From Chapter 8:

1991-1994: Tarnished Silver

1991

Like a nightmare repeated, Rochester Community Baseball’s financial health and stadium problems were the focus of pre-season talk. A Boston-based marketing consultant released its report at the end of March, one which recommended the construction of a downtown stadium. The $25,000 study, commissioned by local businesses to study the feasibility of a domed stadium, included a three-fold plan to bring more life and dollars into downtown: the construction of a open-air baseball stadium, an amphitheater for concerts and other performing arts, and a renovated War Memorial.

The report touched on the Red Wings’ problems as well and concluded that Silver Stadium was not up to the task. “This appears to be due to a combination of factors, which include the location of the stadium and insufficient marketing efforts of the organization,” stated the study. “The Red Wing organization and the community need to address the problems of both Silver Stadium and the baseball team. Otherwise Rochester’s ability to retain its baseball team could be at stake.” The report was forwarded to city officials for review. The joint city/county committee was not expected to announce its findings until July.

The team’s ability to defend its championship was just as unclear as prospects for a new stadium. Only nine of 23 players on the Opening Day roster spent any time with the 1990 squad. While most of the prospects on that club were position players, the most promising players for the new season would work from the center of the diamond. The prime talent was 22-year-old right hander Mike Mussina, Baltimore’s No. 1 draft choice in 1990. Fellow righty Anthony Telford won 17 games between three organization levels, including Baltimore. A pair of young, sometimes-injured lefties — Mike Linskey and Chris Myers — provided balance in the starting rotation. Linskey was 7-9 in Rochester, while Myers went 6-11 at Double-A. The sole veteran in the rotation was six-year Triple-A vet Roy Smith, who pitched for the Minnesota Twins in 1990.

In the bullpen was a legitimate closer: Todd Frohwirth, the league-leader with 21 saves for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre the previous season. Southpaw Joe Price was in town, at least until May 1, when he was eligible to return to Baltimore. Rob Woodward (the returning save leader with nine), Israel Sanchez, and Francisco De la Rosa rounded out the bullpen.

Because of the inexperienced staff, a solid defense was a necessity. Biagini had a versatile crew that could play many positions. First baseman David Segui was back, but the Orioles mandated that he play at least three games a week in the outfield. Benny Distefano and Jeff Weatherby could likewise fill in at first base or outfield. Distefano spent 1990 in Japan after four years in the Pittsburgh organization. The other three infield positions could be filled by any combination of what were basically utility men: Steve Jeltz (.155 in limited action with the Kansas City Royals), and returning players Jeff McKnight and Shane Turner. Tommy Shields came over from Buffalo (.247) late in the spring to throw another possibility into the mix.

The outfield was a bit more settled. Rookie Luis Mercedes was expected to be the regular right fielder. He carried a two-year streak of batting championships, having won at Hagerstown (.334) in 1990 and at Frederick (.309) in 1989. Tony Chance and Joaquin Contreres would compete for the left and center field spots with newcomer Chito Martinez, who hit 21 home runs for Triple-A Omaha. Jeff Tackett and Mike Eberle returned at catcher, with Tackett expected to carry the bulk of the load.

Lacking the power of the 1990 squad, Biagini vowed that this team would not wait for the long ball, although only Mercedes (38 stolen bases) had a true base-stealers’ pedigree. Switch hitters Jeltz, Segui, McKnight and Contreres gave Biagini a offensive versatility that mirrored the defense.

Because of off-season changes to the structure of the Triple-A Alliance, teams would play unbalanced schedules. Rochester and the other IL Eastern Division teams would play 124 intra-league games and 20 against American Association Eastern Division clubs. The IL’s Western Division squads would play 104 games against IL foes and 40 games against American Association clubs from both divisions.

The Red Wings opened at home on Wednesday afternoon, April 10 against Pawtucket. A crowd of 6,858 braved gusty winds and snow showers on a 40-degree day to see the Wings take a 6-3 lead into the seventh inning. But relievers surrendered eight runs on eight hits as the Red Sox captured the game 11-10. The Wings’ offense was fueled by three, two-run home runs, including a pair by Martinez.

