Featured photo by Dylan Simmons
Story by Conner Smith
Murfreesboro, TN- Developers have proposed the idea of bringing a AA Minor League Baseball team to downtown Murfreesboro to the Murfreesboro City Council.
The men responsible for the possible addition are Jason Rose and Josh Shaub. Rose is the managing partner and Shaub is the commissioner of the American Association of Professional Baseball. The league itself has 12 existing teams but is looking to add new ones around the nation.
“This (AAPB) is honestly less about baseball and more about cheering on the home nine and having a family-friendly atmosphere,” Shaub said. “We also want to employ high school to college-aged kids with part-time and full-time internships and jobs.”
The league is independent but still works with Major League Baseball. Big leaguers such as Max Scherzer, David Peralta and Tyler Matzek have played in the league. The question that needs answering is where the proposed team would play its games.
The team would have a stadium built somewhere in downtown Murfreesboro. The price of the project is still unknown, but the average price of a stadium built by Rose and Schaub is $34.675 million with the park holding 4,500 to 5,000 fans. The proposed baseball park needs about 4.5 acres to be built.
Locals were displeased when it was announced that one of the potential sites for the project would be historic Cannonsburgh Village in downtown Murfreesboro, but both parties agreed to not damage and tear down the village.
“The only thing that would happen to Cannonsburgh is to improve it, we will not touch the village and it will be in writing,” Murfreesboro Mayor Shane McFarland said.
Rose pointed to the potential economic impact of the proposed team as an opportunity for growth in the Murfreesboro community.
“Our other teams have totally activated the cities they’ve been in and when we look at Murfreesboro, we see retail areas and a perfect atmosphere for a team like this,” Rose said.
According to Schaub, the average ticket price would be $12 and for a family of four to get in, get a drink and a hotdog, it would cost about $68 altogether. The league’s game attendance has averaged 2,668 for teams playing 51 regular season home games.
The new stadium would not be used strictly for baseball. Rose and Schaub have used their stadiums for other events in the past.
“We would also like to host other events such as festivals and concerts that our other stadiums have proven to sell out,” Shaub said.
The project is in the early stages but if a deal were to be made in the near future, Schaub’s goal would be to open in the spring of 2026 with new rival teams in Murfreesboro and Clarksville. Schaub suggested that the league would be interested in a 20-year lease with a 10-year extension option.
Conner Smith is a sports reporter for MTSU Sidelines. For more news, visit www.mtsusidelines.com. Also, follow us on Facebook and Instagram @mtsusidelines, or on X @MTSUSidelines.
