12/21/2014-The Taos Blizzard will not play in the 2015 season in the Pecos League.
Taos was unable to put a deal together to host Spring Training which was the main economic driver for the team.
The Pecos League will reconsider playing in Taos in 2016.
Pecos League Commissioner Andrew Dunn
"At the recommendation of Norm Cutliff we will not play in Taos in the 2015 season. Norm was the founder of Taos Pro Baseball and is a big Pecos League Supporter.
We had a meeting in September and everyone appeared to be on track for the 2015 season.
I was very surprised of his recommendation but he wants the team to be ran right like the Santa Fe and Trinidad teams and feels Taos cannot do that at this time.
Norm approached me and told me it was going to an uphill battle with housing for all players and getting a hotel in season.
Our league attempted to host Spring Training in Taos again and we could not find a hotel that was stable. Both of the hotels we worked with had new management and wouldn't sign contracts.
We have numerous hotels in Santa Fe and Garden City that have approached us about having Spring Training at 1/2 of the cost of Taos rooms.
We have to look at our finances and put our players in the best situations possible."
Norm is advising us as a business decision in his opinion not to continue in Taos.
He has been working with local business leaders and in his opinion moving to Garden City now is the best move for the Pecos League and its players.
I have expressed a need for each team to have committments for dedicated transportation, host families and host hotels in place by January 1.
The League is still willing to consider Taos for the 2016 season. I would like to thank the TSA and specifically Cat Legere for their work and Nikki at the Taos Schools."
From the Taos Sports Alliance
"Unfortunately we have to say goodbye to the Taos Blizzard for now! This is really sad news for the town, especially our youth and families and all the fans. It was an uphill battle to fund the team here in Taos, so they've gone east....The only lack of support the Blizzard saw was financial, we were asked, as a town, to welcome the team, and we did, house the players in our own homes, and we did, come out to the games with our families, and we did. But what we lack in 2015, is the financial investment to support what would have taken years to bring a real profit to the town, the players and back to the league.
The league was looking to the town, county, and local business to find monetary support to fund the season's staff and player salaries, away team lodging and spring training lodging, and Baseball is a business, like any other, and the business could not break even or turn a profit in Taos at this point in time. Pecos League baseball will continue to be strong in places like Santa Fe and Roswell; and maybe one day the Blizz shall return to the Taos High Tundra.
Taos Sports Alliance played an integral role in supporting the 2014 Blizzard season and believed we would be doing the same in 2015, though we were unable to find significant funds to support their budgetary needs through either public or private sources. Taos Sports Alliance is proud to support sports and recreation opportunities in Taos with the help of our members."
From Norm Cutliff
"I have seen the Pecos League grow in great strides since the night of the Santa Fe Beer Elections in 2011. Taos has never really embraced the team like Trinidad and Santa Fe does.
The Population of Taos in the summer is not very large and we have a lack of commitment by various town organizations.
This town had a hard time seeing baseball as an economic development driver. Theyre energies were too scattered. We are also having a major turnover in the hotels management. The Don Fernando has new management and they were the drivers of the Blizzard and Spring Training in 2014. They are no longer on board. No one knows what is going on over there. Quality Inn made a deal to host Spring Training and then back out when they got new management. This should serve as a wakeup call to Taos."