After more than 20 years and fastpitch sponsorship costs of $5 million, Larry H. Miller will not field a team this summer in the Fastpitch Travel League.
Miller, owner of the Utah Jazz and himself a fastpitch softball pitcher in the late 1970s and early 1980s, cited the costs.
"I finally had to face the reality that we would have to retool in a major way — bringing in an established, top-notch pitcher for maybe $60,000 to $100,000 to keep the program competitive," he said.
"Not only that, but the sport is getting to where you need a great catcher and the best hitters money can buy," he said.
Miller, owner of a string of car dealerships throughout the West, said it's a financial spiral that is spinning out of control and a budget that easily could amount to $300,000 a year.
He said it's hard to walk away.
"Most of this is my lamenting the passing of a sport from its purest amateur form to a salary structure where you basically are buying a championship," he said.
Miller Toyota finished second in 1995 and Miller Chevrolet was third in 1983.