Recent
Visits |
Al Lang Field, Tampa Bay
Rays
St.
Pete's Al Lang Field has been in the news a lot
lately, but for the wrong reasons: the Tampa Bay
Rays will train there one last time in 2008 before
shifting spring operations to Charlotte County in
2009, and the old ballpark is slated to be torn
down to make way for a new waterfront home of the
Rays. Now, Al Lang Field isn't the same venue it
was in the 1940s and 1950s when it was a landmark
in spring training, but it's still a great place
to catch a spring-training game. We hope the Rays
catch the spirit of the original Al Lang in their
designs for a new ballpark, For the rest of us, a
trip to Al Lang Field will be a mandatory event in
Spring Training 2008.
Trustmark Park, Mississippi
Braves
There's
nothing wrong with Trustmark Park, the home of the
Mississippi Braves (Class AA; Southern League).
The wraparound concourse, luxury
boxes, big scoreboard and varied concessions are
all standard issue for a new minor-league ballpark
these days. So why aren't we more excited about
the two-year-old ballpark? Because there's nothing
unique about it: except for a few Southern menu
items at the concessions, there's nothing to link
the ballpark to its surroundings. At a Mississippi
Braves game, you could be watching a game anywhere
-- and going local is one of the great joys of the
minor leagues. Dustin Mattison reports.
Alliance Bank Stadium,
Syracuse Chiefs
The
biggest news at Alliance Bank Stadium, the home of
the Syracuse Chiefs (Class AAA; International
League): the current artificial turf will be
replaced by real grass. That's good news for
Syracuse baseball fans in terms of aesthetics, as
well as players who need to field on an old,
sometimes unpredictable surface. Otherwise,
Alliance Bank Stadium is a perfectly serviceable
ballpark: the Chiefs front office does things the
old-fashioned way (i.e., not much in terms of
between-innings shenanigans), but the ballpark is
a comfortable place to watch a game, and the food
is pretty good. Steve Kapsinow reports.
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The
Fine Print |
Obligatory legal information:
This site is copyright 1998-2007 Kevin Reichard/August
Publications. All rights
reserved. My wife is a lawyer, so she will come and chop off
your hand in a legal fashion if you rip off this site
in any form. All logos are the property of their respective
owners. |
Broadcasts |
Virtually every MiLB team now streams broadcasts over the
Internet, which makes it easy to follow your favorite team when
you're on the road. In addition, you can catch MLB game broadcasts at
MLB.com or via XM Radio.
More
on Internet radio and TV broadcasts here! |
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Archives:
Jan. 8-14, 2007
Twins ballpark
likely to sport modern look
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The new
Minnesota Twins ballpark will sport a modern look.
Now,
if you've been following the design of the
ballpark from the beginning, this shouldn't be a
surprise, as the earliest drawings from HOK Sport
showed a ballpark with a modern design. What is a
surprise is how much internal debate has taken
place in the Twins' offices over the design: Jerry
Bell and Dave St. Peter have been arguing for a
retro design a la Oriole Park, but the Pohlad
family (owners of the Twins) has consistently
held out for a distinctive modern design.
The project is still clouded by the inability of Hennepin
County and Land Partners II, a limited liability
partnership with more than a hundred investors
that controls part of the eight-acre ballpark
site, to reach a deal. We've learned more about
the dispute in recent days, and it's really not as
personality-driven as other media outlets would
have us believe, having more to do with the zoning
of the land. Basically, the city of Minneapolis
extended the downtown district to the ballpark
site several years ago and rezoned it from
commercial to office. Because it's zoned as
office, the site has fewer restrictions when it
comes to usage; in theory Land Partners II could
build a skyscraper on the site -- something that
could not be done on a commercial property. This
zoning change, according to Land Partners II,
makes the land more valuable than Hennepin County
says. Another factor in the disagreement: Hines
Development, which had been working with Land
Partners II on a development plan for the area
surrounding the ballpark, has concluded the
softness in the downtown Minneapolis real-estate
market makes any large-scale development an iffy
proposition -- leading Land Partners II to shift
gears and seek more funds from Hennepin County
upfront.
RELATED STORIES:
Ballpark site owners put squeeze on Twins;
New year brings new ballpark tax for Hennepin
County shoppers;
Ballpark players ironing out use, development
agreements;
Twins release more details on new ballpark;
New Twins ballpark bypasses standard reviews;
Ballpark's link to downtown Minneapolis
inadequate, group says;
Ballpark should be held to high standards;
Twins formally announce design team for new
ballpark;
Firms lined up early for stadium work;
Eminent-domain effort begins for Twins ballpark
land;
Designing the experience around the Twins ballpark;
Ideas for Twins ballpark, some from left field;
A freeze frame for Twins;
Experts blow hot, cold on ways to heat new Twins
ballpark;
Appraisal delay puts Twins new ballpark off
schedule;
Twins pick ballpark designers;
As Twins chase playoffs, ballpark preparations
push on;
Twins ballpark on track to open in 2010;
Hennepin County Board approves ballpark sales tax;
It's official: Twins to switch broadcast rights to
KSTP-AM;
Twins to switch broadcast partner after 46 seasons;
Twins seek partners for naming rights,
sponsorships;
Twins searching for trademark ballpark design;
Hennepin County OKs spending plan for Twins
ballpark;
Naming rights options scary;
More than a ballpark in Minneapolis
Plan for new baseball park
has sunken, realigned field
Posted Jan. 12, 2007 (feedback)
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Architects designing the new downtown ballpark for
the Billings Mustangs (rookie; Pioneer League)
plan to orient the playing field away from a
blinding afternoon sun that can make life
miserable for first basemen. But even with the
replacement for
Cobb Field facing a different
direction, baseball fans can count on breathtaking
views of the Rimrocks when the field opens in
2008. The third-base line at Cobb Field runs
roughly parallel to North 27th Street. The new
$12.5-million ballpark, designed by Tom Tingle of
HNTB Architecture (working with CTA Architects
Engineers of Billings), will feature a third-base
line that's rotated clockwise by about 10 degrees.
