BASEBALL—Long Beach Team Aiming To Break Into Crowded Market

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Two local businessmen have poured more than $1 million into a minor league baseball franchise and are projecting profitability within three years, despite a failed baseball history and increased competition for sporting dollars.

Chris Anderson, owner of Sharp Image Gaming in Chatsworth, and attorney Ross Arbiter, paid the league a $1 million franchise fee to acquire the rights to the Long Beach Breakers team. This summer marks the inaugural season for the Breakers, the first time professional baseball has been played in Long Beach in six years.

Besides the franchise fee, the partners paid an estimated $100,000 to upgrade 3,000-seat Blair Field’s public address system, concession stands and locker room and to build a children’s playground.

The city’s first minor league team, the Barracudas (later renamed the Riptide) ran into financial problems when owner Chris Gibbs fell on hard times and the league effectively seized the team.

The Barracudas and Riptide won the first two league championships in 1995 and 1996, then left town for Mission Viejo, where the team operated for two more years before disbanding.

In addition to franchise fees and stadium upgrades, the new owners of the Breakers also have agreed to pay $38,250 to rent the stadium ($850 per game for 45 home games). Ticket prices will range from $4 to $10, according to Collin Schoenfeld, the team’s assistant general manager.

“It’s just like any other business,” he said. “After the city’s last experience with minor league baseball, we have to prove to city officials and fans that we have the financial backing to operate the team in both good and bad times.”

Schoenfeld said the team is expected to suffer minimal losses this season, before breaking even next year and turning a minimal profit in year three.

“We wouldn’t have made the improvements to the stadium if we didn’t have a commitment to Long Beach and our fans,” he said.

The Breakers’ player payroll for the 22-man roster comes to about $25,000 per month, about $300 a week per player. The team has hired ex-Dodger Steve Yeager to manage the team, which plays from May through August.

Despite a big-name manager, improvements to the stadium and management’s projections, the club is expected to struggle to survive in an overcrowded sports marketplace, according to one industry observer.

“It’s going to be a tough fit for the Breakers, because of the number of professional and minor league teams, including the Dodgers and Angels, which are located within a reasonable drive from Long Beach,” said David Carter, president of the Sports Business Group, a Los Angeles-based consulting firm.

For the Breakers to survive, Carter said, it is critical for team officials to revive the region’s minor league fan base that was turned off after the earlier team failed.

“They are also going to attract a new fan base, which will be difficult in an area with so many different entertainment options,” he said.

Bob Linscheid, president of the Chico-based league, said it is committed to Long Beach and believes that, with 461,000 residents, it’s large enough to carve out a niche for itself.

“We also have better owners this time around that are committed to making the Breakers a successful franchise,” said Linscheid. “In 1996, as general manager of the team in Chico, I went to six games and the (Long Beach) team and its management wasn’t very good.”

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