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Hamilton won't even touch the baseball/softball proposal from the Pan Am committee, council voted no this evening.

Hamilton invited to make pitch for Pan Am baseball field

http://www.thespec.c...-baseball-field

If Hamilton wants it, this city could host the baseball and softball competitions during the 2015 Pan Am Games.

A letter sent to the mayor’ office yesterday from the Pan Am committee says the sport could be ours if we can provide appropriate places to hold the competition. This would require upgrading some existing facilities and maybe even building some new ones.

But the reception to the idea was cool at best.

Based on the way some councilors – still smarting from the endless and painful stadium and velodrome sagas – blanched at the idea when it was mentioned at city hall this morning, this would have to be seen as an extreme longshot right now.

“I think you can hear the expressions of not doubt, but concern, that we may be going down an expensive path,” Mayor Bob Bratina said. “Nobody is going to, I don’t think, approve any large expenditure. But we don’t know what the site requirements are or what our participation would involve. So all we need is to find that out.”

The discussion began in response to a March 1 letter from Murray Noble of the Pan Am committee inviting the city to consider putting together a facility that would include a baseball stadium with 8,000-10,000 seats, a secondary facility with 1,500, a main softball stadium that could hold as many as 6,000 and a secondary field with a capacity of 1,000.

The total price tag cited could be as high as $13 million with the city responsible for 44 per cent, or $5.72 million.

However, some already asked if Bernie Arbour Stadium, Turner Field and the diamonds behind Morgan Firestone Arena in Ancaster could be used with temporary seating, keeping costs to a minimum.

The letter says a binding agreement with the city must be signed by July 31 if it’s interested.

“It could be so far out of the park that it’s not even worth talking about,” Bratina said. “All I can say is if there’s an opportunity for someone else to have us upgrade the facilities we have, and if there’s a possibility of getting a premier attraction – Pan Am baseball – then it’s worth considering.”

Others sounded disinclined to open the door even a crack.

“I think our community has had it,” said Councillor Tom Jackson. “Please tread very carefully on this baseball-softball opportunity.”

The issue will be introduced for formal discussion at council on Tuesday.

Canada won the last Pan Am Games baseball gold medal, beating the U.S 2-1 in Guadalajara. Canada took silver in softball, losing 11-1 to the States in the final.

Yesterday was the deadline for a funding agreement for Milton to have the velodrome. Haven't heard a single news about it.

Velodrome update coming soon: Bratina

http://www.thespec.c...ng-soon-bratina

City council could hear the details of a mystery Pan Am velodrome proposal from local fundraisers in the next few days, Mayor Bob Bratina said Monday.

Sources told The Spectator in late December that a private corporation is willing to make a multimillion-dollar commitment to a permanent indoor cycling oval in Hamilton — even though Pan Am officials recently announced Milton as the facility host.

Milton has until Jan. 24 to sign a binding agreement to help fund the facility, which could cost up to $45 million.

Bratina, who alluded to a local benefactor in a year-end radio interview, told councillors at Monday’s general issues committee meeting a “serious proposal may be coming forward in the next day or two.”

The mayor didn’t elaborate on the source or amount of the mystery money, other than to say it’s “significant.”

If the proposal comes together, he said, the local campaign cabinet formed in October will advise council this week. The Spectator couldn’t reach a representative from the fundraising group Monday.

Pan Am officials announced late last year that Milton has replaced Hamilton as the site of the indoor cycling venue, pending a binding agreement. Milton Mayor Gordon Krantz told The Spectator he believed his council would have to decline the velodrome before Hamilton could get back in the race.

But in answer to councillors’ questions, Bratina said Hamilton has never been officially “excluded” from the velodrome bidding process by Games organizers.

“Milton is making some statements about where they feel they are in the process … but it’s not up to Milton, it’s up to (Pan Am organizers) to make a final decision,” he said.

Went down hill when Jagoda Pike and David Peterson left.

Jagoda should've gotten the job. Dealt with three previous bids and former President of Torstar.