Stadium in Amarillo may lead to AAA club in San Antonio

About half a year ago you could read an article about San Antonio lobbying for a Triple A team on this blog. The biggest hurdle was to move the AA San Antonio Missions to another town and to convince their owner to give up his territorial rights.

Another point in this case is to get an AAA team to move to San Antonio. For long the New Orleans Zephyrs were the ideal candidate as they were up for sale. They still are, but the stadium lease with the city of New Orleans has been extended through the 2020 season, so that option can be scratched for the coming five years. Still it will be possible to start off a process that can bring the team to San Antonio in 2021 though.

But how can a stadium in Amarillo be the key to a Triple A club moving to San Antonio? Quite simple. If the AA San Antonio Missions move to Amarillo, the way is open for a AAA team to come to the Alamo city. And that is what may happen even sooner than later. The city of Amarillo is looking for a possibility to lure a AA team. Next week the city will organize a nonbinding referendum to see if there is support to build a AA worthy stadium. Even if the voters will support the construction of a new stadium, the final word is to the City Council. The problem with this nonbinding referendum is that no matter the outcome, the Amarillo City Council can decide exactly the opposite.

The new Amarillo ballpark would be a Multi Purpose Event Venue. Next to only a baseball facility, this MPEV could be home to a soccer club, host conferences, etc. It will be part of a bigger redevelopment plan for downtonw Amarillo that will contain a 750-space parking garage and four-star convention hotel as well.

But even IF the voters will support the construction of a ballpark in Amarillo, it all depends on a AAA team moving to San Antonio. And as mentioned above, the New Orleans Zephyrs are stuck in Louisiana for five years to come. There may be another option for a AAA team that can come to San Antonio. This option could be the Las Vegas 51s. The city of Las Vegas is looking to redevelop the area where Cashman Field is situated. They want to expand the adjacent convention center. The last couple of years there has been a lot of talk about the 51s moving to nearby Summerlin, but the 51s could be a perfect candidate to move to another city.