The ballpark will feature a left-field fence 335
feet from home plate. The center field fence will
be 410 feet from home, and the right-field fence
will be 356 feet away, all enclosed with a
wraparound concourse. (Fences presently are 335,
405 and 325 feet, respectively.) According to
conceptual plans presented to the council, the
playing field will be excavated to about 8 feet
below street level, a money-saving design that
allows easier access to the ballpark, especially
for people with disabilities.
RELATED STORIES:
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
Dodgers add power with new buffet
Posted Jan. 12, 2007 (feedback)
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Right
field at
Dodger Stadium used to feature cheap
seats. This year, there will be lots of food and
seats that are no longer cheap. The Los Angeles
Dodgers are converting their right-field pavilion
into all-you-can-eat bleachers. Takers will have
access to as many hot dogs, peanuts, popcorn,
nachos and soft drinks as they want. Around 3,000
right-field seats will be sold for $35 in advance
and $40 on game day with the all-you-can-eat
special. Left-field tickets, meanwhile, will sell
for $10. The ballpark's cheapest seats, in the top
deck, will go for $10 next season instead of $6.
Cheney Stadium to get
face-lift
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More
improvements are on tap for
Cheney Stadium, the
home of the Tacoma Rainiers (Class AAA; Pacific
Coast League), as the Tacoma City Council approved
a $1.6 million contract with Wade Perrow
Construction of Gig Harbor for the work. Slated to
be done this year: adding a "crown" facade atop
the outside of the ballpark, installing graphics
of ballplayers in action, and putting in a a
wrought-iron fence, replacing the chain-link fence
currently surrounding the ballpark. More work is
planned for the ballpark if a state grant comes
through, including revamped concessions and the
addition of the multitiered patio seating.
McClatchy steps
down as face of the Pirates
Posted Jan. 12, 2007 (feedback)
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Pittsburgh
Pirates CEO Kevin McClatchy and Chairman of the
Board Robert (Bob) Nutting have requested that an
official "change of control" within the Pirates
ownership group be approved by Major League
Baseball. Control of the Pirates will change from
Kevin McClatchy to Bob Nutting, pending approval
by MLB Owners.
McClatchy, as the club's CEO, remains responsible for the
day-to-day operations of the organization. As
Chairman of the Board and control person for the
team, Nutting's role is to provide strategic
leadership for the organization.
"I am deeply and resolutely committed to the success of the
Pittsburgh Pirates both on and off the field. I
understand how important the Pirates are to the
people of this region and I share in their passion
to see this team succeed," Nutting said. "Kevin
was very supportive of this change of control, and
it should provide absolute clarity for our fans
regarding the ownership structure of the team."
Please welcome Natalie
Nowytski to August Publications
Posted Jan. 12, 2007 (feedback)
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We're proud to announce the
hiring of Natalie Nowytski as director of design
for August Publications. As such, she'll guide the
design of everything we do, ranging from the book
titles we have planned this year and beyond to the
Website designs that are in the works.
Quakes unveil
15th anniversary logo
Posted Jan. 12, 2007 (feedback)
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The
2007 California League season will be the 15th season of Quakes baseball in the
Inland Empire and the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes (High Class A; California League)
are starting the year-long anniversary party with the unveiling of a new, 15th
Anniversary logo. The anniversary logo was designed by Jonathan Mercier, the
Quakes’ Director of Entertainment, who had also designed the logo for the 2007
Eastern League All-Star Game, to be hosted this July by the Connecticut
Defenders, Mercier’s former club. "We wanted to come up with a special logo to
commemorate an important milestone for our franchise and for baseball in Rancho
Cucamonga," said Quakes Executive Vice President and General Manager Gerard
McKearney. "Without a doubt Quakes fans will enjoy seeing this logo on team
merchandise and giveaway items this coming season. We are looking forward to
celebrating the past fourteen seasons throughout the coming year."
Oaks release renderings of
Recreation Park enhancements
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The
Visalia Oaks (High Class A; California League)
unveiled revised plans for the two-phase
$5-million renovation of Recreation Park. Before
Opening Day 2007, the Oaks will add two group and
hospitality areas and upgrade existing
infrastructure. The second, significantly more
extensive phase of the renovation, will be ready
for Opening Day 2008. The second part of the
project will entail modifying and expanding the
grandstand, and building a new right-field
entrance and concourse replete with a number of
fan amenities.
The current plan calls for a groundbreaking in early February
on two innovative group entertainment areas: a
nestled Dugout Suite and Hot Corner Lounge. The
Dugout Suite will be a third dugout, in addition
to the two provided for the teams on the field,
and will provide fans with an exciting, up-close,
players-eye view of the game. The Hot Corner
Lounge will adjoin the Dugout Suite and will
provide an intimate group experience for groups of
50-100. Both areas will be available for nightly
rentals starting immediately. Other improvements
for fans include renovations to the restroom and
concession facilities and a planned Kids' Play
Area. Oaks players will also play under an
improved, brighter lighting system, on a new
playing surface and enjoy enjoy a new weight room.
The final phase of the renovations will break ground in
September 2007 to be completed for Opening Day
2008. The grandstand behind home plate will be
rearranged and expanded to include enclosed luxury
suites, a full shade canopy, and a brand new,
state-of-the-art press box. The main entrance to
the ballpark, with a dramatic two part spiral
staircase will move to the right field corner and
will lead to a new concourse. Several new
structures, a VIP hospitality lounge, new
restrooms, new concession and merchandise stands,
and additional chair back seating, will sit
alongside the rightfield concourse. The area
beneath the souvenir shop will become the new home
of the Oaks administrative offices and a large
ticketing center. A grassy berm will wrap around
the right field corner providing a prime
destination for fans to sit on beach towels while
watching the games. The Ballpark will slightly
expand its footprint into Recreation Park in
adding a new fan pool and kids play area in
rightfield. Fans will also find a large parking
lot for their convenience beyond the right field
wall.
