News Update
Sedona's franchise has a home for 1919 season
On the eve of the 1918-19 Winter Meetings, one big issue got settled -- what to do with the Sedona Scorpions franchise following the fire that gutted their stadium and left them essentially homeless.
Many options were tossed around. One was for Sedona to use its own Minor League parks for the 1919 season. But those were all too small, and some in obscure locations, to be feasible for a Major League season. Another option was for Sedona to play all of its games on the road, and just receive some financial compensation for each series that would have been at home.
Yet another option was to have Sedona play its "home" games at other nearby Arizona League parks like Cottonwood, Jerome or Flagstaff. Again, Sedona officials didn't really want that because they'd have to share facilities and it would create a scheduling nightmare. What if some players showed up in Cottonwood while the game that day was being played in Flagstaff? Ugg.
Finally,
Clyde Cooley rode into town to save the day.
If you've followed the Arizona League for awhile, you probably remember Clyde. He's the guy from Show Low who's been obsessed for years about bringing an Arizona League franchise to his fair town. He even built a Major League ready stadium (that honestly was better than Sedona's old park in many ways), using it as the home for Payson's Double A franchise and for the yearly Arizona League All-Star game. "If you build it, a franchise will come," has been his motto since the groundbreaking several years ago.
Cooley and Sedona owner
Hans Larsen go way back, both as business associates and major competitors around the poker table whenever AZL dignitaries got together. Once he learned about the fire, Cooley visited Larsen and offered his Show Low park, and all of its amenities, for Sedona to use for the 1919 season -- free of charge.
"There is only one thing I ask," Cooley said. "That you put Show Low somewhere in the name while the team uses our park. As for everything else, it's all yours. Offices. Concessions, etc."
So it was settled, for the 1919 season -- and as long as it takes for Sedona to build a new park -- the team would officially be known as the Sedona-Show Low Scorpions. Kind of clunky, but it works. Everyone seemed happy.
And amazingly, the fire -- while tragic -- seemed to galvanize Sedona leaders and citizens to finally embrace their baseball team after so many years of neglect. A major grassroots move began soon after the fire to rebuild the Scorpions' park. And to (finally!) build one of the AZL's most beleaguered franchises into a winner.
Sedona officials planned to unveil designs for a new ballpark at the Winter Meetings. Even some of the previously crusty town leaders planned to attend to show their support for "bringing winning ball to Red Rock Country."
The Arizona League had survived another storm. And the town of Show Low, at least for a little while, had a full-fledged team in its midst (Payson's Double A team would work its schedule around the Scorpions for this season)...