Recent
Visits |
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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The
Fine Print |
Obligatory legal information:
This site is copyright 1998-2007 Kevin Reichard/August
Publications. All rights
reserved. My wife is a lawyer, so she will come and chop off
your hand in a legal fashion if you rip off this site
in any form. All logos are the property of their respective
owners. |
Broadcasts |
Virtually every MiLB team now streams broadcasts over the
Internet, which makes it easy to follow your favorite team when
you're on the road. In addition, you can catch MLB game broadcasts at
MLB.com or via XM Radio.
More
on Internet radio and TV broadcasts here! |
|
Archives: May
27-June 2, 2007
Triple-A baseball for Washoe County draws mixed
reactions
Posted June 1, 2007 (feedback)
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The
question posed here: whether Reno is a large
enough market to support a Class AAA Pacific Coast
League team. Reno's past experiences with pro
baseball haven't been overwhelming: a Class A
California League team did OK at Moana Stadium and
an independent Western Baseball League team failed
as well. The Reno Silver Sox (independent; Golden
Baseball League) drew well last season but was
obviously the second-class tenant at the
University of Nevada-Reno ballpark. And there are
many in baseball thinking Reno is more of a Class
A market than a Class AAA market. Still, we're
willing to give the Pacific Coast League boys the
benefit of the doubt: they've done the market
research.
RELATED STORIES:
Announcement on Reno's Triple-A team delayed;
Washoe County approves PCL ballpark;
Reno is closer to Triple-A baseball;
Guinn OKs bonds for marina;
State tourism panel aids Sparks marina project;
Sparks Council OKs proposal for 92 acres of marina
project;
Officials still hold hope for Triple-A franchise
in Reno;
Sparks still in hunt for Triple-A team
Minor-league baseball for Castle Rock, Col.?
Posted June 1, 2007 (feedback)
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Hank
Lacey, a city councilman in Castle Rock, Col.,
says his Town Council will hear a detailed
briefing next Tuesday about a proposal to locate a
independent American Association team there. The
proposal is for a 4,000-5,000 ballpark located on
20 acres. Castle Rock would likely be asked to
spend $8-15 million and provide the necessary
land. The fast-growing (77 percent growth since
2000) Castle Rock is located on the far south side
of Denver, with an estimated population of 35,745.
Efforts to bring an American Association team to
Brighton are still in the works; we're assuming
the efforts to bring a team to Commerce City are
dead now.
Ballpark Visit: The Ballpark
at Harbor Yard / Bridgeport Bluefish
Posted June 1, 2007 (feedback)
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Now
10 years old, The Ballpark at Harbor Park, the
home of the Bridgeport Bluefish (independent;
Atlantic League), is a comfortable, somewhat bland
place to take in a ballgame, with inexpensive
concessions and easy freeway access. But is
Bridgeport's Ballpark at Harbor Yard worth a
special trip? Not really, unless you're trying to
see all of the Atlantic League ballparks, or
you're doing a road trip that takes you through
the area, which is convenient if you're headed
from New York to Boston or to some Eastern League
spots like New Britain or Norwich.
Sale of Beavers to Paulson approved
Posted June 1, 2007 (feedback)
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This
was a very, very quick approval process: the
Portland Beavers (Class AAA: Pacific Coast League)
today announced the finalization of the sale of
the team to Shortstop, LLC, led by majority owner
Merritt Paulson. On May 22, the teams and their
former ownership group, Portland Baseball
Investment Group, announced that an agreement was
reached to sell the franchises to Paulson and
Shortstop, LLC. The transfer was subject to a
standard approval and finalization process, and
today’s announcement completes the transaction.
Paulson, 34, will assume the positions of
president and general manager of the Beavers
immediately. Paulson and his wife, Heather, are in
the process of moving to Portland. While Paulson
owns a majority of the teams, his father, Henry M.
Paulson, also has a percentage of ownership, due
to his small minority interest in Shortstop, LLC.
Henry Paulson’s interests do not involve any
managerial or operational responsibilities in
connection with Shortstop, LLC, and Merritt is the
majority owner. Henry Paulson is currently serving
as the Secretary of the Treasury for the United
States.
