Committee seeks to drum up support for Jaxx
City recorder Al Laffoon leads 'Save the Jaxx' group, aims to keep team in town
The committee, led by Jackson Mayor Charles Farmer, meets at 9 a.m. Thursday at City Hall. It includes city officials, business leaders and media members. Jeff Parker, general manager of the Jaxx, said Tuesday that franchise owner Bob Lozinak is encouraged by the city's efforts after two years of what Parker described as "an awkward relationship." Declining attendance, from 197,226 in 2003 to 95,486 last season, led to friction between the club and the city.
A relocation attempt by Lozinak was halted by Minor League Baseball in 2005, and a sale of the Jaxx franchise fell through in November. Parker said there is no guarantee Lozinak will not sell the franchise, but he said Lozinak would rather turn things around in Jackson. Lozinak could not be reached for comment.
"He (Lozinak) has too much invested to not give this another shot," Parker said. "The best financial option for us is to stay put in Jackson. We know we can't compete (in attendance) with cities like Birmingham and Jacksonville. But if we can just break even, we can keep this a Double-A city."
...
"It made us feel good that others have shown they care about keeping baseball in Jackson," Parker said. "That's refreshing. ... Keeping the Jaxx around for a long time is what's best for the city. We just can't do that on our own."Farmer could not be reached for comment, but City Recorder Al Laffoon is in charge of organizing the "Save the Jaxx" committee.
Laffoon said the city's goal is to get past the "negative baggage from all sides" and start fresh with building community support for the Jaxx.
"Minor League Baseball should be a win-win situation for the whole community and the franchise," Laffoon said. "That's what we hope to achieve."
No comments:
Post a Comment