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
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!
Chukars open
new ballpark with SRO crowd
Posted June 22, 2007 (feedback)
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The
Idaho Falls Chukars (rookie; Pioneer League)
opened Melaleuca Field tonight with a
standing-room-only crowd and a host of dignitaries
-- including Republican presidential hopeful Mitt
Romney (shown below), who expressed his great
affection for Idaho Falls in pregame comments --
on hand for the festivities. We'll have a full
look at the new ballpark this weekend, but let's
just say the team and its architects have created
a great, great ballpark on a shoestring.
Dodgers near agreement on
Arizona spring-training facility
Posted June 22, 2007 (feedback)
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The
Los Angeles Dodgers are just a few steps away from
a groundbreaking for a new spring-training
facility in Glendale, Arizona. The Glendale City
Council is expected to vote at a 9 p.m. meeting
Tuesday on agreements concerning the two-team
facility, which will most likely be shared with
the Chicago White Sox depending on the resolution
of the team's lease at
Tucson Electric Park. The
Dodgers have been training in
Vero Beach since
1948. After the council votes -- a mere formality
-- the process moves to the state level, and after
that the groundbreaking can begin, likely by the
end of summer or early fall, with opening planned
for 2009.
Ballpark Preview: Cobb Field
replacement / Billings Mustangs
Posted June 22, 2007 (feedback)
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(discuss) It's
never a good day when a venerable old facility
like Cobb Field
is slated to be torn down,
but it's clear the old wooden facility can't be
saved. So the voters of Billings approved a $12.5
million bond issue for a
Cobb Field
replacement, slated to open in the 2008 season.
While it won't have the ambiance of
Cobb Field --
no box seats or wooden grandstand roof -- it will
have the amenities most fans expect in a modern
ballpark, including a wraparound concourse, lots
of concessions and restrooms, picnic areas and a
playground.
Sally League
selects Krupa as next president
Posted June 21, 2007 (feedback)
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The
Low Class A South Atlantic League Board of
Directors voted today to approve Eric Krupa as the
next president of the league. Krupa will succeed
John Henry Moss, the longest-tenured league
president in Minor League Baseball, effective
January 1, 2008. "We were fortunate to have had so
many qualified applicants interested in serving
the South Atlantic League," said Alan Stein,
Chairman of the South Atlantic League Personnel
Committee. "As a result of a thorough search
process, we were pleased to endorse Eric as the
candidate of choice for 'The League of Choice.'"
Krupa, a native of Wyomissing, PA, has spent the
past 10 years as the Director of Business and
Finance at the headquarter office for the National
Association of Professional Baseball Leagues in
St. Petersburg, Florida. A 1992 graduate of
Lafayette College, he began his career in baseball
in 1995 as the visiting clubhouse manager for the
Reading Phillies (Class A; Eastern League). He
left baseball to pursue a Master's Degree in
Sports Administration from Ohio University, and
upon completion in 1996, he moved to Florida to
work as an intern for Disney as they were opening
their Wide World of Sports complex in Orlando. In
1997, he was hired by the Minor League Baseball
office and moved to St. Petersburg.
New for 2008: Grand Prairie
AirHogs
Posted June 21, 2007 (feedback)
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Grand
Prairie Professional Baseball announced the Grand
Prairie AirHogs as the name of the future
independent American Association baseball team.
The team will play its first home game in May
2008.
AirHogs was chosen because it complemented the
ballpark’s aviation inspired architecture and the
local aeronautical industry. Mark Schuster, the
Managing Partner of Ventura Sports Group who made
the announcement, said. "In the same manner that
air squadrons have unique recognizable nicknames,
AirHogs will represent our team, organization and
community.” AirHogs is a slang term by which
military pilots sometimes refer to themselves.
More from the Dallas News.
Ballpark Visit: Miller Park /
Milwaukee Brewers
Posted June 21, 2007 (feedback)
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(discuss) Wisconsin's
biggest kegger just keeps rolling along, as the
owners of the Milwaukee Brewers continue to hone
their operational strategies at Miller Park. One
of the more interesting things to do in the
offseason is see how the Brewers are changing
Miller Park; so far most of the changes have
resonated with the public, with the team
competitive on the field and more fans willing to
part ways with more dollars. Combine the best beer
selection in the majors with a gorgeous ballpark,
and you've got a great baseball experience.
