Al Lang Field, Tampa Bay
Rays
St.
Pete's Al Lang Field has been in the news a lot
lately, but for the wrong reasons: the Tampa Bay
Rays will train there one last time in 2008 before
shifting spring operations to Charlotte County in
2009, and the old ballpark is slated to be torn
down to make way for a new waterfront home of the
Rays. Now, Al Lang Field isn't the same venue it
was in the 1940s and 1950s when it was a landmark
in spring training, but it's still a great place
to catch a spring-training game. We hope the Rays
catch the spirit of the original Al Lang in their
designs for a new ballpark, For the rest of us, a
trip to Al Lang Field will be a mandatory event in
Spring Training 2008.
Trustmark Park, Mississippi
Braves
There's
nothing wrong with Trustmark Park, the home of the
Mississippi Braves (Class AA; Southern League).
The wraparound concourse, luxury
boxes, big scoreboard and varied concessions are
all standard issue for a new minor-league ballpark
these days. So why aren't we more excited about
the two-year-old ballpark? Because there's nothing
unique about it: except for a few Southern menu
items at the concessions, there's nothing to link
the ballpark to its surroundings. At a Mississippi
Braves game, you could be watching a game anywhere
-- and going local is one of the great joys of the
minor leagues. Dustin Mattison reports.
Alliance Bank Stadium,
Syracuse Chiefs
The
biggest news at Alliance Bank Stadium, the home of
the Syracuse Chiefs (Class AAA; International
League): the current artificial turf will be
replaced by real grass. That's good news for
Syracuse baseball fans in terms of aesthetics, as
well as players who need to field on an old,
sometimes unpredictable surface. Otherwise,
Alliance Bank Stadium is a perfectly serviceable
ballpark: the Chiefs front office does things the
old-fashioned way (i.e., not much in terms of
between-innings shenanigans), but the ballpark is
a comfortable place to watch a game, and the food
is pretty good. Steve Kapsinow reports.
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Broadcasts
Virtually every MiLB team now streams broadcasts over the
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More
on Internet radio and TV broadcasts here!
Durham Athletic Park upgrade
may cost more
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The
price of becoming the center of the Minor League
Baseball universe appears to be going up by $1
million. And initial indications Thursday were
that the city might be willing to pay it. City
Council members got their first look at the latest
plan to renovate
Durham
Athletic Park, former home of the Durham Bulls
and site of the film Bull Durham. Minor
League Baseball would operate the old park after
the city ponies up $5 million for renovations,
including a state-of-the-art field, new clubhouses
and dugouts and lots more bathrooms. City
officials hope that would lead to a Minor League
Baseball museum nearby. The proposed project is $1
million more than the $4 million earmarked for it
in a 2005 voter-approved bond issue. The $1
million would come from the city's general fund
and be spent on a picnic area, broadcast booth,
umpires' clubhouse and other amenities. North
Carolina Central has already committed to playing
there. RELATED STORIES:
Renovated Durham Athletic Park may be for only
games;
Minor League Baseball interested in DAP;
Durham ballpark may get second wind;
Businessman warns against remake of park area;
Old ballpark renewal plan progresses
Nationals balk after funding
pitch
Posted Aug. 10, 2007 (feedback)
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The
Washington Nationals have contributed less than $8
million toward the construction of their new
ballpark in the District, according to a report in
the Washington Times, though club officials
publicly said the team would spend as much as $50
million on ballpark improvements. The team's
contributions include between $2.5 million and $3
million for an expansion of the ballpark's
center-field restaurant, about $2 million to
improve the ballpark suites and about $3 million
to upgrade the scoreboard and video display. The
article relies on unnamed sources; the officials
sources say they've not tallied up what the Nats
have spent.
SI Miners employees to meet
with union reps
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Efforts
to organize employees of the Southern Illinois
Miners (independent; Frontier League) are under
way -- and somewhat surprisingly, a union official
said, management is not crying foul. In fact,
management is actually working with employees and
the Laborers' union to offer union representation
to about 80 Miners employees. Miners Vice
President Erik Haag said the good relations
between the union and Miners organization "start
with our ownership. They recognize the union and
the value it brings. Union labor is what got this
ballpark done on time and looking like it does. We
have a good relationship so far and I don't expect
that to change." The union is also working with
Aramark, which provides custodial and concession
services at the ballpark, to organize their 100 to
150 employees at the ballpark.