A clear pattern developed in the season’s first month. When the fate of game was turned over to the bullpen, a defeat was probable. In a 15-8 loss to Syracuse, the relief corps gave up 10 runs on nine hits after the Wings had taken a 7-5 lead into the fifth. Less than a week later, Price came into the game in the eighth with a three-run lead and allowed three home runs in an 8-7 loss to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

But the offense was hitting on enough cylinders to keep the Wings hovering around the break-even mark. Martinez continued his hot start with another multi-homer game on April 22 and took over the league lead in home runs. McKnight was out of the gate quickly as well, hitting a shade below .500. The team improved its offense and defense when it picked up former major-league center fielder Oddibe McDowell, released by Atlanta. Contreres was cut to clear a roster spot.

The parent club appeared in town on May 2 for the annual exhibition game. The O’s went to extra lengths to promote the game, sending in Manager Frank Robinson, General Manager Roland Hemond and pitcher Jeff Ballard a day early to appear at a $25-a-plate luncheon. Unfortunately the cold weather and a threat of rain kept attendance at the game, won by the Wings 4-3, down to 4,040. (During their visit Baltimore’s front-office officials expressed their concern about the Wings’ financial situation, but reiterated they could provide no relief. The recently-inked Player Development Contract prohibited the parent club from providing any funds beyond what was outlined in the agreement. The document called for fines of $500,000 for the major-league club and $100,000 for the affiliate for any violations of the deal.)

The club’s streakiness continued through May, for a variety of reasons. Stars Martinez and Mussina were placed on the disabled list and two days later, McKnight (league leading .383) was sent for by the Orioles, with Leo Gomez coming to Rochester. (Reserve catcher Eberle gave up uniform #12 for Gomez, the fifth number — along with 32, 21, 28, 38 — he had worn in his two seasons with the Wings. It would not be the only time Wings’ fans would need a scorecard to know the player. Later in the year, after three consecutive losses, Telford changed from #11, his college number, to #26. He wore it for a game before being told it was the retired number of Joe Altobelli. Telford then donned #40.)

The offense was hitting .267, third in the league, but the relievers remained consistently unable to hold leads. The team stood at 13-17, in third place, six games back. The bullpen vets had a combined 3-7 record and a 6.50 ERA; this despite Frohwirth’s 1.80 ERA and league-leading six saves.

Yet the relief corps wasn’t exclusively to blame. The Wings showed an inability to hit with runners on base and late-inning rallies were non-existent. And when the pitching improved, the offense went south. During an eight-game losing streak in late May, the offense produced only nine runs.

The Wings dropped 10 of 12 after the departures of McKnight and Martinez. Leadoff man Mercedes was struggling in right field (a converted shortstop, it was only his second year in the outfield) and at the plate. During the Ohio swing though Columbus and Toledo he was sent back to Rochester, an Orioles’ official explaining that the outfielder “hasn’t played and hustled the way we want our players to play and hustle.” A couple days later Mercedes met with the Orioles to clear up what his agent called “missed communications.” He returned to the team on May 28 without any comment on the matter.

A flurry of player transactions closed out May. Segui, Frohwirth (league-leading eight saves) and Smith were recalled. The Wings added colorful pitcher Stacy “Country” Jones and outfielders Scott Meadows and Jack Voigt from Hagerstown. Meadows was originally installed in right, but moved to designated hitter when Mercedes returned. When Voigt became a regular at first base and Shields settled in at shortstop, the Wings began to change their fortunes.

Martinez came off the disabled list and in one of his first games back had a two-homer, seven-RBI performance in a 14-2 Silver Stadium rout of Nashville. The Wings picked up nine wins in 11 games and moved within a game of .500.

