Two years of renovations on the home of the Burlington Bees are nearly complete and they should insure that minor league baseball remains there. Work is nearly finished on new dugouts and a new concession stand at Community Field which has undergone a complete face lift. Bees general manager Chuck Brockett says the new and old stadiums have a totally different view and now the stadiums catches the eye of people driving near it.
Brockett says the improvements have strengthened their relationship with the Kansas City Royals. He says before there was a revolving door with the major league affiliates, but now he says this is the sixth season and the renovations have made the relationship go better.
Brockett feels without the improvements the future of minor league baseball in Burlington would have been in doubt. Brockett says a lot of big cities are building 10 to 15-million dollar stadiums, which he says would make it hard to compete.
The future is now much brighter as the Bees get set to open the Midwest League season at home on Thursday against Clinton. Brockett says they have another 10-year contract with the minor leagues guaranteeing they have a team.