Several FLPs caught our eye this weekend as they continued to place the seemingly endless hurt on the Former Lynx Team (you remember, AAA Philadelphia?).  Howie Clark went 1-3 with a walk and run scored, Randy Ruiz 1-4 with a walk and a run, Heath Totten 3 IP scatttering 3 hits, 0 ER and 2Ks.  Most surprisingly, Eli Whiteside (Eli Whiteside?!) went 1-4 with a home run and threw out a base-runner for good measure.  Eli now calls Rochester, New York “home” and is backing up starting catcher Jose Morales for the Red Wings.

Eli was one of those players that we decided was a “good guy”.  Good guys, by definition, were players who played the game hard and who did that little extra for the fans/kids.  In August of 2006, Eli came out for the Junior Lynx clinic and spent the afternoon teaching kids the finer points of baserunning.  Howie Clark, Brian Burres and Brooks Badeaux all took time that memorable afternoon.  It’s noteworthy that Howie, Brooks and Eli were also playing that evening, so the Junior Lynx Clinic cut into their personal time.

FLC, John Russell is another one of the good guys.  The manager encouraged his players to come out to the post-game functions, and last year most of them took the advice.  Here’s a quick bit of audio from pre-season.

Thanks to Nick and Neate and everyone else who’s taken the time to send an email or link my way.  Unfortunately, no sooner does Joe Thurston make the TSN Honor Roll with the Red Sox than he’s Designated For Assignment (DFA’d) - if he clears waivers, he’s back in Pawtucket (blogger: You could find yourself in worse places, I suppose…).

FLP Eude Brito is bouncing around like a ping-pong ball.  He started the season with Washington’s AAA team (Columbus), but according to today’s New York Daily News he’s been picked up by the Mets and will report to their AA franchise (Binghamton Mets).

And finally, a report on Kane Davis who is now pitching in Syracuse for the Chiefs (Toronto).  It’s a good story, found over at Syracuse.com (part of the Post-Standard paper) and it chronicles Kane’s long baseball career:

He’s still only 32 years old, and yet this is Davis’ 16th professional baseball season. And after Pittsburgh’s Gulf Coast League rookie club in Florida followed by Welland, Augusta, Lynchburg, Carolina, Altoona, Nashville, Akron, Buffalo, Cleveland, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Colorado, Colorado Springs, the New York Mets, Norfolk, Camden, Iowa, Somerset, Ottawa and Philadelphia, the Chiefs are his 22nd professional outfit.

It includes some of his feelings about facing his former team-mates from Ottawa (for the record, he mowed ‘em down in a 2-1 Chiefs win last week).  Nice to see that he’s at peace with where he’s at, and what he’s doing -

Now, there were times when the anguish got to him, when the bitterness took over, when the angry words flowing from his mouth served him rather poorly. In fact, the Cubs dumped Davis back in ‘03 because he’d become too big of a pain in the organization’s hindquarters.

But, he insisted on Sunday’s glorious afternoon, those days are gone.

“I’m past that,” Davis said after beating the poor IronPigs, who have fallen to a hideous 2-16. “I come to the park with a smile on. I’m happy to be playing and I’m happy to be healthy. The thing is, crying isn’t going to get you to the big leagues.”

Best wishes to all three FLPs from Ottawa.

Joe, beating the tag (Photo credit: Zechariah Kiiffner)

Kane in June 2007, almost off the DL.

Eude Brito, August 2007.

Really, how much of a surprise is it to see that blog favorite Gary Burnham has made a splash in Taiwan?  Looking back at his career, all the way back to Clemson if you want, Gary’s made an impact in every city he’s played in.  News (and video) comes by way of a friend of a friend (Patrick Shanks) - I love the home run call:

Turns out, Gary was the MVP of what appeared to be the March 23 game.  Patrick nails it: Gary was a class act here, patiently waiting for the interviewer to translate what he’d said, and then responding to each question.  It’s vintage Gary, home-runs, enthusiasm, and the ever present “eye-black” - even for the night games.  Nice to see he’s digging the Taiwanese culture - and the seafood.

Gotta question the music though. GN’R?!!

There’s actually two of them today.  Reader and contest winner Nick left this as a comment on the previous post, but given the amount of work he’s put into it, it deserves a post of its own:

Here is a snapshot on how some former Lynx are doing around AAA.

