The Syracuse Chiefs are about to get a new owner, which is a big change from the thousands of shareholders who currently own the team. While the switch from community ownership may concern longtime fans, the Chiefs still have a bright future in central New York.

The New York Mets announced last week they would buy the Syracuse Chiefs and make the team their top minor league affiliate. The deal has to be approved by a two-thirds majority of the 1,700 shareholders of the Syracuse Chiefs, but it’s expected to pass. Still, it’s important to note that concern over the Chiefs leaving Syracuse is what led to the team’s community-owned structure, and that same fear is returning under the proposed Mets ownership.

Although the Mets are committed to keeping the Chiefs in Syracuse through 2025, according to USA Today, there are no assurances the team will stay beyond then. And with its rainy and cold seasons bleeding into the first month of games, Syracuse is a tough place to play baseball. But because the Mets still aren’t far from central New York, their ownership may be the lifeline the Chiefs need to stay in business, and ideally in Syracuse.

The Chiefs are known for their close-knit relationship with the community. When Syracuse got its third baseball team in 1961, the city sold shares to the community for about $10 each to secure the Chiefs’ future in Syracuse. At that point, the core idea of community ownership hit home: A board of directors elected by local owners ran the team and made key decisions.

Andy Mendes | Digital Design Editor

But the Chiefs have faced hard times in recent years, reportedly losing almost a million dollars in 2013 and continuing to lose money in 2014 and 2015, per Syracuse.com. Team President Bill Dutch recently said the team was on the brink of bankruptcy, though the Chiefs turned a slight profit of roughly $70,000 in 2016, according to Syracuse.com.

These recent financial struggles gave the board no choice but to try to sell the team. The terms of the deal are still undisclosed, but community owners will vote on the deal Nov. 17.

But have no fear. Right now, the Mets triple-A affiliate is in Las Vegas, at least a three-and-a-half hour flight to New York. Syracuse is less than an hour by air, and within driving distance if necessary. Having the Chiefs an afternoon’s drive away could streamline these minor leaguers’ journeys to the majors, especially with the Mets.

Chiefs games have an average attendance of roughly 4,600 per game despite NBT Bank Stadium holding 11,000 people, according to Syracuse.com. But with minor league teams already in Buffalo and Rochester, this leaves few options for a relocation that’s still close to New York City.

Andy Mendes | Digital Design Editor

Mets owner Fred Wilpon may not want to the Chiefs to keep losing money, but he might be more willing to accept a small loss if it improves the quality of play for his major league club.

After all, owning a sports franchise has become more about valuation than profits and losses, said Rick Burton, a professor of sport management at the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics at Syracuse University.

“It’s a real estate play for them,” Burton explained. “They now own this asset.”

At this point, it seems the Chiefs would only move if they got a better stadium deal somewhere else. The Chiefs’ stadium will remain under county ownership for now, Burton said.

“But down the road, the county government could say they no longer want to own and maintain the stadium,” Burton said. “A private owner like the Mets, because of depreciation, could buy it in the future for a good deal. It could be a win-win for the team and city.”

Everything is up in the air after 2025. But for now, Syracuse fans can rest assured the Mets will bring some stability to the Chiefs’ previously uncertain future.

Adam Friedman is junior broadcast digital journalism and economics dual major. His column appears biweekly. He can be reached at arfri100@syr.edu and followed on Twitter @friedmanadam5.

Published on October 17, 2017 at 12:21 am