The pitching improved and there were signs the revival wasn’t a fluke. Sanchez moved into the league lead with a 1.80 ERA. Veteran lefty Jim Poole was claimed from Texas when the Rangers tried to slip him through waivers to Triple-A. Further incentive came with the arrival of the 1990 championship rings. The 10-carat gold rings featured a silver R embedded in the centerpiece ruby, along with nine dimoniques to represent the total number of Rochester’s Governors’ Cup triumphs.

Gomez was recalled after his month-long stint and the 1-5 Linskey sent down to Double-A, replaced by infielder Rodney Lofton and pitcher Ozzie Peraza from Hagerstown. The changes did not break the momentum, which was riding the bats of Turner, Meadows, Voigt and Tackett. The team ripped off 17 wins in 23 games (15-5 against American Association teams) leading into a five-game series at home with first place Pawtucket, seven games distant.

The Wings took four of the five. Ben McDonald came down to rehab his ailing elbow and pitched three innings in the last game, a 6-5 win in front of a season-high 7,724. The Wings moved to within four games of first and were a single game back of second place Syracuse.

Mercedes responded well after his brief absence and moved into the league’s top 10 in batting average. Martinez stood at .333 but was plate appearances shy of officially qualifying for consideration, as were Meadows (.361) and Voigt (.333). Comebacks became more frequent: in an 8-3 win against Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Rochester scored eight runs in the fifth after two outs. Two games later the team came back from a 7-1 deficit to beat Syracuse 8-7. Sixteen wins in 22 home contests moved the team back into contention.

Craig Worthington came down on rehab in late June, but this time the assignment of a major leaguer was not seen as a positive, as it took at-bats away from the red-hot Voigt and Meadows. (Voigt was known for buying his own bats. Baltimore supplied 50 dozen bats to Rochester per season, but he preferred a particular pattern that cost him $25 apiece. He was already out $900 for three dozen bats.) June ended with another comeback victory — an 8-5 win at Scranton in which the team overcame a 5-1 shortfall through seven innings. The triumph closed out a 20-11 June (helped largely by Martinez, who was the Topps IL Player of the Month) and brought the Red Wings into a tie for second. With five games scheduled at division-leading Pawtucket, Biagini’s squad looked poised to make a serious move at the top.

This time the PawSox turned the tables, taking four of five at McCoy Stadium. But the Wings followed up with a quartet sweep of Syracuse, giving the squad a 47-41 record at the all-star break, six games behind Pawtucket and 2 1/2 off Syracuse’s pace. Rochester was to be represented by Biagini and Martinez at the all-star game, but the lefty slugger had been recalled a few days before, taking his .322 average, 22 home runs and 50 RBI to Baltimore. Catcher Tackett, who had major strides as an offensive contributor, wore the Wings’ colors as a late replacement.

The all-star break was made notable by the International League’s decision to end the Triple-A Alliance. The four-year marriage was ended by a 5-3 vote; Rochester joined with Tidewater and Richmond in voting to continue the arrangement. Those in opposition cited additional travel costs under the new working agreement with the majors as a prime factor, but hoped that the post-season championship could be continued.

To some club leaders the vote was intended only as a poll on the concept of inter-league play. In comparison, the eight American Association teams voted overwhelmingly to continue the Alliance. “I am somewhat perplexed right now,” said Wings’ GM Dan Lunetta. “There is no reason why the issue couldn’t have been kept on the table until the fall meetings.” The Red Wings would lose their five games a season against Buffalo, which Lunetta termed “terribly unfortunate.”

At the local level, the playing pause saw the release of a marketing report compiled by four students of the University of Rochester’s Graduate School of Business Administration. The nine-month telephone survey of 546 Monroe County residents found, among other things, that the Red Wings were important to the people of Monroe County and that Triple-A baseball was a great source of family entertainment. The most disturbing fact: many people attended Red Wings games, but few returned.

Unfortunately, none of the data addressed the real reason for the genuine concern for the survival of RCB — the stadium renovation debt. On the contrary, the survey magnified the difficulty the club would have in climbing out of its financial hole. The study’s compilers believed that just 40,000 more fans a year at $4 a ticket would erase last season’s $161,940 operating deficit. That would require a boost of 600 fans per game. But ominously, the fan base had been shrinking: 1990’s gate count had dropped 25,000 from the previous season.

