EDITOR’S NOTE: Corrects that Matt Acker, owner of the Kitsap BlueJackets, pitched bringing a new West Coast League wood-bat baseball team to Port Angeles to the city parks and recreation beautification commission.
PORT ANGELES — Kitsap BlueJackets owner Matt Acker said last week a multiyear contract with the city to bring a new college-level West Coast League wood-bat baseball team to Port Angeles by June 2017 is close to completion.
Acker estimated Friday that $190,000 would be generated annually in Port Angeles and Sequim in lodging, food, travel and marketing expenses by having a team in Port Angeles.
He said his estimate was based on an average of expenditures by 12 West Coast League teams over a five-year span ending in September 2015.
Average league attendance per game was 1,128 for 12 teams in markets such as Walla Walla, Wenatchee, Longview — and Victoria, he said.
Acker, who lives in Lacey, expects attendance at Civic Field, which has covered seating for 2,500, would reach that average, given the combined populations of Clallam and Jefferson counties of 103,952 in 2015.
The draw: “It’s more than a baseball game; it’s an event,” he said.
Acker estimated admission would cost $5 to $10 a game.
Hotel rooms
The economic benefit will include 450 to 500 room nights in hotel rooms for visiting teams that would generate $49,500 annually at about $110 a room night, Acker said.
“Other teams will spend about $50,000 or more on food annually,” Acker added, citing league statistics.
Another $35,000 would be generated by gas expenditures and $55,000 in sales and marketing expenses, according to league statistics based on average team costs.
“That’s a pretty solid number,” Acker said.
Pitched to panel
Acker pitched having the new team play 32 home games over 70 days at city-owned Civic Field to the city parks and recreation beautification commission.
“I’m excited about the potential,” Acker told the board.
“Our best players are about three years away from being on TV.”
Acker said the contract is “80 percent done, maybe close to 90 percent.”
Acker said Friday he hopes the City Council will approve the contract in June and have league officials announce establishment of a new team in Port Angeles on July 18 during the league’s two-day all-star break.
“My ducks are in a row,” Acker said.
After Acker’s presentation Thursday, parks commission Chairman David Shargel was excited about the prospect of drawing hundreds of fans to West Coast League games at Civic Field.
Economic benefit
“It sounded really good, and the economic benefit is tremendous,” Shargel said, envisioning thousands of fans coming to Port Angeles for a multiday doubleheader against the league’s Victoria HarbourCats.
“They’re going to stay, they’re going to shop, they going to come here.”
Neither Acker nor Parks and Recreation Director Corey Delikat would discuss the monetary terms because the pact is still in draft form.
Delikat estimated Friday that the agreement, which would be with Acker’s company MACK Athletics, would cover between three and five years and include about 3 percent annual increases in the flat rate for use of the field.
Cover maintenance
It would cover stadium maintenance for games — but would yield little if any profit for parks and recreation, Delikat said.
“We are looking to recoup our costs in what it takes to make up the field,” Delikat said.
“The city providing the facility is the main portion of what our obligation is as far as preparing the fields for them, just like we would do for any other team to come in,” he said.
Acker’s company would profit from ticket sales, advertising, food, merchandise and alcohol.
The parks commission unanimously recommended Thursday that alcohol sales be allowed at Civic Field.
Discounted beer
Acker said one hang-up in negotiating a contract has been his intention to provide discounted alcohol at games.
Some BlueJackets games feature $2 Tuesdays at which ticket prices, beer and hot dogs are $2 each. Otherwise, beer probably will cost $3 to $6, Acker said.
Acker said he does not foresee scheduling issues with Wilder Baseball, which is Port Angeles’ senior Babe Ruth League team.
“As long as we work together and communicate, it won’t be an issue,” he said.
Benefit game
As a sign of good faith, Acker said his Kitsap BlueJackets would hold an exhibition game benefit for Wilder against the Pacific International League WC Guns at 6:30 p.m. June 1 at Civic Field.
Acker also sees his players participating with Parks and Recreation in giving baseball clinics and classes to aspiring players.
Players on the Port Angeles-based team would stay with host families.
But Sequim, not Port Angeles, might be the beneficiary of hotel accommodation profits from visiting teams — and the public lodging-tax proceeds that those room nights generate.
Block buy
Acker said he wants to buy room nights in block quantities that are not available in Port Angeles in the summer.
“So far, they have not been super-excited because they are at capacity,” he said Friday. “They don’t need us.”
But hotels wouldn’t be the only source of income for area businesses.
“There’s food, travel, gas; there will be a lot of money spent in grocery stores,” he said.
“Taking one source of revenue out to Sequim is not the worst thing in the world.”
Acker added that he hopes the team would develop a connection with Sequim residents and youths.
“I want Sequim to feel part of what we’re doing, but the lion’s share will be in Port Angeles because we are playing in Port Angeles,” he said.
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Senior Staff Writer Paul Gottlieb can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 55650, or at pgottlieb@peninsuladailynews.com.
