Herd Baseball

[oldeherd]

It didn't get a lot of coverage, but the Herd baseball team was in Morganhole for a couple of games this past week end. This was part of their fall exhibition season.

Herd lost 1-0 on Friday but won Saturday, something like 10-2 or 12-2. Just amazing to me with our small, tight budgets, sub par facilities, etc., how we can still be competitive with the mighty EERS and their 20-25 million stadium!! Best of luck to coach Wags and Herd baseballers in the 2016 season.

 

[Surbadger]

Can someone please explain to me how they afforded this stadium?

 

[The Real SamC]

Can someone please explain to me how they afforded this stadium?

They didn't. You did. 100% taxpayer money from your pocket.

Now, there was a lot of subterfuge, and the Spamies will argue until blue in the face that that isn't true, but it is. It was paid for by the taxpayers of the state of West Virginia, 100%. $25M less for roads, schools, police, whatever.

 

[Surbadger]

And did MU get anything out of this? If not, that is absolute garbage

 

[ggmike1992]

Love me some college baseball.

 

[jocktalker]

Can someone please explain to me how they afforded this stadium?

If you are really interested in how this project was financed, do yourself a favor and research TIF (Tax Increment Finance) District projects in the State of West Virginia.

It's fairly complicated and some counties have done it better than others. Basically, the County Commission requests the WV Legislature agree to designate an area as a TIF District. Projects are built and the tax revenue generated is used to pay off the development of projects.

Ohio County used the TIF District to lure Cabella's to the Wheeling area. Harrison County used the TIF to create the business park development in Bridgeport. Marion County used a partial TIF to help construct the High Tech Corridor along I-79 and the business park there.

Kanawha County plans a TIF district and Marshall AD Mike Hamrick has had discussions with WVU regarding their use of the TIF in Morgantown. Although the Monongalia County baseball park was built first, that TIF has a new Mariott hotel and two new office buildings under construction and several restaurants and retail shopping strip malls being built.

I'm not going to argue whether TIF Districts make economic sense for every county or municipality but to say that the WVU baseball park is 100 per cent funded by taxpayers is inaccurate.

http://www.revenue.wv.gov/Documents/tifhandbook.pdf

 

[Surbadger]

So what has Cabell county decided to use teir TIF district for?

 

[jocktalker]

So what has Cabell county decided to use teir TIF district for?

HADCO has a new EDA director but to my knowledge, Cabell County hasn't requested a TIF District to date but I really don't know the specifics for Cabell.

Needless to say, Huntington/Cabell/Marshall have the same ability to do what WVU and Mon County have done.

 

[wallyw]

I would like to see Huntington have a nice ballpark for MU and a minor league team. I have heard Hamrick was looking into the same thing Luck did. It's easy to sit around and whine about mean old Oliver Luck and WVU sticking the WV taxpayer. At least get your story straight before you starting bitching.

 

[oldeherd]

HADCO has a new EDA director but to my knowledge, Cabell County hasn't requested a TIF District to date but I really don't know the specifics for Cabell.

Needless to say, Huntington/Cabell/Marshall have the same ability to do what WVU and Mon County have done.

Correct jocktalker. I believe MU and Mike Hamrick may have had very early talks with the city, particularly Mayor Williams, on the possibility of this kind of funding apparatus for a new baseball stadium for the city and MU. Of course, MH's primary concern has been finishing the construction and financing of the IPF, Cline Complex, and Hoops soccer complex. Hopefully, with the naming of a new MU president right around the corner, and with the hope of an uptick in the economy in the next year or so, perhaps more concrete plans for a baseball complex by MU and the city will be forthcoming in the next year or so.

 

[Herd-in-ATL]

Has anyone ever approached Billy Crystal about helping fund a new Baseball facility named after him?

 

[Surbadger]

Has anyone ever approached Billy Crystal about helping fund a new Baseball facility named after him?

I don't think he likes us...

 

[oldeherd]

I don't think he likes us...

I was on campus when he was here. He only went one year and then went back to NYC. He did, I believe, play freshman baseball at MU, however. He either went on to graduate at a NYC school, or went to an acting/dramatic arts type of school.

 

[goherd73]

I don't think he likes us...

In his autobiography he said he would have returned to Marshall for a second year. He met his future wife back home in New York during the summer and knew if he returned to Huntington he would never marry her.