The Ballpark Renovation Plans were principally prepared by
Tom Larimer for Fehlman Labarre Architecture.
Avon nears deal with
Frontier League
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A
Chicago-based investment group is close to a deal
that would bring a Frontier League team to the
city of Avon, Mayor Jim Smith said yesterday.
Smith declined to give details on the possible
deal but did say that the city has been in
negotiations with investors interested in forming
a team for the independent Frontier League that
would be based in Avon and play its games at a
stadium to be built at Interstate 90 and SR 611,
where the city hopes to build a sports and
entertainment complex. Matt Perry, a partner in
the investment group, said yesterday the
negotiations with the city are ''heading in the
right direction'' and that the group is optimistic
a deal could get done, though he declined to give
a timetable for an announcement. Perry said the
group had also looked at the city of Lorain, which
has been actively pursuing a professional baseball
team, but at this point, it is focusing its
efforts on Avon. Meanwhile, yesterday Lorain
County commissioners agreed to donate $175,000
from the county's Solid Waste District budget to
help pay for the bleachers and roofs for the
baseball park at Campana Park in Lorain.
RELATED STORIES:
County may help fund Lorain ballpark;
Avon takes a swing at baseball;
U.S. Steel donates for Lorain ballpark;
Baseball slides into Lorain;
Foltin: Avon also eyeing ball team;
Foltin faces opposition over upgrades at park
Royals to give 81 fans view
from O'Neil's seat
Posted Jan. 12, 2007 (feedback)
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The
Kansas City Royals are giving 81 people a chance
to watch a game from Buck O’Neil’s seat at
Kauffman Stadium. The club announced the "Buck
O'Neil Legacy Seat Program" on Thursday. It will
honor the Negro Leagues star who became a goodwill
ambassador for the game, and also honor others for
their community service. A different person will
be selected to sit in O’Neil’s seat at each home
game during the upcoming season, team spokesman
Toby Cook said. The selection process will be
based on nominations from the public. After O’Neil
died Oct. 7 at age 94, team spokesman Toby Cook
said, Royals officials were debating ways to honor
him when club president Dan Glass suggested the
legacy seat program.
More seating available for
Twins spring games
Posted Jan. 12, 2007 (feedback)
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The Minnesota Twins will offer new seating areas
for spring games this year, a move that couldn’t
have come at a better time. Headlining the changes
to Hammond Stadium: the addition of a Dugout Box
section directly behind home plate, with two rows
of seats stretching from dugout to dugout. Those
seats will be available to season-ticket holders
with priority given to fans who have owned season
tickets the longest. Other significant additions:
Drink Rail and Lawn Seats, located on a grass berm
above the right-field line, next to Section 101.
Hammond Stadium will now seat about 7,900, 400
more than in previous seasons.
PCL, IL
announce extension of Bricktown Showdown in 07-08
Posted Jan. 12, 2007 (feedback)
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Pacific Coast League President Branch Rickey and
International League President Randy Mobley today
announced that The Bricktown Showdown -- Triple-A
Baseball’s Winner-Take-All Championship Game -
will return to the AT&T Bricktown Ballpark in
Oklahoma City following the 2007 and 2008 seasons.
"It has been our plan all along to make Oklahoma City the
home for this event,” said PCL President Branch
Rickey. "The support demonstrated for the game and
related activities by the professional baseball
fans and corporate community in central Oklahoma
in year one has made it clear that Oklahoma City
is where this game belongs."
The inaugural Bricktown Showdown game was held this past
September before a near sell-out crowd of 12,572
and a national television audience. The Tucson
Sidewinders (Arizona Diamondbacks affiliate)
defeated the Toledo Mud Hens (Detroit Tigers
affiliate) by a 5-2 score in a game that wasn’t
decided until the final inning. It had been since
the 2000 season that the two League Champions
faced-off to determine a true champion of Triple-A
Baseball.
Goodyear eyes noted ballpark
designer
Posted Jan. 12, 2007 (feedback)
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Goodyear is
negotiating with one of the nation's biggest
sports architecture firms to design a new
spring-training home for the Cleveland Indians.
Goodyear officials are talking with
representatives of Missouri-based HOK Sport to
design and engineer a 10,000-seat ballpark and
spring-training complex east of Estrella Parkway
between Yuma Road and Maricopa County 85. HOK's
portfolio includes design work for several
athletic venues in the Valley, including
University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale and
spring-training facilities in Peoria and Surprise.
The firm also is working on a new stadium for the
New York Yankees and Nationals Ballpark for the
Washington Nationals in Washington, D.C. Barton
Malow, based in Michigan with a regional office in
Phoenix, also could be on board as the general
contractor.
RELATED STORIES:
Indians fan thrilled
by new facility plans;
$80 mil for baseball taps out sports authority;
White Sox to delay Phoenix move?;
Arizona commission to fund both proposed
spring-training facilities;
Glendale offers spring-training plan;
Parties expect Dodgers, Sox deal to pan out;
Leaving Tucson will be tricky for White Sox;
County not eager to
match baseball largess;
State panel shouldn't fund White Sox move from
Tucson;
Goodyear ballpark plan hits funding snag;
Pima County trying to avert loss of White Sox for
spring training;
Dodgers, White Sox reach deal with Glendale;
A new Glendale ballpark -- in Phoenix;
Goodyear prepares to make its pitch for ballpark
funds;
What could the future hold for Dodgertown?;
Glendale wants to bring Dodgers' spring training
to Valley;
Goodyear sees spring-training complex as path to
development;
Goodyear finds support for spring-training plan;
It's official: Indians agree to Grapefruit League
move;
Indians, Dodgers close to deal to move spring
training to Arizona;
Clock ticks on Disney-Indians deal;
Cleveland says no to Cape Coral's springtime
offer; Arizona move still a possibility
Baseball may be back this
summer in Springfield
Posted Jan. 12, 2007 (feedback)
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Springfield (Ill.) Park District officials are
practically panting about a tentative five-year
deal that would allow a new Central Illinois
Collegiate League team to use Lanphier Park for
$300 per game, starting in June. Investors in the
proposed team have a history of drawing thousands
of fans by selling family-style baseball with
picnic areas, cheap tickets and plenty of gimmicks
aimed at filling seats. Although the investment
group isn't publicly commenting, it includes Clark
Eckhoff, owner of the Wisconsin Woodchucks (summer
collegiate; Northwoods League). The Wisconsin
group hopes to sign a deal with the park district
as early as next week to use a ball field that,
except for adult league, youth and high school
play, hasn't seen games since 2004, when the
now-defunct Rifles played there. The Central
Illinois Collegiate League, which had seven teams
last season, is now down to four.