“The problem is not getting people to the game,” said one of the students. “It’s getting them back.” The survey was unable to provide any clear answers about which factors kept people from returning. Poor parking and the surrounding stadium neighborhood — the major public arguments against Silver — were perceived as negative factors, but not as strongly as previously believed.

Before the debt, even when the Wings had some bad teams (and those in the mid-’80s were pretty horrendous), RCB had been able to turn a profit. The study made it clear that the stadium debt was strangling the club. The franchise’s net worth had been cut in half — from $1,214,191 in 1986 to $605,390 in 1990. In October 1987, before the renovation, RCB had retained earnings (savings) of $839,294. Three years later, the bank reserves were down to $182,420. Despite the fact that the survey indicated that Rochester-area fans truly cared about the Wings, because of the financial numbers, it was questioned if they would be able to care enough.

Rochester opened the second half of the season with an 11-game road swing through Virginia, winning six, but dropping further off the pace. The series in Richmond was disastrous, as the Wings lost five players — Turner to the O’s and Mercedes, Meadows, McDowell and Shields to injuries. The rash of hurts forced the recall of shortstop Ricky Gutierrez, and outfielders Ken Shamburg and Tyrone Kingwood from Double-A, and the signing of free agent Tommy Dunbar, recently released by Buffalo. But before the reinforcements could arrive, the Wings were so short of players they had to activate Coach Mike Young and use relief pitcher Woodward as designated hitter in a game against Columbus.

The injuries severely hampered the Wing’s offense. The character of the team changed as well. The new players, including Mark McLemore, signed in early July after his release from the Houston Astros, gave the lineup more speed. When Distefano, one of the few remaining power hitters, stepped forward as a run producer, the Red Wings ripped off seven consecutive wins in the final week of July. The surge allowed the Wings to pick up 5 1/2 games on Pawtucket, climbing to 10 games over .500 (59-49) and within three of the front-running Red Sox, who they would face eight times over the season’s final weeks.

On the same day Rochester won its seventh straight, the 39-60 Orioles recalled the heart of the Wings’ pitching staff. Gone to Baltimore were Mike Mussina, Stacy Jones and Jim Poole. Mussina was the unquestioned ace with a 10-4 record, 2.87 ERA and 107 strikeouts, stats that tied him for the league lead in wins, and placing him second in the other two categories. Poole (nine saves) and Jones (seven) combined for more than half of the Wings’ 29 saves. No remaining pitcher had more than two and that was Sanchez, who, since May, had been a member of the starting rotation.

Coming to Rochester were struggling hurlers Jeff Ballard (6-11, 5.34), Jeff Robinson (4-9, 5.18) and Paul Kilgus (0-2, 5.08). The moves capped a busy two weeks for the Wings — since July 17, six players had left the team and seven added.

This time no one stepped forward. The victory streak was snapped the next game. The following night the gutted bullpen blew a 5-2 eighth-inning lead to the Mud Hens. Two days later, still in Toledo, newcomers Ballard and Kilgus gave up 14 hits and five runs in 6 2/3 innings of another loss. In the first five games following the switch (all losses), the revamped relief corps allowed 24 hits, 10 earned runs and 10 walks in a shade over 24 innings.

The losing slide bottomed out at six, but the overall downward trend continued. Ballard gave up six in the first inning of his next start. Robinson, who had verbally ripped the O’s after his demotion, followed by allowing seven tallies in 3 2/3 innings of his first start. He moved to the bullpen, but failed in a 9-8 loss to Richmond. The relief corps was further thinned when Sanchez was lost for the remainder of the season, placed on the disabled list in order to surgically clear scar tissue in his elbow.

