REGINA - The Regina Red Sox are being sold to the owners of the Pats.
Queen City Sports and Entertainment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Brandt Group of Companies, has signed a deal to acquire full control of the Red Sox.
Officially, the club is being acquired by the limited partnership Regina Red Sox Baseball Club LP, with Shaun Semple as principal partner and current Vice-President Alan Simpson as a limited minority partner.
The deal is expected to close Oct. 1. The sale is also still subject to approval from the Western Canadian Baseball League, but the initial indication is that should not be an issue. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The actual management of the team is not expected to change with the sale. Simpson will stay on as team Governor, and current President Gary Brotzel will stay on in charge of baseball operations after the change in ownership. Simpson told reporters that until the sale, the club will continue to operate as it is right now.
The announcement was made at the Brandt head office in Regina with officials there from the Red Sox and from Queen City Sports and Entertainment.
The reasons for the sale are many. The Red Sox and the Pats are both seeking new venues with the Red Sox looking for a replacement for Currie Field and the Pats seeking a new arena to replace Brandt Centre.
But the indication at the news conference was that the main driver of the sale had to do with the challenges of keeping the Red Sox franchise viable under its current non-profit model of ownership. Simpson particularly pointed to the challenges that emerged after the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
"Since then it's become slowly but increasingly clear to Gary and I and to some of the others who are involved with the club that to continue to operate this club as a non-profit business model was just being presented with challenges that the club was finding increasingly more difficult to overcome," said Simpson.
He said that model is "no longer really sustainable in the Western Canadian Baseball League. It's becoming a much more competitive league and the resources required to compete and provide the citizens of Regina the entertainment that they expect just makes it very, very difficult for the club to sustain itself and more importantly to be a good representative of the city of Regina when we host teams and when we travel to play teams in a 56 game Western Canadian Baseball League schedule."
Brotzel concurred with the need to move to a new business model, pointing to what was happening with other teams around the league.
"The teams that have moved away from the non-profit volunteer model are thriving," said Brotzel. "They're mostly the Alberta teams, and lately with Saskatoon Berries coming on board, they're just pushing the league to new levels. So it was clear to me that it was time that we moved on to that model as well."
The new ownership structure, bringing together the baseball Red Sox under the same umbrella as hockey's Pats, echoes the Berries' situation in Saskatoon where their owners also own the Saskatoon Blades and Saskatchewan Rush.
Semple pointed to that combination of bringing the Pats and Red Sox under one roof in his comments about the sale.
"This is more than a transaction. It's really about the fulfillment of a dream, a unification of two great teams and historic franchises here in Regina, with the Regina Pass and the Red Sox," said Semple.
"When Queen City Sports and Entertainment was originally founded, it was our mission to be clear we wanted to revitalize the Regina's historic franchises and to invest in their success, to deliver world-class sports and entertainment for the citizens of Regina and throughout the province. Today, we take that major step with that vision. This acquisition allows us to bring both our organizations under one umbrella, one vision, one commitment to excellence on the field and on the ice and in our community."
He also pointed to synergies already in place between the two clubs in terms of personnel, and said bringing together resources with marketing, ticketing and merchandise sales will be able to push the sport more.
Those at the announcement say the sale will ultimately ensure the long-term viability of the Red Sox, whose history dates back to 1913. Semple sees this as a vote of confidence in the club.
"This new era will build respect on the history, the passion for sport, the shared vision of what Regina can become. Not just a leader in hockey and baseball, but a leader in sports and entertainment. In closing, I'd like to say this, that to every player that has worn a Red Sox jersey, and to every fan that has sat at Currie Field through nine innings, and to every young baseball player that wishes to pursue their dream, this is for you. We're there to help you enjoy the sport. We believe in the Regina Red Sox and sports, and we believe in Regina."
But still up in the air is when or whether a new stadium will come to fruition. The Red Sox had contributed to the city's feasibility study into a potential stadium in the rail yard, and the indication is that the results of that study will be released in the next few days.
As for the current venue Semple believes there are upgrades that can happen in the meantime. He indicated a willingness to invest in a new stadium in the future.
"When I look at the Currie Field and where they're playing today, obviously there's enhancements that can be made. When you look at the other teams that are in the league and what the investments that are happening there, obviously a new stadium is really required to really engage the fans, provide them with the environment and so on. At this point, we're willing to invest in the new stadium and to help the city bring that about. That's what Al and our partnership is about."
As for when it might happen Semple said he did not think he was in a position to say that for sure, but said "I would say that the City Council is very progressive in wanting to move the city ahead. I think they'll do a good job."
Simpson said they will "continue to work as if the glass is half-full rather than half-empty."
"I'm absolutely prepared to work with the city and see if there's an opportunity to give the citizens of Regina a venue that not only the Red Sox can use, but obviously something that minor league baseball players and youth can use. It's important for the Red Sox, who I suppose would probably be your anchor tenant there. There's lots of room for minor baseball and regional use in such a stadium."
Brotzel said from a fan perspective they should be excited about the sale, and optimistic about a potential new stadium happening.
"They should be very excited, I'm excited," said Brotzel. "For 10 years, I've been after (the) past three previous mayors about trying to get something to go with a new facility to the point where they saw me downtown, they'd cross the street and avoid me.
"So, I told our new Mayor (Chad Bachynski) at our dinner, I said, 'you're number four.' So, it's time -- we can't keep kicking this can down the road."
Original report published by SaskToday updated at 12:42 p.m.