MTSU reaches ballpark deal
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Middle
Tennessee State has reached an agreement in
principle for the construction of a $6.6 million
ballpark. Work will begin "within a month,"
according to MTSU Athletic Director Chris Massaro.
The $6.6 million cost is more than most of the
base bids received by MTSU in late June. The
lowest of those original base bids was $5.4
million by Olympian Construction Co. in Nashville,
the same company that has agreed to this final
plan. Massaro said the increased cost comes from
modifications to the original base bid, so as to
maintain the look of the original plan.
Road only gets tougher for
SCL's homeless Juice
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The
implication here is that the Bradenton Juice
(independent; South Coast League), made into a
road team at the end of this season, could end up
a road team next season as well. It's probably a
little too early to come to that conclusion, but
you never know what's going to happen next season
anyway.
Triple-A
Baseball, Marvel team up on promotion
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Triple-A
Baseball and Marvel Entertainment have teamed up
for an exclusive partnership that brings together
two true forms of Americana -- baseball and
comic books. The first wave of the partnership
hits throughout August where on select dates all
30 Triple-A teams will be handing out an exclusive
baseball-themed comic book featuring Marvel
characters Spider-Man, Iron-Man, the Fantastic
Four and the Incredible Hulk.
The book, entitled Triple-A Baseball Heroes, puts the
Marvel Super Heroes in the middle of the Triple-A
all-star event alongside the League’s ever-popular
mascots. The book is penciled by Marvel artist
Robert Adkins, inked by Rick Ketchum and Drew
Geraci, and written by Chris Eliopoulos. The books
will be available only at ballparks and will have
the teams logo embossed on their particular cover.
In addition, one of the top up and coming artists,
British painter John Watson (Uncanny X-Men, Civil
War: Frontline, Incredible Hulk) has created three
variant covers for the events in Buffalo, Durham
and Memphis. In each of those cities the cover of
their book will be completely unique and exclusive
to their cities.
The Triple-A Baseball Heroes comic book sees Marvel’s
legendary Fantastic Four and their children,
Franklin and Valeria, enjoy a day off at the
ballpark for a game between the International and
Pacific Coast leagues. Peter Parker (Spider-Man)
is also making a day of it with Aunt May and
hoping to get in a few photos for the Daily Bugle
as well. Additionally, billionaire industrialist
Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, is on hand to throw out
the first pitch. Seeing the excitement of the fans
and the potential financial windfall, Stark also
considers making an investment in the League;
however, fans, players and heroes all get more
excitement than they bargained for when the
villainous Sandman appears and the Incredible Hulk
is there to tag him out.
Rays roll out
unique, in-ballpark animated series
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The
very existence of baseball is being threatened by
the Evil Umperor, a fallen umpire from the
beginnings of baseball whose sole mission is to
corrupt and destroy the game. Bent on promoting
the virtues of winning at all costs even if it
means cheating, the Umperor must be stopped... but
who will rise to the challenge. It all comes to
life on "Defenders of the Game," an animated
series featured on
Tropicana Field's video scoreboard at every
Sunday home game of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. In
conjunction with One Sum Communications, the Rays
have developed this unique feature targeted for
youngsters in attendance at Tropicana Field.
Animated likenesses of Rays players Scott Kazmir,
Rocco Baldelli and Carl Crawford, Manager Joe
Maddon and Senior Advisor Don Zimmer make up the
cast of animated heroes. All provided voice-overs
for their characters.
In the upper deck at Shea, passing time with America's pastime
Posted Aug. 9, 2007 (feedback)
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The
story here, really, is how baseball is better
marketing itself to women. The New York Mets and
local needle arts stores sold more than 800
discounted tickets for last night's game at
Shea Stadium
against the Atlanta
Braves, when people from all over the metropolitan
area gathered to knit, crochet and embroider in
the stands. Several teams have run this promotion
(locally, it's been a hoot watching Ron Gardenhire
make a pitch to embroiderers). The bigger issue is
that the promotion has been very successful in
bringing women to the ballpark. It's probably
something the minor leagues should be looking at
as well; this year we saw several teams record
some solid box-office successes with promotions
centered on raising funds for breast cancer (with
pink unis and all), promotions geared mainly
toward women.