By mid-August pennant dreams were but a distant memory as the Wings hovered a mere four games above the .500 mark. Jose Mesa and Jose Bautista became the sixth and seventh Rochester pitchers to receive promotions to Baltimore, leaving the Wings down to eight hurlers. Stacy Jones returned a few days later, but even he got caught in the collective pitching funk, walking in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth of his first appearance.

Despite a break-even August, the Wings managed to move ahead of Syracuse in the race for second place. Mercedes was in the running for the batting title, but his season ended prematurely in an Aug. 24 game at Syracuse. After a force out at second base, Mercedes was returning to the Wings’ dugout when he had words with Syracuse’s Tom Quinlan. Jaw-to-jaw with the Chief third baseman, Mercedes flung his batting helmet into Quinlan’s face, fracturing a tooth. It took a moment before stunned players on both sides could rush the field, with one of the Chiefs tackling the retreating Mercedes. It took almost 20 minutes to restore order, after which Mercedes was escorted to the clubhouse. The temperamental Red Wing outfielder had three hits in the game, which extended his hitting streak to 21 games and raised his average to .334. He was ultimately suspended for the remainder of the season by the International League and the Orioles’ decided to honor the suspension and not call him up at season’s end.

Less than a week later Mercedes was named the league’s Rookie of the Year (the Wings’ fourth in 12 years) and an all-star. Mussina was also selected for the all-star team and additionally picked as Pitcher of the Year.

The Wings closed out against Syracuse and clinched second place on the next-to-last night. In the season finale at Silver, Turner and Shields each played every position, becoming, it was believed, the first two teammates to play all nine positions in a professional baseball game. The pair flip-flopped as pitcher and catcher in the first two innings, and then made their way around the rest of the diamond in the remaining innings of the 8-0 win.

Shields and Turner thought of the scheme only after the Wings were assured second place, making it clear it was not their intention to make a joke of the game’s integrity. Biagini liked the idea and checked with Syracuse manager (and ex-Wing) Bob Bailor before the contest. Bailor responded that it was Biagini’s team, but after the game the Syracuse manager stated, “I know most of [my] players didn’t like it.... I just didn’t see the point behind it.”

Biagini felt the opposite. “We just had fun here on the last day. It was a good way to end the season — on a high note.” His team closed with a five-game winning streak, finishing in second place at 76-68, 3 1/2 games behind Pawtucket.

If the Wings were evaluated on how many players it sent along to higher levels, the 1991 season was a success. Fifty-four players came and went through the Red Wings’ clubhouse, with 13 going to Baltimore. In a year when another Baltimore club struggled, the Orioles needed to see what players in its system could play at the major-league level. The resulting roster instability hurt Rochester’s chance to contend.

The Wings had talent, but never played the team ball that Biagini preached. Their 45-27 home record was the league’s best, but the Wings were 10 games under .500 on the road. Shane Turner, the consummate team player, said, “We never really, at any period of time, played team baseball. We won when we got hot. When guys, as a team, started swinging the bat well, it overshadowed a lot of mistakes we made mentally and physically. In close ball games, our mistakes hurt us.”

The miscues were primarily highlighted in the bullpen. After the early departure of Todd Frohwirth (eight saves) and late-season recalls of Stacy Jones (eight) and Jim Poole (nine), Biagini tried bullpen by committee. That failed for one reason, said pitching coach Dick Bosman — “incompetence.”

Individually, the Wings had a trio of players all contend for league crowns in the primary offensive departments. Luis Mercedes finished second in batting average (.334), Chito Martinez stood second in home runs (20) despite playing only half a season, and Bennie Distefano ranked second in RBI with 83. Distefano, who drove in 52 runs in July and August, added 18 home runs and a .267 average. In a promising view of the future, newcomers Jack Voigt (.270), Scott Meadows (.324, 42 RBI), Tyrone Kingwood (.312) and Ricky Gutierrez (.306) all played extremely well after their recalls. Voigt won fans for his scrappy attitude and acrobatic play in the outfield, while Gutierrez impressed with his glove.