RELATED STORIES:
Paulson to buy Portland Beavers
Indians, Goodyear reach agreement on
spring-training home
Posted June 1, 2007 (feedback)
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Not
that there was any doubt, but the Cleveland
Indians and the city of Goodyear formally reached
an agreement to have the Indians move their
spring-training operations to a new complex within
the city. The accord between the city and the
Indians outlines the team's $100,000-a-year
leasing fee over the next 20 years, with two
five-year renewal options. The accord also
dictates how profits will be divided between the
team and Goodyear. Eighty percent of ticket sales
will go to the team with Goodyear pocketing the
remaining 20 percent. Goodyear has agreed to pay
the Indians half of all in-park advertising,
concession sales and parking revenues, while the
Indians will pay half of all novelty sales to the
city.
RELATED STORIES:
Goodyear approves ballpark design contract;
Cactus League aims to reclaim fan base;
Goodyear inks deal on spring-training facility;
Goodyear eyes noted ballpark designer;
Indians fan thrilled
by new facility plans;
$80 mil for baseball taps out sports authority;
White Sox to delay Phoenix move?;
Arizona commission to fund both proposed
spring-training facilities;
Glendale offers spring-training plan;
Parties expect Dodgers, Sox deal to pan out;
Leaving Tucson will be tricky for White Sox;
County not eager to
match baseball largess;
State panel shouldn't fund White Sox move from
Tucson;
Goodyear ballpark plan hits funding snag;
Pima County trying to avert loss of White Sox for
spring training;
Dodgers, White Sox reach deal with Glendale;
A new Glendale ballpark -- in Phoenix;
Goodyear prepares to make its pitch for ballpark
funds;
What could the future hold for Dodgertown?;
Glendale wants to bring Dodgers' spring training
to Valley;
Goodyear sees spring-training complex as path to
development;
Goodyear finds support for spring-training plan;
It's official: Indians agree to Grapefruit League
move;
Indians, Dodgers close to deal to move spring
training to Arizona;
Clock ticks on Disney-Indians deal;
Cleveland says no to Cape Coral's springtime
offer; Arizona move still a possibility
Renovations continue at Yakima County Stadium
Posted June 1, 2007 (feedback)
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The
Yakima Bears (short season; Northwest League) have
been putting the 750 thousand dollars they got
from the state to good use. Major improvements
have taken place at Yakima County Stadium.
Thursday the installation of the new lights was
completed. They also improved the outfield wall.
Even more improvements are slated for next year,
as the team is getting another $600,000. "A new
entrance to the stadium, an enhanced greeting area
down the right field line, and just some more
comfort amenities for the fans to give County
Stadium a little more feel." said Bears G.M. K.L.
Wombacher. The Bears open their home season on
June 24.
Pohlads lining up land near ballpark
Posted June 1, 2007 (feedback)
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Yeah,
them and a lot of other folks. The Pohlad family,
which owns the Minnesota Twins, is negotiating to
buy an old warehouse across the street from
the
new ballpark site in downtown Minneapolis. While
it is newsworthy, it's not as ominous as what's
implied here: the value of property certainly has
gone up since the ballpark deal was announced, and
the Pohlads did the same thing when the Metrodome
was built. It would have been a story if the
Pohlads had secretly bought up properties near the
ballpark site before the ballpark deal went
through. Hines, which controls parcels next to the
ballpark, is discussing development on those sites
as well. Though this article doesn't discuss it,
there has been a general flurry of real-estate
development in the area -- three large projects
are underway near Washington Avenue, while a
fourth is slated to receive final city approval
this summer -- and we're seeing rents in the area
go up as well. (In fact, it's virtually certain
we'll be moving out of the ballpark area; we need
more space, but rents are more reasonable closer
to the center of downtown.)
Grasshoppers expecting millionth fan this weekend
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The
Greensboro Grasshoppers (Low Class A; Sally
League) on pace to host their one millionth guest
at First Horizon Park on Sunday, June 3rd against
the West Virginia Power. After welcoming 835,601
fans over two impressive seasons in 2005 and 2006,
the Hoppers entered this season just 164,399 fans
shy of the milestone and wasted no time closing
in. The Hoppers plan to shower the special fan
during the game with gifts including a
Grasshoppers jersey, a team autographed bat and
baseball, $50 in Babe’s Bucks, a $100 gift card to
Ruth’s Chris’ and two round-trip tickets on
Continental Airlines to anywhere in the
continental United States. In 24 games this season
at First Horizon Park, the Hoppers have been
averaging a league-leading 6,366 fans, which is an
increase over last season but up nearly 1,000 fans
per night from the inaugural season in 2005.
