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Baseball hope dims By RANDY HAMMERICKSEN The Western Baseball League will apparently not be coming to Medford for the 2000 season. Western League President Bob Linscheid said Monday that a Medford group, headed by Southern Oregon Timberjacks owner Fred Herrmann, has missed the deadline to gain an expansion team for 2000. But Linscheid added that he's still waiting for final word from Herrmann, who is in the process of moving his Timberjacks to Vancouver, B.C., for the 2000 Northwest League baseball season. "I told Fred last Friday that the deadline was Nov. 1, which is today," Linscheid said Monday. "But I told him I would also keep the door open. "He told me he might have something to us by Wednesday in the form of an offer," said Linscheid. "Depending on what it is, we might still look at it, but we need to be moving on to get our schedule done for 2000. I think you can assume they couldn't get it together for 2000. "I think I would have heard from Fred by now if they were coming in next season," said Linscheid. "I think the best that can be done is that they might get a franchise by the 2001 season." Herrmann did not return telephone messages about the situation Monday. When Herrmann officially announced that the Class A Timberjacks of the Northwest League were moving to Vancouver last Tuesday, he said he was trying to put together a group of local investors, including himself, to come up with a $400,000 franchise fee and get a Western League team in Medford for the 2000 season. "I'm optimistic we can do it," Herrmann said last Tuesday. "We want to have a team here next season so that this community doesn't go without professional baseball. "I've made a commitment to the fans to do that." Linscheid seemed surprised Monday that he hadn't heard from Herrmann. "I'm assuming they couldn't get the deal put together in time," said Linscheid. "But there's still a chance you could have a team there by 2001. "This is a man with 18 years experience as an owner," said Linscheid. "We will wait a little longer." The Western League has expanded to eight teams for the 2000 season with the addition of Arizona franchises in Scottsdale and Yuma, Linscheid said. Other teams in the league include Tri-Cities, Wash.; Santa Rosa, Calif.; Vacaville, Calif.; Chico, Calif.; St. George, Utah; and Sonoma County near Santa Rosa, Calif. "We think Medford will be a good Western League city," said Linscheid. "It's a smaller market, but it has proven it can support professional baseball in the rookie league (Northwest League). "Medford would fit nicely into our league geographically. It's four hours north of Chico and eight hours south of Tri-Cities." Linscheid said the new team would offer some new challenges for Herrmann's ownership group, if it comes to fruition. "It will be a new ballgame for Fred," said Linscheid. "For the first time, he will be paying his players, instead of the major league club (Oakland A's) paying them." Linscheid said Western League teams operate under a salary cap of $25,000 a month. Most clubs go very close to the cap, he said, in order to be competitive. The minimum salary of players is $600 a month, he said. "Each team pays for all of its expenses and has the salary cap situation to pay for," said Linscheid. While expansion franchises require a $400,000 franchise fee to be paid up front, Linscheid said the purchase price of an existing franchise is less. He confirmed that the Bend team is currently for sale, and that the Medford group may be pursuing that franchise. "We normally have a big number of former Class AA and Triple-A players on our teams," said Linscheid. "Some of these are guys are still trying to make the major leagues, while some are winding down their careers." Most Western League teams averaged between 2,000 and 2,500 fans per game in 1999, Linscheid said. By comparison, the Timberjacks averaged just over 1,700 per home date last season. "Our level of play is above what the people in Medford are used to," said Linscheid. "It's mainly because the experience level of the players is higher." Today's Sports Index Mail Tribune Copyright� The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, OR U.S.A.