Swing sale
passes crucial point as it gains Midwest League
approval
Posted June 21, 2007 (feedback)
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In
the marathon process involved in purchasing a
professional baseball team, the proposed sale of
the Swing of the Quad Cities (Low Class A; Midwest
League) cleared a major hurdle when Midwest League
directors approved the sale of the club owned by
Kevin Krause-led Seventh Inning Stretch to Mainstreet Iowa, a company headed by Dave Heller
and Bob Herrfeldt. The transaction will not be
complete until the governing body of minor-league
baseball and the major-league commissioner’s
office sign off on it, but league approval is
considered the critical step in the process.
Ballpark Preview: Huntington
Park / Columbus Clippers
Posted June 21, 2007 (feedback)
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(discuss) Slated
to open in 2009 as the home of the Columbus
Clippers (Class AAA; International League),
Huntington Park is designed by 360 Architecture to
work on many levels, both as a baseball facility
and as a good downtown citizen. As a ballpark, the
10,000-capacity ballpark will feature all the
modern bells and whistles, including a high-def
scoreboard, lots of premium seating and many
kid-specific activities. As a good citizen, the
ballpark includes many green features, ranging
from low-impact water usage to construction
recycling.
Ballpark
redesign receives approval
Posted June 21, 2007 (feedback)
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The
Jackson County Sports Complex Authority gave its
nod Tuesday to the
redesign of Kauffman Stadium. Unveiled to the
public last month, the $250-million renovation
will include larger concourses, more food outlets
and restrooms, a new video scoreboard, a
children’s play area, and places for fans to
picnic and mingle. The authority, which oversees
the county-owned ballpark, passed a resolution
Tuesday approving the design. Jackson County
taxpayers approved a 3/8 -cent sales tax in April
2006 to cover most of the Kauffman project and the
$425 million renovation of Arrowhead Stadium.
Boog-A-Dee
Boo's selling beer until league obtains new
license
Posted June 21, 2007 (feedback)
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Cold
beer’s flowing again at minor league baseball
parks in Harlingen and Edinburg, as the
independent United League Baseball’s agreement
with a Harlingen caterer allows the Rio Grande
Valley WhiteWings and the Edinburg Coyotes to
temporarily sell beer and liquor, said Lt. Arthur
Munsell of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission
in McAllen. The agreement with Kevin Dyer, owner
of Boog-A-Dee Boo’s Burgers and Brews, allows the
the catering company to sell beer and liquor at
the ballpark until the league obtains a new
license to sell alcohol, Munsell said. RELATED STORIES:
United League teams in Texas likely to lose liquor
licenses temporarily
Marshall
planning new ballpark
Posted June 21, 2007 (feedback)
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Local
television station WOWK-TV is reporting on an
agreement between CSX and Marshall University for
land to build a proposed new ballpark. Sources say
CSX will donate a seven-acre tract of land to
Marshall University to build a new ballpark. Under
the agreement, Marshall will have to take
responsibility for remediation of the property
under the supervision of CSX. The final work must
be approved by the West Virginia Department of
Environmental Protection and the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency. Sources say if
construction goes as planned, the new ballpark
could be ready for baseball in two years.
UVSC, Owlz
playing ballpark name games
Posted June 21, 2007 (feedback)
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After
years of uncertainty as to what to call the
ballpark on the campus of Utah Valley State
College, it was thought that the matter was put to
rest with the renaming of the facility to Brent
Brown Ballpark last week. However, the management
and owners of the Orem Owlz, the minor-league
tenant at the field since 2005, do not feel the
same way about the issue. The Owlz have decided to
continue referring to the field as the "Home of
the Owlz," the same designation they have used
since the Parkway Crossing deal fell through with
UVSC two years ago. Owlz general manager Zachary
Fraser said that there was an agreement between
the team and UVSC concerning future naming rights;
since the university did not, the team feels it
has the right to ignore the new name. RELATED STORIES:
UVSC announces ballpark donors
New MTSU
ballpark over budget
Posted June 21, 2007 (feedback)
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The
cost of building MTSU's new ballpark was
underestimated by more than $1.4 million,
according to construction bids received last week.
