Ex-Dodger Claire goes to minor leagues with a new baseball venture. (Up Front).

There's good money to be made in the minors -- at least that's what Kurt Colicchio is hoping.

Colicchio, already, owner of the Single-A Yakima (Wash.) Bears, is leading a group of 10 investors who have put $5 million into a partnership looking to purchase minor league teams around the country.

The group, called Bullpen Baseball Partners, is eyeing three teams, one of which is a Single-A franchise it wants to purchase this fall for $3 million to $5 million.

Former Dodgers general manager Fred Claire and Jim McCurdy, president of the Single-A Pioneer League, have been hired as consultants.

"A lot of people pick their entertainment because of the value they receive. With movies prices going up, minor league baseball is more affordable" Colicchio said. Minor league ticket prices are as low as $5.

The investors plan to leverage the popularity of minor league baseball with what they say is a growing frustration with major league ticket prices and multi-million dollar player salaries.

The 15 minor league clubs affiliated with major league clubs drew 7.6 million fans in June, the highest total in more than a half-century, according to Minor League Baseball officials.

"You have a game that is such a part of our history and you have so many people that care about the game," said Claire. "You can't get away from the fact that as player salaries increase, the demand for revenues increases and so ticket prices increase. In the minor leagues, their ticket price range is very affordable. That's part of the attraction."

Prices for minor league teams range from $8 million to $12 million for Triple-A, $6 million to $8 million for Double A, $3 million to $5 million for Single-A, and $1 million to $2 million for Rookie League.

Bullpen Baseball is evaluating teams based on season ticket base, condition of the stadium, value of the facility's lease and to some degree, the market's population, which Claire said does not necessarily have to be large to support a team.

Drawing large crowds means more than low-priced tickets and having a competitive ball club, said Pat O'Conner, chief operating officer of Minor League Baseball.

Successful minor league teams are providing a more complete entertainment package, ranging from on-site petting zoos, pools and hot tubs to merry-go-rounds and mascots, said 0' Conner, adding that corporate sponsorship in the form of billboard advertisements and give-away events is also vital.

"In minor league baseball, to be successful, you have sell the sizzle," he said. "You have to sell the experience."

The local investment group's roots date back to 1986 when Colicchio interned in the Dodgers' community services department while a business major at USC.

Although Claire's career with the Dodgers spanned almost three decades -- and ended with his firing in 1998 -- he only met Colicchio five years ago when a mutual friend hooked them up.

During this period, Colicchio, who is a West Hills independent commercial property manager, met McCurdy and the two stayed in touch.

Colicchio said Bullpen Baseball would only target teams affiliated with major league clubs because they are more financially stable than independent league teams. The major league franchises, for instance, pay for their player and coaches salaries, meal money on the road, and 75 percent of the cost of bats and balls for their affiliates.

His Yakima Bears are an Advance Rookie League affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. They will not be part of a Bullpen Baseball portfolio.