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Archives: July 15-21, 2007

Replacement for Dodgers in Vero may be near
Posted July 19, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
This is a wildly overoptimistic headline given the circumstances. Officials in Indian River County are negotiating with the Cincinnati Reds about potentially replacing the Los Angeles Dodgers as the spring tenant of Dodgertown and Holman Stadium in Vero Beach. For the Reds, the negotiations are a back-up strategy in case Sarasota doesn't come through with a renovated Ed Smith Stadium -- a prudent move, as the whole Sarasota situation is increasingly iffy for all sides. But that doesn't mean the Reds would automatically move to Vero Beach, which seems to be the assumption of local officials. First, it's going to take a decent amount of money to renovate Holman Stadium -- we're guessing the Reds won't find the lack of dugouts and other amenities to be as quaint as the Dodgers did -- and make other changes to the Dodgertown grounds. The county will need to come up with virtually all the money, as there's no state money available for renovations (Vero Beach already had one bite at that apple). We're guessing the Reds may also reach out to other cities and venue operators, like Disney, to see if they can find a better deal in a larger area. More from TCPalm.com. To no one's surprise, the Boston Red Sox say they're not interested in a move to Vero Beach.
    RELATED STORIES: Sarasota approves Ed Smith project vote; Ballpark issues in Sarasota; Reds spring ballpark plan hinges on 3 votes; Significantly scaled-back plan is weighed for Reds' spring home; Why Sarasota may spurn baseball; What is spring training worth to Vero Beach?; Reds: We're interested in Vero Beach; New Reds spring-complex deal on life support; Delaying puts Reds spring complex in jeopardy; Task force confident in Reds ballpark deal; Finance plan for Reds spring-training facility in place -- maybe; Looking at a Plan B for new Reds spring complex; Sarasota looking to cut spring-training complex cost; Fair officials respond with new spring-training plan; New Reds training facility in some doubt; Florida finalizes five spring-training grants; Pirates to get 30-year lease, lights at McKechnie Field; Florida makes preliminary decision on state spring-training grants; Bush signs bill funding spring-training complexes; Reds sign 30-year lease to train in Sarasota; Sarasota, county OK Reds ballpark pact; Deal for new Reds spring-training facility close; Sarasota ballpark hopes for home run; Sarasota sends ballpark pacts to state; Sarasota County agrees to tax increase to fund new Reds spring facility; County tees up for baseball hearing; Sarasota ballpark plan stirs resistance; Now the real hard part begins on new Reds ballpark; For new Reds ballpark, cash crisis on deck; Reds swing and miss; New Reds' spring-training ballpark still $16M short; Price for new Reds training facility: $54 million to $62 million; Spring training ballpark, tourism compete for Sarasota bed tax revenue; Plan for a new Reds spring-training complex in Sarasota move forward; Details emerge on Sarasota County, city plan for stadium, event center, ballfields; Sarasota eyes ambitious plan to convert arena site to keep Reds; Reds, Pirates team up to seek better facilities

Law firms hired in Yankees flap
Posted July 19, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Luzerne County is getting ready for a legal showdown with Lackawanna County over a possible sale of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees (Class AAA; International League). Luzerne County commissioners unanimously voted to hire two law firms to review a Lackawanna County agreement that could let SWB Yankees LLC buy the franchise for $13 million. Luzerne County officials claim the deal is invalid because it ignores Luzerne County’s ownership stake, but it's not clear what the county wants to see happen: Luzerne County isn't talking about actually blocking the sale, but rather coming to an agreement where they share in the proceeds. This article was submitted by a reader. To submit a story or item of interest for consideration, send an email to editors@augustpublications.com.
    RELATED STORIES: Mandalay eyes expansion; Value of Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees questioned; Sale of Harrisburg franchise raises questions about Yanks; Luzerne County officials finally out of the bullpen; County rejects Triple-A agreement; Potential sale of SWB Yankees approved; Luzerne County explores options on baseball deals; Blaum wants 1986 ballpark contract honored; Potential sale of the SWB Yankees approved; Lackawanna County minority commissioner wants stadium authority to pay off county; Yanks filling seats in Moosic; Once again, it’s all about the Yankees; New for 2007: PNC Field; Work on Lackawanna County Stadium progresses; New for 2007: the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees; End of Astroturf at Lackawanna County Stadium; Here to stay, keep baseball fifty-fifty; Red Barons will stay, Mandalay vows; Moosic councilman presses county on amusement tax; New grass field, fixing leaks are ballpark priorities; Hard-nosed Mandalay known for investments in minor-league teams; Will Moosic get a new ballpark?; Yankees' Triple-A affiliate, California management firm heading to Moosic; Mets representatives expected to tour Lackawanna County Stadium today; Proposal would combine front offices of Barons and Pens; It's official: Yankees leaving Columbus; move to Scranton a done deal?; Authority will consider giving Cordaro power; Yankees to SWB?

Board wants guarantees on deal
Posted July 19, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The deal isn't quite as complete as some front offices want to admit. Glendale (Az.) officials are still working to formally swing home a deal for an $80.7 million spring-training complex for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago White Sox. This week, Arizona Sports & Tourism Authority board members -- whose signature on the deal is critical, because the public agency is slated to fund up to two-thirds of the project -- said they want a clear guarantee that non-profit groups will be able to rent the facility for a reasonable rate. Glendale has struck a unique deal (by Cactus League standards, anyway) with the Dodgers and the White Sox, who will run the ballpark after the city builds it. This avoids any possible operating losses for the city, but it also gives them much less control over how the complex is used.

After the dust clears, Charles will have a place to cheer
Posted July 19, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Back behind the trees on a winding country road on the edge of Waldorf, a new ballpark for the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs (independent; Atlantic League) is taking shape -- and at a furious pace. In the three weeks since Charles County's commissioners signed a contract to start construction, crews have leveled the site and begun cutting the bowl that promises to become a modern stadium and entertainment complex.
    RELATED STORIES: Narrowly, Charles decides ballpark is worth risk; Work set for next week at Charles County site; Charles County approves bid for new AtL ballpark

New Citi isn't fan friendly
Posted July 19, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Henry Goldman has held season tickets to New York Mets games at Shea Stadium for 25 years, but he's afraid the move into Citi Field will cause the team to eliminate his partial season-ticket plan From the drastically reduced seating capacity -- 42,000 as opposed to the current 55,000 -- to the apparent elimination of affordable ticket plans like the one Henry Goldman uses, to the hard-sell announcements that issue from the video screens between innings, "informing" fans that only Shea full-season ticket holders will receive priority when it comes time to shell out for seats in the Mets' new crib, it is clear that Citi Field will be fan-friendly only to New York's wealthiest fans.

Site is back in a hard place
Posted July 19, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Construction on the new University of South Carolina ballpark has been delayed once again after construction workers found a nice, large vein of granite during excavation of the site. The need to remove the granite will slow things down, but the bigger concern is if construction can happen at the $28 million budget. The bids for construction were due to go out next month. That might change depending on what is reported by the primary architects, Curt Davis and Associates, a Columbia company. The ballpark is being built on a very aggressive schedule, slated to open next spring.

