Larks 2007 season in jeopardy

By RANDY GONZALES

Hays Daily News

The bottom line might be able to do what others couldn’t do on the field: shut down the Hays Larks.

The Larks, Hays’ summer-collegiate baseball team, have won back-to-back Jayhawk League titles and five out of the last six league crowns.

But unless a reliable funding source can be obtained — and soon — Larks Park could remain empty on most summer nights in the near future, perhaps as soon as this year.

The Hays Baseball Association, which operates four summer programs — the Larks, the Hays Legion, the Hays Junior Legion and the Hays Renegades — is still about $10,000 in debt left over from 2006. The HBA’s annual operating budget is between $75,000 to $80,000 per year.

A fundraiser is expected to cover that debt, but that money could have been applied to 2007, but instead is being used to pay off 2006.

The HBA has seen rising costs, especially from insurance, fuel and transportation (the HBA used a bus in recent years, but now is forced to charter buses). Meanwhile, annual fundraisers have seen a decline in profits, most notably bingo nights.

“I never thought it would get to this point, but we are, for a lot of reasons,” HBA president Mel Karst said. “I hate to say it — if we don’t get it turned around, it’s really bleak for the Larks.”

Longtime Larks manager Frank Leo said he has gone from year-to-year for funding, but last year’s deficit has forced things to come to a head.

“We go out every year and start from scratch,” Leo said. “The deficit crept up on us, now — boom.”

Both Leo and Karst emphasized this isn’t a Larks’ problem only. The Larks are the only team to make money, Karst said, but not enough to operate without assistance.

Karst said that the HBA will pay coaches’ salaries this summer just for the head coaches, and not the assistants. He said if things continue, there might come a time when the youth teams might have to provide their own transportation, etc.

And, if the Larks suspend operations, they might not be the only team to do so.

“The thing I don’t want — I don’t want people to think it’s all the Larks,” Karst said. “Our organization runs four teams ... This year it might be the Larks; next year, maybe the Renegades.”

The Larks were first organized in 1946, with teams such as the Kansas City Monarchs with Satchel Paige and the House of David teams coming to town. Current major leaguers who have played for the Larks include Albert Pujols and Lance Berkman.

The Larks have made 20 appearances in the National Baseball Congress World Series in Wichita, finishing second in 1995, 2000 and 2001.