Former Ottawa Lynx Batters

Tim Raines (Tucson) .333/.364/.864
Fernando Tatis (New Orleans) .255/.309/.937
Luis Terrero (Norfolk) .306/.382/.831
Chris Roberson (Norfolk) .273/.385/.748
Howie Clark (Rochester) .370/.333/.712
Danny Sandoval (Buffalo) .268/.286/.603
Joe Thurston (Pawtucket) .255/.294/.613
Henry Mateo (Toledo) .250/.264/.649
Brennan King (Lehigh Valley) .229/.269/.603
Andy Tracy (Lehigh Valley) .222/.286/.641
Bernie Castro (Scranton) .214/.254/.481
Jason Jaramillo (Lehigh Valley) .167/.186/.496

Former Ottawa Lynx Pitchers

Tony Armas (New Orleans) 0-1, 3.94 ERA
Tim Byrdak (Round Rock) 0-0, 4.05 ERA
Matt Riley (Las Vegas) 0-0, 4.05 ERA
Brian Mazone (Lehigh Valley) 1-2. 5.00 ERA
Hayden Penn (Norfolk) 1-1, 5.82 ERA
Kane Davis (Syracuse) 1-1, 3.68 ERA
J.A. Happ (Lehigh Valley) 0-2, 5.27 ERA
Gary Knotts (Lehigh Valley) 0-0, 3.12 ERA
Brian Sanches (Columbus) 0-0, 0.00 ERA
Andy Mitchell (Norfolk) 2-1, 4.91 ERA
John Ennis (Lehigh Valley) 0-1, 3.68 ERA
Heath Totten (Rochester) 0-0, 4.91 ERA

Thanks for taking the time to run those stats down for the blog, anything that makes my blogging easier is much appreciated!

Pardon the interruption, but there were some technical issues to attend to.  In the meantime, we’ve had a bit of time for other things - +24C today was certainly more than welcome.  If I get to it, I’ll have to post a before/after shot of the front yard -  it’s come a long way from March 9.

A couple of quick notes, blog favorite Joey Hammond is on the move again - promoted to the Phillies AAA team.   I’ve lost the link, but on a disappointing note, FLP Jim Rushford was released a few weeks back.

And for those of you still following the Sens post-mortem, Friends of the Lynx Erin Nicks and Neate Sager are poking through the entrails of the 2008 playoff [cough] run.

More later.

Reader Nick has picked up two tickets for the Rapids Opening Day.  A brief excerpt from the winning submission:

There was one theory that seemed to have the support of most players.  They believe that they could be cursed by Ottawa last year.  How you ask?  Well, when you play in Canada , your bat speed permanently slows down after a year there.  Sometimes the bat slows down immediately, sometimes it takes years.

Honorable mention to Nelson who pointed out that Wednesday marks “Eskimo Night” at the Lynx’s new digs.  It’s a decent enough promotion, and I have to confess that it’s nice that they don’t seem at all concerned (blogger: aware?) about the “political correctness” factor.

Well, well, well. What are you gonna do? It’s strangely gratifying to see a AAA team struggling, when by most accounts the move to the tropical paradise of the eastern continental US was in part designed to make playing the game so much easier in April and May.  Because as we know, the hitters and the pitchers both fare equally poorly in the cold - you remember all of those scoreless tie games that went into endless numbers of extra frames here don’t you?  The games where the batters couldn’t make contact, couldn’t draw a walk and the hurlers couldn’t find the plate?

So what’s the problem now?  Perhaps it’s the difficulty the human body has in adapting from a freezing cold April climate, to a cold April climate.  I put the over/under on the story that finds some way of pinning an 0-8 (whoops, down 1-0 to the Braves after 3) start on Ottawa at two days.   Starting… now.

A pair of tickets to Opening Day to the first person who finds the story, or manufactures the best yarn.

Not much time tonight for blogging, but thought I’d post these.  Taken on Tuesday [April 8] - I don’t think the team would have had any difficulty with an April 17 start.  Most of the snow would have been mechanically removed from the field weeks ago, and the stands are nearly clear now.  After yesterday’s +14C and today’s sun, I’ll bet most of the snow is gone.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Left-hander Brian Burres will be the Orioles’ fifth starter, right-hander Matt Albers will pitch in long relief and rookie right-hander Randor Bierd won a role in Baltimore’s bullpen.

“It feels good,” said Burres, whose first start will be April 6 against Seattle. “The roles are all set up and it’s nice to know where everybody stands.”

Daniel Cabrera will follow opening-day starter Jeremy Guthrie in the Orioles’ rotation, manager Dave Trembley said Friday. Cabrera will be followed by Steve Trachsel and Adam Loewen…

Trembley said his familiarity with Burres, who will be available out of the bullpen Monday and Wednesday, was a factor in his decision.

As part of an ongoing look at some of the issues still remaining, today the blog turns its attention to PPPs and the fairness component of the argument.  Now strictly speaking, Lynx Stadium was never a “Public Private Partnership” project, but it many ways it resembles one. 