Marlins lag behind other major league teams with home attendance
Posted July 19, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Interest in the Florida Marlins is up, but the team is still having problems attracting fans to Dolphin Stadium. The Marlins' local TV ratings were up 33 percent this year as of mid-June, according to Nielsen Media Research ratings. Attendance stinks, even though the team has won two World Series titles in its 15 seasons and is now young and competitive. Marlins fans give a variety of reasons for preferring their Barcaloungers over the ballpark: South Florida's hot, humid and rain-filled summers; the blah, baseball-unfriendly stadium; the cost of tickets, parking and concessions.

Condiments twist and shout at Power Park
Posted July 19, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The hot-dog and condiment costumes that are donned during seventh-inning dugout dances at Appalachian Power Park, home of the West Virginia Power (Low Class A; Sally League) are not the most graceful, but they're a crowd-pleasing hit. Each game, a trio dressed in hot dog, mustard and ketchup costumes climbs to the top of a dugout for a not-too-synchronized dance. As if that's not appealing enough, they then throw out free hot dogs to fans.

Baseball's future in Bisbee hangs in limbo
Posted July 19, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
here were quite a few opinions about Thursday's cancellation of both the week-long Copper Tournament next week and the championship series of the summer-collegiate Centennial Baseball League on Aug. 4-5. Some came from Bisbee Copper Kings team president Tom Mosier. He said that no one besides Bisbee paid its fee to participate in the tournament. Team co-owners Tom and Ginger Mosier said there will be a new league next season, with the Arizona Diamondjaxx, a Tucson-area team and several other teams yet to be officially involved with the league. Warren Ballpark will be 100 years old in 2009; it would be great to see baseball there.

Rosenblatt demolition among Omaha ballpark suggestions
Posted July 18, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The city of Omaha has hired DLR Group to research plans for a new ballpark north of downtown, and to offer ideas to repair Rosenblatt Stadium, the current home of the College World Series and the Omaha Royals (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League). One option involves tearing Rosenblatt Stadium and retaining just the scoreboard and the surrounding parking while instituting a plan with removable seating, leaving the O-Royals to play in an 8,000-seat ballpark expandable to 30,000 for the College World Series. For the north-downtown study, architects are looking at as many as three locations. One would put the ballpark in a six-block area and the two others would offer amenities that tie in better with the College World Series.
    RELATED STORIES: Royals president says two baseball facilities can work; Petition drive aims to save Rosenblatt; Could Indy someday be host for CWS?; New Omaha ballpark could feature other pastimes; Coaches reminisce as talk turns to proposed downtown ballpark; Plan B: Fix up Rosenblatt; Omaha wants at least 10-year CWS extension before ballpark work; Mayor: NCAA shows interest in new Omaha ballpark; Omaha floats new ballpark for CWS, O-Royals

Braves reject affiliated ball in Gwinnett; county to move ahead with ballpark
Posted July 18, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Atlanta Braves have rejected the idea of locating an affiliated club in suburban Gwinnett County, but that apparently isn't stopping local officials from pursuing a new ballpark. A consulting firm has concluded that Gwinnett provides "one of the strongest markets in the country to support a minor-league baseball team." The report shows that building and operating the ballpark could create hundreds of jobs, generate up to $7 million in consumer spending every year and generate as much as $12 million in tax revenue over a 30-year period. The report also puts the price tag for building a ballpark between $25 million and $30 million and should have 5,500 permanent seats, grass seating for up 1,500 people, at least 16 private suites, 300 club seats and 2,300 parking spaces in walking distance of the ballpark. If you're connected to the independent South Coast League, you're drooling over a new ballpark in a rapidly growing, affluent suburb of Atlanta.
    RELATED STORIES: Baseball surveys sent out; Firm to weigh prospects of minor-league baseball to Gwinnett County; Gwinnett baseball back in the game; Whiff! Baseball study out on strikes; Gwinnett explores minor-league baseball

Hartman among Wichita baseball bidders
Posted July 18, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Groups from the independent Northern League, United League Baseball and American Association made bids on a lease for Lawrence-Dumont Stadium and management of the National Baseball Congress. Wink Hartman was announced Tuesday as the managing general partner of a group of local investors working with the Northern League on the lease, which would begin next season after the Wichita Wranglers move to Springdale, Ark. Hartman's group was one of at least three that submitted proposals to the city of Wichita last week. Hartman owns the Wichita Wild, an professional indoor football team. The city of Wichita will make a decision on the proposals in the coming weeks.
    RELATED STORIES: Northern League, American Association to court investors for Wichita team; NBC deal in the works; Wichita to court baseball leagues; Ballpark bids under estimates; New for 2008: The Northwest Arkansas Naturals; Officials dig baseball; Springdale ballpark construction budget approved; Springdale City Council approves ballpark design; Springdale commission approves new ballpark; Wranglers GM has new challenges; City hires consultant to assist on Lawrence-Dumont lease; Wranglers owner says team was Wichita's third baseball option; Council looks at ballpark design; Commissioners begin planning improvements around ballpark site; Wranglers' move big hit with Royals owner Glass; League approval slow but expected for move of Wranglers; Springdale approves Wranglers lease; Texas League executives scrutinize proposed Springdale lease; Springdale officials present Wranglers lease to public; Rich Baseball, Springdale reach agreement on move of Wranglers; City told only voters decide ballpark's user; Springdale aldermen to hear United League pitch for ballpark; What's new in Wichita?; Wranglers president says move is nearly official; Wranglers agreement down to one item; City negotiating terms with Wranglers; Springdale awaits word on getting Wichita's team; Wichita expects to negotiate for Wranglers; Wranglers to move in 2008

Kelley pitches Bowling Green ballpark plan to skeptics
Posted July 18, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
A deeply skeptical crowd peppered businessman Rick Kelley with questions about a redevelopment plan for downtown Bowling Green that includes a new ballpark for a Low Class A team. A local restaurant owner and chairman of Play Ball! '05,
Kelley is pushing for approval of a plan to fuel a wide variety of projects with $100 million in bonds and private investment, to be repaid from future tax revenues within a specified district. Investor Art Solomon, owner of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Class AA; Eastern League), has committed to buying a Class A team (we hear it's a Sally League team) to play in Bowling Green for at least 20 years, with local investors given first option to buy it after that. The residents didn't seem placated by the pitch; they wondered what would happen if the TIF didn't yield adequate revenues to fund all the projects.
    RELATED STORIES: Leaders approve plans for downtown Bowling Green ballpark

Buzz building for Allentown's new ballpark
Posted July 18, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The management of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Class AAA; International League) held another media day to show off construction of their new ballpark, on schedule to open next season. It's still a construction site, so there's not necessarily a lot to see (we're hoping to be out there in August). The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote up an account of their visit, which is big news for Phillies fans: having their Triple-A affiliate so close will be a big selling point for both teams. Business seems to be going well: GM Kurt Landes reported that about 2,000 season tickets already had been sold and that only a few of the 20 luxury suites remained available. More from the Allentown Morning Call.