Naturals hope to build fans
in backyard of major-league affiliate
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We're
not quite sure Springdale, Ark., is in the
backyard of Springfield, Mo., but that's the
premise here, as the local newspaper looks at the
success of the Springfield Cardinals (Class AA;
Texas League). The St. Louis Cardinals are extremely popular
in the Springdale area, so you can expect some
good crowds when the S-Cards visit the Northwest
Arkansas Naturals next season.
IronPigs
announce radio network
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The
Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Class AAA; International
League) announced that all 144 games during their
inaugural 2008 season will be broadcast live on
the IronPigs Radio Network. WXLV 90.3 FM, located
on the campus of Lehigh Carbon Community College
(Schnecksville, Pa.) will serve as the flagship
station. All broadcasts will also air on HD Radio
on ClearChannel Broadcasting’s WZZO 95.1 HD-2,
which will serve as the "Digital Home of the
IronPigs."
The live broadcasts, which will include extensive pre-game
and post-game shows, can also be accessed online
at wxlv.org, wzzo.com and ironpigsbaseball.com.
Terms of either deal were not disclosed.
Flagship station WXLV features a signal that reaches an
estimated 295,000 households in eastern
Pennsylvania and western New Jersey. The station
is regenerating itself as "A Broadcast Service of
Lehigh Carbon Community College" and with a new
format of locally produced music and community
affairs. LCCC signed a management agreement under
the rules of the FCC in March 2006 with WDIY-FM
and its licensee Lehigh Valley Community
Broadcasters Association.
PETA announces
top minor-league ballpark for veggie fare
Posted Aug. 9, 2007 (feedback)
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(discuss) People
for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
announced its first-ever ranking of the top 10
vegetarian-friendly minor-league ballparks. The
top spot went to
Durham
Bulls Athletic Park, where fans can bet that
there's no "bull" -- or cholesterol -- in that
delicious veggie dog, veggie burger, or meatless
burrito. Rounding out the vegetarian-friendly
lineup are PGE Park
(Portland Beavers), Harbor Park (Norfolk Tides),
McCoy Stadium
(Pawtucket Red Sox),
AutoZone Park (Memphis Redbirds), Harry Grove
Stadium (Frederick Keys), MerchantsAuto.com
Stadium (New Hampshire Fisher Cats), Fifth Third
Ballpark (West Michigan Whitecaps),
Cheney Stadium
(Tacoma Rainiers) and Frawley Stadium (Wilmington
Blue Rocks).
Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia
Phillies, grabbed first place in the major league
ratings by offering an extensive vegetarian menu,
including the new Philly mock-steak sandwich.
Twins announce
new date for groundbreaking
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The
Minnesota Twins have announced a new date for the
second groundbreaking on
a new
downtown ballpark: Thursday, Aug. 30.
Ceremonies are slated to start at 5 p.m. CT and go
until 7 p.m. Fans attending the ceremony will have
the opportunity to meet current Twins players and
alumni. Commissioner Bud Selig and Minnesota
Governor Tim Pawlenty are also expected to attend.
The original groundbreaking was cancelled after a
bridge carrying I-35W across the Mississippi River
collapsed during rush hour.
Revolution
finish skyboxes, party suites
Posted Aug. 9, 2007 (feedback)
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The
wait is finally over: all of the skyboxes and
party suites will now be officially open at
Sovereign Bank Stadium, the home of the York
Revolution (independent; Atlantic League). Some of
the skyboxes opened on July 22, but the rest
awaited completion. Sovereign Bank Stadium also
features five Party Suites that consist of
different room sizes, all of which are available
for rental even on non-game days. There are four
smaller rooms, one main room and the ability to
make one giant room. The Suites are able to hold
groups from 15-250.
The names of the rooms -- Keystone Room, Pennsylvania State
Room, Tri-State Room, Piedmont Room and White Rose
Hall -- were chosen to reflect the rich history of
baseball in York from the 1880s through the 1960s.
Each room will have a description explaining the
meaning behind its name, which will carry through
in its design and decoration.
