jan. 19, said that the league has been made aware of the proposed budget and funds that may be available for improvements and “have an understanding of these limitations.”

Press release:

It is with a powerful sense of sadness and loss, tempered by pride in our past and the hope of a faithful and resilient people for the future, that the Genesee County Baseball Club (GCBC), the nonprofit that has owned the Batavia Muckdogs of the Class A New York-Pennsylvania Professional Baseball League, announces that control of the franchise has been transferred to the New York-Penn League.

The transfer was officially approved by the GCBC's 23-person all-volunteer board.

The league is seeking a buyer for the franchise. Under terms of the transfer, the Rochester Red Wings, who have managed day-to-day operations of the club since 2008, will receive 50 percent of any sale price, and the GCBC will receive the other 50 percent, minus legal fees and the 10 percent share of sale proceeds that will be kept by the league. The name “Muckdogs” will remain property of the GCBC.

Batavia is the last of the original cities of the New York-Penn League, which was founded at a meeting in the Hotel Richmond in Batavia and began play in 1939 as the PONY (Pennsylvania-Ontario-New York) League.

The ongoing geographic expansion of the league, which now stretches from Aberdeen, Md., to Burlington, Vt., and from Staten Island to Morgantown, W.Va., has made it tremendously difficult for the smaller Upstate New York cities that once formed the heart of the league to survive. Lodging and travel costs have become prohibitive for small-market teams in the western part of New York State.

The sole remaining longtime Upstate New York franchise is in Auburn, which entered the league in 1958.

Brian Paris, president of the Genesee County Baseball Club, thanked the Rochester Red Wings:

“We are deeply grateful to the Red Wings for their absolutely pivotal role in preserving NYP League baseball in Batavia for these last 10 years — which included the franchise’s fourth league championship in 2008. Naomi Silver, Gary Larder, and the rest of the Red Wings organization are great people and have been a pleasure to work with.”

Paris also praised the Batavia fans, noting that for years, the team had annually ranked in the top half of the league in per-capita attendance.

“Batavia has a great core of fans,” he said. “Dwyer Stadium is the friendliest ballpark in America.”

He saluted the hundreds of local businesses that have supported the team over the years, noting that “in best grassroots fashion, small businesses have been the advertising backbone of this team.”

It is not yet clear where the franchise will play ball in the summer of 2018. That decision is up to the league. But Paris expressed the hope that when June 2018 rolls around, a team called the Batavia Muckdogs—whether as a member of the NYP League or perhaps a summer league for top college players--will take the field at Dwyer Stadium.

In The Batavian's attempt to interview Ben Hayes, president of the New York-Penn League, we reached out to Minor League Baseball.

A communications official with Minor League Baseball was able to get in touch with Hayes and we've just been informed that Hayes will not agree to an interview.

He said he would not comment further on the future of the team (he has made no comment to date), according to the Minor League Baseball spokesman. 

Hayes referred all questions to Brian Paris, president of the Genesee County Baseball Club, owners of the Muckdogs franchise.

The phone line for the NYPL office in St. Petersburg, Fla., will now accept phone messages so we left Hayes a message explaining that only he can state why the league won't work with the Rochester Red Wings as operators of the franchise and share his ideas for the future of the team in Batavia or elsewhere.

Last week, The Batavian broke the news that the NYPL had blocked the Red Wings from a contract extension to continue operating the team. The extension was needed because the original 10-year deal expired Oct. 31.

Meanwhile, the Muckdogs are on the 2018 NYPL schedule but there's no clear indication from the league how the team will operate in 2018.

We couldn't reach Paris tonight. 

Last week, Paris said he is working with Hayes regarding the future of the team and the 2018 season and said he had a good working relationship with Hayes but didn't have a definitive answer on the NYPL's plans.

The New York-Penn League has blocked a proposal for the Rochester Red Wings to return to Batavia in 2018 as the operators of the Batavia Muckdogs.

This past season was the end of a 10-year agreement and sources say the league said it would not approve an extension.

What that means for the future of the Batavia Muckdogs is unclear. The 2018 NYPL schedule has already been released and it includes the Muckdogs.

Brian Paris, president of the Genesee County Baseball Club, the community group that owns the team, wasn't immediately available for comment.

Naomi Silver, president, and CEO of the Red Wings confirmed this morning that the Red Wings would not operate the team in 2018. She said he had no idea what the league or the owners planned for 2018.

"We offered to stay but the league could have prevented us from operating the team 10 years ago and they allowed us to operate it for 10 years, so I can't really fault them," Silver said. 

The agreement between the Red Wings and Genesee County Baseball includes a provision that if the team is sold, the Red Wings would receive 5 percent of the proceeds for each year the organization ran the team. That agreement, Silver said, survives this decision by the league.

Silver said it was a pleasure for the Red Wings to operate the team this past decade.

"I hope things work out," Silver said. "It's a wonderful community. It's just not as well-populated a community that it has to be, to be able to support a team and so you can't fault the community."