City looks to cut cost of ballpark
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Billings officials hope to trim more than $500,000 from the cost of a new downtown ballpark for the Billings Mustangs (rookie; Pioneer League) as they try to bring the project into balance. Meanwhile, the city and baseball supporters plan to launch a private fundraising drive to help pay for additional features that aren't covered in the base bid. Officials also remain hopeful that the city could receive a $500,000 federal appropriation by this fall. Last fall, voters approved a $12.5 million bond issue to pay for the ballpark, which will replace the Mustangs' long-time home, Cobb Field. The amount of public financing was reduced by $2.11 million because of donations received from individuals and companies.
    RELATED STORIES: Ballpark bids throw curve to officials; City OKs ballpark bond bids; Park plans head for home; City, Mustangs watching ballpark plans; Old-time ballplayers join groundbreaking for new Billings ballpark; Billings ballpark design allows future amenities; Plan for new baseball park has sunken, realigned field; Planning for new Cobb Field gets on fast track; Cobb Field planning kicks into high gear; Billings voters approve new Mustangs ballpark; Donors pitch $210K more toward new ballpark; Join local teams in support for new ballpark; Three groups, family pledge $200K for maintenance of new Cobb Field; New vote on an old park; Two more pitch in on new Cobb Field; Musburger urges support for Cobb Field replacement; Baseball fan boosts Billings ballpark campaign; Gaming operator donates $1 million toward Billings ballpark; Cobb backers unveil campaign; Lots to learn about new plan for Cobb Field; Bond issue for Cobb Field replacement on ballot; Burns backs federal aid for Cobb Field; Potential gift could pare price of Cobb Field; Funding dominates Cobb discussion; Billings needs ballpark to be proud of, not field of dreams; Panel details ways to cut Billings ballpark costs; Cobb Field panel pursues closer look at costs; Billings panel asks for Cobb Field tax measure; Forums planned on Cobb Field proposal; Poll finds support for bonds for Cobb Field; Council vote sets stage for Cobb debate; Cobb Field replacement could cost $12 million; HNTB selected for Cobb Field renovation; Cobb proposals narrowed to 2; Six proposals vie to study Cobb Field

Today's video: Swing of the Quad Cities "24" intro
Posted July 18, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Here's another pregame video from a minor-league team. This is the pregame video from the Swing of the Quad Cities (Low Class A; Midwest League), playing off the popular "24" television series. 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.

Visalia moves money around for ballpark
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Visalia city leaders began filling the pot Monday for the Recreation Park ballpark reconstruction, transferring $8.4 million from other budget sources into a building fund. That should give the city a good start on paying for the project. What's not known is how much the job -- complicated by the need to demolish, and then rebuild, the stadium's grandstand berm -- will ultimately cost. Preliminary estimates suggest the work will cost about $12 million. On a 4-1 vote Monday night, Visalia City Council members formally ratified a ballpark funding scheme as they finalized the city's budget for 2007-08. Most of the cash, $6 million plus interest, is coming from a reserve fund originally established by the city to make extra payments to the state Public Employees' Retirement System.

Town wants to bring baseball back to Calfee Park in Pulaski
Posted July 18, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Baseball should not be proud of how it treated Pulaski, pulling a rookie-level Appalachian League team after the end of last season when the Toronto Blue Jays decided to pull its support. City officials want to bring an Appy League team back to Calfee Park, one of the nicer facilities in the circuit. The sad thing: Pulaski city officials came through with financial support every time they were asked, and then they lose the ballpark through no fault of their own. Leaving the Appy League at an odd number of teams isn't a viable long-term strategy, either. Despite the issues, Appalachian League President Lee Landers is having a great summer.

DED recommends $26.8M for Ballpark Village
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The Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED) recommended Tuesday that the first phase of the Ballpark Village project next to Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals, receive $26.8 million for the first of two funding components, according to Chase Martin of Cordish Co. The Cardinals and Cordish Co. are partners on the Ballpark Village development. Martin is development director for the project.  The $387 million first phase of Ballpark Village will include 324,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, 100,000 square feet of office space and 1,200 parking spaces. Officials from the city of St. Louis and the St. Louis Cardinals are seeking up to $115 million in subsidy for Ballpark Village from the city and state, including tax increment financing (TIF). The state and city subsidy requests total 22 percent of the project's estimated cost.

Bridgeport takes wraps off big project near ballpark
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A development team proposes to build a new hotel, hundreds of housing units and dozens of stores on vacant land around the Ballpark at Harbor Yard, the home of the Bridgeport Bluefish (independent; Atlantic League). Led by the Canyon-Johnson Urban Fund, a multi-billion dollar investment house, the $221 million venture would be built on 11 acres across from and surrounding the Harbor Yard sports/entertainment complex just south of downtown. The development team, selected by the city after a formal bidding competition among national developers, proposes to build a five-screen cinema, 260,000 square feet of retail space, 376 townhouse and apartments, an 11-story, 155-room hotel and more than 2,000 new parking spaces. The developers plan to seek permission from the state Legislature for $24 million in tax incremental financing. This is good news for the Bluefish and Bridgeport baseball fans; one of our complaints during our most recent visit to Ballpark at Harbor Yard was the lack of anything near the ballpark.

Baseball league throws a sweet pitch to the city
Posted July 18, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The local newspaper expresses initial support of a plan put forward by the independent Golden Baseball League to move Nut Tree Stadium in Vacaville, piece by piece, to Tiger Field in Redding. The GBL does want to move quickly -- officials want the deal done in 45 days so a venue can be available next season -- and elected officials tend to be a little nervous when things are done in a hurry.
    RELATED STORIES: GBL ballpark offer lets Redding join municipal big leagues

Juice won't finish games in town
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The independent South Coast League made it official: the Bradenton Juice will spend the rest of the season as a road team and not play any more games at Manatee Community College. But a combination of fan apathy -- the team drew a season-high of just less than 150 for its home opener May 25 against the Macon Music -- and scheduling conflicts with MCC for the use of Wynn Field forced the team to initially move 30 home games on the road. What will be interesting is where the league moves the team: we'd love to see a team at Al Lang Field in St. Pete.

Blue Jays push for All-Star Game
Posted July 18, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Toronto Blue Jays intend to make a strong push to land either the 2010 or 2012 All-Star Game at Rogers Centre when Major League Baseball starts pouring over candidates in the coming weeks. The 1991 All-Star Game was held there, which will diminish the chances of Toronto landing the event when so many other cities have built new ballparks; also, Bud Selig promised a game to Jackson County voters if they approved a renovation of Kauffman Stadium.

Paterson plans revival of Hinchliffe Stadium
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Two years after voters approved a referendum to allow the city to borrow $10 million for renovations to Hinchliffe Stadium, Mayor Jose “Joey” Torres presented his plans to bring new life to the 75-year-old facility. The Paterson (N.J.) School District owns the stadium, but the city would use the space for recreational purposes. Torres said he estimates the price to renovate the stadium would be $9.6 million based on figures the school board provided in 2002. Two options are on the table, The first would consist of new fields at the stadium for school use and for residents when not in use by the school district. The second option is in addition to renovating the stadium to build an off-site sports academy with classrooms, which would require state Department of Education approval, Torres said. Both options would be within the $10-million estimated, he said, since the state would pay for the academy. Hinchliffe Stadium was the former home of Negro League teams, including the New York Black Yankees. Hinchliffe Stadium is part of our Endangered Ballparks listings.

