Wichita Wranglers president says move is nearly official

Friday, August 4th 2006, 9:59 am

By: News On 6

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) _ Wichita Wranglers president Jonathan Dandes says a few lawyers' signatures are all that is holding up an announcement about moving the Double-A baseball team to fast-growing Springdale in northwest Arkansas.

But Springdale Mayor Jerre Van Hoose said an important issue remains to be resolved _ who controls a new stadium when it's not baseball season.

The Wranglers, a farm team for the Kansas City Royals, are negotiating with officials in Springdale, where voters last month approved a bond issue to build a 6,000-seat stadium for a minor-league team.

Van Hoose said Thursday that the Wranglers want control of the stadium year-round and deleted language from a letter of intent that would have given Springdale control in the off-season.

``That has to be in there,'' Van Hoose said. ``It's got to be put back.''

Comments faxed by Van Hoose to Dandes said leaving out city control in the off-season could cause bond lawyers to decide the stadium was being built solely for use by a private enterprise. That could cost the bonds their tax-exempt status, Van Hoose's note said.

A copy of the draft letter-of-intent and Van Hoose's notes to Dandes were obtained by The Morning News at Springdale through a request under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act.

Dandes, also the president of Rich Baseball of Buffalo, N.Y., said the Wranglers have been a financial drain for most of their 18 years. But he said the company wants to maintain its ownership of the highly successful National Baseball Congress, which is holding its annual World Series at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.

``We're trying to do the best for everyone concerned,'' Dandes told The Wichita Eagle by telephone from Buffalo. ``We want to create some win-win situations.''

Dandes and Wichita City Council member Paul Gray said talks are under way about how to keep the NBC in Wichita. There also is talk about attracting a team from an independent league to fill spring and summer dates at Lawrence-Dumont.

Dandes said he would recommend luring a team from the Northern League, which has a club in Kansas City, Kan.

``In my opinion, that's a very good brand of baseball,'' Dandes said. ``And it requires less of an investment, less operating costs and less attendance.''

Neither Dandes nor Gray anticipated a problem with the city's lease agreement with Rich Baseball, which runs through 2009.

Dandes said Thursday he hopes the Wranglers can play the 2007 season at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium before moving to Springdale. But if the team can find a place to play its Texas League schedule next year, Dandes said he would be open to having the team leave after this season.

``We're looking for a win-win situation that would keep the NBC here and bring in an independent league team that we think would be a better product for our market,'' Gray said. ``As we all know, the Wranglers and the Texas League have had a tough time taking hold here in recent years.''

Dandes said the popularity of the Wichita State Shockers was hard for the Wranglers to overcome.

``If we only had played Shocker baseball,'' Dandes said. ``More power to them _ they do a nice job.''