OT: Ottawa starts ticket drive for Double-A baseball

[LittleOzzy]

A season ticket deposit drive was launched Tuesday by a group trying to drum up support for a Toronto Blue Jays-affiliated Double-A baseball team in Ottawa.

Champions for Ottawa Baseball is trying to get 2,500 deposits of $25 ($10 for people under the age of 16) as “goodwill gestures” of support for a Double-A affiliate of the Blue Jays that fans hope will come to the city for the 2013 season.

Beacon Sports Capital Partners has been awarded the long-term leasing rights to the Ottawa Stadium and intends to bring a Double-A Eastern League team to Ottawa. The firm is working with the city on plans for renovations that are needed to bring the stadium on Coventry Road up to minor-league standards.

An official announcement on the specific team and affiliation arrangements is unlikely to occur before the fall, but sources have indicated it’s believed the Binghamton Mets would be headed north, and would be expected to pursue an affiliation agreement with the major-league Blue Jays.

Supporters have called for fans to show a commitment to the team. Deposits toward a season ticket package “will represent a strong showing of community support,” said David Gourlay, founder of Champions for Ottawa Baseball, in a press release.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/sports/Gro ... story.html

[Mike Hunt]

I'll throw my $25 in. Not sure I actually want season tix (I do shift work though I'm up for a promotion that could change that), but if tossing a couple bucks that way lands us a minor league team, especially a Blue Jays affiliate, it's worth it. Then I could come on here and give extremely amateurish scouting reports of prospects that would distort people opinions of them greatly.

[BigLeagueChew]

Wasn't the last article about this saying AA and the Jays haven't even thought about going to Ottawa? Seems like it's going back and forth but at least there is some discussion about it.

Why don't they move the AAA Las Vegas team to Ottawa? Is it the thought that the Expos AAA farm team didn't work out or something else?

[acemann]

i think the jays are targeting buffalo for AAA. Ottawa AA and Buffalo AAA would be great.

[baulderdash77]

I'd rather have New Hampshire & Buffalo. New Hampshire is one of the very best AA organizations. No offense to the AA Ottawa team, but I'll take the proven program and a large established fan base over the Canadian affiliation.