Empty ballparks can be fun,
too
Posted Jan. 12, 2007 (feedback)
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David Hall
talks about his visit to an empty
Petco Park and
the joys of visiting a ballpark in the offseason:
"I picture excited children racing up the entrance
ramps toward their first major league game, season
ticket-holders settling into their box seats,
pitchers warming up, the smell of popcorn, the way
the roar of the crowd fills the night air after a
game-altering home run. Instead, what I see in the
colder months is a ballpark the way it was
blueprinted. No screaming supporters, no hot dog
vendors, no kids working their way through college
by yelling, 'Programs! Get your programs!' Nope,
just a vast, immaculate, empty stadium with a
swirling breeze that’s audible against the city
traffic outside."
Mavericks cancel ’07 season
amid ballpark negotiations
Posted Jan. 12, 2007 (feedback)
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With no agreement yet on a plan to build a
$10-million ballpark on city-owned land in east
Columbia, the Mid-Missouri Mavericks (independent;
Frontier League) will take at least another year
off from competition as officials discuss the
future of the team. City leaders and one of the
team’s owners said yesterday the franchise would
not field a team this summer, pending further
discussions with the local chapter of the American
Legion about whether a new ballpark should be
built off Broadway and east of Rustic Road. It
would be the second season since the team took the
field in 2003 for the Mavericks to call off play
amid negotiations for a permanent home for the
franchise.
Aiken awarded initial SCL All-Star Game
Posted Jan. 12, 2007 (feedback)
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The
independent South Coast League of Professional Baseball will hold its inaugural
All-Star game at Aiken's Roberto Hernandez Stadium on Sept. 5. The South Coast
League’s All-Star festivities will take place over a two-day period. On
September 4, there will be a player showcase in which all MLB scouts will be
invited to attend. In the afternoon, there will be a Fan Fest, with food,
entertainment, giveaways, autograph sessions, and various activities for fans of
all ages. This will be followed by a Home-Run Derby featuring many of the SCL’s
top homerun hitters from the regular season. The night will conclude with an
awards banquet. Here, SCL officials will present numerous awards, including the
MVP, Pitcher of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Manager of the Year, and top
Executive as well as recognition of the South Coast League Champions. The first
annual SCL All-Star game will take place on Wednesday night, September 5th. More
information on tickets for Fan Fest, Home-Run Derby, and the All-Star game will
become available at a later date.
Canaries seek $200,000 to
remodel locker room
Posted Jan. 12, 2007 (feedback)
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The
Sioux Falls Canaries (independent; American
Association) has asked the city of Sioux Falls to
pitch in $200,000 to remodel the visitors' locker
room at Sioux Falls Stadium in time for a July
all-star game. City Council members, however,
aren't willing to spend the money without some
negotiation. The council heard the proposal this
week. Work on the renovation would need to start
this spring for a July completion, requiring the
council to amend this year's capital improvement
budget. A $5.6 million renovation, completed in
2000, didn't include the visitors' locker room
that dates back to the mid-1960s. Officials say
its 12-inch lockers and pedestal showers are
woefully out of date.
Owner says building by
ballpark is being sold
Posted Jan. 12, 2007 (feedback)
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After six years of promises to turn a vacant
building at Monroe and Huron streets next to Fifth
Third Field, the home of the Toledo Mud Hens
(Class AAA; International League) into a
restaurant, Toledo businessman and newspaper
editor Myron Stewart put the building up for sale
-- for $360,000 more than he paid Lucas County for
it. The decision irked a few county officials, who
say Stewart was less than forthcoming about his
real intentions for the property.
Ballpark
Notes
Posted Jan. 12, 2007 (feedback)
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The
Visalia Oaks (High Class A; California
League) has added five new members to its growing
front office, increasing its staff from three full
time employees in 2006 to the current total of
seven. The new arrivals hail from across the
country and bring a diverse mix of talents to the
organization. Elena Mendoza (Chicago, IL)
holds a degree in Sports Management from Ohio
State and will be the team's first Hispanic
Marketing Manager. Dave Garson
(Philadelphia, PA) the Manager of Media Relations,
is the former CEO of Quest TV Networks and will
appear on the team's radio broadcasts. New
Ticketing Manager Jonathan Stone
(Bloomington, IN) has held positions with Indiana
and Purdue Universities. Stadium Operations
Manager Mark Smith (Dallas, TX) previously
served eight years in the United States Air Force
in recruiting, program management, and aircraft
maintenance operations. Jennifer Pendergraft
(Salem, Oregon), a former collegiate softball
player for Lee University will be the team's new
Executive Assistant. Team President Tom Seidler,
who in the past has served as the GM in Stockton
and Great Falls, will oversee the team's growing
staff....The
third member of manager Randy Knorr’s staff
has finally been determined. Potomac Nationals
(High Class A; Carolina League) Vice President and
General Manager Bobby Holland announced today that
Randy Tomlin will serve as the team’s
pitching coach for the upcoming 2007 season. "We
are very excited to have someone like Randy Tomlin
be apart of the Potomac Nationals coaching staff,"
said Holland. "His experiences, especially in
terms of pitching at the Major League level, will
be a great asset to our team." Tomlin joins the
Washington Nationals organization from his Alma
matter, Liberty University, where he spent the
past nine seasons as the pitching coach. He joined
the Flames coaching staff in 1997 after a
nine-year professional career that included five
seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates (1990-1994)....The
Great Lakes Loons (Low Class A; Midwest
League) and Citadel Broadcasting Company
announced that WHEELZ (WYLZ-FM 100.9) is
the flagship radio station for the team's
inaugural season in Midland. WHEELZ will broadcast
all regular and post-season games for the 2007
season, which is scheduled to start on Thursday,
April 5....The Tri-City ValleyCats (short
season; NY-Penn League) and WVCR 88.3 FM
"The Saint" announced today that a new two-year
agreement has been reached, making WVCR the
flagship radio station for ValleyCats baseball
through the 2008 New York-Penn League season. The
new deal includes exclusive radio broadcasting
rights for all 76 ValleyCats regular season games
and playoffs. WVCR has a 35,000 watt stereo signal
that reaches a 60-mile radius around the Capital
Region.
