Batter Up

It's the 10th year of the Isotopes in Albuquerque. Friday the 13th the team opened and here I am with Tommy Lasorda, the ambassador for the Dodgers - and a one time manager of the Albuquerque Dukes, way back in the early 1970's. He of course went on to manage the Dodgers in their good days. Maybe with the new ownership of the "big" team, those glory days will return. The 'Topes are the AAA farm club of the Dodgers.




Lawrence Rael (L) and Jim Baca, the former Mayor of Albuquerque, were on the field for the honors before the game. It was during Baca's term as Mayor that the Dukes abandoned the "Duke City". The community scrambled, and with the able assistance of Lawrence as the Mayor's Chief Administrative Officer, a deal got done not only to bring a AAA team back to Albuquerque, but to build a new stadium (oops, it was a renovation of the old Albuquerque Sports Stadium) to house them. All the pieces fell in to place and it happened, but Jim didn't get the public credit he deserved because he was out of office by the time the Isotopes started playing.



Ken Young, who is seen here addressing the 10,000+ fans on opening night was instrumental as well is getting a group of investors together to buy a club and bring it here. He's a legend in minor league baseball, and also heads Ovations Food Services which is one of the biggest concession operators in the USA.

A lot of the committee that worked to bring baseball back to Albuquerque is seen in the background stretching from present Mayor Richard Berry and his wife Marie on the left, to former Mayor Jim Baca on the right - of the photo - not politically.



Two of the hardest workers on the committee were Dan Barkley, a professor at UNM and a real baseball fan, and the legendary Chuck Lanier a long time promoter of community good in Albuquerque.



And here's my co-chair of the Backin' Baseball Committee, Vic Chavez seen here with his wife(and Orbit, the Isotopes mascot).

There was a time, 10 years ago, when things could get done without the infighting that is everywhere in the political process. I'm not sure what we did back then could be done present day.

Thanks to the voters of Albuquerque who supported the bond issue, we are the home of a very successful family entertainment venue - and it's paying it's own way.

(All photos courtesy of Connie Beimer)