What is happening in....

Dubuque?

Yes, Dubuque. Ballparkdigest.com has had a few stories up in the past few weeks that I found, um, interesting.

I couldn't find the archive (looking in the wrong place, probably). But I found the Google cache. Just scroll down to the article. Here is the whole thing...

Pro baseball back in Dubuque? NEW!

Joe Chlapaty, a minority investor in the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and a graduate of the University of Dubuque, says he's interested in bringing pro baseball back to the city to a new privately financed ballpark in the Port of Dubuque area. The target for Chlapaty would be the Beloit Snappers (Low Class A: Midwest League); the talk in minor-league circles is that the ownership group led by Dennis Connerton is ready to throw in the towel after unsuccessful efforts to land a new ballpark in the Beloit market. This isn't the first time in recent years someone has eyed the Dubuque market: Michael Gartner, then owner of the Michigan Battle Cats (Low Class A; Midwest League), made a plea for a publicly funded ballpark, but voters rejected the plan via referendum.

The Dubuque Telegraph-Herald archives their stories, but they expect me to pay for the entire article. The ledes are here and here.

I'm guessing that this is all news to the folks in Beloit. There is nothing in a search at the Beloit Daily News website. And the Snapper site has this article as they get ready for 2008.

“We always pride ourselves in our corporate sales, but this past year just seemed to take off like crazy,” said Director of Corporate Sales/Promotions Riley Gostisha. “We created signage everywhere we could throughout the stadium to give every advertising budget an option. The demand for advertising with us was never higher, which is obviously a good thing. Our sponsors are the reason we are able to exist and we are extremely grateful to them.”

The Snappers are even more excited about this upcoming season with brand new promotions and ideas floating around.

“2008 looks to be even more successful than last year,” Gostisha said. “The fun part of my job is trying to create a vision that a business may have, and then carrying it out. All of us here realize how unique and fun it is for companies to advertise with the Snappers and we are determined to keep things rolling.”

A move would be a few years down the line, if it ever happens. I have been looking up information, but I am not clear on the whole minor league baseball territories and how that would affect a potential move. A totally uninformed opinion by a humble Midwest League radio announcer follows: I think that Clinton and Cedar Rapids would have to sign off on a new franchise in Dubuque. I would be very surprised if this move ever happens. But, again, that is just me.

For grins, head over to MWLGuide.com. They have a history of the past teams in Dubuque. Quick overview:

Dubuque first joined the Mississippi-Ohio Valley League, a Midwest League predecessor, in 1954 as an expansion team. This team left the MWL before the 1969 season and was not immediately replaced; the 1970 Danville team picked up the franchise.

From August 7, 1962 through the end of the season, Dubuque hosted the former Keokuk team, which was known as the Midwest Dodgers while it was in Dubuque. This franchise moved to Wisconsin Rapids in 1963. This is the current Fort Wayne franchise.

Before the 1974 season, the Quincy franchise moved to Dubuque. This team expired after the 1976 season and was not replaced.