The lowest of four base bids received by MTSU was
$5.4 million -- far more than the $4 million the
university allocated for construction as part of
$5 million raised for the project. The remaining
$1 million is for designer fees and contingencies.
Ripken baseball
has new Ace in hole
Posted June 21, 2007 (feedback)
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For
the second year in a row, the Cal Ripken Sr.
Collegiate Baseball League has decided to expand.
Just a week after the Herndon (Va.) Braves made
their debut as the wood-bat summer league’s
seventh team, the Ripken League announced it will
add a second Virginia-based franchise, the
Alexandria Aces, for the summer of 2008. Though a
new franchise, the Aces will boast experience in
the front office when they take the field for
their inaugural season. Pat Malone, who has worked
in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley Baseball League
(also wood-bat) for the past six years with three
different teams, will serve as the team’s
president and general manager. The team chairman
will be Don Dinan, part-owner and general counsel
of the Fort Myers Miracle (High Class A; Florida
State League).
Hope for UW
baseball's return?
Posted June 21, 2007 (feedback)
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Doug
Moe offers a way for the University of Wisconsin
to bring back baseball as a varsity sport: follow
the example of the University of
California-Irvine. In 1999, the university put a
referendum on the ballot during the student
elections asking whether students wanted to pay an
extra $99 a year each to bring back baseball.
Significantly, it wasn't just baseball. The
referendum also said the money would be used to
establish women's programs in water polo and golf.
It was called the "spirit fee" referendum, and it
needed 60 percent of the student vote to pass. It
got 62 percent.
Today's video:
Why opera will never be America's Pastime
Posted June 21, 2007 (feedback)
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There are no beer vendors for opera, which is why
opera will never be America's Pastime. This
commercial from the Madison Mallards (summer
collegiate; Northwoods League) compares baseball
to opera and, not surprisingly, comes down in
favor of baseball.
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.
Blair Field
more than just a ballpark
Posted June 21, 2007 (feedback)
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Blair
Field was originally pushed by Long Beach
Press-Telegram sports editor Frank Blair as a way
for the city to attract a Pacific Coast League
team, but that effort ended when the Brooklyn
Dodgers moved to Los Angeles and displaced the PCL
from the area. When Long Beach State made Blair
its home in 1993, it opened a new door for the
facility that would eventually include the
scheduling of national college powers like Texas
and Miami and the rise of the only true rivalry in
the Big West, between the Dirtbags and Cal State
Fullerton.
Ballpark Notes
Posted June 21, 2007 (feedback)
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The
Baltimore Orioles announced that Andy
MacPhail has been named President of Baseball
Operations for the organization. In his new
position, MacPhail will oversee all baseball
operations of the ballclub. A member of one of
baseball's most honored and respected families,
MacPhail most recently has assisted Major League
Baseball with a variety of projects after spending
12 years as president and chief executive officer
of the Chicago Cubs. Prior to joining the
Cubs, he served as executive vice president and
general manager of the Minnesota Twins for
nine seasons. His first move as grand pooh-bah
already fell short: Joe Girardi turned down
an offer to manage the club....The Richmond
Braves (Class AAA; International League)
expect to welcome their 10 millionth fan to The
Diamond during their upcoming homestand
starting Friday. The Braves need 13,889 more fans
to reach 10 million at The Diamond since the park
opened in 1985. There are seven minor league parks
now in use that have hosted 10 million fans. Of
those, only Dunn Tire Park in Buffalo
(opened in 1988) is newer than The Diamond.
Clippers
ballpark plans unveiled
Posted June 19, 2007 (feedback)
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The
design for Huntington
Park, the new home of the Columbus Clippers (Class AAA; International League), was unveiled by the
team and Franklin County yesterday. The design
from 360 Architecture is set to revitalize the
city’s urban core with its innovative design that
accommodates the disabled and features various
family-friendly facilities. The 200,000 square-foot,
three-level building constructed from brick and
steel will be green, utilizing an extroverted
design approach that leads to a significant
reduction in spaces requiring air conditioning.
Huntington Park, set to open in the 2009 season.
reclaims the blighted urban Brownfield site that
is in desperate need of a cleanup. The design
protects farmland and open green spaces
surrounding the city. It also utilizes existing
parking facilities serving the daytime workforce
population resulting in a significant reduction in
land-use. We'll have a full preview of the
replacement for Cooper
Stadium tomorrow; in the meantime here's
more from the Columbus Dispatch.