Ballpark caught in pinch
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Former Solano Thunderbirds manager Phil Swimley said Tuesday that the new owners of Travis Credit Union Park have set a deadline of about two weeks to find a buyer for the park or it will be dismantled and demolished. The ballpark ceased operations in May and the Thunderbirds season was canceled, when the park's new owner, CT Realty Corp., declared it a financial flop. Swimley says he was given 60 days by John Valentine, vice president of acquisitions for CT Realty Corp., to find a buyer and keep the ballpark intact. That period has passed. Now Swimley says he's been told that a bid for demolition is expected in about two weeks. He has only that time left to find a buyer at the $8 million asking price, Swimley said. Besides the Thunderbirds, the ballpark also served as the home of the Solano Steelheads (independent; Western League).

City can help Rickwood Field
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The Rickwood Classic is one of the great events in the baseball world, but there's one nasty problem with attending a game at Rickwood Field: it's not in the best part of town. Columnist John Archibald says the city needs to help out to keep Rickwood Field going, and that starts with the city making sure the area around the ballpark is safe.

Detroit City Council delays action on Tiger Stadium demolition
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As many expected, the Detroit City Council put off a decision on the future of Tiger Stadium, pending further information from the mayor's office as to proposed plans for the shuttered facility. Mayor Kwame Kirkpatrick has proposed razing the former home of the Detroit Tigers in favor of new development, but preservationists would like to see the ballpark renovated in some manner. It will take the mayor's office a little time to comply with the council's request; meanwhile, you probably won't see the destruction of Tiger Stadium any time soon. More from the Detroit News. Tiger Stadium is a prominent member of our Endangered Ballparks listings.
    RELATED STORIES: City: Revisit Tiger Stadium plans; Today's video: The final days of Tiger Stadium; Tiger Stadium plan hits a snag; Tiger Stadium's fate divisive; Tiger Stadium: Up for auction?; Tiger Stadium outta here by '08; Time running out for Tiger Stadium; Dave Wright: Time to let Tiger Stadium go; Razing memories of 95-year-old Tiger Stadium before demolition work begins; Final farewell planned for Tiger Stadium; Old house is hard to forget; Once a baseball cathedral, Tiger Stadium now sits in disrepair; Memories of Tiger Stadium; Tiger Stadium demolition delayed; Progress is in the ballpark; Developers didn't stand a chance with Tiger Stadium; Artifacts from Tiger Stadium to be auctioned off under city plan; Tiger Stadium to be razed: condos, retail to be built on historic site; Detroit should sell Tiger Stadium as is; Historical marker at Tiger Stadium stolen; Tiger Stadium would make fine vacation destination; 8 innings of words get us no closer to a Tiger Stadium fix; Documentary makes case for saving Tiger Stadium; Plenty of options for Tiger Stadium; Detroit Mayor Kilpatrick wants Tiger Stadium razed; Hope fades for Tiger Stadium; Detroit ignores calls to save Tiger Stadium; Save Tiger Stadium as scaled-down ballpark; City should tear down Tiger Stadium; Is it the final out for Tiger Stadium?

No luxuries in minor leagues for ex-Cub great Sandberg
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You've got to give Ryne Sandberg credit: to gain some managerial experience, he went down to the minors and took the reins of the Peoria Chiefs (Low Class A; Midwest League). He probably could have landed a gig as an assistant in a cushier situation. In his Hall of Fame career Sandberg was a low-key presence on the field; in Peoria he's more assertive, getting tossed four times.

Baseball thief swipes big load of beer
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Someone broke into the New Orleans Zephyrs (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) ballpark in Metairie last week and stole a Coors Light beer truck containing 51 kegs of brew, according to a Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office incident report. A groundskeeper for the team discovered break-in Thursday morning when he arrived at the ballpark . The thieves made off with the truck, $3,061 worth of beer and more than $10,000 in groundskeeping equipment, the Sheriff's Office report said. Sheriff's deputies recovered most of the stolen property that afternoon and the next evening within two miles of the ballpark. The beer truck was intact, parked near an abandoned house with the keys in the ignition. However, only 38 kegs were on board.

At Wrigley, fans debate what to do with a ball
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We were wondering this ourselves the other day. If Barry Bonds breaks the home-run record in Wrigley Field, how will the Bleacher Bums react? Will they throw the ball back to the field of play -- which is how they handle homers hit by opposing players -- or will they keep the ball, which could be worth a lot of money? Opinion is divided along the ballpark’s back wall. On one side of that wall are the bleacher bums who say they would throw a Bonds home run ball right back in his face. And on the other side are the ballhawks who say they would treasure it for life.

To some, pinstripes are pinstripes
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The Allentown Morning Call continues its tour of regional ballparks with a look at Richmond County Bank Ballpark at St. George, home of the Staten Island Yankees (short season; NY-Penn League). There's a new life to that franchise: the team didn't do as well as many anticipated, but now that the New York Yankees own the franchise and contracted with Mandalay to operate the team, things are on the upswing.

City: Revisit Tiger Stadium plans
Posted July 17, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Detroit City Council cranked up the heat on the Kilpatrick administration over the future of Tiger Stadium on Monday when its members asked for a complete accounting of every redevelopment proposal Detroit has received for the vacant structure -- and why they were rejected. (Also requested: an accounting of the funds paid to the Detroit Tigers to maintain the ballpark.) Council President Kenneth V. Cockrel made the request after his office received two proposals for the vacant ballpark last week, following the city planning commission's rejection of the Tiger Stadium Redevelopment Project that has been touted by the mayor. One of the new proposals included a plan by greeting card manufacturer Avanti Press Inc. to move its headquarters from downtown Detroit to the renovated ballpark site and expand its payroll by 75 workers there. Detroit Economic Growth officials have repeatedly said they have received no credible offers from backers with a track record and financing to redevelop that site, and that the way to get the best proposals would be to raze the ballpark and then seek projects. Tiger Stadium is one of the grand old facilities of baseball: it opened on the same day in 1912 as Fenway Park. It's fallen into disrepair since the Tigers moved to Comerica Park in 2000, but folks from the Navin Field Consortium say they can scale back the ballpark to its original Navin Field configuration and then develop the rest of the site. Many suspect there are politics involved: the owners of the Tigers have been silent on the future of Tiger Stadium, but some say it would be a bold move for the Illitch family to step in and work on a development plan as well as bringing in a Class AA or Class A team. This is a big deal, folks: Tiger Stadium is a big piece of baseball history (remember, the likes of Ty Cobb once patrolled center field), and we're a little surprised there's not more of an outcry from preservationists. Tiger Stadium is a prominent member of our Endangered Ballparks listings. More from the Detroit Free Press. The Detroit News says the property should be auctioned.
    RELATED STORIES: Today's video: The final days of Tiger Stadium; Tiger Stadium plan hits a snag; Tiger Stadium's fate divisive; Tiger Stadium: Up for auction?; Tiger Stadium outta here by '08; Time running out for Tiger Stadium; Dave Wright: Time to let Tiger Stadium go; Razing memories of 95-year-old Tiger Stadium before demolition work begins; Final farewell planned for Tiger Stadium; Old house is hard to forget; Once a baseball cathedral, Tiger Stadium now sits in disrepair; Memories of Tiger Stadium; Tiger Stadium demolition delayed; Progress is in the ballpark; Developers didn't stand a chance with Tiger Stadium; Artifacts from Tiger Stadium to be auctioned off under city plan; Tiger Stadium to be razed: condos, retail to be built on historic site; Detroit should sell Tiger Stadium as is; Historical marker at Tiger Stadium stolen; Tiger Stadium would make fine vacation destination; 8 innings of words get us no closer to a Tiger Stadium fix; Documentary makes case for saving Tiger Stadium; Plenty of options for Tiger Stadium; Detroit Mayor Kilpatrick wants Tiger Stadium razed; Hope fades for Tiger Stadium; Detroit ignores calls to save Tiger Stadium; Save Tiger Stadium as scaled-down ballpark; City should tear down Tiger Stadium; Is it the final out for Tiger Stadium?

