SIOUX CITY – Fans of the Sioux City Explorers turned out for the team's 30th home opener Tuesday night, with many hoping this won't be the team's last season in Sioux City.
Explorers owner John Roost has repeatedly urged the city to replace all 3,070 plastic seats in Lewis & Clark Park, saying their deteriorating condition presents a danger to fans and a financial liability for the team and city. Roost has warned he may relocate the team to another market if negotiations with the city fall through.
As Jim Larson prepared to enter the city-owned stadium Tuesday night, the 30-year Explorers fan said “it would be horrible” if the team left town.
“Sioux City can’t be without a baseball team,” Larson said.
Jan and Jim Ashmore also lamented the potential loss of the independent professional baseball team.
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“We were at the first ballgame,” Jan Ashmore said of the X's inaugural season in 1993. “We’ve loved these games.”
City officials have told Roost they don't have sufficient funds to replace all of the seats this year, but offered to do so in phases over several years. The city budgeted about $150,000 for the fiscal year that starts July 1 and ordered 850 seats, which city staff says won't arrive until August due to supply chain issues.
The Journal asked a number of fans at Tuesday’s home opener against the Lake Country DockHounds if they had experienced problems with the seats and how they feel about the Explorers potentially moving.
Gene and Mary Nitzschke, who have hosted more than two dozen Explorer players, said they haven't seen any problems with the seating. Some other fans said the same. But others expressed concern with the safety of the plastic seats, with several saying they'd personally witnessed one or more break.
“The seats were garbage last year,” said one fan, who asked to be identified only as Bob. “I’ve seen people sit and fall through.”
Another woman said fans are cautious while sitting down because they're fearful of their seat collapsing.
Bob said he has watched attendance at Lewis & Clark Park dwindle during the 30 years he's been coming to games. From a business standpoint, he said if he was the Explorers owner he also would consider moving the team.
Matt Ard, who said he has watched nearly every Explorers home game since 1993, said he doubts the X's will actually leave for another city.
“They’re not going anywhere,” he said.