Ballpark Notes
Posted June 1, 2007 (feedback)
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The
Sioux Falls Canaries (independent; American
Association) and local businesses teamed up to
raise over $14,000 for the Megan’s Fund for
Children’s Books on Thursday night at Sioux
Falls Stadium. The evening was set to honor Dan
Christopherson, the former Canaries public
address announcer, who passed away on February 21,
2007. The Canaries honored Dan with a pre-game
ceremony which included inducting him into the
Canaries Hall of Fame and re-naming the Sioux
Falls Stadium Press Box the Dan Christopherson
Press Box. During the sixth inning, the Canaries
presented a check for $14,022.05 to Dawn and
Tucker Christopherson, the wife and son of Dan.
Additional donations continued to come in after
the check was presented.
Summer-collegiate season opens
Posted May 31, 2007 (feedback)
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The
summer-collegiate season began last night, with
the Coastal Plain League opening play last night
and the Northwoods League swinging into action
tonight, the Texas Collegiate League opening next
Tuesday, the West Coast Collegiate Baseball League
beginning play next Thursday and the Cape Cod
League next Friday. The summer collegiate leagues
are a fantastic phenomena in the baseball world:
they're great showcases for the stars of tomorrow,
and as a course of doing business they help
preserve great old ballparks, like Duluth's
Wade Stadium
or Wausau's Athletic
Park, that perhaps wouldn't be around
otherwise. This season sees some interesting
changes in the summer leagues. In the Texas
Collegiate League, you have the Brazos Valley
Bombers beginning play at a old Bryan ballpark
that formerly hosted minor-league ball, and Graham
moved to Wichita Falls' Hoskins Field. In the
WCCBL, the Spokane RiverHawks will be playing at
Gonzaga University's new Patterson Baseball
Complex and Washington Trust Field, while the
Corvallis Knights will play at Oregon State
University’s 2,000-seat Goss Stadium at Coleman
Field. We have a special affinity for the
Northwoods League: it's in our backyard, and we've
taken a lot of joy into watching the league grow
and blossom in recent years -- plus, we have a
site (NWLfan.com)
devoted to the circuit. In the Northwoods League,
three new venues are in place. The league expanded
to Green Bay and Battle Creek, giving new life to
Joannes Stadium and C.O. Brown Stadium, while the
St. Cloud River Bats are moving next door to Joe
Faber Field. Take a look at
NWLfan.com --
we've beefed up the site with more reporting and
alumni news.
Good chance for American baseball games next year
in China
Posted May 31, 2007 (feedback)
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If
Major League Baseball announces plans to play
spring training games next year in China, there'll
be an overflow of teams ready to cross the
Pacific. "I think there is an excellent chance we
will have some games next spring, and there are
lots of teams who are interested in coming," MLB
president Bob DuPuy said Thursday in the Chinese
capital. "There is certainly no shortage of teams
who are interested in being the first to play in
China." DuPuy, on his first visit to the country,
is heading a high-level mission to inspect the
baseball facilities for the 2008 Olympics -- and
to see if China is a place where baseball might
begin to grow.
Reds: We're interested in Vero Beach
Posted May 30, 2007 (feedback)
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Someone's
been paying attention to what we've been saying
about the potential of the Cincinnati Reds
possibly shifting spring-training operations to
Vero Beach: Cincinnati's Director of Florida
Operations Jeff Maultsby says his organization
would be interested in exploring a move to
Dodgertown after the Dodgers leave should efforts
to bring a new spring-training complex to Sarasota
fail. Most think the chances are pretty good the
efforts will fail: there's a $10 million gap
between the cost of a new spring-training complex
and what the state, city and Reds are willing to
pay. Now, the Reds could probably get by without a
totally new complex -- a renovation of Ed Smith
Stadium and the construction of new office space
would probably placate the team, from what we've
heard -- and it could be Maultsby is talking up
Dodgertown in order to put a little heat on
Sarasota officials. Whoever moves into Holman
Stadium would probably request a lot of changes,
but the Dodgertown complex is pretty well set up
for ongoing baseball operations, and if there's a
franchise with enough history to overcome the long
history of the Dodgers in the area, it's the Reds.