Construction Financing

Lynx Stadium:  The City of Nepean and Howard Darwin.

Bell Sensplex:  Ottawa Community Ice Partners (which includes the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club, Ottawa Senators Alumni, and Morley Hoppner Group).

Ownership

Lynx Stadium:  Retained by the City.

Bell Sensplex:  Retained by the City (after 30 years).

Programming and marketing

Lynx Stadium:  Responsibility of the tenant.

Bell Sensplex:  Responsibility of the tenant.

Bumps in the road.

But here’s where their paths diverge - how the City dealt with the “debts” for each.  As part of the initial agreement between the City and Howard Darwin that saw Lynx Stadium constructed, Mr. Darwin was required to put up roughly $4.5 million of the estimated $17 million cost.  When the team was sold to Ray Pecor in 2000, a good chunk of that debt remained and it was transferred to Ray Pecor. 

In 2007, less than three years after it opened, the Bell Sensplex ran into financial difficulty and the City extended a lifeline in the form of a $1.4 million bailout.  This on top of the $250,000 pumped into the complex each year for thirty years.  The situation at a second PPP, the Ray Friel Centre, was worse.  In that instance, the management company (the PPP partner) is purported to have underestimated its operating costs while overestimating revenue at the same time.  As a result (surprise!), it claimed it couldn’t make a profit and planned to terminate their agreement with the City.  The bottom line result for the City?  $1.4M more for the Sensplex (with an exposure for the entire construction cost of approximately $25M) and $12M more for the Ray Friel Centre debt.

Fairness

Here’s where I take issue with the City.  Both PPPs were bailed out - I don’t think anyone would argue that point.  In the case of the Sensplex, it may be just the beginning of the bailouts, and not everyone on Council is happy about it -

Coun. Alex Cullen opposed the bailout, arguing that the city should take over and run the facility like community centres and hockey rinks built in the past.

“We owned them, we operated them,” he said. “And one of the reasons why we do so is to ensure, first of all, that we can provide the services that our public wants and that we are not in the business of generating a profit for our shareholders.” 1

“They have already drawn a million dollars out of the operating reserve. This after we guaranteed the construction of the facility through the municipal capital facilities agreement. We waived property taxes. We contribute toward their operating reserve. And we’re a guaranteed client for 2,400 hours of ice time a year. And they can’t make ends meet?” 2

                                                            [Councillor Alex Cullen]

And in the Lynx case?  You need to cast your mind back to 2000 and the amalgamation process.  As part of the agreement that brought the 12 regional municipalities together “(b)  all the assets and liabilities of the old municipalities on December 31, 2000, including all rights, interests, approvals, status, registrations, entitlements and contractual benefits and obligations, become assets and liabilities of the city on January 1, 2001, without compensation.  1999, c. 14, Sched. E, s. 5 (3).” 3.  So the initial construction costs owed by Ottawa ceased to exist.  To its credit, the City did negotiate a new operating agreement with Mr. Pecor when he took over the team, but did they disclose to him that they were about to unburden themselves of their debt to the City of Nepean - without compensation, while forcing him to continue to carry his share?  Not likely.  And while there was nothing compelling them to extend the same debt forgiveness to Mr. Pecor, one might think that the financial status of the Stadium and their own guiding principles could have been viewed as mitigating factors -

“Basically, I think the city has broken their own rules,” he said.
The stadium has been nothing but a good deal for the city, in his opinion.

“This ball park cost the city $16 million. When I left here, the city had received $17,600,000 in revenues generated from this park. From my point of view, the ballpark paid for itself … and it helped this street (Coventry Road) develop,” he said. 4

                                                   [Howard Darwin]

“It cost the city $16,900,000 to build, and it was paid off in 2001 thanks to revenue streams from sources such as major corporate sponsors, the 32 box suites, parking, attendance, the naming rights ($5 million over five years when it was Jetform Stadium until that deal ended), the larcenous $500,000 a year in rent the city was charging Darwin.” 5

[Earl McRae]

Remember:  “(The City is) not in the business of generating a profit for our shareholders.”  But if the Stadium has been paid off, isn’t the last unforgiven share of the debt actually a winfall for the City?  And more importantly, in my view anyway, why has the City shown a willingness to let everyone off the hook (i.e. The Sensplex, The Ray Friel Centre, themselves) except Ray Pecor?

More to come.

Footnotes:

1 - CBC Ottawa, April 26, 2007

2 - Daily Commercial News and Construction Record.

3 - City of Ottawa Act, 1999

4 - The Ottawa Sun, July 15, 2007

5 - The Ottawa Sun, August 25, 2006