INDEBTED: How Does A Pro Team Run Out Of Money Mid-Season?
Vložit
- čas přidán 22. 08. 2024
- After stumbling into the story of the Gastonia Honey Hunters failing to pay their players and staff, I spend the weekend digging into how this could possibly have happened to a once promising organization in one of the top professional baseball leagues in the country.
Follow me as I try my best to lead you through a web of sources, drama, accusations, and NDAs in a special episode of Indy Ball Nation. Hopefully we can see a positive result from this difficult situation.
CORRECTION: Having heard from more players who were in the clubhouse Friday, they confirmed with me that Friday’s checks were, in fact, from the team and not the Atlantic League. However, they also confirmed that the Atlantic League has informed them that the league will be handling the rest of their paychecks this season.
Indy Ball Nation is available in podcast form on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Podbean, Amazon Music, Audible, iHeartRadio, Player FM, Podchaser, and most other major platforms.
Follow us on Instagram and Twitter at @IndyBallNation
Intro/Outro: "Redneck Reasons" by Bryce Hensley
I was Bam the beginning of this season, she wanted him out the whole game but barely provided water, I would sit in the suit in 80-90 degree heat making it 110 degree in the suit but she pushed i be out with fans. In the beginning I was out there for almost the whole game, but once she wasn’t paying me I was only out 2 innings. She offered me a full time position after opening weekend and when I came in for my “scheduled” meeting she canceled, then scheduled another one to meet with HR to which I was told “you’ll have to wait for Veronica to approve” never heard back. I loved the team, and the fans but I hated working under her management, she was rude and disrespectful. She used the “minority” card to make you feel bad but truly she was just a negative person and a horrible COO.
Nice article. It should be noted that even the team mascot name was rejected by many Gastonia citizens. Other teams in the league have names that actually relate to their city’s heritage. For example, the High Point “Rockers” pays homage to that city’s furniture manufacturing heritage. Gastonia was founded in 1877 as a textile town. It was known for years as “the city of spindles”. It was the world’s largest producer of combed yarn.
“Spinners”, “Strikers” (triple entendre also recalling the 1929 strike, pitchers throwing strikes, and batters striking the ball), “Doffers”, “Weavers”, “Spoolers”, “Carders”, “Sidewinders”-all are textile machines. The old Gastonia High School yearbook was “The Spinner”.
No mention of Buddy Lewis, Washington Senators player from here. No mention of Sammy Sosa who played here. Or the great textile mill teams and Gastonia High School championship teams, nothing about a great old baseball heritage in this old baseball town.
I donated a Hammond Organ to the city and volunteered to play it when in town-just as a gift to Gastonia. While the organ remains city property, I was told that they wanted a “party atmosphere” and no room for live organ music. I’m part of “old Gastonia”. The management of the team obviously doesn’t know or care about Gastonia heritage. As a result, they failed miserably to connect to the residents who care about-and are proud of-a Gastonia history and heritage.
So glad the city dumped money into this 🙄. FUSE was a loser idea the moment it was announced. We've been here nearly a decade and Gastonia has no idea how to bring vibrancy and tenants into the dozens of decaying properties in the "downtown area". Additionally, when reading about the minority owner for the sake of having a minority owner, who had no experience running a sports/entertainment business, the ink on the wall was dried.
My wife and I visited last year over Labor Day weekend. We caught three games in Charlotte, where I got to throw out the first pitch for attending my 1000th baseball game, and one HoneyHunters game. The stadium is great. But there's really nothing happening right around it. Hopefully that changes. I will say though, that it did feel odd there. But I chalked that up to it being just the second season and that they were still trying to figure things out. I did find it odd that they were playing the unedited versions of songs. We also participated in an on field promotion. Overall, we enjoyed ourselves. They did not have any hats in my size in stock, which I kind of expected since it was late in the season. I have checked their website numerous times this season hoping to order one. Either they just haven't updated their website, or they have not received any new stock because it shows the exact same hats as last season (I checked the website after we got home hoping they might have some in stock that weren't on display. It worked with other teams.) As for what's going on now, after watching this it totally sounds like the team is run by people who have no clue on what it takes to run a professional baseball team. Overall, things do not sound like they're on the up and up across the board. But I won't speculate about that, because it really could be that Veronica is just way in over her head and is afraid, or just doesn't want to tell Brandon what's going on. But I can't imagine that really is the situation. I really hope the situation can be sorted out for the sake of the team, the league, the city, the sponsors and the fans.
Yeah it took over a month for me to get my final paycheck once they released me. And then they fedex it to my house when I literally live across town and could have stopped by and gotten it to save the overnight or 2 day shipping cost that was being shipped out of Charlotte. They waste way too much money on certain things and they don’t go out and try to get business to even provide meals and advertise it by saying who is providing the pre and post game meal. Most Indy ball teams thank the company’s that provide stuff and give them a huge shout out about it. But Gastonia doesn’t really do it at all.
Well now the Atlantic league has terminated the contract with the Honey Hunters over unpaid debts and the city says the stadium is falling into disrepair. It sure sounds like the Honey Hunters in their current form are finished. I attended games in all three seasons and every year it seemed like there were fewer and fewer concession options and outside of the addition of the play ground at the stadium there really weren’t any improvements that I saw and the crowds seemed to reflect that. All that being said I was still looking forward to next season particularly after the success of the last two years, but now I’m just hopeful that this hasn’t poisoned the well for baseball (or any other sport for that matter) at the stadium and that we can find a tenant.
A video shitting all over Veronica. I couldn’t be happier.
Team had so much potential. PERFECT example of why you don’t let your friends, or lovers run your business…
When David was in charge of everything, things went so much better.
