CAN JETHAWKS REALLY FLY? : HIGH DESERT WELCOMES SINGLE-A BASEBALL; NEW STADIUM HAS DETRACTORS.

Byline: Kathy Orton Daily News Staff Writer

Nearly six years ago, Doug DeCinces had a vision.

After purchasing the site of a defunct Lancaster amusement park in June 1990, the former Angels and Baltimore Orioles third baseman wanted to build a baseball stadium to attract a minor-league team to the Antelope Valley.

DeCinces, now a real estate developer, ultimately failed, but his idea sparked a communitywide debate on whether the Antelope Valley could - or should - support a minor-league baseball team.

The debate continues, but fewer people remain skeptical of minor-league baseball's feasibility in the high desert. That initial wariness has been replaced by whole-hearted support for the Lancaster JetHawks, a Single-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners which begins its California League season on April 4.

Doomsayers who said minor-league baseball didn't stand a chance in the Antelope Valley have been left to shake their heads and predict the team's demise. But Matt Ellis, the 27-year-old JetHawks vice president and general manager, contends minor-league baseball is here in the Antelope Valley to stay.

``We're very confident we're going to be here for a long time,'' Ellis said. ``We love this area.''

At the same time, Ellis admits he can't take the support the JetHawks have for granted.

``We are walking on eggshells because this market has been burned in the past,'' Ellis said. ``We have to make sure that we do everything correctly or else we get labeled under that same group (of failures).''

Just one year ago, the ill-fated Antelope Valley Ravens and the independent Golden State Baseball League flopped miserably, leaving High Desert residents skeptical of all attempts to bring baseball to their community.

Now they will get another chance with the JetHawks, who, when they were known as the Pilots, languished in Riverside last year with the worst attendance in the California League. Ellis and his partners in Clutch Play Baseball purchased the franchise in January 1995 as a way to expand their operations. Clutch Play also owns and operates the Lethbridge, Alberta Mounties of the Pioneer League, which plays only in the summer months.

``We wanted a long-season team,'' said Ellis, who ran the Mounties for two years. ``Being from California, the California League was appealing.''

When Ellis and his partners took over the Pilots, they were not looking to relocate the team. They were committed to the team remaining in Riverside as long as a new stadium could be built so they wouldn't have to play in the high school that had been home to the Ravens. The team's facility at the time was a college field with a small capacity that didn't allow alcohol sales.

But Riverside was unwilling to provide the financing for a new stadium and a story appeared in the San Bernardino Sun stating the team would be relocating to Lancaster. It was news to Ellis.

``I had to pull out a map and look up Lancaster,'' Ellis said.

Lancaster mayor George Runner didn't need any geography lesson. He had long before located Riverside on his map.

``We actually talked to the previous owners of the Pilots,'' Runner said. ``We had discussions with several different franchises.''

As much as Runner and the city council wanted a minor-league franchise, they weren't about to take in just any team. After all, they had dismissed Bob Weinstein's Ravens and the Golden State Baseball League one year ago.

``The Ravens, that just wasn't a real team,'' Runner said. ``We just said no. A lot of our community wanted us to say yes, to put the city assessment at risk for an unproven franchise. But once we got involved with a real team, with a real affiliation and a real league, that's when we said yes.''

A phone call was made to Ellis and discussions took place. Three weeks later a deal was struck and a stadium agreed to.

Both sides received criticism for the quickness and secrecy of the arrangement. Critics, including councilwoman Deborah Shelton and vice mayor Michael Singer, denounced the manner in which the project was approved, stating the public did not have ample time to review the proposal. The city financed the project through tax-exempt notes issued by the city redevelopment agency.

``There are not that many naysayers,'' said Tara Gates, Chamber of Commerce president and planning commissioner for the city. ``A few rabble-rousers that say negative things brought up the issue that it will cost us some money.''

Ellis defended the process calling the arrangement ``a very two-sided deal.''

``The city and us had a good, open discussion,'' Ellis said. ``It was not a lot of games. We're real happy with (the deal). You've got to understand, we're paying a lot up front, but we get all revenues associated with baseball. Not every team gets that. The city gets their money up front. They don't have to worry about who's coming through the gate.''

Ellis, however, is concerned with who is coming through the turnstiles. His every decision is based on what will make the fans happy and, more importantly, keep them coming back. Every aspect of the $14.3 million dollar stadium is designed with the fans - more so than even the ballplayers - in mind.

The clubhouses are down the foul lines - not behind the dugouts - so the players must walk by the fans after the game and not just disappear into a tunnel. Every seat has arm rests and backs. There is no bench seating. The lower level seats have cup holders. More restrooms have been installed than required by building codes. Above the permanent seating are grass areas where for $2.50 - the least expensive ticket in the California League - fans can put down blankets and watch the game.

``We really spent a lot of time making sure the experience, the ball park experience, is more than just a game,'' Ellis said. ``If the game's lousy, we still want to have people come back. . . . We want to have a situation where if we lose 8-0, the fans are walking out saying, `Man, that was fun. I can't wait until next time.' In our office, our philosophy is (to act as if) we lost every night 8-0. If we can have them be happy if we lose 8-0, then we've done our job.''

Taking a cue from Mike Veeck, another minor-league owner and the son of major-league owner and promotions wizard Bill Veeck, Ellis has planned several promotions to draw fans out to the ball park. Aside from the usual famous chicken, Blues Brothers impersonators and give-away nights, there will events such as hair-cut night: Come to the ball park, watch a game and receive a hair cut.

``The whole ball park should be a real fun place to be,'' Ellis said.

Right now, the ball park is the place to be in the Antelope Valley and the JetHawks are the hottest ticket in town. The April 16 home opener against Visalia is a sellout at 5,500, even though no one knows yet who will be on the team. An undetermined number of standing-room-only tickets will be available game day. Season-ticket sales, including mini-season packages, have reached 2,000. Team officials have said they expect that number to reach 2,500 by Opening Day.

The team announced on Friday it had extended its affiliation with the Mariners through the year 2000, rebutting the claim that the JetHawks would lose their affiliation after this season. Teams that lose their affiliation often suffer big drops in attendance similar to what occurred when the Dodgers opted for San Bernardino rather than Bakersfield.

``We probably would have lost the Mariners had we stayed in Riverside,'' Ellis said.

For six years, the Antelope Valley waited for someone to build them a minor-league stadium and bring them a baseball team.

Build it and we will come, they said.

And so they will, in droves, to a stadium that is not yet completed, but is expected to be finished by April 16.

``This market is phenomenal,'' Ellis said. ``People here have been really nice. We can't ask for anything better. It's up to us to give them the product they deserve.''

LANCASTER JETHAWKS Single-A team.

Seattle Mariners affiliate

Member of California League, Southern Division, owned and operated by Clutch Play Baseball LLC.

JetHawks Stadium: Located at Antelope Valley Freeway and Avenue I in northern Lancaster.

Tickets must be purchased in person at the JetHawks offices located in the Lancaster Factory Stores, 2330 Mall Loop Road, Suite 111A.

Phone number: [phone].

Key personnel: Dave Brundage, manager; Juan Eichelberger, pitching coach; Delwyn Young, coach.

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos, Box, Chart

Photo: (1--color) Lancaster JetHawks general manager Matt Ellis sits against the background of the team's new stadium.

(2) A worker hangs the netting down the third-base line at the new Lancaster Municipal Stadium, home of the JetHawks.

Jeff Goldwater / Daily News

Box: LANCASTER JETHAWKS (see text

Chart: PRICE WARS