Sarasota approves Ed Smith project vote
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The Sarasota City Commission unanimously approved asking voters Nov. 6 to support a city-wide referendum for a general obligation bond not to exceed $16 million to help fund the $44.9 million reconstruction of Ed Smith Stadium, the spring home of the Cincinnati Reds and the regular-season home of the Sarasota Reds (High Class A; Florida State League). This is merely the first step in a marathon designed to keep the Reds in Sarasota. The original plan was to tear down Ed Smith Stadium and construct a new training complex and ballpark, but the lack of private funding available for the project led the city and the Reds to scale it back to a renovated ballpark and additional office and training space.
    RELATED STORIES: Ballpark issues in Sarasota; Reds spring ballpark plan hinges on 3 votes; Significantly scaled-back plan is weighed for Reds' spring home; Why Sarasota may spurn baseball; What is spring training worth to Vero Beach?; Reds: We're interested in Vero Beach; New Reds spring-complex deal on life support; Delaying puts Reds spring complex in jeopardy; Task force confident in Reds ballpark deal; Finance plan for Reds spring-training facility in place -- maybe; Looking at a Plan B for new Reds spring complex; Sarasota looking to cut spring-training complex cost; Fair officials respond with new spring-training plan; New Reds training facility in some doubt; Florida finalizes five spring-training grants; Pirates to get 30-year lease, lights at McKechnie Field; Florida makes preliminary decision on state spring-training grants; Bush signs bill funding spring-training complexes; Reds sign 30-year lease to train in Sarasota; Sarasota, county OK Reds ballpark pact; Deal for new Reds spring-training facility close; Sarasota ballpark hopes for home run; Sarasota sends ballpark pacts to state; Sarasota County agrees to tax increase to fund new Reds spring facility; County tees up for baseball hearing; Sarasota ballpark plan stirs resistance; Now the real hard part begins on new Reds ballpark; For new Reds ballpark, cash crisis on deck; Reds swing and miss; New Reds' spring-training ballpark still $16M short; Price for new Reds training facility: $54 million to $62 million; Spring training ballpark, tourism compete for Sarasota bed tax revenue; Plan for a new Reds spring-training complex in Sarasota move forward; Details emerge on Sarasota County, city plan for stadium, event center, ballfields; Sarasota eyes ambitious plan to convert arena site to keep Reds; Reds, Pirates team up to seek better facilities

Today's video: Behind the scenes at the Brooklyn Cyclones season opener
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KeySpan Park, the home of the Brooklyn Cyclones (short season; NY-Penn League), has turned out to be one of the most popular ballparks in the minors. This video was shot last month, and it details opening day for the Cyclones. 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.

Save our stadium: A grand old ballpark
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Last week we asked you whether you wanted to see more on small ballparks occupying a special place in their communities, and the response was a definite yes. Here's a look at Municipal Park-Carl Lewton Stadium, the former home of Carthage teams in the Arkansas-Missouri League and the Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri (KOM) League in the 1930s and 1940s. The ballpark was built in the late 1930s and hasn't changed much except for some limited modernization and repairs. The likes of Mickey Mantle and Stan Musial played there as visiting players, and some in the local community want to see the old ballpark renovated further.

Ripken urged to renegotiate ballpark pacts NEW!
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Several state lawmakers urged Ripken Baseball yesterday to renegotiate deals with the city of Aberdeen and help the small community as it struggles with debts it took on to build a minor league baseball complex for the Aberdeen IronBirds (short season; NY-Penn League). Three state officials whose districts include Aberdeen said yesterday that the Ripken organization should revisit the deals. A spokesman for Ripken reiterated yesterday the willingness of the Hall of Fame-bound ballplayer to consider possible remedies. Ripken owns the IronBirds, which are based at the $18 million, 6,000-seat, ballpark.

Redevelopment on commission's agenda Tuesday
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Plans for major redevelopment downtown and near Western Kentucky University, including an $18-million minor-league ballpark for what we hear is a Low Class A Sally League team, could move one step closer at 7 p.m. Tuesday as Bowling Green city commissioners consider an ordinance establishing a special tax district for the $231-million project. The state is being asked to allow a tax increment financing district, or TIF, to pay off the bonds. A TIF guarantees local governments the current amount of tax revenue they're getting from the designated area, but allows allocation of any future increase in that revenue due to redevelopment to be funneled back to pay off those redevelopment projects. A developer would actually build the ballpark; Art Solomon, owner of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Class AA; Eastern League), has pledged a team.

DeFeo group announces new project
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A Michigan company plans to move ahead later this year with a hotel resort on more than 340 acres near the Horizon Outlet Center off Range Road in Kimball Township, outside Port Huron, Mich. Port Huron Development LLC received final zoning and planning commission approval from the township Monday night for the project, called Blue Water Resort. The complex also will include a minor-league hockey arena; a six-story, 505-room hotel; a conference center; a water park; a minor league ballpark (no work on who might be involved, but we're guessing either the independent Northern League or the Frontier League); 11 tournament softball fields; tennis courts and soccer fields, said architect Antonino Scavo of Shelby Township.

Oaks to change name?
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The Visalia Oaks (High Class A; California League) are planning a new look for the ballclub to coincide with the renovations of Recreation Park, and the Oaks want input from the public. Every legitimate entrant will receive a free ticket to an Oaks August home game, and the participant that submits the winning team name wins a free 2008 game in the Oaks Fan Dugout Suite! If you are interested in participating in Visalia's "Name Your Team" contest, email your idea to info@oaksbaseball.com. To be honest, we like the Oaks nickname (it used to be common in minor-league baseball -- the Oakland Oaks, the Iowa Oaks -- but it's all but disappeared save for Visalia), but the mascot and the logo could use some freshening.

Hungry like a Wolff
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Can-Am Association Commissioner Miles Wolff reiterates his league's interest in setting up shop at Lynx Stadium next season. No surprise: he's consistently said that since it became apparent the Ottawa Lynx (Class AAA; International League) were moving to Allentown next season. He also confirmed the league's plan on moving forward with a Montreal facility in 2009, subject to the availability of a facility in that city's suburbs. (Before you pepper us with mail: No, Jarry Park isn't suitable for professional baseball anymore.) Speaking of Jarry Park: the Lynx will be honoring former members of the Montreal Expos this weekend.

