According to a recent article, the San Rafael Pacifics and the Na Koa Ikaika Maui (Maui Strong Warriors) will add 2 travel teams to comprise the Northern Division of the 2012 North American League season. A travel team will play in the Sonoma County (California) region and the other travel team is supposed to be based in Hilo, Hawaii. Whether the travel teams will fly to play scheduled games against the teams from the other state is still to be determined.
No teams have been named, nor have their been any announcements regarding front office executives or players. Once those come aboard then they will be posted on this site.
The trick is to somehow turn a profit (or at least break even) this season with so much that originally was scheduled to happen falling apart. Obviously, travel teams won’t draw any money in terms of tickets, concessions, or parking. Their costs are going to be kept to a minimum, and any “neutral site” games (where the Hilo travel team has to face the Sonoma County travel team at a 3rd location) will have to be hyped as a series to showcase NAL baseball to a market which is considering adding a 2013 team.
The odds will be tough, but if the teams can find unique ways to generate revenue and minimize their costs (fixed and variable) then the teams have a chance to survive for next year. Hopefully the quality on the field is solid so that the local fans support the teams during the summer as the demise of these teams would end independent baseball on the West Coast and Hawaii for some degree of time.
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