The Zephyrs lost money in 2008. That we know for sure. How much? That is not certain.
But, what is certain is that sometime in the next year, the Zephyrs should be asking for a better "deal" with the state.
The Hornets have benchmarks in their current contract with Louisiana. If they don't draw 14,735 fans per game, the state has a financial parachute. The Saints will receive $23.5 million in inducement payments this year from the state.
Triple A baseball is, in comparison, small potatoes.
The Zephyrs are down about $100,000 in sponsorships from last year. That is life in a bad economy, and one which you are always competing for dollars against two major league clubs.
It is unrealistic to think that Zephyrs baseball can return to the attendance numbers of 1997 and 1998. That is pre Hornets, and in the first two years of a new ballpark.
But, Triple A baseball in Metairie can work. If Don Beaver , sometime between now and the end of 2010, wants out, he should do the right thing and sell to Saints owner Tom Benson.
Many times Benson has inquired about the Zephyrs. And, with the Voodoo gone, there's no reason why many of his administrative staff couldn't be involved in minor league baseball right across the street.