Minor League Baseball In Camden? Outta Here.

By David Madden

CAMDEN, N.J., (CBS) -- Fifteen years ago, the Camden Riversharks baseball club began play in the independent Atlantic League with a new stadium and a lot of dreams.

Now the dreams, and the club, are history. And it's not a lock that another baseball team may come in to replace them.

Team owners could not cut a rent deal with Camden County, which owns Campbell's Field where the Sharks played. County officials confirm that they reached an impasse with the Sharks and are now considering every possible alternative for the ballpark.

"If we could find a viable use on that property with a baseball team, we would certainly be committed to that," County Freeholder Director Lou Cappelli told KYW Newsradio. "If we can't, then we're absolutely committed to exploring all options for any potential uses for that property."

He says discussions are on with several clubs, some with major league ties, about coming to Camden. If a team affiliated with a major league club were lured to Camden, Cappelli says the move would have to be approved by Major League Baseball, given Campbell's Field is just a few miles north of Citizens Bank Park, home of the Phillies.

So what happened to the Sharks? Truth be told, attendance was miniscule the past few seasons, with crowds at many night games in the range of a few hundred. The team, on its web site, claimed 3.5 million fans attended games during its 15 year history in Camden.

Plans are to sell remaining team merchandise at Campbell's Field until Saturday, when they will close up shop for good. It's thought the team might relocate to Connecticut, although that has not been confirmed.