Ballpark Visit: Security
Service Field / Colorado Springs Sky Sox
Posted June 19, 2007 (feedback)
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(discuss) In
a world of baseball marketing glitz and glitter,
Security Safety Field is something of a throwback.
The home of the Colorado Springs Sky Sox (Class
AAA; Pacific Coast League) might best be described
as understated. If you are looking for sideshows
and other distractions, you won’t find much to
your liking here. If you’re seeking a comfortable
place to watch top-notch minor-league baseball
staffed by friendly and helpful personnel, the Sky
Sox organization will put a smile on your face.
Jim Robins reports on his recent visit to a Sky
Sox game.
Today's video:
Binghamton Mets promo
Posted June 19, 2007 (feedback)
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This promotional video from the Binghamton Mets
(Class AA; Eastern League) was done to promote a
local community's night at the ballpark. It was
shown during the game and has been shown since;
it's a great example of how a team can do outreach
with a local partner..
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.
Astros announcer Hamilton
calls game in 54th ballpark
Posted June 19, 2007 (feedback)
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Houston
Astros broadcaster Milo Hamilton thought back 42
years as he walked into
Angel Stadium
on Monday afternoon. There was a stake at home
plate and little else around the field when
Hamilton, then 38, visited on a tour with some
folks from the Chicago White Sox in 1965. Since
that visit, the Astros have played in two home
ballparks -- the Astrodome and
Minute Maid
Park. Hamilton, a Hall of Fame broadcaster who
has been calling games in the majors since 1953,
stopped traveling full-time last season. He makes
select trips to ballparks he has not visited,
which is why he traveled with the Astros for the
start of a three-game interleague series against
the Angels on Monday night. Detroit's
Comerica Park,
Tampa Bay's
Tropicana Field and Toronto's
Rogers Centre are
the only current big-league ballparks he has yet
to visit.
Board seeks feedback on land
swap for Charlotte ballpark
Posted June 19, 2007 (feedback)
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The
Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners is
expected today to set a public hearing for July 10
for residents to weigh in on an $8 million
economic development grant for the Charlotte
Knights (Class AAA; International League). Under a
proposed agreement, the baseball team would build
a $35 million ballpark uptown in exchange for an
annual grant from the county of about $700,000
based on revenues, probably for 20 years. The
grant would go toward public projects such as
relocating Third Street, lighting and sidewalks.
Final touches at ballpark
complete in time for first Osprey game
Posted June 19, 2007 (feedback)
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If
you go to the Missoula Osprey (rookie; Pioneer
League) home opener tonight at Ogren-Allegiance
Park, you'll notice differences before you even
walk in the (new) gate. There'll be no more house
trailers. Anywhere. You'll get your tickets at one
of three windows on the backside of an attractive
cinderblock building, one of a handful of
permanent structures that house concession stands,
clubhouses and toilets, lots and lots of them. A
new party deck, for private parties, looms over
the visitors' bullpen in right field. And high
above the centerfield fence beyond right center,
on a platform installed last year to attract a
real osprey: at least two real osprey.
Ballpark Notes
Posted June 19, 2007 (feedback)
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(discuss) Texas
Rangers owner and chairman of the board Tom
Hicks announced today he has given general
manager Jon Daniels a one-year contract
extension. Daniels contact with the club now runs
through 2009. "I have always been a believer in JD
and his management team," said Hicks. "While we
are disappointed with our record this season, I
know he can take the Rangers to where we want to
be, a team that is consistently a contender."
Daniels became the eighth general manager in Texas
club history after being promoted to the position
on October 4, 2005.
Jack Russell
Stadium down to its final out
Posted June 18, 2007 (feedback)
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Another
ballpark is no more.
Jack
Russell Stadium, the former spring home of the
Philadelphia Phillies and regular-season home of
the Clearwater Phillies (High Class A; Florida
State League), is slated to come down this week.