Clermont to get FCSL team
Posted Aug. 9, 2007 (feedback)
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Following
the Leesburg Lightning's victory in the Florida
Collegiate Summer League championship game Sunday
night in St. Petersburg, the league has announced
it is expanding for the 2008 season. One of the
new teams will be in Clermont. The Clermont team,
which is co-owned by businessmen Tim Dye and Dan
Decker, also will be joined in what will be the
Central Florida division by an expansion team in
Belleview and by the Orlando Hammers -- a team
that was in the league before going on hiatus this
season.
Baseball turf project hasn't
started yet
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Completion
of installation of a new playing surface at Les
Murakami Stadium is now scheduled for Nov. 15. But
the contract for the work has yet to be awarded,
so the project hasn't started yet despite release
of $2 million in state funds in May. The delays
have resulted in Hawaii Winter Baseball not being
able to play games at Murakami Stadium this
season. It's not yet determined what the
replacement for the 14-year-old AstroTurf will be;
University of Hawaii baseball coach Mike Trapasso
has requested FieldTurf.
Protectors of
Al Lang Field cry foul over new land use rules
Posted Aug. 8, 2007 (feedback)
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(discuss) Proposed
land-use changes in St. Petersburg could lead to
the demise of Al Lang Field, the longtime home to
spring training in the city, but local officials
say there's little chance the venerable ballpark
could be torn down to make room for condos or
other development. The Downtown Neighborhood
Association says Al Lang should be classified with
the city's other downtown parks. City officials in
the economic development department say the land
should instead be classified with the row of
condos and shops on Beach Drive. The difference:
there are serious height restrictions applying to
park land, but not to condos. It would take quite
an effort to tear down the ballpark and build
condos there. According to the City Charter, the
city could not sell the ballpark or lease it for
more than five years without a citywide
referendum. Then the City Council, Pinellas
Planning Council, Pinellas County Commission and
the state Department of Community Affairs would
have to all agree to change its zoning status.
Perhaps the bigger issue is what the city does
with Al Lang. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays are moving
spring-training operations to Charlotte County in
2009, and there seems to be little appetite among
MLB teams to move to St. Pete. It probably would
make sense for an independent league or a
summer-collegiate league to look at placing a team
at Al Lang, and given its location we're guessing
the city could do a better job in promoting it as
a venue for college or youth tournaments. Al
Lang Field is part of our Endangered Ballparks
list.
Duncan Park
Stadium renovation plan released
Posted Aug. 8, 2007 (feedback)
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(discuss) Donnie
Love of the McMillan Smith & Partners
architectural firm showed Spartanburg school
trustees several aerial shots and schematic
drawings of a renovation plan for
Duncan Park
Stadium, the former home to minor-league and
summer-collegiate ball in the city. The complex
will include a new main entrance, updated
facilities for the disabled, updated locker rooms
and batting cages. City officials decided in
summer 2006 to close Duncan Park Stadium, citing
safety issues at the aging facility, which opened
in 1926. The district and the city have come to
the table on several occasions during the past
year and a half to discuss using the park, and
they're still finalizing their recent agreement.
Costs to renovate Duncan Park have yet to be
determined, as it depends on the type of
renovations and additions the ballpark will
undergo, but you can expect it will be a minimum
of $3 million. The city is willing to commit a
certain amount, as is the school district, and the
two entities will have to find a way to fill in
the gap. Duncan
Park Stadium is part of our Endangered Ballparks
list.
Angels to
change cleaning schedule after rat reports
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Cleaning
crews at
Angel Stadium plan to change their postgame
schedule after food vendors were cited over 100
times for vermin violations in the past two years.
Until now, cleaning crews wouldn't start removing
leftover food and garbage from the stands until
the morning after a game. Nighttime cleanups could
begin as early as Tuesday, said Tim Mead, vice
president of communications for the Angels. An
investigation by The Orange County Register found
Anaheim to be much more infested than any other
Southern California baseball venue. Food safety
experts said the violations might be related to
Angel Stadium's practice of leaving discarded
food on the ground for 12 or more hours after a
game. RELATED STORIES:
Angel Stadium hit with 118 vermin violations
Today's video:
Coco Crisp crunched
Posted Aug. 8, 2007 (feedback)
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(discuss) We
couldn't resist this video of Boston's Coco Crisp
being run over by the Mariner Moose at
Safeco Field. Keep the videos coming in:
We've been really
pleased with the response to our call for videos:
we've already heard from several teams and
vendors, so we'll continue bringing them to you.