Eating is the new sport at Turner Field
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Should of known an all-you-can-gorge promotion would play well at Turner Field, the home of the Atlanta Braves. The scoreboard, in ballpark figures, from opening weekend in the all-you-can-eat seats: Some 2,200 customers consumed 7,400 sodas, 5,500 hot dogs, 4,600 servings of popcorn, 2,400 bags of peanuts and 1,500 piles of nachos. The eat-a-thon, like much else at Turner Field, is a pitch by the Braves to lure casual fans for whom the game itself is not a full meal.

Minor leagues, major promotions
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This is the time of year when daily newspapers visit their local minor-league  ballpark and realize there's more than just baseball on the menu. Surprise! Here a reporter from the Allentown Morning Call visits a Reading Phillies (Class AA; Eastern League) game at FirstEnergy Stadium and finds out the team runs between-innings promotions. Nothing new here, really.

Splendor on the grass
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Fans pay $7 to sit in the green left-center field chairback seats at Louisville Slugger Field, the downtown ballpark that's home to the Louisville Bats (Class AAA; International League). For $1 less, they can sprawl, sit, lounge, daydream or otherwise loiter on the grass below. The sloping lawn attracts adventurers, romantics, roamers and kids in search of a souvenir. (It's also close to the video board, so the kids are occasionally distracted by animated milk-jug races or public-service announcements by Ashley Judd.)

Teams help fans hurt by flying baseballs
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A major-league baseball pitcher hurls his fastball more than 90 mph, and when a batter deflects it foul into the seats, it may fly just as fast, giving spectators a split second to protect themselves. Most times fans are not seriously hurt. But over a long season, in every big-league ballpark the tally includes head injuries, facial fractures, black eyes and broken fingers. As a result, a growing number of teams are establishing drills to help fans who have been hurt.

The detailed life of DiMaggio, minus juicy details
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The private Joe DiMaggio -- who spurned millions of dollars to write a tell-all autobiography but not the riches derived from signing bats or balls -- kept a diary between 1982 and 1993 to recording his activities in a flowing script. It is not a juicy personal journal. Meals with pals, not his romances, were cited as he moved from his late 60s to his late 70s. A sampling of the entries showed pages filled with mundane details and occasionally interesting detours. Morris Engelberg, DiMaggio's attorney, recently sold the collection of nearly 2,500 pages preserved in 29 binders to Steiner Sports, who will auction the trove in its entirety or page by page and expecting at least $1.5 million. No, Marilyn Monrie isn't mentioned, and neither is much of his outstanding career. These are the diaries of an older gentleman who kept track of what Mr. Coffee was offering for a commercial and how much he spent on a visit to Washington, D.C.

Ballpark Notes
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The Rockford RiverHawks (independent; Frontier League) have hit the 50,000 attendance mark earlier than in any previous season.  The RiverHawks welcomed their 50,000th fan into Road Ranger Stadium on Friday, their 20th opening of the 2007 season. Last year, the RiverHawks did not hit 50,000 until their 23rd opening, July 6, 2006.  The RiverHawks have sold out three of their last four home games, including a stadium-record 4,481 on July 3. After a sellout crowd of 3,927 on Sunday, the team has now drawn 57,314 in 22 dates, an average of 2,605...Iowa’s high-school state baseball tournament, which has experienced record crowds the past two years at Principal Park in Des Moines, will stay in the capital city through 2013. Rick Wulkow, executive director of the Iowa High School Athletic Association, and Sam Bernabe, president and general manager of the Iowa Cubs, made the joint announcement today. Attendance the first two summers at Principal Park has averaged nearly 31,000 paid fans. The two largest crowds, 33,699 in 2005 and 28,035 last summer, represent an increase of nearly 35% over previous years. The 2005 Championship Saturday attracted 9,181 dwarfing the previous best of 5,109 in 2002. It is believed that the Iowa State Tournament ranks as the largest of its kind in the country....The Casper Rockies (rookie; Pioneer League) have teamed up with Wyoming.com to provide free Wi-Fi Internet to their fans at Mike Lansing Field for the entire 2007 season. Wyoming.com’s broadband wireless network provides high-speed Internet access to the ballpark, press box and Casper Rockies administrative offices. Wyoming.com deployed the stadium’s wireless network for the Casper Rockies Professional Baseball Club to support key amenities and business services within the facility. The stadium’s wireless network was up and running in less than a week from the initial visit to the site and is now delivering wireless high-speed Internet access throughout.

Starring role for Petco Park?
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The issue of what ballparks will host future All-Star Games is provoking a lot of competitiveness between teams, as Bud Selig weighs how to manage a roadblock of new ballparks and cities never hosting the Midsummer Classic. That the All-Star Game -- even when placing home-field advantage for the World Series on the line -- continues to wallow in the ratings doesn't rattle anyone connected with the bidding process. We have Yankee Stadium slated for 2008 and Busch Stadium for 2009, but past that the pecking order is muddy, to say the least. Most insiders concede Cincinnati, Tampa Bay, Kansas City and Arizona have the strongest cases to host the game. Cincinnati is one of the great cities of baseball, has a relatively new park in Great American Ball Park, and hasn't hosted the game since 1988. Arizona has a relatively new park in Chase Field, has never hosted the game and is a great sports town. Kansas City hasn't hosted since 1973, and the renovations to Kauffman Stadium should be completed by then -- and let's not forget Bud promised voters a game when they approved the ballpark financing plan. Tampa Bay has never hosted and, while Tropicana Field isn't anyone's idea of a great facility, the new owners of the D-Rays are doing some good things that deserve a reward, and an All-Star Game is a great shot in the arm. Past that, you have the Mets high up in the queue to host at Citi Field and the Nationals a cinch to land a spot with their new ballpark. The Twins are discussing a bid to host in 2015 or so as well. The linked article lays out why the San Diego Padres should get a chance to host at Petco Park. Selig has said he'll make a decision on future venues soon, and you can expect there's some heavy politicking behind the scenes.

Oregon brings back baseball
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The University of Oregon is bringing back baseball as a varsity sport, eliminating wrestling along the way. It's a return to tradition: baseball was the very first sport officially sanctioned by a young university in 1877. There's a lot of work to do before the Ducks take the diamond on 2009, including hiring a coach and finding a place to play. Interestingly, the ability to generate revenue was one of the reasons cited by UO Athletic Director Pat Kilkenny as a reason to bring back the sport. Oregon was the only Pac-10 program not to field a baseball team; by comparison, only three Pac-10 schools fielded wrestling teams. The issue of where to play will be an interesting one: Kilkenny apparently has already met with officials of the Eugene Emeralds (short season; Northwest League), who have their own facility issues regarding the future of Civic Stadium. Look for discussions regarding a joint-use facility to continue. More from the Oregon Daily Emerald.

The biggest losers
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For one night, at least, the 2007 Phillies became linked to the stumbling clubs of the 1920s, '30s and '40s, along with the '61 team that lost 23 straight, and the '64 Fizz Kids. In fact, they became linked to all of the Phillies teams in the franchise's 125-year history. The Phils last night reached a dubious distinction as they became the first team in any sport to lose 10,000 games, dropping a 10-2 decision to the St. Louis Cardinals before a sellout crowd of 44,872 at steamy Citizens Bank Park.

