Business Pulse Owner
Leads Effort to Buy Bells

Group Will Operate Team This Summer

by Dave Brumbaugh

The Bellingham Bells, a semi-pro baseball team, will return to Joe Martin Field this summer under the management of a local company led by Tony Larson.

Larson is acting president of recently formed Grand Slam Management Group, LLC., which was developed exclusively to explore the prospect of bringing local ownership to the team. Grand Slam signed an agreement in late January with George Daniel, a Pennsylvania sports attorney and current owner of the Bells which gives Grand Slam the exclusive option to purchase the team at an undisclosed price. Under the agreement, the option must be exercised within 30 days following the end of the season (approximately Oct. 1). The agreement gives Grand Slam complete control and responsibility for the team for the 2001 season, which begins in early June.

“It empowers us to begin the process of putting together an organization and time for due diligence and evaluation in regards to the financial feasibility,” Larson says.

Larson is president of Pulse Publications, a Bellingham company which publishes Whatcom County Business Pulse, Northwest Life & Times and Skagit County Business Monthly.

The Bells play a 30-game regular season in the Pacific International League, which has 10 teams in Washington, Oregon and British Columbia. Many of its players have professional aspirations and are recruited from college teams and farm systems throughout the country and selected from the cream of the regional talent.

Daniel was granted the Bellingham franchise for its initial season in 1999 but placed it for sale a year ago.

Larson made inquiries last season about the prospects of bringing local ownership to the team. After receiving positive feedback from his local contacts, he entered more serious discussions with Daniel in September and learned another offer from a non-local party was on the table.

However, the PIL, which has to approve the sale of any of its teams, strongly encouraged Daniel to find local ownership for the Bells.

“We know that local ownership is the primary ingredient to the success of any franchise in the PIL,” says Mickie Schmith, president of the PIL.

Negotiations intensified over the holidays since the league’s annual meeting was scheduled Jan. 20 in Portland, Ore. and decisions were needed about the team’s upcoming season. Daniel and Larson then signed a letter of intent Jan. 19 that stipulated the basic principles of their agreement and granted Larson a proxy to represent the Bells at the meeting.

The PIL owners unanimously endorsed Larson and his group’s efforts at the meeting.

“The entire group (of owners) is excited about the level of energy they are bringing to this endeavor,” Schmith remarks.

A concern Larson expressed at the league meeting was the late start his group was getting in preparation of the upcoming season.

“I lobbied hard to get our home opener delayed as long as possible and as many home games as possible scheduled for the latter part of the season so we can get caught up and increase the probability of good weather for our home games,” said Larson.

According to Larson, his group is four months behind the rest of the league, which may impact the 2001 recruiting efforts. The league’s schedule will be completed in April.

National affiliation

The PIL was formed in 1992 by a core group of teams from the Pacific Northwest’s previous semi-pro baseball organization, the Western International League. It’s affiliated with the National Baseball Congress, headquartered in Wichita, Kan. The NBC provides a framework for semi-pro leagues across the country.

The PIL champion plays in the NBC World Series at Wichita in early August. The Bells set records for most consecutive wins (17) and home attendance in their inaugural season while winning the 1999 PIL title. They eventually placed 11th in the NBC World Series Tournament.

The other PIL teams are the Coquitlam Athletics and Kelowna Falcons in British Columbia, Everett Merchants (last year’s champion), Performance Radiator Studs (Seattle), Seattle Cruisers, Grays Harbor Rain (Hoquiam), Aloha, Ore. Knights and Bend, Ore. Elks.

 

Criteria for purchase

According to Larson, the decision on whether to exercise the purchase option will focus on three criteria:

• Can the team generate excitement and enthusiasm in the community from fans and families alike?

• Can the team gain support and confidence of local businesses?

• With this support, is the team financially capable of justifying a sustained ownership effort?

Grand Slam will have until Oct. 1 to evaluate these questions. The support it’s seeking includes business sponsorships, program and billboard advertising at Joe Martin Field, cross promotions that will generate ticket distribution, in-kind contributions, part-time employment for players and volunteers for booster clubs and other efforts.

“We are going to bring lots of energy to this effort and understand that it is incumbent upon us to create exceptional marketing value for our clients and not rely entirely on community goodwill and passion for baseball,” Larson says.

 

Board of directors

To elevate the energy and creativity of his effort, Larson has assembled a local group of community leaders to serve in an advisory capacity on Grand Slam Management’s board of directors.

“Everyone on the board of directors is distinguished in their own right and bring unique talent and expertise that will dramatically increase the probability of success in our efforts,” said Larson.

The board includes:

• Ray Caldwell, owner of Target Market Enterprises, Inc., which operates Little Caesars Pizza franchises in Whatcom, Skagit and Snohomish counties.

• Orman Darby, public relations director, Georgia Pacific.

• Deb Day, Bellingham office general manager, Advanced Telcom Group.

• Jerry Chambers, president, Jerry Chambers Chevrolet-Oldsmobile-Cadillac.

• Bill Gorman, regional sales manager, AT&T Media Services.

• Mike Hudson, chief executive officer, North Coast Credit Union.

• Pat Rowe, marketing director, Belling-ham/Whatcom Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

• Yvonne Cartwright, partner, Cart-wright Zeiler Group.

• Jon Sitkin, partner at the law firm of Chmelik Sitkin & Davis.

When asked about his group’s chances of success, Larson replied, “Our learning curve will be a little steep at first, but after we get out of the box I certainly wouldn’t bet against us.”

For more information about the Bells, call 527-1035 or send e-mail to tlarson@businesspulse.com.