If you want to share your videos with the baseball
community, drop us a line at
editors@augustpublications.com.
Auditor may
decide dispute over ballpark
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Manchester
aldermen are putting pressure on city Finance
Officer Bill Sanders to prove his claim that city
taxpayers have been unknowingly footing a large
chunk of the bill for Manchester's downtown
ballpark. Sanders has agreed to provide the
aldermen with documentation early next week. The
city, meanwhile, is pursuing plans for an
independent audit to review Sanders' contention
that taxpayers have already spent $1.3 million on
MerchantsAuto.com Stadium, home of the New
Hampshire Fisher Cats (Class AA; Eastern League).
A former finance official who oversaw the $27.5
million ballpark project has denied the charge. RELATED STORIES:
Former city official disputes ballpark report;
Report: Fishers' ballpark hits taxpayers for $1.3m
Oriole Park
cleanup crew, owner talk
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For
three years, the group representing workers who
clean up plastic cups, peanut shells, spilled beer
and hot dogs at
Oriole Park at Camden Yards has been fighting
for higher wages and better working conditions.
Each seeming breakthrough has fallen through. Now,
the United Workers Association, a human rights
organization in Baltimore, and the 800 workers it
represents are stepping up their campaign. Through
protests, rallies and concerts, they're calling on
the state agency that owns Camden Yards to act by
pushing for higher wages. Both sides met yesterday
to discuss the issue.
Bleacher
removal underway in Savannah
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Work
is underway today to remove the left field
bleachers from Grayson Stadium, home of the
Savannah Sand Gnats (Low Class A; Sally League).
The cement bleachers were a part of Municipal
Stadium, originally constructed for the 1926
baseball season. Tickets have not been sold for
the bleachers for at least the last six seasons.
The Sand Gnats began a 10-day road trip Tuesday.
The bleachers are expected to be completely
demolished and removed in time for the Gnats next
home game on Friday, Aug. 17 against the
Kannapolis Intimidators. The left-field bleachers
and the right-field line bleachers were the only
pieces of Municipal Stadium to withstand the
hurricane of 1940. The remainder of the ballpark
was rebuilt for the 1941 season and christened
William L. Grayson Stadium. While the right-field
bleachers were renovated in the last 20 years to
include the metal seats that remain today, the
left-field bleachers have remained in their
original cement state since 1926.
Area fans
missing out on the Manatees
Posted Aug. 8, 2007 (feedback)
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Fewer
than 1,000 people sprinkled the seats at
Space Coast Stadium Sunday night to watch the
Brevard County Manatees (High Class A; Florida
State League) take on rival Tampa Yankees in
nail-biter that ended with a 10th inning walk-off
home run by Brevard County catcher J.R. Hopf.
Those who have been to a few Manatees games know
this is the rule, and not the exception.
Non-fireworks games often feature crowds in the
hundreds for a ballpark that holds more than
8,000.
Perhaps the alligators are scaring off the fans.
Ground broken
on new Alex Box Stadium
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LSU's
new Alex Box Stadium baseball field is still
overrun with bulldozers, piledrivers and mounds of
dirt. But on Monday LSU Athletic Director Skip
Bertman was able to finally breathe a sigh of
relief that the project, approximately 10 years in
the making, officially took its first physical
step toward reality. Media, athletic department
personnel, planners and builders gathered for the
official groundbreaking of the stadium, which
officials hope will bring the college baseball
program of the 1990s into the 21st century.
'A great match'
for Freedom
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As
the new general manager of the Florence Freedom
(independent; Frontier League), Kari Rumfield will
naturally root for the team, even when they play
the River City Rascals -- which her husband
happens to manage. Rumfield, 37, takes over the
reins of the team after spending the last year
with the Rascals. Her husband, Toby Rumfield, the
Cincinnati Reds second-round pick in the 1991
draft, will continue to manage the Rascals, also a
Frontier League team. This
article was submitted by a reader. To submit an
item for potential posting on Ballpark Digest,
drop us a note.
