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Nelson Wolff: San Antonio needs new downtown ballpark

San Antonio MissionsBexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, whose name is literally synonymous with baseball in San Antonio, says a new downtown ballpark is needed for the sport to thrive.

The San Antonio Missions (Class AA; Texas League) play out of Wolff Stadium, which dates from the days when ballparks were built for easy freeway access with tons of surface parking. And while other Texas cities have built new ballparks — El Paso is the latest — the Missions still play at a very basic facility. Less than two years ago a San Antonio task force recommended a new downtown ballpark and a shift to Triple-A baseball, but the recommendations went nowhere, and now Wolff is publicly chastising those opposing a downtown-ballpark plan. From WOAI:

“I’m hoping that some day, local ownership will buy the (San Antonio) Missions, and then you will have a local owner, and then I hope we’ll be able to do something,” Wolff said….

He says with the growth of San Antonio’s downtown, a downtown stadium would attract more fans and generate more downtown development.

“You go anywhere, you will find that a baseball stadium is a very positive development in the central city,” he said.  “I am very disappointed that we haven’t been able to get any traction on it here.”

San Antonio is a major market, hosting the San Antonio Spurs (NBA), and there have been overtures to other major sports, including a time when city officials pitched Jeffrey Loria on a Florida Marlins move before the team committed to the new Miami ballpark.

RELATED STORIES: San Antonio looking at AAA ball, upgradeable ballpark; Rangers to host exhibition game at Alamodome; New San Antonio ballpark in play

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