Fans, players delighted to finally see baseball in
Southern Illinois
Posted May 30, 2007 (feedback)
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The
standing-room-only crowd at Rent One Park rose to
its feet to greet the Southern Illinois Miners
(independent; Frontier League) as they rode
pickup trucks onto the field 10 minutes prior to
the first minor-league baseball game in the region
in nearly 60 years. Fans lined up at the
ballpark's gates long before the 7:05 scheduled
first pitch. The center field picnic area filled
up by about 5:30 p.m. Officially, the new era of
minor-league baseball began at 7:24 p.m., much to
the delight of players and fans alike. And it
ended with a 9-6 win over the Evansville Otters.
More from The Southern.
Northwest Arkansas Naturals
unveil logo
Posted May 30, 2007 (feedback)
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Representatives
of the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Class AA;
Texas League), in front of more than 100 at the
Tyson Park Pavilion in Springdale, unveiled the
team’s logo. It was designed around a theme of
natural waterfalls in the area. The logo was
designed by graphic designer James Skiles of
Phoenix Design Works in New York City. Phoenix
Design currently has five logos in use in Major
League Baseball, but the Naturals was the first
for a minor-league franchise. This story was
submitted by a reader. To share a story with
Ballpark Digest readers, drop a note to
editors@augustpublications.com.
Here, it's root, root, root for beer permit
Posted May 30, 2007 (feedback)
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The
Newark Bears (independent; Atlantic League)
switched concessionaires at Bears and Eagles
Riverfront Stadium and found out there was one
nasty side effect: the new concessionaire is still
waiting for a liquor license, explained Joe
Montefusco, a spokesman for the team. The matter
is in the hands of city and Essex County
officials, he said, adding, "We don’t know when
it’s coming." Until it does, the Bears, still
struggling to fill seats, will have to rely on the
understanding of fans navigating a time-honored
summer ritual without a time-honored refreshment.
The ballpark does not allow fans to bring in their
own beer. This story was submitted by a reader.
To share a story with Ballpark Digest readers,
drop a note to
editors@augustpublications.com.
Blue Jays, CBC officially announce broadcast deal
Posted May 30, 2007 (feedback)
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It's
been rumored for several weeks, and yesterday the
Toronto Blue Jays and the Canadian Broadcast Corp.
(CBC) formally announced a two-year broadcast
deal, with eight games broadcast in 2007 and then
between 20 to 30 games during the 2008 season. The
Jays have a deal with TSN that expires at the end
of the season.
O'Brien Field fails to attract growth
Posted May 30, 2007 (feedback)
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There's
been little growth around
O'Brien Field,
the home of the Peoria Chiefs (Low Class A;
Midwest League), as expected development near the
ballpark has failed to become a reality. However,
local officials hope the approval of a tax
increment financing district for the city's
warehouse district will prompt redevelopment
around O'Brien Field. Under this TIF district --
expanding south of Downtown around O'Brien Field
and to the riverfront -- property taxes on new
development will be diverted toward public
infrastructure improvement within the area.
League in limbo as UH waits on turf
Posted May 30, 2007 (feedback)
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The Hawaii Collegiate Baseball League still
anticipates using Les Murakami Stadium by its June
15 season opener despite University of Hawai'i
athletic director Herman Frazier saying the
facility will not be available for lease until
further notice. Frazier said yesterday the campus
baseball ballpark won't be leased to outside
entities until the school learns the construction
schedule for the installation of a new playing
surface. He said he hopes to learn within 30 days
from the May 17 press conference of the
construction schedule. That puts the time frame
pretty close to the summer league's opening date.
The league had played its first two seasons at
Aloha Stadium. But Kam said Stadium Authority
chairman Kevin Chong Kee told him that the Aloha
Stadium's configuration would not be switched from
football to baseball, leaving the six-team summer
league to find another venue.
