The Tucson Sidewinders have wriggled into oblivion, gone but not forgotten, just like the Tucson Toros. The old Tucson Toros, that is.

Some of us believe there's a cause-and-effect connection there, as if it matters now.

We're saying goodbye to Class AAA baseball, "one step away from the major leagues."

But we'll apparently say hello to a Tucson franchise in the independent Golden Baseball League.

Instead of playing teams from such paces as Sacramento, Las Vegas and Tacoma, the new Tucson ball club will be taking the field against the Chico Outlaws, the Long Beach Armada and other members of the Golden League.

Not enough fans bought tickets to keep the city's Pacific Coast League team in business, so it will operate next season -- assuming the new ball park is ready over there -- in Reno, Nev.

The bottom line is, there weren't enough bottoms in the seats at Tucson Electric Park. We were assured there would be, when the team was moved a decade or so ago from that centrally located, cozy little icon of a ball park, Hi Corbett Field.

Well, guess where the new model Toros will play?

Yep, Jay Zucker, who owned the Toros and, when they were given a new name, the Sidewinders before selling the franchise, is bringing in the Golden League team for next season.

Atta boy, Jay.

When the Triple A team was whisked off to brand new Tucson Electric Park on Ajo Way, there were a lot of us Doubting Thomases who didn't think it was a good idea.

But politicians wanted a team at Tucson Electric Park for the summer to keep the lights glowing and the mortgage payments flowing.

The double occupancy of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Chicago White Sox would take care of things during February and March when they shared TEP for spring training.

But the White Sox are leaving, and the Diamondbacks may not be far behind. In which case the city could also lose the Colorado Rockies, who train at Hi Corbett.

And all this is due to fan interest, I suppose, or the lack of it.

When the Toros/Sidewinders left Hi Corbett was as if the Chicago Cubs had abandoned Wrigley Field.

And it hurt.

Many loyal Toro fans objected to the move and decided not to travel down to Ajo Way to see minor league games -- when they could stay home and watch big leaguers play on television.

They also objected to switching the name from Toros to Sidewinders, a trendy little oblation to the parent Diamondbacks. Kind of like the Toledo Mud Hens becoming the farm team of the Cincinnati Reds and changing their name to "Pinks." Which didn't -- and won't -- happen.

The team had outgrown Hi Corbett and Tucson had outgrown the name "Toros," it was suggested. So a name more closely related to the parent Diamondbacks was chose. Thus "Sidewinders." Well, better than Asps or Adders.

If Tucson Electric Park represented the future, the future didn't last long.

And a Pacific Coast League affiliation that began in 1969 when the White Sox put a Triple-A team here (it was called "Toros," not "Tube Sox") has ended.

Maybe it's just as well.

The kids in the lesser league will play just as hard, if not more so, than the Triple A players. And maybe they'll capture the hearts of true baseball fans in Tucson.

Hopefully we'll still have such minor league staples as Hot Dog Night, Cheap Beer Night, Cap Night, Bat Night, perhaps even Dark Knight Night.

That's what the minors are all about: young guys playin' ball and fans havin' fun.

A couple of hours' drive north of Tucson are the National League Diamondbacks. They haven't changed ballparks, just the name, depending on which business is willing to pay the most for "naming rights."

So, farewell and good luck to the Reno "Divorce Lawyers," or whatever the team will be called. Best wishes to the new ownership over there.

We're just glad the city of Tucson will get another professional baseball team.

And that it not only will be called Toros, but will play at Hi Corbett Field.

Thank you, Mr. Zucker.

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