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For Sale: Senators; Ripken Baseball Interested

Baseball on City Island has been a summer staple and Harrisburg Mayor Stephen Reed is determined to keep it that way.

He laid down ground rules for the sale of the team on Friday: any buyer has to keep the club in Harrisburg for the "long-term," which means a minimum of 29 years.

"If we don't get any buyers to agree to that then we know they had an ulterior motive of buying the team and moving it out," Reed said.

The Mayor announced that two or three potential buyers have emerged. CBS-21 has learned that one of those interested parties is Ripken Baseball, headed by Hall of Famer Cal Ripken, Jr.

"This kind of project and market would be a great fit for Ripken Baseball," Ripken spokesman John Maroon told CBS 21 Sports Director Jason Bristol. "It is a proven, successful minor league market and it is in close proximity to ripken baseball."

Reed would not disclose an asking price for the team.

However, the Southern League's West Tenn Diamond Jaxx (AA), based in Jackson, Tennessee, was recently sold for $10-$12 million, according to published reports. The Diamond Jaxx, however, may move to Orlando once the team's stadium lease ends.

Still, the Senators' sale price could be lower, based on Reed's announcement that the team must remain in Harrisburg.

The city purchased the club in 1996 for $6.7 million to prevent it from moving to Springfield, Massachusetts. The mayor said the money from the club's sale would be used to retire the bonds that were used to purchase the team ten years ago. The remainder of the profits would be used to upgrade the city's fleet of vehicles and computers.

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Mayor Stephen R. Reed today announced that the Harrisburg Senators AA professional Baseball Franchise has been sold. The Harrisburg Senators will stay in town for at least 29 years under a $13.25 million agreement to sell the team to Senators Partners LLC of Northbook, Ill. The sale price will be the highest on record for a AA team in Eastern League history.

Michael Reinsdorf, a managing member of the new ownership group and son of Chicago Bulls and White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf, said the Senators were attractive because of their membership in the Eastern League, support from the city, the possibility of renovating Commerce Bank Park on City Island, and a superior management team already in place.

The minimum initial term of the agreement is for 29 years, with unlimited renewal terms of five years each thereafter. According to Reed, the next step is getting state support for a renovation project.