The Memphis Redbirds sent out a press release addressing the recent statements made by Councilman Chase Carlisle about Memphis moving on from the Redbirds.
“We are disappointed by some comments made during Tuesday’s City Council discussion regarding AutoZone Park,” the statement read. “The Memphis Redbirds and AutoZone Park have proudly been an integral part of the fabric of downtown Memphis for more than 25 years, creating jobs, generating economic activity, hosting community events, and welcoming hundreds of thousands of visitors annually.”
There was a lot of discussions and frustration about the future of baseball in downtown Memphis inside Memphis City Hall on Tuesday.
A $5 million proposal related to long-term renovation planning at AutoZone Park, home of the Memphis Redbirds, was postponed by a Memphis City Council committee.
The conversation soon expanded to include the question of whether investment in Triple-A baseball is still worthwhile, some thirty years after the facility was opened.
Memphis should reconsider what the stadium should become going forward, according to Councilman Carlisle.
“I’ve been to many Redbirds games. I was there in ‘97,” Carlisle said during the committee meeting. “But like, guys, the world has changed. That was 30 years ago. I’m sorry. People are playing pickleball. They’re not going to baseball games. They are sure as heck not going to minor league games.”
The funding request is expected to return to the Memphis City Council in two weeks.