Knights say downtown site squeeze is OK
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The Charlotte Knights (Class AAA; International League) will have to wedge their planned $35 million uptown ballpark into one of the tightest spaces in AAA baseball. At 7.8 acres, it occupies two Third Ward blocks northeast of Bank of America Stadium and hosts only an vacant distribution center. Under an ambitious plan by the Knights and local officials, the team would move from its ballpark in suburban Fort Mill, where its attendance ranks low on the list of the nation's 30 AAA teams, to the new, 10,000-seat ballpark. But the Knights, who want to begin play there in 2009, wouldn't have much wiggle room. Most AAA clubs, even those with ballparks in downtown business districts, have built on more land. We're not entirely sure this is an issue: Fifth Third Field, the home of the Toledo Mud Hens (Class AAA; International League), is built on a similarly sized lot, is a gem, and the Twins are moving ahead with a MLB ballpark on eight or so acres.
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Stodgy baseball owners don't want Cuban, Colangelo
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The premise here is that conservative baseball owners don't want the flamboyant Mark Cuban or the free-spending Jerry Colangelo to buy the Chicago Cubs and Wrigley Field. Under his ownership, the Dallas Mavericks have been one of the most interesting (and drama-filled) franchises the NBA, but for all his bluster and promotional activities Cuban hasn't managed to turn the Mavs into champions or a marketing juggernaut. During his time as owner of the Arizona Diamondbacks Colangelo was known as a free spender whose investments in free agents led to a World Series win in 2001, but the resulting financial obligations weighed the franchise down for years. Owners like Jerry Reinsdorf -- a close bobo of Commissioner Bud Selig -- have already expressed dissatisfaction with Cuban. But there's a wild card in the sale of the Cubs and Wrigley Field: Because Tribune Co. is publicly traded, the team's current owners have a fiduciary responsibility to sell to the highest bidder, and the ability of Selig and crew to absolutely anoint a buyer may be muted -- unless they want to deal with a lawsuit or two. Mark Celizic says Cuban would be good for the Cubs and MLB.
    RELATED STORIES: Cuban applies to buy Cubs; Roster of Cubs bidders expands

Today's video: The final days of Tiger Stadium
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ESPN's Jim Caple tours Tiger Stadium in 2006. The report is a little dated -- there's been no development on the site, and it doesn't appear anything will be happening soon -- but you can get a sense about the current condition of the venerable old ballpark, which opened the same day as Fenway Park. Tiger Stadium, of course, is a prominent member of our Endangered Ballparks listings. 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.
    RELATED STORIES: Tiger Stadium plan hits a snag; Tiger Stadium's fate divisive; Tiger Stadium: Up for auction?; Tiger Stadium outta here by '08; Time running out for Tiger Stadium; Dave Wright: Time to let Tiger Stadium go; Razing memories of 95-year-old Tiger Stadium before demolition work begins; Final farewell planned for Tiger Stadium; Old house is hard to forget; Once a baseball cathedral, Tiger Stadium now sits in disrepair; Memories of Tiger Stadium; Tiger Stadium demolition delayed; Progress is in the ballpark; Developers didn't stand a chance with Tiger Stadium; Artifacts from Tiger Stadium to be auctioned off under city plan; Tiger Stadium to be razed: condos, retail to be built on historic site; Detroit should sell Tiger Stadium as is; Historical marker at Tiger Stadium stolen; Tiger Stadium would make fine vacation destination; 8 innings of words get us no closer to a Tiger Stadium fix; Documentary makes case for saving Tiger Stadium; Plenty of options for Tiger Stadium; Detroit Mayor Kilpatrick wants Tiger Stadium razed; Hope fades for Tiger Stadium; Detroit ignores calls to save Tiger Stadium; Save Tiger Stadium as scaled-down ballpark; City should tear down Tiger Stadium; Is it the final out for Tiger Stadium?

GBL ballpark offer lets Redding join municipal big leagues
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The independent Golden Baseball League wants to move Nut Tree Stadium in Vacaville, piece by piece, to Tiger Field in Redding, and it's willing to pay the freight. All it wants is a commitment from the city that Redding can accommodate the new infrastructure. It's an intriguing thought: the ballpark is now vacant, and Tiger Field is close enough to downtown Redding to be a true attraction. This sort of thing does happen occasionally: Burlington Athletic Stadium originally stood in Danville and then was put into storage before being moved to Burlington.

Ex-mayor: Ballpark still makes no sense
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The hourlong meeting between Oakland A's managing partner Lew Wolff and Gus Morrison last week was a cordial attempt to clear the air. But the ex-Fremont mayor said it did little to change his opinion that the A's ballpark village concept "has more problems than good things." Morrison and the A's co-owner met at a north Fremont coffeehouse about 10 days after the former mayor circulated a 16-page report that was critical of the ballclub's economic study. Released May 8, the study stated that the ballpark village would cost $1.8 billion to construct, creating 1,760 jobs and about $109 million in direct economic impact on Alameda County. But in his report, Morrison offered a more stridently negative take on the proposed development. He also was somewhat critical of the City Council in a separate two-page memo in which he urged them to look more closely at the project's details "before we all march lockstep toward someplace we might not really want to go."
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Lynx last link to Triple-A
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When the Ottawa Lynx (Class AAA; International League) leave for Allentown, Pa., next season, the International League will be international no longer and there will be no Triple-A baseball in Canada. The history here is solid, but take Adam Wazny's speculations with a huge grain of salt: we think there's little chance the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Class AA; Eastern League) will be moving to Ottawa any time soon. (What might make more sense is a move of the Connecticut Defenders [Class AA; Eastern League] to Ottawa and a switch of Toronto's Double-A affiliation in the future.) Wazny also throws out a shout to his hometown Winnipeg Goldeyes (independent; Northern League) and discusses why affiliated ball is declining in the Great White North. This story was submitted by a reader. To share news with the baseball community, drop a line to editors@augustpublications.com.

Fans learn to play concession waiting game
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With popularity comes side effects like long lines, as Milwaukee Brewers fans are finding out on their trips to Miller Park -- there are now longer lines to get into the parking lots, into the ballpark and at the concession stands. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel timed average waits at the concessions stands and found that the average wait was just more than five minutes, though it varied depending on the concession stand and the time of game. Overall wait times varied from as little as 1 minute 50 seconds to as long as 12 minutes.

Aberdeen in bind as development project lags
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A long-stalled commercial development adjacent to Ripken Stadium, the home of the Aberdeen Ironbirds (short season; NY-Penn League), once envisioned as a way for the city to avoid the losses it is now incurring on the ballpark, will not begin until next spring, at the earliest, said a top official with the company that owns the land. J. Joseph Credit, the former CEO of Nottingham Properties Inc. who is managing the property, said he remains intent on developing the 50-acre parcel as originally envisioned. The Baltimore Sun is surprised to learn the ball played by the Ironbirds at the NY-Penn League level isn't as polished as the MLB level.

Yankees to fly injured Kirkland fan home
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A Kirkland fan who suffered a near-fatal injury when a man fell on him in the upper deck at Yankee Stadium, breaking the schoolteacher's neck, will fly home in style today. Paul Robinson and his family will return home in a private plane chartered by the Yankees. Robinson was discharged Sunday from Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx. A Yankees fan who witnessed the accident said the man who fell on Robinson had been acting vulgar during the July 8 game against the Los Angeles Angels. Robinson, 53, was in the top tier at Yankee Stadium with his wife and their 13-year-old son, John, when the mystery fan tumbled out of a seat several rows above them.

