D’Backs Owners Godsend For AZ
By Sam Stone
As a somewhat contentious bill to fund badly needed structural repairs to Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks, is making its way through the legislature, Arizonans should remember one thing: we need to be thanking our lucky stars for Randi and Ken Kendrick.
Sports team owners are granted an oversize role in shaping the cities those teams play in. Great owners like the Kendricks build up and support their communities. Bad team owners tear them apart. Ask the people of Oakland. How fortunate, then, have Arizonans been since the Kendrick family became the Managing Partners of the D’Backs?
The Kendricks spend a higher percentage of the D’Backs total revenue on payroll than all but four teams. They’ve been going all-in to win, and it shows.
Former D’Backs players are treated like members of the family, their legacies and contributions are celebrated and woven into the team story every day.
They’ve transformed Chase Field into a welcoming, fun place to watch a game which is astounding considering how sterile the venue was in its previous incarnation as The BOB.
Diamondback games are the most affordable experience in major pro sports.
Key concession items like hot dogs, popcorn, and sodas are only $1.
D’Back charitable efforts are world class and touch every part of our community – from the 50/50 raffle at the game, to jerseys for youth teams, rebuilding fields, to numerous grant programs, the generosity of the organization under the Kendricks is unmatched.
I don’t generally support handing public money to sports franchises for their stadiums. And I still think a better deal for both teams and the public long-term is for them to own their facilities and work development deals around them. But it’s worth noting in this case that the D’Backs aren’t asking for general fund tax money, they’re asking for the taxes they directly generate to go back into fixing the ballpark. Those monies don’t exist without them, and the stadium now is reaching the point that without major investment it won’t be useable in a few years due to structural issues. But whether you support the deal or not, even whether you like baseball or not, everyone in Arizona should be thanking the Kendricks for their roles in our community. There aren’t many people who have done as much as they have to bring this state together.
Note: the opinions expressed herein are those of Sam Stone only and not his co-host Chuck Warren or Breaking Battlegrounds’ staff.
