Well, Pearl actually.

All I can say is Hallelujiah! Maybe they'll build a venue that will attract some decent concerts.

Becky

Braves bring Double A franchise to Mississippi

TIMOTHY R. BROWN

Associated Press


JACKSON, Miss. - The Atlanta Braves made it official: its Double A minor league team is moving to Mississippi in 2005.

The formal announcement came Friday at a news conference at the state Capitol attended by team, local and state officials, including Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour.

Children waved red foam tomahawks behind the podium as officials donned Braves' baseball caps, awaiting word that Pearl will be home to the Mississippi Braves.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we got 'em," Pearl Mayor Jimmy Foster announced to a crowd of about 200 cheering baseball fans.

Pearl offered the Braves a $25 million stadium built with private money. The state is contributing $8.1 million in incentives for the project, including $5.2 million in sales tax rebates under the Mississippi Tourism Incentive Program.

The new stadium is included in a $32.8 million project to build a Bass Pro shop sporting goods store in Pearl near Interstate 20.

"This is going to be our home for the next 20 years," said Mike Plant, executive vice president of business operations with the Braves. "We are not going to be in Mississippi in the next 12 months. We're going to be in Mississippi in the next week."

Plant said a ticket drive will soon begin.

Barbour said the 20-year agreement with the Braves is a "good business deal."

"The vast majority of what the state is contributing to this effort is 35 percent of sales taxes that we're not collecting right now," Barbour said. "So to give them 35 percent of something that we don't have, I thought was a pretty good deal."

Braves general manager John Schuerholz agreed.

"I would like to invite the governor to come with me to Atlanta the next time I negotiate a big player contract," Schuerholz joked.

On Thursday, the Braves rejected a proposal from the Greenville, S.C., officials to keep the team there. The move, which takes place after this season, will end a 20-year run for the Greenville Braves. Greenville officials had offered a new $18 million stadium to replace Memorial Stadium, where the G-Braves had played since 1984.

The Pearl stadium will have about 7,500 seats and 20 luxury suites. It is expected to be ready next spring.

Mississippi has had Double A baseball before.

In 1975, the Jackson Mets of the Double-A Texas League, owned and operated by the parent club, were born. The Mets became the Generals in 1991, changing affiliation to the Houston Astros.

During the mid-90s major league teams cut funding of minor league teams.

The Generals moved to Texas after the 1999 season when Con Maloney, who had owned the Jackson franchise since 1982, cited dwindling attendance and escalating costs in selling the team to a group of buyers headed by former Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan.

Barbour said the Braves won't have to worry about finding fans in Mississippi.

"I know that our two sons are like tens of thousands of other young people who grew up with the Braves on (television) and have been and always will be Braves fans," Barbour said while standing by his wife, Marsha.

"And whose parents, like Marsha and me, are thrilled we are going to have the opportunity for the Mississippi Braves to be something that everybody...can be proud of," he said.