The finishing touches: Long-awaited ballpark will
host first crowd tonight
Posted May 29, 2007 (feedback)
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This
week's ballpark opening: Rent One Park, the new
home of the Southern Illinois Miners (independent;
Frontier League). As is the case with every new
ballpark, construction will be happening until the
gates open, and chances are pretty good there will
be a few crews out tomorrow to continue putting
the finishing touches on the ballpark, which seats
4,000. The game starts at 7:05 p.m., with gates
opening at 5:10.
More from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and
the Chicago Sun-Times.
Vero
Beach to woo Cubs?
Posted May 29, 2007 (feedback)
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File
this under extremely wishful thinking. Some in Vero Beach think the city should
pitch the Chicago Cubs on the prospect of moving to
Dodgertown when the team's lease at
Hohokam Park expires in 2012. The Cubs are a
mainstay of the Cactus League, annually among the top draws (and revenue
producers) in the Arizona circuit. We can't fault Vero Beach officials for
thinking big when it comes for a replacement for the Los Angeles Dodgers, but
let's be realistic: the Cubs aren't going to move to a small Florida city
without direct air service from Chicago (the Vero Beach airport can't handle
anything bigger than a Gulfstream V, and the nearest airport with scheduled
service is Melbourne), Holman Stadium would
need to be rebuilt to accommodate 15,000 fans, and the Cubs would need to
receive an incredibly sweet deal. The more realistic target for Vero Beach
officials is Cincinnati, whose deal for a new Sarasota spring ballpark is on
life support.
York ballpark might be incomplete at opening
Posted May 29, 2007 (feedback)
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Fans
might expect to see a complete and sparkling new
ballpark when Sovereign Bank Stadium opens its
gates June 15 for the York Revolution
(independent; Atlantic League) franchise home
opener. It won't quite work out that way.
Sovereign Bank Stadium's skyboxes, second-floor
function rooms, third-base concessions, picnic
concessions, outfield concessions, outfield
restrooms, clubhouses and team offices are not
expected to be completed until July or August,
according to stadium project manager Blanda Nace.
RELATED STORIES:
Local fans anxious to see Revolution take the
field;
First game at new York ballpark set for June 15
Barons to honor Bragans at Rickwood Classic
Posted May 29, 2007 (feedback)
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On
Wednesday afternoon, when the Jacksonville Suns
take on the Birmingham Barons (both Class AA;
Southern League) at the annual Rickwood Classic in
Birmingham, Ala., the Barons organization will
honor the Bragan family for its contribution to
minor-league baseball. Suns Chairman of the Board
Peter Bragan, Sr. and team President Peter Bragan,
Jr. will travel to America's Oldest Ballpark,
Rickwood Field, along with Mary Frances Bragan,
Nancy Bragan and a sizeable group of family
members, to be recognized at the Barons and Suns
game. Bragan, Sr., originally from Birmingham,
purchased the Jacksonville Suns in 1984 and, along
with Bragan, Jr., has turned a desolate franchise
into the top team in the Southern League and one
of the most successful and well-respected
organizations in Minor League Baseball. As
part of the Rickwood Classic, the Suns and Barons
will both wear throwback uniforms. The Suns will
don the pinstripe uniforms of the 1967
Jacksonville Suns, a team that featured Nolan
Ryan, Tug McGraw and Jerry Koosman, while the
Barons will wear the gold road uniforms of the
1964 Birmingham Barons to honor their former
affiliation with the Kansas City Athletics.
Nationals' ballpark art project at a standstill
Posted May 29, 2007 (feedback)
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Plans
to decorate the new Washington Nationals' new
ballpark with crafts, sculpture and bronze figures
are in limbo after the D.C. Council eliminated
money in next year’s budget for a public arts
project. In the proposed fiscal 2008 capital
improvement plan submitted by Mayor Adrian Fenty,
the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities was
budgeted for $850,000 to spend on various ballpark
art-related projects -- sculptures, mosaics,
murals, paving designs, custom benches and
artistic gates among them. The art was to be
purchased with general obligation bonds,
permanently owned by the commission and leased to
the team at no cost, which put the works outside
the strict $611-million ballpark construction cap,
or so advocates maintained. But in its
deliberation of the budget, which passed May 15,
the council zeroed out the money, effectively
closing the door on publicly financed artwork.