Really, all that's left is the grandstand and much
of the infrastructure; the aluminum seats already
are gone, and some of the railings have fallen to
the concrete floor. In the end, the city just
couldn't find a use for the historic ballpark;
after the Phillies shifted spring-training
operations to
Bright House Networks Field, Clearwater had
leased the facility to a baseball academy, but
that situation wasn't sustainable. This ballpark
hearkens back to the days when spring training was
a more casual affair, located in small
neighborhood facilities. Jack Russell Stadium is a
prime member of our
Endangered Ballparks.
York ballpark opens; early reports
positive
Posted June 18, 2007 (feedback)
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Taking
in a game at York's Sovereign Bank Stadium is like
apple pie á la mode without the ice cream. It's
still enjoyable, but you can tell some of the
ingredients are missing. "It's just not
ready yet," said York Revolution outfielder Peter
Bergeron. "But it will be a great stadium when it
is." Bergeron was speaking outside one of the
trailers beyond the right field fence before
Friday's home opener for the new Atlantic League
team. The 11-year professional ballplayer and his
teammates had to get dressed and ready for the
game at the trailers because the stadium's
clubhouses won't be ready until mid-July. Several
aspects of the ballpark remain incomplete;
however,
fans said the experience was still very
worthwhile.
More from the Lancaster Sunday News
and
the Evening Sun.
Classic
ballpark Bosse Field turns 92
Posted June 18, 2007 (feedback)
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With
baseball season in full swing, fans are once again
flocking to Bosse Field to catch the Evansville
Otters (independent; Frontier League). Bosse Field
was completed in 1915 at a total cost of $65,000.
Named for then-Mayor Benjamin Bosse, it was, and
still is, owned by the local School Board -- the
first municipally owned athletic facility in
Indiana. Opening Day was June 17, 1915 -- exactly
92 years ago today. Seating capacity was listed as
7,180, but attendance that afternoon was reported
as 8,082. Fans paid 75 cents for box seats, 50
cents for grandstand, 25 cents for bleachers to
watch the Evansville Evas defeat Erie, 4-0.
It's a whole
new ballgame for Baby Bombers
Posted June 18, 2007 (feedback)
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This
has been quite the offseason for the Staten Island
Yankees (short season; NY-Penn League). The New
York Yankees took control of the franchise and
hired Mandalay Baseball Properties to run the
show. In turn, the team's home has been upgraded:
There's a high-definition LED video board,
stretching 192 feet on the right-field fence, for
entertainment and advertising purposes. There's a
new 20-foot video scoreboard in left field, and
every seat in the house has been power-washed
and/or painted. A new Yankees Walk of Fame
provides a lifeline to the parent team.
Pelicans add
bleachers to Coastal Federal Field
Posted June 18, 2007 (feedback)
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Over
eight years have gone by and hundreds of home run
balls have sailed over the outfield wall at
Coastal Federal Field, but no fan has ever had the
chance to catch one of those majestic shots. That
changed this past weekend when the Myrtle Beach
Pelicans (High Class A; Carolina League) added
outfield bleachers -- the only ballpark in the
historic Carolina League boasting an outfield
seating option. "The new left field bleachers not
only add capacity to Coastal Federal Field, but
they also provide an aesthetic quality that was
missing," said Pelicans General Manager North
Johnson. "The way the bleachers wrap around toward
the scoreboard gives the stadium a much more
intimate feel and will bring our fans even closer
to the action. We are looking forward to a Wrigley
Field-type atmosphere beyond the left field wall."
Columbus
ballpark to give jolt to economy
Posted June 18, 2007 (feedback)
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A
study shows good things are in store for Central
Ohio's economy once work on a new ballpark for the
Columbus Clippers (Class AAA; International
League) gets into full swing this year. The
economic influence from construction of Huntington
Park in the Arena District will total more than
$100 million over three years, says a study by the
Columbus Chamber and Franklin County. The impact
includes an estimated $45 million to be spent
designing and building the county-owned ballpark
as well as the ripple effect those dollars will
have as they are spent in the economy.
ValleyCats
close to completion on picnic pavilion
NEW!
Posted June 18, 2007 (feedback)
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The
Tri-City ValleyCats (short season; NY-Penn League)
have made significant progress on the construction
of the new picnic pavilion down the right-field
concourse at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium. The
privately funded pavilion will be completed by
Opening Day, slated for this coming weekend.
