BleacherCoaches.com

Boy, it's great to be talking baseball again, after the past few weeks' worth of "climate change". I've lived in the area all my life, and I could care less about the local "music fest". It doesn't speak to me the way summer baseball does. Don't get me wrong, I do attend the occasional concert, usually out of the area because Johnstown isn't on the mainstream concert venues. One thing this area needs, and the Richland-Windber area in particular, is another hotel of 50-60 rooms. The new baseball complex in Windber is set to draw lots of teams and fans to the area. This city isn't what it used to be as far as local franchises being able to persuade big corporate sponsors to shell out for a baseball team. I agree they are going to have to get creative if they want to participate. Instead of 1 name sponsor, they will have to get several different ones to equally split the bill. Then if this particular team should win a title, who gets to claim bragging rights to the team trophy? There is local money, I'm certain, but it is increasingly hard to turn over enough rocks until you find the golden nugget. Hint: If I should manage to hit the big lottery, I'll be glad to be a sponsor! Root for me! Play BALL!

I'm going to assume the Hotel comment was a dig at the Richland faithful and not a real 'need'. There are already, what, 5 hotels in Richland. You can't tell me these hotels are full on any summer weekend other than Thunder in the Valley weekend. What do these businesses really get out of sponsoring a AAABA team anyway? Has First Commonwealth gained any customers from sponsoring a team? I doubt it.

The music festival is a lot better than it used to be. There's legitimate talent coming in these past few years since it dropped the folk fest tag and became a music festival first.

Having said that, they could probably find another weekend since the baseball tournament is more time sensitive.

This move is not good for the tournament and it's days are numbered if you ask me.

Any time you move anything you're bound to have problems. Move the music festival? But it is always held the first weekend in August. Except when it was held over Labor Day weekend, of course. Move the AAABA? Delgado is starting college that week.

At the rate it's going the AAABA tournament will soon be all Johnstown and Altoona teams along with Zanesville, Schenectady and Youngstown.

First, I was NOT taking any shots at ANY RICHLAND facility. I was implying that some chain should take a look at something along 56 closer to the Windber Sports Complex. It would handle any overflow from those jam-packed facilities during Thunder, Musicfest, AAABA, or ? Options and competition is a good thing. I also think the music fest should be moved to the last week in July. Personally speaking, I'll travel 4 hrs. to Bethlehem's MUSIKFEST in the first week of August. It goes on for TWO weeks. I've done this several times. Each, every, and all day, they offer music from local bar bands to internationally known artists on various stages. I can stay at the Holiday Inn Xpress just off the interstate near Lehigh U., and have a shuttle take me the 3 miles to the Steel Stacks Park, and pick me up after I call, at no added expense. That's a PERK! The Sands Casino is next door if that's your inclination. Options and competition bring out the best in established facilities. Show me where this is a bad thing.

The Knights Inn is now closed. This used to be the Holiday Inn back when the Holiday Inn was the Sheraton Inn. Having never been there I don't know if it is worth purchasing and reopening.

If the Fairfield Inn people are interested in building I think they will find somewhere to build.