Columbus, Georgia

COLUMBUS CONSOLIDATED GOVERNMENT

COUNCIL MEMORANDUM





To: Carmen Cavezza Date: January 18, 2002

City Manager



From: Isaiah Hugley Subject: Columbus Redstixx

Deputy City Manager Baseball Team

______________________________________________________________

I met with owners of the Columbus Redstixx Baseball team this morning

at 11:00am. The purpose of this meeting was to advise the City of their plans

to re-locate the Redstixx team to East Lakes, Ohio effective the 2003 baseball

season. This news came by surprise. As you know, we heard such a rumor back

in November 2001. At that time we approached the owners and were advised that

they had no plans to move the team out of Columbus. Therefore we pressed

forward.



The owners indicated that the decision to move the team is not an

indication that the City has not delivered or has done something wrong. They

indicated that this is strictly a business decision. They also noted the

following:



? In Columbus they would no longer be affiliated with the Cleveland Indians as

was announced in recent months. In East Lakes, Ohio they will be able to

continue their affiliation with the Cleveland Indians.

? The owners will be closer to the baseball operation.

? Attendance at games was a consideration. They have averaged 95,000 tickets

sold for the last five (5) years with a total of seventy (70) home games played

each season. They are ranked 12th out of 14 teams in the South Atlantic League

in attendance. They average 1,700 tickets sold each game with turnstiles at

1000 each game (actual attendance). No team in the league has drawn over 2000

in attendance each game.



I am recommending that we pull appropriate staff together in the next couple of

days to explore our options for recruiting teams from both the South Atlantic

and the All American Association.



Please let me know if you have questions.