Crist backs state funding of
new Marlins ballpark
Posted Jan. 11, 2007 (feedback)
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As we noted, MLB was counting on the support of
newly elected Gov. Charlie Crist as a key element
to closing funding gaps for a new Florida Marlins
ballpark, and yesterday the gov delivered in a
statement that could have been written by MLB:
"I'm favorably inclined to it. I view it as an
economic-development issue. It's not just the
players who benefit from having Major League
Baseball in the community. People who sell hot
dogs benefit. People who do parking benefit. And
it's a point of pride for many of our communities,
especially if it's a winning team like things are
in Gainesville right now." Crist's emphatic
support so soon after taking office last week
stands in contrast to his predecessor, Jeb Bush.
Initially opposed to state support for a ballpark,
Bush later changed his mind but did not prove
influential on the issue with a skeptical Florida
Senate. A proposal for $60 million in state
funding is expected to be discussed in the
upcoming session of the Florida Legislature. The
Marlins currently play at
Dolphin
Stadium, but the team has set a deadline on
moving to a new facility.
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Officials optimistic of finalizing Marlins
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Marlins ballpark;
MLB official hopes Crist can pave way for new
Marlins ballpark;
Focus in Miami turns to new ballpark for Marlins;
Marlins ballpark chances at Pompano considered a
long shot;
Pompano Park pitched as location for new Marlins
ballpark;
Marlins, Loria at crossroads with uncertain future;
Orange County commissioner pushing for Marlins;
Miami Arena owner sues to stop sale;
Buyers sue Miami Arena owner;
Deadline looms over proposal for Marlins ballpark
in downtown Miami;
Marlins officials tight-lipped on downtown Miami
ballpark proposal;
MLB ready to move on downtown Miami ballpark;
Delay in solving cloud over Marlins' future has to
end;
Selig: Marlins need a new ballpark;
DuPuy, local officials discuss new Marlins
ballpark again;
Marlins ballpark suffers setback;
DuPuy meets with Marlins officials about new
ballpark;
Hialeah ballpark plan hinges on financial
feasibility;
Marlins to San Antonio: No thanks;
Hialeah mayor upbeat on prospects of new Marlins
ballpark;
San Antonio, Marlins end courtship for now;
Tough times for Marlins and their fans;
Marlins players adjust to the empty seats;
Marlins to view San Antonio sites: Officials will
visit as planned with Florida park talks
continuing;
Marlins hit new lows in 8-5 loss;
Failing bid for Marlins teaches Wolff a lesson;
New funding plan proposed for Marlins ballpark in
Hialeah;
Development OK'd for potential Marlins ballpark
site in Hialeah;
Hopes fade in pursuit of Marlins;
Marlins have until May 15 to decide about San
Antonio move;
Wolff plans to give Marlins a
deadline;
Loria wants Marlins' fate decided soon;
House-hunting for Marlins on hold, for now;
Willis, ballpark deal key issues for Marlins;
Is Texas big enough for three MLB teams?;
San Antonio makes first pitch to Marlins owner;
Loria: Marlins seriously talking with San Antonio;
Will Florida Marlins jump into San Antonio's net?;
San Antonio officials get an invite
Nolan Ryan backs San Antonio Marlins idea;
City and county forming teams to lure Marlins;
San Antonio bid for Marlins on hold;
Wolff reveals site possibilities for San Antonio
ballpark;
Plan would provide $200 million toward new Marlins
ballpark;
Spurs looking to be part of ownership if San
Antonio lures Marlins;
San Antonio to Marlins: Include locals;
Marlins move may spur border battle;
Wolff makes ballpark pitch to Marlins;
San Antonio under 'serious consideration' for
Marlins relocation;
Marlins front office meets with Homestead
officials;
Marlins to Oklahoma City?;
Half-cent hike in Miami-Dade
might help fund a Marlins ballpark;
Owner laughs off idea of his
track as Marlins ballpark site;
Marlins, FAU to discuss
stadium options;
Norfolk session pleases
Marlins;
Possibility of Marlins
ballpark deal called remote
P-Nats negotiating new
ballpark
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Potomac Nationals (High Class A; Carolina League)
owner Art Silber said on Wednesday that "a
memorandum of understanding" is being negotiated
between the Nationals, the Prince William County
Park Authority and Prince William Board of County
Supervisors. The memorandum would require the
approval of the board so a new ballparks can be
built for the Nationals' 2008 season. The board
has not approved a new stadium, but Silber said he
hopes approval will come "within the next few
weeks." The P-Nats would commit to a 25-year lease
for a $22.5-million ballpark, with the team and
county splitting the construction costs.
