Tradition is turning into an expensive pursuit in Macon, Ga., where city officials are searching for money to keep minor league baseball in town.
The Macon Braves have been Atlanta's Class A affiliate in the South Atlantic League for a decade, but now the parent club insists the city make extensive repairs to 72-year-old Luther Williams Field — or see the team relocated to Rome, Ga.
The Macon ballpark is the oldest minor league stadium still in use in the country.
"It's safe to say we've had concerns for several years about the long-term viability of Luther Williams as a professional baseball facility," said Bob Wolfe, senior vice president of administration for the Atlanta Braves.
The Braves' lease at Luther Williams Field expires after the 2002 season, and renovations would cost at least $1 million, according to city officials.
"The situation we're in right now with the Braves is that there are some very legitimate improvements that need to be made to the stadium," said Anita Ponder, president of the Macon City Council. "But I also know we don't have $1 million."
Mayor Jack Ellis sent the council a memorandum last month in which he suggested the Braves' future in Macon "is not very bright."
Speculation about a move stems from the fact that city administrators in Rome — which is about an hour northwest of Atlanta — have stated that they're working to land a team in time for the 2003 season.
Meanwhile, Macon must decide how much the Braves are worth.
Henry Ficklin, chairman of the City Council's appropriations committee, has suggested a referendum seeking a sales tax increase. However, Ficklin indicated that asking taxpayers for money to fix the stadium makes sense only if the Braves help out by sharing future concession income.
Under the current lease, the club keeps all concession revenue.
One major problem is that having the Braves in town has been costing Macon about $150,000 a year in stadium maintenance, according to the mayor's memo.
Still, Macon officials want to keep the team.
"The value of a baseball team in our town, what dollar value do you put on that?" Ellis said. "People come to the games and buy gas and other things, and that's a tax benefit to the city.
"We have a first-class baseball team, and I don't want to lose them."
Any potential referendum would be the responsibility of the Bibb County Commission, which might ask voters to approve $2 million for funding of a parks and recreation master plan — enough to upgrade Luther Williams Field and other county ballfields.