And in other news....

from yesterday's Burlington Free Press:

"The Vermont Lake Monsters are making plans to play ball next summer, even though the New York-Penn League has not officially said minor-league baseball is returning to Burlington for the 17th season.

Monsters owner Ray Pecor said Thursday that an architect and an engineer have been brought in to study possible structural and cosmetic improvements to the University of Vermont's Centennial Field, which serves as the home field for the team.

"We've also been talking with UVM about extending the lease," Pecor said.

Pecor has one more year on his contract with the Washington Nationals for the major-league club to provide him minor-league players for the 2010 season. However, he said in June the future of the sport here was in jeopardy because of the dilapidated condition at Centennial Field.

Periodic inspections on behalf of the commissioner of Major League Baseball have shown the park fails to meet minimum standards for minor-league baseball. The recent inspections cite concerns with the pitching mound, playing surface, lighting, dugouts, clubhouses and more.

"We have not met with the New York-Penn League about it," Pecor said.

Robert Corran, UVM's athletic director, and Tom Gustafson, vice president of student and campus life, said Thursday that the discussions are ongoing with Pecor about continuing to play host to the minor-league team.

"We'd be fine with having them back. We have no other plans for the field," Gustafson said.

One proposal to rehabilitate -- and perhaps rescue -- Centennial to preserve minor-league baseball in Burlington is projected to cost $5 million to $7 million. The Preservation Trust of Vermont said it wants to help save the 103-year-old diamond, the oldest minor-league baseball park in use in the nation."

Also the long time GM of the team quit earlier this week after 14 seasons with the team citing he wanted to explore other avenues of work.

The article makes it clear that the league appears to be calling the shots on where the team plays in 2010 given the conditions of Centennial Field on the UVM campus.

Feels like I'm going to get semi-familar with the Washington Nationals farm system next year...