UPDATE 10:32 a.m.: The office of the New York-Penn League is in St. Petersburg, Fla. A call to the league's phone number this morning went to voice mail for league president Ben Hayes. No messages can be left because the mailbox is full.

UPDATE 10:50 a.m.: Brian Paris said it's unclear who will operate the team in 2018, perhaps the league, but there is nothing settled. 

"We're currently working with the league to determine the outcome for the Muckdogs," Paris said. "The hope is that we'll be playing and we will have a season in 2018."

He said he has a good working relationship with the league and Ben Hayes.

"We're working with the league and we're excited about hopefully making an announcement in the near future as to the outcome," Paris said.

Asked if the league could just shut down the team, he said he doesn't know.

"I think the league is in the business of promoting baseball and they're going to do what is best for promoting baseball in the New York-Penn League," Paris said.

UPDATE:  Don Rock, the Muckdog's groundskeeper, left the following comment below:

I would like to start out by saying THANK YOU to Naomi Silver and the Rochester Redwings organization for being there for all of us the past 10 years. I have worked as the groundskeeper for the past 16 years with my 1st year in the office, for a total of 17 years and all this is a major heartbreak to me. I AM DEVASTATED, to say the least. I hope things work out because I LOVE MY JOB very much. After hearing the news, I went and sat in the grandstands and cried. I was and still am very upset. The stadium has been my life.

We've made repeated calls to the NYPL office in St. Petersburg, Fla., and have not been able to reach anybody.

After tonight's final home game of the 2017 season, we spoke with Brian Paris, president of the Genesee County Baseball Club, a community-based group that co-owns the Muckdogs with the Rochester Red Wings, for his thoughts on the season and the chances the Muckdogs will be back in Batavia for 2018.

The Muckdogs lost tonight to Auburn 6-3 in a game delayed by rain and attended by 494 fans on a night before school starts. The team is 30-44 and plays one last game in Auburn in a matchup that will determine whether the Muckdogs can avoid finishing in the cellar.

Press release:

Due to a tremendous response from the community, the Muckdogs 2017 Youth Baseball Clinic to be held on Aug. 30th is completely filled up and registration is now closed. We will accept any mailed registration forms postmarked on or before Aug. 16th.

For those who did not sign up in time, please keep an eye out for the Muckdogs’ Youth Clinic in 2018.

Press release:

The 2017 New York-Penn League All-Star roster will include three players from Batavia. They will send infielders Lazaro Alonso and Marcos Rivera and pitcher Sam Perez to the game to be held Tuesday, Aug. 15^th at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium, home of the Tri-City ValleyCats.

Alonso, an international free agent signed in 2016, has played in 36 games for the Muckdogs this year and has been one of the Muckdogs best power hitters all season. Alonso has 19 RBIs, which is tied for eighth in the NY-Penn League, to go along with a .240 batting average, five doubles and 25 walks (third in the NYPL).

Marcos Rivera was an international free agent signing by the Marlins in 2014 and has started 36 games at shortstop for the Muckdogs this season. Rivera’s 11 doubles is currently tied for second in the league and his .417 slugging percentage is inside the top 20 in the league. He is currently batting .254 with 19 runs scored, 15 extra-base hits and 18 RBIs.

Sam Perez was selected in the 5^th round of the 2016 draft out of Missouri State. The right-hander has started nine games this season and has compiled an ERA of just 1.88, which is fourth in the league for qualifying pitchers. Perez has a record of 3-1 and has racked up 33 strikeouts in 48 innings pitched.

Batavia currently holds the sixth place spot in the Pinckney Division with a record of 16-30. The Muckdogs sent four players to the 2013 All-Star game, four in 2014, six players in 2015, and two in 2016.

Press release:

Join us at Dwyer Stadium Aug. 30th for our youth baseball clinic!

Kids ages 6-14 will receive a day of on-field instruction from the Muckdogs players and coaches on Aug. 30th from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Children will learn from the pros in the areas of hitting, fielding, pitching, catching, base running and bunting.

Later that evening, campers will be able to come back to Dwyer for a private autograph signing with the team 30 minutes before the gates open (5:30 p.m.) and then be recognized on the field prior to the Muckdogs game vs. the Mahoning Valley Scrappers (Cleveland Indians affiliate).

Campers will also receive a special T-shirt not available in the team store, a clinic photo, two tickets to the Aug. 30th game, as well as lunch, all for only $40.

Registration forms are available at Dwyer Stadium and online at muckdogs.com. Space is limited and all registrations and payments must be turned in by Monday, Aug. 21st.

Press release:

Today’s game between the Batavia Muckdogs and Lowell Spinners has been canceled due to wet and unsafe field conditions. As the two teams do not meet again this season, this game will not be made up at any time during the season. Any person with tickets to today’s game can exchange their tickets for any other regular season game, subject to availability.

A fire alarm sounded at Dwyer Stadium in Batavia a few minutes ago and City Fire responded. The scene commander reported to dispatch, "Unable to locate the source of the alarm, other than the visitors' bullpen claims it's the heat they're throwing. Based on the score board, I'm not buying it." 