RELATED STORIES:
Nationals' transition extends off field;
National crisis: Capital franchise in turmoil;
Ballpark brings hope but no guarantee;
Nationals
ballpark 'on time, on budget' for 2008 opening;
Future
distinctly on rise for Nationals;
District not over park cap;
New Nats ballpark to feature cherry blossoms
beyond left-field fence;
As ballpark rises, battles over land continue;
For Nats' home, a rapid ascent;
Nats ballpark cost tops cap, council members say;
Nats owners to pay $20 million for ballpark
upgrades;
With new Nats ballpark, name of the game is money;
D.C. Council approves ballpark parking garages;
The D.C. ballpark parking debate;
Severe penalties await city if parking garages
aren't provided, Gandhi warns;
Ballpark garages proposal rejected;
Fenty promotes aboveground parking to end fight
over new Nats ballpark;
New Nats ballpark construction on schedule for
2008 opening;
Cropp pushes for decision on parking at DC
ballpark;
Mayor proposes lifting cap for DC ballpark parking;
DC ballpark to be first LEED-certified ballpark in
country;
Legislation would revive condo and garage
development at new DC ballpark;
New focus at D.C. ballpark: parking;
D.C. parking issue threatens budget;
Development plan near new Nats ballpark falls flat;
Garage plan at new D.C. ballpark at risk
Rendell funnels $47M into minor-league fields
Posted May 29, 2007 (feedback)
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Minor-league
and independent baseball certainly have a friend in Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell,
who has granted $47 million to communities building or renovating ballparks. And
with six parks built here in the past five years, the sport that is an integral
part of the American fabric has become central to a debate over the use of
taxpayer dollars for private enterprise. Public money has been used to build or
renovate nearly every minor league venue in the state since 1993, records show.
State grants range from $400,000 awarded for First Energy Stadium, the home of
the Reading Phillies (Class AA; Eastern League), to more than $14 million for
Coca-Cola Park, a Lehigh County-owned ballpark in Allentown that will be the
2008 home of the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs (Class AAA; International League).
Hoppers set attendance record
Posted May 29, 2007 (feedback)
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A
Memorial Day crowd of 5,298 at First Horizon Park put the Greensboro
Grasshoppers (Low Class A; Sally League) current eight-game homestand in the
franchise record books. The Hoppers welcomed 53,205 fans to First Horizon Park
during the homestand and increased their season attendance to 152,781. The
previous eight-game homestand record of 50,942 was set during the opening
eight-game stretch of 2006, which spanned from Thursday, April 6 to Thursday,
April 13. The Hoppers will host a total of four eight-game homestands during the
course of the 2007 season. The first of the season garnered an attendance of
34,668 during the April 9 through April 16 series, but was plagued with two
rainouts.
Minneola looks at spending millions
Posted May 29, 2007 (feedback)
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The
city of Minneola, Fl. is looking at spending $25
million on a new ballpark, as the city council
looks at capital expenditures over the next few
years. Council member Joe Teri said the ballpark
could cost up to $25 million. But he said at least
80 percent of that could be financed by the state,
county and private investors. A ballpark at that
price in the Orlando suburbs could easily house a
Class AA Southern League team or a High Class A
Florida State League team.
Suns go highbrow with Nora Roberts bobblehead
Posted May 29, 2007 (feedback)
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The
Hagerstown Suns (Low Class A; Sally League), the
Hagerstown-Washington County Convention and
Visitors Bureau, and Turn The Page Bookstore
announced on Friday that for the first time ever,
a limited-edition bobblehead of a world-renown
best-selling author will be given away at a
professional baseball game. Recently named to Time
Magazine's 100 Most Influential in the World List,
Nora Roberts is arguably Washington County's most
famous citizen. She is also a die-hard baseball
fan.
The highlight of this summer will be a July 6th Hagerstown
Suns baseball game, as Washington County's own
Nora Roberts will be in attendance. The Suns and
the CVB will be honoring the world-famous
best-selling author with her very own bobblehead
(Roberts and her bobblehead are shown in the
accompanying photo).
The Washington County Commissioners will be
declaring July 6th as Nora Roberts Day, and
Washington County's own international celebrity
will be throwing out the first pitch, before the
Suns game against Delmarva. Nora Roberts bobbleheads sponsored by the Hagerstown-Washington
County Convention and Visitors Bureau and Turn The
Page Bookstore will be given away to the first
1,000 fans.