In terms of pitching, the recalls of Mike Mussina (10-4), Poole and Jones left the cupboard bare except for Anthony Telford. Telford, who earned a late-season stint in Baltimore, tied for the league lead in wins (12-9) and led the team with 157 innings pitched.

As had become custom since the Wings’ money problems became public knowledge, off-season news and debate centered around that subject. The city/county commission report expected at the end of July was twice delayed, so in October RCB President Elliot Curwin released the Red Wings’ design for keeping the franchise viable. The plan requested local government take over ownership of Silver Stadium and lease it back to the club, while developing a long-term plan to upgrade the park, or construct a new facility. Pointing out that the Wings were one of only two teams in minor-league baseball to own its own stadium (the Nashville Sounds of the American Association being the other), Curwin asked, “Why is Rochester different than every other franchise in baseball?”

Some committee members and city officials were concerned that if the city or county took over the stadium and relieved the team of its debt, there was no guarantee the Red Wings would stay in Rochester. Curwin responded, “We will give government everything it wants. A long-term lease. They can take all the profits.” He did, however, state that RCB would not give up management of the team as a sign of its commitment. “I will not relinquish control of the team,” Curwin said. “My position is firm.”

The release of Curwin’s plan corresponded with the announcement of General Manager Dan Lunetta departure from the organization. He accepted the job of director of minor league administration with the expansion Florida Marlins, becoming the third member of the front office to leave since the season’s end.

Later that month the Red Wings lost their manager and pitching coach as well. Biagini was named as the Orioles’ major league hitting instructor and Bosman became the team’s pitching coach. It was assumed that the selection of Hagerstown’s Jerry Narron and Steve Luebber as manager and pitching coach was a formality. The wild card, however, was Joe Altobelli. In October he was let go as part of a managerial change with the Chicago Cubs, where he was bench coach. He made it known that he would consider a job with the Red Wings, but that he would be most likely accept a coaching job in the majors in 1992.

The question of Altobelli’s return to the Red Wings was seemingly answered in the negative on Nov. 12, when Jerry Narron was named manager. The former major-league catcher was only three years removed from his last season as a player, that with the 1988 Rochester Governors’ Cup champions. His managing career began somewhat ominously the next season when, in his first game, his Frederick team was on the losing end of an Opening Day perfect game. But that team finished second and he moved up the ladder to Hagerstown, where in his second year, the team also finished in the runner-up position.

Like Narron, new pitching coach Steve Luebber, named the same day, was also an ex-Red Wing. He performed for the team in 1980 and 1981, compiling a 13-8 mark in ’80 and pitching in 1981’s 33-inning contest. Joining the pair was Mike Young, back for his second full season in Rochester.

The return of Joe Altobelli took place two weeks later, when he was named general manager of the Red Wings. It was somewhat a surprise move, as the 59-year-old Altobelli had no front-office experience, but it was felt he could be a public ambassador for the club in its troubled times. “There’s nothing wrong with Joe being a well-known person in Rochester,” stated Curwin. “That’s an asset.”

The job would not require Altobelli to be involved in player transactions — the Orioles took care of that — but he would oversee the operation of the front office: promotions, advertising sales and public relations, as well as acting as the club’s liaison with the league. He first expressed interest in the job after being released by the Cubs, and when Curwin was made aware of that, “we felt he would be the perfect man.”

Altobelli had a positive view of the future of the Red Wings and the chances for a new ballpark. A good deal of optimism hinged on the city/county study and on what, if any, steps local government could take to help RCB out of its financial morass. The committee, chaired by Tom Golisano, president of local business Paychex, released its bailout plan in mid-December. The report made three recommendations:

• that the Red Wings raise approximately $3 million in new private capital to be used for marketing, to rebuild the club’s reserve funds, and to resolve the issue of missing stockholders, which prevented the club from conducting business;
• that the Red Wings put in place “appropriate legal mechanism to assure that the franchise is not moved from Rochester after the investment of public funds;”
• and lastly, if the first two criteria were met, that the City of Rochester and County of Monroe assume ownership of Silver Stadium and its debt, that a long-term lease be signed, and that the city purchase properties surrounding the stadium as to create additional parking and other “physical amenities” to the stadium site.