Ballpark Notes
Posted Aug. 8, 2007 (feedback)
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(discuss) Wally
Backman and the independent South Coast
League have parted ways, bringing an end to
one of the more colorful tenures in baseball
history. Backman was hoping to use his post as
manager of the South Georgia Peanuts as a
springboard back into affiliated ball, but it
sounds like he was a pretty frustrated soul: he
had run-ins with umpires, participated in a
press-box argument with another team's radio
announcer, and ended up forfeiting a game when his
team refused to return to the field after a brawl
with rival Macon. He certainly commanded loyalty
from his players, however.
More from the Albany Herald. Want to share
your news with the rest of the baseball community?
Drop us a note.
Angel Stadium
hit with 118 vermin violations
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You
know, it's too bad Disney doesn't own the Los
Angeles Angels of Anaheim any longer; otherwise we
could make a series of Ratatouille jokes. The
team's home,
Angel Stadium, was cited for 118 vermin
violations that county officials logged at
ballpark kiosks and restaurants over the last
two-and-a-half years. Of those reports, 33
represent "major" violations, in which "rodent
activity" was observed by health inspectors in a
"critical area" of 18 ballpark food venues. In
about the same period, San Diego's
Petco Park had two
vermin violations and
Dodger Stadium
in Los Angeles had seven, records show. In the 412
routine inspections of
Angel Stadium
food venues conducted by the Health Care Agency
since 2005, vermin violations were found 25
percent of the time. The issue: the ballpark isn't
cleaned until the morning following a game. On a
recent 6 a.m. tour of the ballpark -- 12 hours
after the end of a day game -- Orange County
Register staff observed nachos, peanuts, melted
ice cream and ketchup-stained wrappers, among
other edible refuse, lying on the floor of the
stands. In kitchens, including the Diamond Club
Kitchen and Bar, dirty dishes and pots were
stacked on tabletops and in sinks. Counters were
greasy and unwiped. Wilted lettuce and food
products were left out on countertops.
Clippers land more sponsorships
Posted Aug. 6, 2007 (feedback)
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Two
more big sponsors signed up for presence at
Huntington
Park, the future home of the Columbus Clippers
(Class AAA; International League). Time Warner
Cable and American Electric Power Company
Inc. have agreed to pay $3.5 million each for
sponsorship packages at the ballpark, said
Clippers General Manager Ken Schnacke. The Time
Warner and AEP pledges push the corporate
sponsorship total to $36 million, Schnacke said.
That includes $12 million from Huntington
Bancshares, $6 million each from Nationwide
Insurance and the Columbus Dispatch and $5 million
from Sodexho Sports & Leisure Services.
Ballpark Visit: Trustmark
Park / Mississippi Braves
Posted Aug. 6, 2007 (feedback)
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(discuss) There's
nothing wrong with Trustmark Park, the home of the
Mississippi Braves (Class AA; Southern League).
The wraparound concourse, luxury
boxes, big scoreboard and varied concessions are
all standard issue for a new minor-league ballpark
these days. So why aren't we more excited about
the two-year-old ballpark? Because there's nothing
unique about it: except for a few Southern menu
items at the concessions, there's nothing to link
the ballpark to its surroundings. At a Mississippi
Braves game, you could be watching a game anywhere
-- and going local is one of the great joys of the
minor leagues. Dustin Mattison reports.
Cougars
ballpark bids are rejected
Posted Aug. 6, 2007 (feedback)
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Kane
County Forest Preserve District officials have
rejected nearly 100 subcontracting proposals
submitted earlier this year for a
multimillion-dollar renovation and expansion of
Elfstrom Stadium
in Geneva and will rebid the project this month in
an attempt to contain costs. Still, they and the
general manager of the Kane County Cougars (Low
Class A; Midwest League), expressed optimism
Friday the project will be started this fall and
substantially completed before the start of the
2008 baseball season. The various low bids from an
array of subcontractors each totaled more than $10
million, said district President John Hoscheit
(R-St. Charles), or twice the $5 million limit
agreed upon with the team. "The bids were not
acceptable," he said.
NCAA rules pose
threat to Cape League
Posted Aug. 6, 2007 (feedback)
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We
assume this will affect all the summer-collegiate
leagues, not just the Cape Cod League. After new
NCAA legislation goes into effect on Aug. 1, 2008
requiring baseball players be academically
eligible for the fall in order to play in the
spring, summer school will likely become less of a
safety net and more of a necessity, sometimes even
for good students. And while the hope and
expectation is that players eventually will meet
the new standards, the first few summers could see
more players staying in school instead of playing
in summer collegiate leagues.
