City, Fireflies amend ballpark lease language as pro baseball landscape shifts
Minor league baseball as it has been known for a century is changing.
On Tuesday, the Columbia Fireflies and the City of Columbia made a change in the language of the team’s lease of Segra Park baseball stadium that reflects the new reality. The new wording makes changes to the description of the type of professional team that must play at the stadium.
Columbia City Council on Tuesday unanimously passed a resolution amending language in the Fireflies’ lease of the city-owned baseball stadium in the BullStreet District. The Fireflies, owned by Hardball Capital, have played in $37 million Segra Park since 2016, though the team, like all minor league squads, was sidelined by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
The Fireflies currently have another 25 years on their lease at the stadium.
On Tuesday, the city’s resolution changed the language in the “professional baseball” section of the team’s covenant in the lease. The previous language read, in part, that the team “shall at all times throughout the term own a club that (a) is a full-season Class A (or higher) minor league baseball team in a league that is a member of the (National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues), (b) has a player development contract associated with a MLB franchise, and (c) is authorized by NAPBL.”
Under the new language, Hardball “agrees to provide and maintain a high quality, well operated professional baseball club in a professional baseball league (MLB affiliated or independent) with paid players, scheduled to play no fewer than 50 home games per season, and providing first class, family friendly entertainment.”
The amended language also says that, if the team changes leagues or levels of play, it must be approved by the city. That approval would come after the conclusion of the first year in such a new league or level, so that the city has the ability to assess the quality of the product being offered.
The change comes just as the relationship between Major League Baseball and the minors is in the midst of a significant overhaul. The previous agreement between MLB and the minor leagues came to an end last September, and major changes are in the works. One of those is that about 40 minor league teams were left without an MLB affiliate.
The Major Leagues extended invitations to 120 minor league clubs — including Columbia — to take part of the new arrangement.
The Fireflies, previously an affiliate of the New York Mets, have been invited to become an affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. Both Hardball Capital CEO Jason Freier and Fireflies president John Katz say that a 10-year deal with the Royals is still in the works, and they expect the agreement to be completed in coming weeks.
Freier told The State on Tuesday that the lease was amended largely because some of the entities referenced in the old language — such as the NAPBL — will likely no longer exist under the new structure with the MLB.
“In order to remain affiliated with Major League Baseball, we are going to have to leave the NAPBL, and the NAPBL will then dissolve or be shut down anyway,” Freier said.
The team owner also noted the old lease language referenced the “player development contract” between MLB and the minors. That contract ended last September and is not being renewed, and is being replaced by an entirely new structure, Freier said.
“Basically, the (lease language) became nonsensical,” Freier said. “It became impossible to fulfill because the things don’t exist. So, we wanted to provide a replacement that allows us to assure that we will continue to operate.”
Meanwhile, though the deal with the Royals isn’t yet finalized, Freier was bullish on the new affiliation.
“The Royals have already visited Columbia,” Freier said. “We will be a Royals affiliate. … We are in the process of documenting the deal (with the Royals) with Major League Baseball. We expect that to be documented in the next few weeks. At that point, we will 100%, officially be a Royals affiliate.”
Katz, the Fireflies president, also noted Royals’ officials were at Segra Park recently, checking out the facility. He said the MLB club is set to bring some equipment to the stadium in coming days.
“They are solid people, and the farm system is very good,” Katz said of the Royals. “Assuming everything gets worked out as we anticipate, we are excited to be a part of the family.”
While the details have yet to be worked out — the Fireflies don’t have a 2021 schedule yet — Katz believes the team will have a season this year, unlike in 2020. The continuing pandemic will, of course, influence the plans.
“We’re confident we are going to play, and that we’ll have a lengthy season,” Katz said. “And, when we start, it will come down to what is safe. We will look to the guidance we are getting from Major League Baseball, the CDC and DHEC, and whatever approvals are required from the (state) Department of Commerce.”