Batavia leads State College in 7th inning 8 to 4.

Press release:

For the second year, UR Medicine’s Wilmot Cancer Institute (WCI) will host Survivors Night on Friday, July 28 at Dwyer Stadium with the Batavia Muckdogs. Anyone who has been impacted by cancer is invited, including patients, survivors and caregivers.

The game starts at 7:05 p.m. and fireworks will follow. 

More than 15.5 million cancer survivors are living in the United States today and that number is expected to exceed 20 million by 2026. In Genesee County alone, approximately 400 people are diagnosed with cancer each year. The purpose of Survivors Night is to unite those impacted by cancer to celebrate cancer survivorship.

“Cancer is something that touches almost everyone at some point in life and Survivors Night is a way for us all to come together for a fun family night to celebrate life beyond cancer,” says Tiffany Paine-Cirrincione, associate director, Advancement and Community Events for Wilmot Cancer Institute.

“We encourage anyone in the community who is a cancer survivor or patient, or who has loved or cared for someone with cancer, to join us.”

Tickets for the game cost $4 each, and participants receive a Wilmot Warrior Walk T-shirt for each ticket purchased. They can be purchased at WCI Batavia, 262 Bank St., Batavia. Questions can be directed to Karen Soria at (585) 344-3050.

Photo by Tim Motyka, head coach of the Batavia Minor League Red Sox, which was the youth baseball team last night to take the field with the Batavia Muckdogs.

Press release:

Today’s game between the Batavia Muckdogs and Lowell Spinners has been canceled due to wet and unsafe field conditions.

As the two teams do not meet again this season, this game will not be made up at any time during the season. Any person with tickets to today’s game can exchange their tickets for any other regular season game, subject to availability.

Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul and her husband, Bill, visited Batavia last night so they could attend a Batavia Muckdogs game together. Kathy threw out the first pitch and met with players from the Marlins in the Oakfield-Alabama Little League.

Catching Kathy's first pitch was Harrison White, from Laguna Beach, Calif., and a graduate of Yale University. He's a 2017 Miami Marlin's draft pick.

More than 2,000 fans enjoyed a 3-2 Muckdogs win over the Auburn Doubledays at Dwyer Stadium in Batavia on Tuesday night and then a July 4 fireworks display after the game.

Four Batavia pitchers scattered eight hits over nine innings. Kenny Koplove (1-1), pitching one and a third innings, got the win. Starter Alejandro Mateo went four and two-thirds innings, giving up four hits and a run and getting five strikeouts. Travis Neubeck tossed two innings and picked up his first save of the season. 

Jhonny Santos had two hits. Samuel Castro and Marcos Rivera each had an RBI.

The Muckdogs are now 7-8 on the season and in fourth place, three games back in the Pinckney Division standings, behind the West Virginia Black Bears (10-5).

Batavia Muckdogs played a doubleheader this afternoon and split the wins with West Virginia, losing the first game 6-4 and winning the second game 4-1.

Muckdogs led 3-1 after the fifth inning until the eighth when the Black Bears had two men on base. Then Deon Stafford gave West Virginia a 5-4 lead and capped a three-run inning for the team. They added another run in the ninth to finish the game that was suspended yesterday.

In the second game, during the first inning both teams scored a run and remained tied. Bottom of the ninth bases loaded for Batavia, Marcos Rivera hit a walk-off three-run homer as the Batavia Muckdogs beat the West Virginia Black Bears 4-1.

Muckdogs' record improves to 4-3 and they are in a three-way tie for second place in the Pinckney Division with Mahoney and State College.

Next game is tomorrow night to finish the series with West Virginia, game time is 7:05 at Dwyer Stadium. There is a pre-game chicken wing eating contest sponsored by Batavia’s Original Pizza. Email Travis Sick at tsick@muckdogs.com before 4 p.m.

At 5:55 pm the line to get into Dwyer Stadium was out to the street and down the block. The gates to the park opened at 6 pm for the Muckdogs season opener. The fans were excited for the game and festivities to begin. I am sure they were not disappointed. 

The Auburn Doubledays scored first with a single run in the third. The Muckdogs answered that run with 4 of their own in the bottom of the 3^rd and were in control for the rest for the game. It was an action packed game with some good hits, a squeeze play and some impressive field work from this young team. The final score was Auburn 2 Batavia 8

John Kennedy Intermediate School 3^rd and 4^th graders sung the national anthem before the game with the Viet Nam War Veterans Color Guard presenting the Flag.

Western NY Skydiving put on a show by dropping in with the game ball. 

The final field preparation and practice are underway as the Batavia Muckdogs prepare for their home opener tonight against the Auburn Doubledays.Gates open at 6 p.m., game starts at 7:05.The weather for the opener looks great with a predicted 75 degrees and light wind; no rain is in the forcast.This should allow for Western NY Skydiving to parachute in with the ball for the first pitch.