Three
independent leagues eying Waco
Posted Aug. 6, 2007 (feedback)
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(discuss) Three
independent leagues -- the American Association,
United League Baseball and the Continental League
-- are eyeing Waco as the location of a possible
expansion franchise.
Setting aside the Continental League for a second
-- the league doesn't seem to have much traction,
setting up shop in three high-school fields --
it's interesting to see how the American
Association and United League Baseball approach
the issue. The city has no interest in funding a
ballpark, so a solution will require a privately
financed ballpark. We're also a little skeptical
about how realistic Waco organizers are: if they
project attendance at 2,500 they probably won't
get very far with the American Association, as
we're guessing the break-even point for an AA
franchise these days is closer to 3,000 fans a
game. By contrast, we're guessing the break-even
point for a United League team is closer to 2,000.
Park bonds on
agenda
Posted Aug. 6, 2007 (feedback)
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Helena
city commissioners on Monday night will determine
the size and scope of multimillion-dollar
park-improvement bonds proposed for the Nov. 6
election. The measures could bring in as much as
$7.85 million for a massive upgrade of Centennial
Park, a renovation and expansion of the Memorial
Park pool facilities and improvements at Kindrick-Legion
Field, the home of the Helena Brewers (rookie;
Pioneer League). Commissioners are divided over
how much money to ask from voters and exactly how
to spend the funds. They’ll ask for public
comments Monday night on the various proposals and
decide whether the ballot will include one
question for all three parks or separate questions
for each facility. Money earmarked for Kindrick-Legion
Field would be used for new lights and bleachers,
renovation of the ball field and clubhouse, and
improved parking.
Former city
official disputes ballpark report
Posted Aug. 6, 2007 (feedback)
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Former
Deputy Finance Officer Randy Sherman is firing
back at the author of a new report alleging city
tax dollars are being used to pay for the New
Hampshire Fisher Cats' downtown ballpark. "He
didn't do his research," Sherman said of the
city's new finance officer, Bill Sanders. Sanders
said he stands by his report. In a phone interview
Friday, Sherman called the report "not anywhere
near accurate," denying its claim that annual
shortfalls have forced taxpayers to shell out $1.3
million for the ballpark's bond payments over the
last three years. He accused Sanders of bungling
the data, saying, "To this day, there is no
problem. Everything is paid up to date." RELATED STORIES:
Report: Fishers' ballpark hits taxpayers for $1.3m
Sand Gnats help
brand Savannah as destination for family fun
Posted Aug. 6, 2007 (feedback)
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The
Savannah Sand Gnats (Low Class A; Sally League)
are on course to set a season attendance record,
breaking the 100,000 mark. Improvements to Grayson
Stadium are seen as a factor: last season the
ballpark received a small facelift thanks to a new
painting, and this year the Sand Gnats invested in
a new scoreboard. The City of Savannah and Chatham
County agreed to fund $5 million worth of
improvements to Grayson Stadium with SPLOST
(special purpose local option sales tax) money.
The bleachers in left field are being overhauled.
By the beginning of the 2008 season, the entire
field will have been reconditioned and the players
will have a new training room. Those improvements
should cost roughly $2 million, leaving $3 million
for continued improvements to the ballpark.
Manatees
welcome surprise visitor to ballpark
Posted Aug. 6, 2007 (feedback)
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The
staff of the Brevard County Manatees (High Class
A; Florida State League) had an expected visitor
Sunday morning at
Space Coast Stadium,
shown at the left. Manatees GM Buck Rogers writes:
"He was just hanging out while the cleaning crew
was blowing down the stadium's seating bowl of
trash from last night's game. Although he was only
three feet long, we called Animal Control to catch
and release him back into the wild away from the
stadium. The wildlife guy said he probably crawled
right up the ramp, right thru the main gate of the
stadium. We've had to chase raccoons out a couple
times this season after we've had the gates
opened, but gators are a first. I know we have a
larger one in one of our retention ponds; probably
Mama, that they're also going to try to catch."