O's get comfy
in new digs
Posted June 18, 2007 (feedback)
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Missoula
is home to gadflies, barflies and now stadiumflies.
Nearly 60 people braved a Sunday drizzle to get
their first look at the nearly finished home of
the Missoula Osprey (rookie; Pioneer League) and
inspect the new crop of talent, which practiced
for the first time at Ogren-Allegiance Park. Fans
weren't the only ones soaking in the new digs,
which includes actual buildings on the ballpark
deck instead of trailers and temporary plywood
press boxes. Coaches noticed the changes, too, as
well as the curious faces that came out.
Minor league =
major impact
Posted June 18, 2007 (feedback)
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With
the boys of summer back in Mercer County, area
officials are hoping to hit another home run for
the local economy. Having two rookie Appalachian
League teams in town -- the Bluefield Orioles and
Princeton Devil Rays -- generates an annual
estimated revenue of between $6 million and $7
million for Mercer County. Both teams arrived this
weekend in Bluefield and Princeton.
More from the Bluefield Daily Telegraph.
Vandy wants to
expand baseball facility
Posted June 18, 2007 (feedback)
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Ah,
it's that time of year: Super Regional Fever.
Vanderbilt officials were awestruck earlier this
month when the school hosted an NCAA baseball
regional for the first time. More than 3,500 vocal
fans packed into Hawkins Field for four straight
days, creating an environment on campus previously
unmatched. Vanderbilt loved it and wants more.
Tentative plans call for expansion of Hawkins
Field, which has a capacity of just more than
2,000. The installation of temporary bleachers for
the regional pushed capacity to more than 3,500.
Old Miss
ballpark project still stalled by cost
Posted June 18, 2007 (feedback)
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The
trucks that were supposed to be pulling into
Oxford-University Stadium are nowhere to be found
right now. The construction noises that were
supposed to be filling the air are missing, too.
The renovation and expansion of Ole Miss'
ballpark, which was scheduled to begin when the
2007 season ended and be completed in time for
2008, remains in the planning stages thanks to an
unforeseen problem two months ago. The sparkling
new ballpark, which was slated to include club
level seats and raise capacity to nearly 10,000,
was slapped with a price tag $6 million more than
the program and project managers expected.
Today's video:
Protecting kids at the ballpark
Posted June 18, 2007 (feedback)
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story)
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This
isn't as serious as it sounds: rather, this is a
light-hearted look at how kids are treated well --
and supervised -- at Clearwater Threshers (High
Class A; Florida State League) games, in a spot
from Plan B. Branding.
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.
Ballpark Notes
Posted June 18, 2007 (feedback)
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A
few teams set some attendance marks over the weekend. Royce Huffman
notched his second four-hit game in five days and Ray Chang drove in
three runs as the Portland Beavers (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League)
treated area families to a 7-6 victory over the Salt Lake Bees on Father’s Day
at PGE Park before 10,277, the largest
crowd of the season....The New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Class AA; Eastern
League) set a few records Sunday. First, the Fisher Cats welcomed in a
franchise-record 22,121 fans for the three-game series against the Erie
SeaWolves, breaking the previous record of 21,096 set from June 16-18, 2006
vs. the Portland Sea Dogs. The 35,235 fans that witnessed the six-game
homestand concluding Sunday also set a team record, breaking the previous mark
of 34,288 set between July 18-24, 2005 vs. Akron and Portland....The Lake
Elsinore Storm (High Class A; California League) will host two organic
events during the 2007 baseball season. The first promotion, Positive Purpose
Night, will be June 23 when the Storm meet the Inland Empire 66ers. This
event will bridge into the Storm’s Goin’ Green celebration on July 20
when the team plays the High Desert Mavericks. The Storm will be the
first team in baseball to present a promotional night encouraging health and
sustainability. On this night the Storm team will be wearing green uniforms made
of hemp material that will then be auctioned at the end of the game. The money
raised will be gifted to a non-profit that’s helping to better our world. There
will be a health and sustainability festival held before and during the baseball
game. Healthy organic foods will be served at the concession stands, and
periodic announcements will be made offering tidbits of information for
developing healthy and lasting communities. To conclude the evening, the Storm
will shoot off green fireworks. The Positive Purpose Night is the seed event for
the cultivation of good deeds.
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