Once Cal Ripken is inducted to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., this summer, he may have a trail of minor league ballclubs from his hometown in Aberdeen to the little village at the source of the Susquehanna River.
Ripken is reportedly looking to buy a second club along the winding Susquehanna as one of four bidders for the Harrisburg (Pa.) Senators, a Double-A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. This purchase would be the Ripken?s second since announcing an ambitious plan to buy 10 minor league clubs over 10 seasons.
“I would say it is a step in that direction,” said John Maroon, whose public relations firm, Maroon PR, works with Ripken Baseball. “That being said, that was a very aggressive goal that Ripken Baseball set out, but they?re not going to make bad investments to meet that number.”
Maroon said this investment would have no effect on the potential that Ripken couldone day own a major league club.
Should Ripken?s bid be accepted, he would own clubs in the Eastern, South-Atlantic and New York-Penn leagues.
Ripken bought the New York-Penn League Utica BlueSox in early 2002, moved them to his hometown of Aberdeen and renamed them the IronBirds. In 2005, Ripken bought the Augusta GreenJackets, a San Francisco Giants affiliate. The GreenJackets play in the Single-A South Atlantic League, where the Delmarva Shorebirds, an Orioles? affiliate, also compete.
The Senators play in the same Eastern League as the Orioles? Double-A Bowie Baysox. Owners are not allowed to own more than one club in the same league. So the hopes of Ripken someday buying all of the Orioles? minor league affiliates are becoming more unlikely by the season.
The Senators hope to finalize a deal by October, according to an Associated Press report. Ripken?s first item of business, like it was in Augusta, might be to refurbish the team?s current ballpark. The Senators play in 20-year old Commerce Bank Park, a 6,300-seat ballpark located on an island in the middle of the Susquehanna River. Its location is notorious for flooding issues.
“The important thing that Harrisburg has is a rich tradition of baseball and a very loyal fan base,” Maroon said. “Ballparks are fixable.”