The committee did qualify its comments by stating that the possibilities of a state funding for a new stadium should be explored before significant expenditures were made on Silver Stadium. During most of the committee’s deliberations, it acted on the assumption that due to the fiscal problems of New York State, such funding would not be likely. But with Governor Mario Cuomo’s recent expression of interest in “participating” in the construction of a new stadium, the committee felt that perhaps that climate had changed.

The eight-member committee approved the report by a 6-2 vote, but the two dissenting voices came from panel members Curwin and RCB Vice President Gary Larder. “We’re not overly excited about it [the report],” stated Curwin, saying that raising $3 million in new capital was not reasonable. He complimented the work of the committee, but said the study “didn’t address the thing we really need, which is a new stadium.” One committee member stated that their job wasn’t to jump into the stadium debate, but to study the long-term financial viability of the organization. Golisano added, “I don’t think the city and county will move forward until the Red Wings have shown they can raise the capital.”

The prevalent assumption was that a stock issue would be the main component of any fund-raising plan. Curwin said he was “willing” to consider the offering, but the franchise was still hampered by unaccounted-for stockholders. The number of active shares in the voting process was not enough to pass any significant changes in the club’s operation, including the issue of new stock. During the season RCB announced it was conducting a search for 1,700 people holding a total of 5,000 shares. The previous year only 18,776 shares had been voted at the annual meeting, short of the minimum 50 percent of needed to pass a major proposal.

A new stock issue would dilute the power of the existing shares, fulfilling another of the recommendations made by the committee — that no one individual or group hold more than 10 percent of team stock. Anna Silver, former chairwoman of the Wings’ Board of Directors, and head of the family that held 17 percent of RCB stock, was unsure of how a new issue would affect her family’s holdings, but commented, “I have always said I want to keep baseball in Rochester. That’s been my objective all these years. I just think nothing is going to happen unless the city and county declare their support.”

RCB’s corporate position slowly and steadily turned toward the desire for a new stadium. “RCB needs and deserves a new stadium and given the time frame necessary to decide location and obtain funding, we need to begin now,” stated Treasurer Bob Hope in his financial report at the Jan. 25, 1992 shareholders meeting. The Board of Directors reported that a new ballpark was necessary to keep the league’s oldest franchise operating into the 21st century.

The financial picture was somewhat brightened — the Wings reported a loss in 1991 of only $42,822, their best showing since the last season before the renovation. The team ranked fifth in the IL in 1991 with 349,552 tickets sold, but the turnstile count of 271,811 continued the downward trend begun in 1982.

Another negative development was the failure to once again gather enough votes to pass any of the four proposals on the table. There was a quorum in attendance (1/3 of outstanding shares), enough to elect a 31-member Board of Directors, but when it came to voting on proposals that included authorizing the board to issue two million shares of stock, the lack of a majority ended the meeting. The board adjourned until Feb. 10, hopeful that it would have found enough votes by then to give it the required number. A total of 19,997 were represented at the January meeting.

By the February date, the Wings were finally successful in locating a majority of its shareholders, ending a three-year quest. Unfortunately, the razor-thin margin (21,137 shares represented versus 21,113 needed to pass a proposal) did not allow for any of the four proposals to pass. On the new stock issue, 17,567 voted for, but 3,155 voted against, and there were 415 abstentions. But for the first time in a decade, RCB had a majority of its shares voted. “The proposals were defeated, but we got a majority of stockholder votes and that’s what we really wanted,” said Curwin.

Copyright © 1997 Brian A. Bennett. All rights reserved. No part of this material may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by an information storage and retrieval system - except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review to be printed in a magazine or newspaper - without permission in writing from the publisher. For information, please contact Triphammer Publishing, P.O. Box 45, Scottsville, NY 14546-0045.