FanPost

O-Royals Leaving Omaha?

RR reader Eli passed this story along to me on Saturday, "Rosenblatt work could force Royals out for 2 seasons".

In Saturday's World-Herald, C. David Kotok writes:

An extensive renovation of Rosenblatt Stadium likely would not force the College World Series to temporarily relocate to another city.

It's a different story for the Omaha Royals, however.

Mayor Mike Fahey said any Rosenblatt construction work would likely span portions of two Royals seasons, depending on the weather and construction schedule. That means the Triple A team could be forced to find a new place to play ball in the interim.

The kicker is that the Royals might not necessarily come back:

A temporary eviction from Rosenblatt is an unwelcome scenario for Royals President Alan Stein.

He said the prospect of playing one or two seasons in a different city could be an "economic disaster for us."

If Omaha decides to renovate Rosenblatt, Stein said the Royals would have no other options in the Omaha area for a temporary home. There are no other suitable ballparks in the metro area, Stein said, noting that Lincoln's Haymarket Park does not meet Triple A requirements.

"If we had to vacate for two years," Stein said, "it would be difficult to come back."

The story goes on to explain how the new CWS-driven stadium and a typical minor league stadium just can't be one-in-the-same, however illogical that may be. Naturally, the O-Royals are pushing for a two-stadium situation, with a renovated Rosenblatt and their own downtown stadium.

Hard to not imagine the Royals having a team in Omaha, but then again, I felt the same way about Wichita.

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