Baseball means
business in Marion
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There’s
little doubt that the Southern Illinois Miners
(independent; Frontier League) have been a hit
with the fans of the region this summer. That’s
evidenced by the fact that the Miners lead the
Frontier League in attendance at about a
5,000-per-game clip. They’re also a hit with local
businesses. Brent Marrs, manager of 17th Street
Bar and Grill, is just a fly ball away from Rent
One Park. He said there wasn’t much of an impact
on his business at first, but traffic has picked
up at the restaurant considerably over the last
month. "At the start of the season, I think Miners
fans wanted the whole ballpark experience and ate
a lot of their meals there. Now, we get some
pretty big crowds on game nights."
Ballpark
homers: Brockton fans take Rox to heart
Posted Aug. 6, 2007 (feedback)
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There
has been a positive connection between the
Brockton Rox (independent; Can-Am Association) and
the fans who support them on a regular basis at
Campanelli Stadium since the franchise's inception
in 2002. The ballpark on Lexington Avenue has
become a two-way street for fans meeting and
getting to know Rox players as well as for players
and the rest of the on-field staff who enjoy
getting to know the folks up in the seats cheering
them on. The Rox boast an avid fan base that has
led their respective league in attendance for five
straight seasons, including this year where
attendance at Campanelli Stadium has been 124,817
-- over 23,000 more than the next closest club,
the Quebec Capitales, even though the Rox have
struggled at under .500.
Places of the
heart: Missions Stadium
Posted Aug. 6, 2007 (feedback)
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In
the spring of 1947, typical afternoon ballpark
sounds of bats hitting balls and steel spikes
scratching on dirt were blended with a decidedly
non-baseball cacophony: the explosive collisions
of hammers with nails, and the grinding of saws
into wooden planks. But every afternoon at 4 p.m.,
half the racket at what would become Mission
Stadium went silent, as worked broke to watch the
San Antonio Missions in action. Thanks to a
combination of local politics, poor planning and a
power play in the offices of the Missions' owner
and parent club, the St. Louis Browns, work on
Mission Stadium continued throughout the 1947
season and up until opening day in 1948. But when
the ballpark finally was complete, it was a
showplace -- what The Sporting News called "the
most-talked-about diamond plant in the land
today." And in its 17 years, during one of the
most tumultuous eras of minor-league baseball, it
was the site for everything from San Antonio's
only Dixie Series championship to the integration
of professional baseball to the ultimate power
play that left San Antonio without a ballclub.
Slugger Field
staff must be on the ball
Posted Aug. 6, 2007 (feedback)
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Here's
a look at the trials and tribulations faced by the
staff of the Louisville Bats (Class AAA;
International League) during the course of a year.
Some of the problems listed are pretty unique --
most teams don't need to deal with transformer
malfunctions, cutting off power to
Louisville Slugger
Field -- while others are more mundane, such
as planning for potentially disruptive weather.
Sliders playing
baseball on slippery ground
Posted Aug. 6, 2007 (feedback)
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It's
probably safe to say this isn't surprising news to
most baseball observers. The Slippery Rock Sliders
(independent; Frontier League) may be a one-year
wonder, as the Sliders are understaffed,
underfunded and underdogs every time they take the
field. Manager Greg Jelks must split his time
between developing the 21 rookies on his ball club
and serving as its travel agent. General Manager
Steve Tahsler is the only employee in the Sliders'
front office on the campus of Slippery Rock
University. His staff consists of college interns.
FL Commissioner Bill Lee says the team will likely
move after the end of the season, attracting about
660 fans a game.
The house that
FedEx built
Posted Aug. 6, 2007 (feedback)
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If
Daron Schoenrock had any doubts the University of
Memphis would make a commitment to the school's
baseball program when he took the job three years
ago, they were erased Thursday with a $3 million
handshake. FedEx Corp. executive vice-president
and chief financial officer Alan B. Graf presented
UofM athletic director R.C. Johnson with the funds
for a major redesign of the Tiger baseball complex
during a press conference Thursday at the school.
FedEx's donation will allow the university to
basically replace Nat Buring Stadium, which opened
in 1972, by upgrading and expanding the
grandstands and adding press facilities, private
suites, a dressing facility and indoor pitching
and batting areas, among other upgrades. A grand
entranceway is also planned from the left-field
parking area.
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