Ballpark construction continuing during wet weather
Posted July 16, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Baseball games may be rained out, but there are no rainouts for the ballpark construction in Springdale for the Northwest Arkansas Naturals (Class AA; Texas League). Crossland Construction, the company building Springdale's new ballpark, has worked through the rains in June and July to stay on schedule for substantial completion by March 1, 2008. The schedule calls for the first home game on April 10. Construction must be finished on the stadium in time for the Naturals to start the 2008 Texas League season.
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Memories linger at Jack Russell Stadium
Posted July 16, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
More than a half-century after it opened as the Philadelphia Phillies' new spring-training home, Jack Russell Stadium is slowly fading from the Clearwater landscape. This week, crews posted demolition signs, began salvaging aluminum, copper and stainless steel items, and moved cranes in to take out infield poles. The dismantling is expected to take several weeks. Built in 1955, Jack Russell Stadium played host to Major League Baseball greats, the Clearwater Phillies (High Class A; Florida State League) and the Clearwater Bombers, a softball team that won 10 National Amateur Softball Association titles from 1950 to 1973. In 2004, the Philadelphia Phillies moved to the new Bright House Networks Field a few miles away.

Brazos Valley Bombers are an instant hit
Posted July 16, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Their fans are used to singing the Aggie War Hymn during baseball games, but the Brazos Valley Bombers have formed their own tune in their inaugural season in the Texas Collegiate League. Their first home game broke the league's attendance record, and the Bombers recently rattled off a seven-game winning streak to move atop the Tris Speaker Division. Last week, Brazos Valley pitcher Clint Helms threw the TCL's first complete-game no-hitter in a 1-0, seven-inning win over Coppell. Last summer, there had never been a team in the TCL, which debuted in 2004, from outside of North Texas. Now that the Bombers have made a strong impression, it might signal the start of more expansion for the summer league for pro prospects..

Baseball's price too high for black players
Posted July 16, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The number of blacks in baseball continues to go down both in the pros and in college, and there's one big reason why: it's an expensive sport to play for youths. While $30,000 is the median income for black households, according to the 2005 U.S. Census report, Kenny and Rena McAllister, the parents of former New Hanover High School infielder K.J. McAllister, are a black family willing to make financial sacrifices for their son to play in college and possibly professionally. Kenny McAllister, a former baseball player at Lenoir Community College, and wife Rena, an ex-N.C. Central softball shortstop, spend an average of $1,500 a month on travel ball. It includes $500 in tournament entry fees, $300 for four nights of lodging a month and $150 for gasoline. They often pack picnic baskets to lower food cost.

For Dodger and Giants fans, extra innings for fans keeping the faith
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On June 24 at KeySpan Park, the Brooklyn Cyclones (short season; NY-Penn League) hosted a "1957 Night," one of several dates this year commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Dodgers announcing they would be leaving Ebbets Field and Brooklyn for the West Coast. This evening featured a re-creation of the last pitch thrown at Ebbets Field, with Danny McDevitt and Joe Pignatano, the Dodgers' pitcher and catcher back then. The hurt felt by Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants fans after their teams defected to the West Coast is still felt today.

Diamondbacks like Visalia
Posted July 16, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Ending up with the Visalia Oaks (High Class A; California League) as an affiliate used to be like the last one standing in a game of musical chairs. That record appears to be changing. The club's player development contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks doesn't expire until after next season, but for the first time in almost a decade, there doesn't seem to be any fear that it won't be extended -- mainly because the D-Backs are very happy with the arrangement.

Parties settle tainted French fries case
Posted July 16, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
There's a settlement ending the court case in Hagerstown involving tainted French fries at a minor league baseball game. Minutes after a seven-person jury was chosen Monday to determine compensation for the two men who brought the case, attorneys announced a confidential settlement. The former owner of the Hagerstown Suns (Low Class A; Sally League) had previously acknowledged negligence in serving the men tainted food in 2003. Plaintiffs Stephen Parrotte and Brian Marquiss claimed they suffered serious, permanent injuries to their mouths, throats and digestive tracts when a worker inadvertently seasoned their fries with oven cleaner from an unmarked plastic jug. The Suns were owned at the time by an offshoot of Big Game Capital of Chagrin Falls, Ohio.

Cats owner decides to put 36-acre project on fast track
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Fort Worth Cats (independent; American Association) owner Carl Bell is moving forward with plans to buy about 36 acres for town houses, restaurants and shops between LaGrave Field and downtown, a development that will serve as an anchor for the planned Trinity Uptown area. Bell already owns 20 acres around LaGrave Field, at North Seventh and Calhoun streets, where the minor-league baseball team plays. He also has options to buy more land from the city on the east side of North Main Street, between the ballpark and the planned Tarrant County College downtown campus.

Ballpark parking lots have plenty of room for baseball fans
Posted July 16, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
One month after the first pitch at Sovereign Bank Stadium, York Revolution (independent; Atlantic League) fans who take their cars out to the ball game say they're having an easy time finding a parking spot. They don't even mind paying $3. With only 200 on-site parking spaces at the ballpark, parking lots near the park have seen a flurry of activity since the first game on June 15. Although neighbors voiced concerns about the lack of on-site parking before the stadium opened, Revolution spokesman Andy Frankel said the parking has worked "more than smoothly." Local restaurants have noted the success of the Revolution and are crafting specials for baseball fans.

Preliminary environmental study on Yonkers redevelopment set for release to public
Posted July 16, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
A preliminary environmental review of a $1.5 billion plan to build a ballpark for an independent Atlantic League team, a retail complex and housing downtown will soon become available to the public, city officials said. The first draft of the environmental impact statement, estimated at 3,000 pages, addresses a wide range of issues, including traffic congestion, air pollution and economic effects of the proposal by developer Struever Fidelco Cappelli. The plan covers the city's Chicken Island parking lot, land along New Main Street and other nearby properties. It also includes opening a portion of the Saw Mill River that flows under Larkin Plaza.

Pittsfield makes baseball history -- again
Posted July 16, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Art Of The Game, a two-year public art project celebrating America’s Pastime, culminated this weekend with a community-wide attempt at forming a giant image of a baseball -- the world’s largest, and made up of people -- on the field of historic Wahconah Park. Attendees to the July 14 Pittsfield Dukes (summer collegiate; NYCBL) game became part of the new world record, the largest (and admittedly, potentially the first) “human baseball” was assembled on the infield before the Pittsfield Dukes game against the Holyoke Giants. The evening included dozens of raffle prizes and a grand finale of fireworks over the historic ballpark, courtesy of Time Warner Cable. Fans wearing white shirts, and volunteer committee members in red, assembled and organized into a circle surrounding the pitcher’s mound, organized by Art Of The Game, the city’s two-year celebration of baseball.

photo courtesy Art of the Game

Ballpark Notes
Posted July 16, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
One of the more efficient PR guys in baseball, Andy Frankel, is moving on -- sort of. He's worked in recent years to help the Lancaster Barnstormers and the York Revolution (both independent; Atlantic League) launch operations, and now he'll be working to help the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs (independent; Atlantic League) launch as well....