What’s Next for the PawSox?
Tuesday, May 19, 2015
The passing of Pawtucket Red Sox President James Skeffington raises new questions about the future of a Providence stadium, as the ownership group was in the midst of negotiating a new deal with Governor Raimondo and state leaders -- and embarking on a community tour to hear from residents of the city, spearheaded by Skeffington.
"In my experience as a member of corporate boards, there have been times when a key player involved in a deal changed such as a loss of a CEO. The change slowed down the process but did not derail the deal. In this case, there is no deal," said URI Distinguished Professor of Business Edward Mazze. "There is a proposal which has been rejected. Deal discussions will still continue. There is too much money involved in the purchase of the PawSox to allow too much time to pass."
Speaker of the House Nicholas Mattiello was one of the many elected officials who expressed his sympathies on the passing of the 73 year old lawyer on Monday -- and indicated his optimism that a Providence stadium deal will in fact happen.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST“I am deeply saddened by the stunning news of the passing of Jim Skeffington. He was a true legend in the Rhode Island legal and business communities, having a hand in nearly every major project in our state for decades. Jim was a gentleman in every sense of the word and a real champion for all that is good about Rhode Island," said Mattiello. "It is tragic that he did not live long enough to see his vision for the Pawtucket Red Sox come to fruition, but he left a legacy that will live on for generations to come. He loved Rhode Island, and I will miss my friend."
Plan in Transition
One of Skeffington's last public appearances had been a community discussion at the Mt. Hope Community Center last Thursday; a forum at Hope High School had been scheduled for Monday, which still took place.
"Putting together a stadium deal -- especially given how poorly the first one went over -- was going to require someone with energy, charisma, and drive to get it done," said Holy Cross Economics Professor Victor Matheson, who recently gave a talk on stadium financing in Pawtucket. "The real thing to look for is if there is an obvious voice and face who steps forward and is willing to do the heavy lifting, a person who has that gravitas, and clout to negotiate the sort of deal the ownership group will need to have to make the stadium deal."
"The financing probably doesn't work privately -- I've been saying it doesn't work with public financing -- so they need a strong leader now for any deal they may broker," said Matheson.
Mazze similarly saw an opportunity for a new face on the effort to emerge.
"There is now an opportunity for a new spokesperson/leader to evolve and present a new proposal. It would be unusual for this group of owners not to have a succession plan in place as a result of their own experiences in business as well as for estate planning purposes," said Mazze. "Sharp businesspeople recognize that there investment is at risk so decisions must continue to be made even when you lose a great leader like Jim Skeffington."
Politics of the Deal
Political experts in the state offered their perspectives on the chance for a new deal to take place -- and what the ramifications for elected officials might be.
"Given Rhode Island’s political climate, it’s going to be difficult to justify any significant financial package. With the numerous poor choices made in the last few years, the General Assembly will be hard pressed to vote for any proposal that doesn’t show immediate return to the economy and state’s finances," said Rhode Island College Professor of Communications Kay Israel. "Of all the concerns facing the legislature this session, it’s the one issue that will be most closely scrutinized and remembered by the voters in the next election. That means the individual legislator won’t have the benefit of cover by the Governor, the leadership, or eleventh hour sleight of hand votes. Instead any legislator will have to justify both the need and the benefit of any subsidies enacted."
"Still there is always the possibility of the emergence of a competitive offer from out of state adding more impetus for coming to an agreement," continued Israel. "Similarly, the offer by another farm system team to use McCoy Stadium could halt the negotiations and appease R.I. baseball fans."
Last Thursday, Skeffington had indicated that Raimondo had asked the owners to not disclose the terms being discussed on a new proposal.
"The most logical way to move forward is to operate in an atmosphere of transparency and disclosure. While behind-closed-doors negotiating is part of the process, political leaders simply have to go the extra mile to make sure their constituents understand what is at stake and the repercussions," said Rhode Island College Professor of Communications Val Endress. "The sort of shot-in-the-dark decision making that often characterizes economic projects in the state, and the zero-hour decision making that often characterizes major decisions in the RI General Assembly will only serve to create more public distrust."
The consequences of a stadium vote at the General Assembly -- if one is to take place this year -- was broached by Roger Williams University Professor of Politics June Speakman.
"In terms of the electoral consequences, 2016 is right around the corner, and neither the promised benefits or anticipated costs of the relocation will be clear by then. Even 2018 is probably too early to see the real economic, job-creation and tax implications of a new stadium for Providence and the state," said Speakman. "If the stadium is built and does not bring the promised benefits, opponents will not forget, nor will they hesitate to draw the connection between this project and 38 Studios."
Opposition Remains Vigilant
One of the most vocal segments of the initial opposition group, spearheaded by Coalition Radio host Pat Ford, weighed in on Monday.
"The membership of "Citizens Enraged & Engaged, Say No! To The Providence Baseball Stadium" wish to express their condolences to the family and friends of Mr. James Skeffington. Many of our members have shared personal recollections of the positive impact Mr. Skeffington had on both family and community members during his storied career as an attorney," said Ford, who had spearheaded call-in campaigns and protests against the first deal proposed. "We ask that the community move past recent controversies, and maintain an attitude of respect and dignity in the coming days. As an organization, we will be quietly vigilant as new details emerge about the future of the Pawtucket Red Sox."
Dave Fisher, who co-hosts the Coalition along with Ford, say he hoped the circumstances would allow elected officials -- and the public -- to "take a step back."
"A lot's at play. There's going to be some legal wrangling of Skeffington's slice of the pie. Will it be bequeathed to his heirs, will he be bought out? There's a slew of questions that need to be answered," said Fisher.
"You're probable looking at a close to a month before anything gets settled legally. It's good for people to step back, and fully vet it, and all of it," offered Fisher. "We need to realize there's so many hoops for this to jump through, in spite of -- or in conjunction -- with the financial aspect."
Related Slideshow: Greatest Moments in PawSox History
With the Pawtucket Red Sox sold and looking to leave Pawtucket, here is a look back at the some of the greatest moments in Pawtucket Red Sox history.
See the slideshow below.
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