Columnist Steve Carp: Stars can't get caught in squeeze play

ANYONE INTERESTED in the future of minor league baseball in Las Vegas should take a look at today's International League standings.

What you'll find is the Charlotte Knights are sitting near the cellar of the Southern Division, 9 1/2 games out of first place and seven games below .500 at 35-42.

What does Charlotte have to do with Las Vegas? Right now, nothing. A year from now, possibly everything.

The Knights are the triple-A affiliate of the Florida Marlins, the defending world champions who were dismantled by owner Wayne Huizenga after the locals refused to reward his largess and build him a new ballpark. And we all know what the Marlins are today -- a bad joke.

San Diego Padres owner John Moores this week threatened to pull a Huizenga, unless the city of San Diego builds him a new ballpark.

Moores claims he can't make a go of it in Qualcomm Stadium, and unless he gets a 21st century yard, he will slash the payroll of a team that sits in first place in the National League West.

The Stars, who have had a 16-year relationship with the Padres, had to be cringing when they heard the news. There have been more downs than ups during this marriage, and the seeds for a divorce may have been sewn by Moores' comments.

"If the Padres are going to blow it up and start all over, it would make it very difficult in Las Vegas," Stars general manager Don Logan said. "I'm not one who likes to jump around. But this is a critical year for us."

Indeed. The Stars haven't won a championship in 10 years and have been to the playoffs just once in the past six years. This year's team is struggling to play .500 ball with a 38-39 record going into tonight's game with Nashville.

At some point, you have to ask yourself if this is the best you can do. While things with the Padres have improved since Moores and Larry Lucchino took over a couple of years ago, the Stars are still not as competitive as owner Hank Stickney would like.

So do the Stars wait and see what happens in San Diego with the stadium issue, and wait for the dominoes to tumble if the Padres get shot down? Or do they take the proactive route and sever their long-standing marriage with the Padres and find happiness elsewhere?

This is the final year of the deal between Las Vegas and San Diego. The opportunity to leave is there. Why wait and see if the Padres' stadium squeeze play works? Why get caught in the middle?

Las Vegas is attractive to a lot of major league teams. Surely Stickney can hitch his wagon to a more stable situation, one that would give the fans who come to Cashman Field an opportunity to see a team that has a chance to compete for the Pacific Coast League title.

So circle Aug. 1 on your calendar. That's the first day the Stars can make their intentions known. Between now and then, there's going to be a lot of discussion, a lot of meetings. Here's a chance to take the initiative rather than react.

Hopefully, Stickney will do the right thing -- for himself and the fans. This marriage hasn't worked. It's time to move on.

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