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When it came down to it, the deal was just too good to pass up … the Atlanta Braves organization, after taking a long, hard look at last-best-offers from both Greenville and a highly motivated Pearl, Mississippi, group, the Atlanta decision makers went with Pearl. The result is a stunning loss to the City of Greenville and Upstate baseball fans. In baseball terms, we lost in the bottom of the ninth … Pearl came in with a major-league closer, a brand new, fully funded $25-million stadium. A brand new stadium in a market that has aggressively sought the Atlanta Braves’ business has ended what many Greenville baseball fans had thought to be a permanent relationship with the Major League Baseball perennial powerhouse. The City of Greenville made a late-in-the-game effort to keep the Braves’ 20-year affiliation with the city alive by offering a new $18-million stadium in the West End. But the new stadium was not without cost to the Braves organization. The Greenville offer, a revenue sharing plan that included splitting ticket, suite, and advertising sales with the city, made the Pearl, MS, offer of a “free” stadium too attractive to overlook. Greenville officials steadfastly refused to consider a hike in residential property taxes as a means to cover some of the cost of the new stadium. The negotiation process with Greenville was open and professional, according to Mike Plant, the Atlanta Braves’ executive VP for minor leagues. “This is not a decision anyone here takes lightly. We’ve had a good run in Greenville,” said Plant. “We are trying to find ways we can improve our organization and use our resources as a company to have the same type of success as we have enjoyed on the field.” Attendance at G-Braves games at Greenville Municipal Stadium, at one time among the steadiest and strongest draws in the AA league, dropped below 200,000 for the first time last year, with 183,567 attending home games. However, it was also one of the rainiest Greenville baseball seasons ever, with a record-setting nine home-game rainouts. So the G-Braves begin their last season in the Upstate with a seven-game road trip. The home opener is Friday, April 16, which begins a series against the Chattanooga Lookouts. A home series with Jacksonville will follow. Work on the new 7,500-seat Mississippi stadium will begin immediately. It will be a key piece in a $55-million public/private development, with the state providing assistance with road construction. (Image provided by the Greenville Braves)
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