Nolan Ryan to the rescue???

From today's Richmond Times-Dispatch:

Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan's Texas-based baseball business is sending representatives to Richmond this week to investigate possible ownership of the Eastern League franchise that is to move here next season.

Also, more than one Double-A Eastern League franchise wants to relocate to Richmond, sources recently confirmed.

Ryan-Sanders Baseball owns and operates two Texas franchises, Triple-A Round Rock (near Austin) and Double-A Corpus Christi; both are affiliated with the Houston Astros. Ryan is president of the Texas Rangers.

Ryan, his son Reid Ryan and Houston businessman Don Sanders established Ryan-Sanders Baseball, which includes several former professional players as minority shareholders.

"We're going to come over and take a look at the market and just kind of get a feel for what's happening in Richmond," Reid Ryan said yesterday.

"We have two clubs right now. We've been doing this since 1998, and during that time, we've looked at deals from California all the way to the East Coast, and we've only done two.

"Whenever there's a situation where there maybe is a change of ownership, or there's a possibility of a new team coming in, or a team moving around, we always try to at least get a meeting with the players and kind of see what's going on in the market, see if there somehow would be a fit for us."

Ryan called the trip "a preliminary look," but he also said that "we wouldn't be coming over and taking a look if we didn't feel Richmond was a great baseball town."

Ryan-Sanders Baseball, if it enters the Richmond market, could become the majority owner of the Eastern League franchise headed to Richmond, with Richmond Baseball Club LC serving as minority/operating partner.

Bryan Bostic, chairman of RBC, could not be reached for comment. RBC has been trying to purchase the Connecticut Defenders of the Eastern League, but two sources said the potential local ownership group hasn't met the sale price of $15.4 million.

The Erie, Pa., franchise of the Eastern League also may be an option for relocation to Richmond, according to sources, who declined to be named because of the sensitive nature of the negotiations.

The Eastern League and Minor League Baseball have assured Richmond Mayor Dwight C. Jones that one of the league's 12 franchises will be in Richmond next season. The team is to play at The Diamond until Richmond finds a long-term ballpark solution.

No Eastern League franchise has been identified formally for relocation.

"Richmond has had a great history of baseball over the years and has always been talked about as a superb market," Reid Ryan said. "I have some friends, some people who played there, and everybody I've talked to says great things about the city and says great things about the baseball fans in the area."

Good bye Bostic......