There seems to be a lot of Gastonia residents commenting here, but nobody is bringing up how Gaston County teachers went unpaid or incorrectly paid FOR OVER A YEAR due to an issue with the payroll company. This isn't just a baseball team problem, so let's make sure to tell what's really going on around here.
One big problem is that with the school system the Dept. of Labor refused to get involved because it is a public agency. The ball team is a private employer and DoL should get involved.
I guess my thinking is if this is happening yet again in Gaston County, somebody needs to be looking at both these payroll companies, and the people selecting them. Payroll companies mistakes seem to be the common denominator here.
@@DGFJR123 No common denominator except incompetence on the employer part. GCS rushed into using a system that was not ready despite being warned not to use it because the ex-superintendent wanted a feather in his cap for state superintendent of the year as being the leading pilot program for the move to Oracle. This whole project was let by state bid, and there were only 2 vendors to choose from. The ball team on the hand is probably lying about it being an issue with the payroll provider. The team used ADP for its first two seasons and had direct deposit. This season it was abruptly switched to Paycom and whether it was their fault or the teams fault, direct deposit was not set up. I believe it was so they could hold back checks is the cash flow was short.
I’ll still be at games cause I love baseball and get free tickets. But I refuse to give money to Brandon or Veronica, hopefully this team gets sold after the season to an ownership group that actually cares about it
Maybe your free tickets are a reason the team is in financial hardship
He probably gets tickets from a company that purchased those tickets for their employees.
I agree. I hope the team gets sold to an owner who will care about the team and fans
Great job with this Ryan!
Thank you, Dan!
Anything on the marketing company that Veronica runs out of the front office? I voiced my opinion several times last year through multiple peoples when I was with the team and the only response I got second hand from Veronica is that “we are a marketing company with a baseball team on the side”.
I heard rumors last year of the bus company not being paid on road trips and issues with the clubhouse managers not being properly equipped and not being reimbursed for out of pocket purchases for players/coaches.
Very upsetting with this after the opportunities that Brady and the coaching staff opened up for me when I thought my career was over.
Brady is the man. No doubt there. I know I could/should to look into these companies Brandon and Veronica are involved with, particularly hers. Potentially a part 2 here
Would love a part 2
The team served its relationship with ADP. Paycom is the payroll provider currently being used. The outfield sign was sponsored not by Toyota, but a local Toyota dealership.
Call in the SBI and follow the money. You would be surprised who probably got money in their pockets. Heads should roll this is not right at all.
Great job with this style video.
Thank you for your support! I'm glad you enjoyed and I hope it can help get the ball rolling in a positive direction!
Makes me wonder if High Point Rockers method of running as a not-for-profit and proceeds to charity might be one of the better models out there.
It’s interesting…I’m not an expert on how they operate, but roughly half of the industry people I talk to say that’s a terrible model and half say it’s very smart. Still not sure what to make of it!
@@IndyBallNation I don't know either. It seems to be working so far. I am not sure how you make this work for the smaller market teams otherwise. How many New Britians and Gastonias are there vs a Long Island. It isn't isolated to baseball, you see the same thing in the ECHL FPHL in hockey
Got an email from the team at 2PM stating checks are not available today. WSOC-TV reported at 5PM that the team is $100K in debt to Gastonia Police and Gaston County EMS for officers and EMT provided to the games. GPD states they will no longer supply officers for security.
Gastonia loves our HoneyHunters. We totally support the coaches and players. They give us a tremendous baseball product, and the drama with ownership doesn’t diminish fan support for the team itself.
That’s awesome. But it stinks for the players and coaches. Not being paid. This isn’t semi-pro, this is supposed to be professional.
This is all so sad :(
100% agree. As a season ticket holder since inception, I just want the team and staff to know they have our support, no matter the final outcome. We have lost many great staff members due to this ineptitude. I hate to say that even our patience is wearing thin… we just want a local ownership group with “actual” interest in our community..
@billcrowder5507 I hope most of the season ticket holders share your attitude. I have spoken to some of you at my gate, and they are not happy with promises made and not kept to them such as free buffets or dedicated parking lot.
We are there to support the team, but I agree, they promised us a lot and did not fulfill those promises. I definitely will not sign again next year if the same owners are here, and many I talk to have said the same.
Bobby, we use your gate this year. The first 2 seasons I parked at the church.
The bank was “hacked” wow!
There not even paying they're employees there.
Many of this saw this coming from the beginning. I really miss Jesse & the Grizzlies!
we still haven’t gotten paid TILL THIS DAY!!!
Well, the article put out by QC News said staff was paid today, Tuesday, July 25th. Total 🐮💩.
Worse, they had the damn gall to call unpaid staff in to work a concert on their day off this Sunday.
I work for the Gaston County School system and have dealt with payroll issues for 18 months caused by a switch in payroll systems they were told not to go live with and that state and federal authorities refused to take action on because it is a public agency. Let the team go past 10 days on a paycheck, and I know who will go after a private employer.
This also vibes with what I've heard from sources on my end.
Thanks for your support!
@@IndyBallNation Thanks for bringing this to light. I will subscribe for updates.
Absolutely horrible.
League I don’t mind, but her. That was weak.
What a joke of a response.
My family and I have been there a few times last season. It really is a beautiful ballpark. Unfortunately, it is on the side of Gastonia that is dead and always has been. The park sits south of what is the worst part of Gastonia on the other side of the Norfolk Southern tracks. I have yet to see anything come to the “FUSE” District. The only entertainment between the ballpark and downtown is a strip club. There are a few restaurants downtown but you have to endure the homeless who wander up and down Main St. This is due to the homeless shelter that sits at the other end of Main St. It’s all about location, location, location. And the area they put this stadium at is famous for killings, shootings, drive-bys and prostitution. Anything west of US 321 is pretty much crap. I don’t know. Hopefully they will figure it out.