"I'm thrilled to have this first-ever bobblehead be done in
my likeness," Nora Roberts said. "I love baseball,
and I've enjoyed being a part of Hagerstown Suns
games during the past two seasons. The upcoming
July 6th game will be a real treat for me."
It's state's turn at bat for Waldorf ballpark
Posted May 29, 2007 (feedback)
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Local
and state officials said at the end of last week
that they are cautiously optimistic that the
Maryland General Assembly will approve an extra
$1.7 million to help pay for construction of a
ballpark in Waldorf for the Southern Maryland Blue
Crabs (independent; Atlantic League). On
Wednesday, the Charles County commissioners voted
unanimously to approve a $19 million ballpark
construction bid from multinational development
firm Skanska. Under a financing agreement approved
last year, the county, state and baseball team
owner will each pay roughly one-third of the
$25.65 million project cost.
RELATED STORIES:
Charles County approves bid for new AtL ballpark
Fans steer clear on the ballpark
Posted May 29, 2007 (feedback)
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The
Cincinnati Reds are owners of the worst record in the National League. Their
place in baseball's attendance standings isn't much better. Through the first 28
home games, or approximately one-third of their home schedule, the Reds are on
pace to draw fewer than 1.9 million fans to Great
American Ball Park. That would be the smallest attendance figure in the
park's brief five-year history. Only seven teams in Major League Baseball have
drawn fewer fans, on an average-per-game basis, than the Reds have this season
at 23,219. The average NL attendance through Sunday's games was 31,658, with the
overall major league attendance at 30,482.
He's a ballpark legend who still knows how to
hustle
Posted May 29, 2007 (feedback)
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Ballpark
vendors these days aren't nearly as colorful as those from the past. Just
witness the story of Walter Tysk, who hawked beer and goodies at original St.
Paul Saints and and Minneapolis Millers (American Association) games at the old
Lexington Ball Park at Lexington and University in St. Paul and Nicollet Park in
Minneapolis. "We'd salt 'em down good with peanuts, potato chips and popcorn,"
Tysk recalls, "and when they got all thirsty, we'd water 'em up with beer. Sold
a lot of Hamm's, Schmidt's and Grain Belt that way."
How baseball moved its 24-hour channel into
scoring position
Posted May 29, 2007 (feedback)
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Major
League Baseball plotted for two decades to create
a 24-hour channel, and last month it got its way
after months of tortuous negotiations with DirecTV
and cable operators. The channel first envisioned
by the former commissioner Peter Ueberroth is to
start in early 2009 with nearly 47 million cable
and satellite customers, with its first major
programming being the World Baseball Classic. The
channel will begin its life with more subscribers
than any other cable network before it, partly
because of a strategy that used Extra Innings, the
package of out-of-market games loved by fans who
have relocated from their home teams, as
negotiating leverage to build up the nascent
channel.
Summertime sights, sounds return with debut of new
baseball team
Posted May 29, 2007 (feedback)
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Baseball
returns to Sal Maglie Stadium this summer when the
Niagara Falls Power (summer collegiate; NYCBL)
begins play on June 2. The NYCBL is following the
same pattern pioneered by the Northwoods League
and the Coastal Plain League: move into older
ballparks that have abandoned by the minors and
set up operations.
College baseball nearing the end of ‘free agency'
Posted May 29, 2007 (feedback)
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We've
posted several items on this in the past, but it
doesn't hurt to revisit the topic. The NCAA is
overhauling its transfer rule; previously players
didn't need to sit out a year when transferring
between schools, but the rules will change to
conform to other NCAA sports, which do require
players to sit out a year before they can play for
their new school. Some schools openly recruit and
thrive on transfers; these will be the losers in
the deal.
Ballpark Notes
Posted May 29, 2007 (feedback)
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The
independent Golden Baseball League announced a partnership with TRZ
Sports Services and have joined the Teamline Direct service for their 2007
season. Listeners now have the option of accessing the live audio play-by-play
of ALL Golden Baseball League games from anywhere, via their cellphones, using
this unique portable service. Listeners will dial 216-502-3200, and enter
a specific code for each team, to access the game audio. The fee to listen is
only $5 for the entire game....
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