Renovation of 23-year-old Pfitzner Stadium, where
the P-Nats play, has been estimated to be more
expensive than building a new facility. Silber
will be unveiling artist renderings of the new
ballpark at the team's Hot Stove Banquet and
Silent Auction, to be held on Sunday, January 21st
at the Hyatt Fair Lakes in Fairfax, Va.
Revised Allentown ballpark
cost released
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With most construction bids in, Lehigh County's
minor-league ballpark is now projected to cost
$48.4 million, according to county officials. At a
meeting Wednesday before county commissioners,
officials reviewed a plan to cover the 41 percent
increase in expenses and the amended lease
agreement with team owners. The price tag of the
east Allentown ballpark, originally $34.3 million,
rose precipitously because of several factors,
including an outdated estimate based on a facility
of smaller scope and escalating construction
costs. The county will receive higher annual lease
payments from Craig Stein and Joseph Finley ,
entrepreneurs who own the Lehigh Valley IronPigs
(independent; International League), the
Philadelphia Phillies-affiliated team that will
play there. They will pay $1.29 million for about
30 years, which adds up to $38.6 million -- $18.3
million more than set forth in the previous
agreement, according to Administration Director
Tom Muller.
RELATED STORIES:
Affiliated baseball finally comes to Valley;
Allentown breaks ground on new ballpark;
International League approves sale of Lynx;
Lynx poised to leap after 2007
Fremont, A's continue talks
for new ballpark
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A's co-owner Lew Wolff met again with
Fremont city
officials this morning, continuing their ongoing
talks on a host of issues surrounding the team's
planned move, City Manager Fred Diaz
said. The sit-down between both parties is one of
several semimonthly meetings scheduled this year.
While past sessions have centered on discussing
possible deal terms, today's meeting will focus
more on the land-entitlement process by which
Wolff plans to finance the ballpark, Diaz said.
They also likely will discuss Wolff's planned
presentation at the City Council work session
Tuesday. Last year, Wolff twice met individually
with Fremont City Council members behind closed
doors. But at Tuesday's work session -- the team's
first public Fremont meeting -- Wolff is expected
to give a formal project overview to the city's
five council members. The team currently plays at
McAfee
Coliseum.
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If Selig's coming, A's must be going;
Wolff ready to go public on ballpark;
Cisco blending tech and baseball;
Records show evolving talks between A's, Fremont;
Are the A's worth it to Fremont's neighbors?;
More meetings with A's slated after new year;
Fremont kicks off negotiations with the A's;
A's detail Fremont
plans down to the letter;
San Jose still ponders illusory ballpark;
Transit teams try to solve Cisco Field
'challenges';
A's Fremont ballpark must field host of hurdles;
A's plan $400 million to $500 million ballpark
village in Fremont;
New A's ballpark would boast heavy Cisco tech;
The next big thing: the San Jose A's?;
A's ready to pull trigger on new Fremont ballpark;
Oakland City Council grants A's extension;
A's could move away;
A's owner Wolff buys prospective ballpark land in
Fremont;
Fremont looking more and more like future home of
Oakland A's;
A's not ready to slide out of Oakland yet;
A's pass on longer lease for McAfee Coliseum;
Owner gives up on moving A's to San Jose;
A's to decide ballpark fate by end of season;
Fremont's attempt to lure A's running into
obstacles;
'Let's plan for A's move,' Coliseum agency told;
San Jose voters jeer ballpark plan;
Wolff wants to keep A's in Bay Area;
A's, Fremont near deal;
A's must stay, Oakland mayor candidates say;
A's close to deal for Fremont ballpark, officials
say;
Rumors trail A's search for new ballpark;
A's owner in Fremont for meetings;
Wolff says there's land for new A's ballpark in
Fremont;
A's officials confirm interest in new Fremont
ballpark;
A's take long look at Fremont ballpark site;
The San Jose A's of Fremont?;
San Jose will buy land for A's ballpark;
Will smaller mean better for the A's?;
A's committed to intimate 34,000 park in '06;
A's owner's new plan for ballpark;
Talks for new A's ballpark sputter;
Soccer stadium throws curve at San Jose baseball
plan;
A's ownership group wants to buy MLS expansion
team for San Jose;
Athletics denied 3-year Coliseum lease extension;
A's ballpark: 'Baseball Village' in the vision
stage;
Planning ahead to get A's to San Jose;
San Jose buys first parcel of land for ballpark;
Land acquisition for San Jose ballpark may cost
$100 million;
San Jose goes to bat for ballpark property;
Fremont will consider a pitch for A's;
Wolff on the hunt for more A's fans, new ballpark;
Oakland ballpark village plan designed to win
allies, public funds;
Wolff's vision of ballpark raises questions;
Wolff unveils plans for 35,000-seat ballpark near
Coliseum;
A's owner to offer specific ballpark plan to keep
team in Oakland;
Have A's settled on new ballpark site?;
Smallball suits Lew Wolff just fine;
A's think small with stadium plans;
Fremont politicians make a pitch for A's;
A's say Coliseum lot isn't feasible;
Athletics announce committee
to plan new Oakland ballpark;
Another San Jose site eyed
for baseball;
The time has come for new
A's ballpark;
No specifics on new Oakland
ballpark, but plans in the works;
San Jose quits discussions
on cannery;
Wolff about to take over;
Going to bat for A's is big
opportunity for San Jose mayor;
Wolff: A's ballpark already
in works;
Deal near for San Jose
cannery site;
For A's, way to San Jose
paved with uncertainty;
San Jose baseball crusader
makes his pitch;
A's sale could happen
quickly;
Sale of A's to heighten San
Jose intrigue;
BART to the ballpark, what a
vision;
Another San Jose pitch for
baseball;
San Jose mayor makes his
pitch;
Q&A with A's new owner Lew
Wolff
Ripken reiterates interest
in buying Orioles
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Cal Ripken Jr. would be interested in buying the
Baltimore Orioles if Peter Angelos decides to sell
the team. The Hall of Famer's firm, Ripken
Professional Baseball, has owned the Aberdeen
Ironbirds (short season; NY-Penn League) since
2002 and the Augusta GreenJackets (Low Class A;
Sally League) since 2005. He was asked about his
interest in owning the Orioles at the press
conference announcing his election to the National
Baseball Hall of Fame: "I haven't been
approached," he said. "I've thought about that,
yes, and if an opportunity were to arise, if Mr.
