Trich

Butler BlueSox majority owner Leo Trich confirmed Tuesday that he is close to selling most of his shares of the Prospect League baseball franchise.

Under the proposed agreement, Trich would keep 10 percent of his stock in the team while selling 50 percent to a group of "five prominent Butler businessmen," he said.

While a confidentiality agreement prevents Trich from revealing names, he said that "all five are high-profile people in the community who most around town will recognize."

Trich is scheduled to meet with the five individuals tonight. He then will meet with the Butler Recreation and Stadium Authority, which owns the other 40 percent of the team.

"I'm 90 percent sure this deal is going through," Trich said. "We may have a formal announcement as early as next week.

"I'll keep a 10-percent minority share simply to help in the transition of the team during the fall and toward next season."

The BlueSox have a year remaining on their lease at Pullman Park. Trich expects them to be a fixture there for years to come.

"One of the reasons I'm selling the team is because it needs an ownership face that is here all the time," said Trich, a Washington, Pa., resident.

"That commute back and forth was growing tiresome for me late last season. My family keeps reminding me I'm not 20 years old anymore."

While final details of the agreement are pending, Trich said the five new investors will hold controlling interest of the team as a tandem.

"They're all close friends who plan to work together," he said. "We're all excited about this. I've taken the team about as far as I'm able to take it.

"These people will continue the growth and development of the franchise. This will stabilize the long-term future of the team in Butler, which is what everybody wants."

The BlueSox finished 24-30 in their second Prospect League season. Home attendance for 2010 was 14,090, an average of 563 per home game.

Attendance in their inaugural 2009 season was 16,887, an average of 641 per home game.