Getting To Know You, Getting To Know All About You

Earlier this month, the Oakland A's were the last team standing in the Player Development Contract (PDC) with Short Season A Leagues.  The Washington Nationals moved their NYPL affiliation from Vermont to Auburn, after the Blue Jays left Auburn to go to the Vancouver Canadiens of the Northwest League.  These moves left the A's having to leave the Northwest League and come east to sign up with the Vermont Lake Monsters.

Reading how this dynamic played out, the A's do not appear to have had much active due diligence with the Vermont franchise prior to the completion of the 2 year PDC.  Now that the contract is in place, Oakland is just starting to learn about the organization.  According to the Burlington Free Press, Ted Polakowski, Director of Minor League Baseball Operations, recently paid a visit to Vermont to spend time with team Owner Ray Pecor, Vice President Kyle Bostwick, and General Manager Nate Cloutier.

“It was more fact-finding, start to break the ice, start to get to know each other,” Polakowski said about his visit.

“I think it was a start of a great relationship. The A’s are a very family oriented organization and we are happy with the our new relationship,” Lake Monsters general manager Nate Cloutier said.

After these meetings, Mr. Polakowski toured the team's facilites at Centennial Field on the University of Vermont campus.  Built in 1906, Centennial Field is the oldest park in the NYPL, as well as one of the oldest fields in the United States.  It was renovated in 1922 and expanded in 1995.  The Field is owned and maintained by the University.

Presently, the Field has a capacity of 4,415 and this past season had an average game attendance of 2,524, which was 9th in the 14 team league.

In 2010, the Office of the Commissioner of Major League Baseball reported that the field is "dilapidated" due to substandard conditions in the playing surface, lights, and dressing rooms.  A new engineering study is due out this month which will address the conditions of the concrete grandstands.

However, problematic these items are, Mr. Polakowski, a 28 year veteran with the Oakland franchise, looked for the positives:

“Obviously, the facility report says it is not stellar,” Polakowski said of the field. “I’m not sure whether it played into the Nationals hand on leaving, but it may have. Looking at it, and what I heard today about improvements and the facility studies and dollars being spent to protect the playing field and upgrade the playing field, was good,” he said.

Whether aware of the problems or not, before signing the recent PDC, Mr. Polakowski and the Oakland Athletics will need to spend a significant amount of time and energy dealing with the team administrators and the University into making the necessary renovations and improvements of the stadium for the health and well-being of the team and their valuable players, as well as continuted support from the fans.  If not, the long term success of the PDC and the franchise may be in jeopardy.