Angelos would want to sell the club, it would be
an interesting thought process to go through."
Joines: Protect ticket
revenue
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Winston-Salem Mayor Mayor Allen Joines said
yesterday that Billy Prim, the lead developer of a
proposed public-private ballpark near downtown for
the Winston-Salem Warthogs (High Class A; Carolina
League), would be required to put up additional
guarantees before the city invests $29 million in
the project. Joines' remarks were made after
several days of questions by residents and members
of the Winston-Salem City Council about the city's
exposure to financial risk in a worst-case
scenario, such as an unexpected drop in attendance
and revenue. If the city council spends public
money on the project, it plans to make back part
of its investment from surcharges on ticket sales
at the proposed stadium. Prim had backed up the
revenue from surcharges with the assets of Sports
Menagerie, the company through which he and Andrew
"Flip" Filipowski own the Warthogs, which would
use the ballpark.
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Attendance, costs at question in W-S ballpark plan;
County quiet on funding for new Warthogs ballpark;
W-S ballpark could avoid difficult permits since
it has no creek;
Traffic concerns dominate Winston-Salem ballpark
meeting;
City outlines routes to proposed Warthogs ballpark;
W-S finance committee recommends incentives for
new Warthogs ballpark;
New ballpark in Winston-Salem a go;
Nearing the goal in Winston-Salem;
New Warthogs ballpark won't affect local streets;
Winston-Salem ballpark plan takes time to stretch
Fun at the new ballpark? You
can count me out this year
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John
Sonderegger, whose family has purchased season
tickets for several years at the old Busch Stadium
and the new
Busch Stadium, says he's not willing
to do so again this season. Why? Because the price
of a
pair of tickets is now approaching $100 (not
counting any PSL fees), and he says the Club Level
-- normally a point of pride for a ballpark
operator -- is subpar. "And the Redbird Club
itself was a joke. I envisioned a much smaller
club area, with places to eat and view the game.
Instead, I found it to be nothing more than a
glorified concourse area with concession stands
offering various food and drinks at inflated
prices. The restrooms were small and cramped."
Easy fix to be tried on
warning track
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The Norwich Baseball Stadium Authority and the
Connecticut Defenders (Class AA; Eastern League)
believe they have found a low-cost solution to
drainage problems on the Dodd Stadium warning
track for the coming year. The city was to have
replaced the warning-track drainage system this
fall and winter, but both parties agree that an
expensive renovation would be fruitless one year
before the entire playing surface is to be
replaced. Authority member Gary Schnip has been in
contact with field specialist William Dest on a
proposal to use a machine that could cut fine
vertical slits into the warning track to allow
water to seep through to the drainage level
beneath the surface material. The problem is that
the top three inches of material has become packed
down and too dense to absorb rain water, causing
postponement of games when the playing field
itself was fine.
Spring training comes at a
high price
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Lee County Commissioners are being asked to
approve $2.1 million of taxpayer money for
renovations to the spring training homes of the
Minnesota Twins and the Boston Red Sox, but is it
worth it? City of Palms Park, home of the Red Sox,
is asking for $800,000 to add what one official
calls "pizzazz to the facility."
Hammond Stadium,
home of the Twins, is hoping to get $1.3 million.
That money will be spent on new bathrooms, a new
concession stand and a new backstop. The
construction at the two ballparks is expected to
be complete by mid-February.
USC riverfront ballpark
clears hurdle, could open in 2008
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University of South Carolina officials received
final city approval Tuesday to build a $24 million
riverfront ballpark on a 29-acre tract bordered by
the Congaree River and Blossom, Williams and
Catawba streets. Demolition of two buildings on
the site is to begin in February and the stadium
will be ready for the Gamecocks’ 2008 season
opener, said Charlie Jeffcoat, USC’s director of
campus planning and construction. The design
includes a A 30- to 45-foot "victory tower," a
design with dark red brick and wrought-iron work,
and seating for 8,100 seats (6,800 permanent seats
and 1,800 berm seats). We hear there's a chance
the ballpark could be targeted as a future home of
professional baseball: at the Winter Meetings the
low Class A Sally League declared placing a team
in Columbia to be a high priority, and unless
someone wants to build a privately financed
facility, sharing the ballpark with USC would seem
to be the only viable option.
Groups discuss possibility
of baseball for Fairmont
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Although there is no public word from any of the
parties reported unofficially to be involved --
the city of Fairmont, Marion County, the state of
West Virginia, Fairmont State University, Vandalia
Heritage Foundation and Washington Wild Things
(independent; Frontier League) owners Sports
Facility LLC -- Fairmont City Planner Jay Rogers
was able to confirm some of the information that
has leaked out to several news outlets. The
$16-million facility could be built on city land,
the former Sharon Steel site north of town. The
new team would be established by the owners of the
Wild Things, Rogers confirmed. It would be part of
a planned addition of four teams to the 12-team
Frontier League for the 2008 season.
One must wonder where the three other teams are
coming from, but we're not going to throw out a
breezy response or line of bull here.
RELATED STORIED:
Frontier League looks at Fairmont, W.Va.
Keeping score is more than a
game
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Potter
County Memorial Stadium -- the Dilla Villa, home
of the Amarillo Dillas (independent; United League
Baseball) -- will turn 50 this season. As you
might expect, the place is a little rough around
the edges, so Dillas general manager Mark Lee
appeared before Potter County commissioners Monday
hoping to shed light on the ballpark's troubled
electrical situation, as both the lighting system
and scoreboard need immediate attention. The
Dillas plan on adding a video scoreboard with
instant replay, but they may want to also
reinstall the ballpark's original manual
scoreboard, sitting in storage.
Officials mull Point Stadium
revenue generators
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Rental fees, concession proceeds, ad sales and
even charges for naming rights are expected to
generate revenue at Johnstown’s newly renovated
Point Stadium. Officials also say sports such as
football, baseball and soccer eventually will
share space with concerts, car shows, rodeos and
circuses at the city’s historic ballpark. City
leaders discussed the ballpark’s future Wednesday
as they released the first draft of their
management plan. But officials also acknowledge
that they face looming deadlines and a possible
cash crunch when it comes to installing artificial
turf – a critical component in both short- and
long-term plans for the Point. Currently no pro
team calls Point Stadium home.
Slippery Rock in baseball's
lineup
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Small towns often court baseball's minor leagues,
dipping into tax money to build ballparks for
wealthy team owners. For one season at least,
Slippery Rock has bucked the trend. The university
town, with just 5,400 permanent residents, will
play host this summer to an independent
professional team from the Frontier League.
Slippery Rock will not shell out so much as a
nickel for a ballpark or the Slippery Rock
Sliders, who will play 32 games at Jack
Critchfield Park on the campus of Slippery Rock
University. The Sliders will hit the road for 64
games, making them the only Frontier League team
that will play away from home most nights. GM
Steve Tahsler said his goal is to draw 1,000
paying customers per game in a ballpark that seats
about 1,500.
RELATED STORIES:
New for 2007: the Slippery Rock Sliders
If Selig's coming, A's must
be going
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The Oakland
A's could become the Fremont A's, or maybe even
the San Jose A's, as team co-owner Lewis Wolff
plans to announce next week with Major League
Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig that the team is
moving to Fremont. A source close to the
negotiations said Selig will visit the area a week
from today for a news conference with Wolff and
executives at Cisco Systems the company
controlling a 143-acre plot of land targeted for a
new ballpark. The news conference could take place
at Cisco's San Jose headquarters, the source said.
There are no rules in baseball about a team being
named for the city in which it plays; MLB did set
a precedent of sorts by letting the Anaheim Angels
be renamed the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and
with Fremont located four miles away from San
Jose, a renaming -- though decried by many -- may
be inevitable.
RELATED STORIES:
Wolff ready to go public on ballpark;
Cisco blending tech and baseball;
Records show evolving talks between A's, Fremont;
Are the A's worth it to Fremont's neighbors?;
More meetings with A's slated after new year;
Fremont kicks off negotiations with the A's;
A's detail Fremont
plans down to the letter;
San Jose still ponders illusory ballpark;
Transit teams try to solve Cisco Field
'challenges';
A's Fremont ballpark must field host of hurdles;
A's plan $400 million to $500 million ballpark
village in Fremont;
New A's ballpark would boast heavy Cisco tech;
The next big thing: the San Jose A's?;
A's ready to pull trigger on new Fremont ballpark;
Oakland City Council grants A's extension;
A's could move away;
A's owner Wolff buys prospective ballpark land in
Fremont;
Fremont looking more and more like future home of
Oakland A's;
A's not ready to slide out of Oakland yet;
A's pass on longer lease for McAfee Coliseum;
Owner gives up on moving A's to San Jose;
A's to decide ballpark fate by end of season;
Fremont's attempt to lure A's running into
obstacles;
'Let's plan for A's move,' Coliseum agency told;
San Jose voters jeer ballpark plan;
Wolff wants to keep A's in Bay Area;
A's, Fremont near deal;
A's must stay, Oakland mayor candidates say;
A's close to deal for Fremont ballpark, officials
say;
Rumors trail A's search for new ballpark;
A's owner in Fremont for meetings;
Wolff says there's land for new A's ballpark in
Fremont;
A's officials confirm interest in new Fremont
ballpark;
A's take long look at Fremont ballpark site;
The San Jose A's of Fremont?;
San Jose will buy land for A's ballpark;
Will smaller mean better for the A's?;
A's committed to intimate 34,000 park in '06;
A's owner's new plan for ballpark;
Talks for new A's ballpark sputter;
Soccer stadium throws curve at San Jose baseball
plan;
A's ownership group wants to buy MLS expansion
team for San Jose;
Athletics denied 3-year Coliseum lease extension;
A's ballpark: 'Baseball Village' in the vision
stage;
Planning ahead to get A's to San Jose;
San Jose buys first parcel of land for ballpark;
Land acquisition for San Jose ballpark may cost
$100 million;
San Jose goes to bat for ballpark property;
Fremont will consider a pitch for A's;
Wolff on the hunt for more A's fans, new ballpark;
Oakland ballpark village plan designed to win
allies, public funds;
Wolff's vision of ballpark raises questions;
Wolff unveils plans for 35,000-seat ballpark near
Coliseum;
A's owner to offer specific ballpark plan to keep
team in Oakland;
Have A's settled on new ballpark site?;
Smallball suits Lew Wolff just fine;
A's think small with stadium plans;
Fremont politicians make a pitch for A's;
A's say Coliseum lot isn't feasible;
Athletics announce committee
to plan new Oakland ballpark;
Another San Jose site eyed
for baseball;
The time has come for new
A's ballpark;
No specifics on new Oakland
ballpark, but plans in the works;
San Jose quits discussions
on cannery;
Wolff about to take over;
Going to bat for A's is big
opportunity for San Jose mayor;
Wolff: A's ballpark already
in works;
Deal near for San Jose
cannery site;
For A's, way to San Jose
paved with uncertainty;
San Jose baseball crusader
makes his pitch;
A's sale could happen
quickly;
Sale of A's to heighten San
Jose intrigue;
BART to the ballpark, what a
vision;
Another San Jose pitch for
baseball;
San Jose mayor makes his
pitch;
Q&A with A's new owner Lew
Wolff
Cordaro: Ballpark deal safe
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County
taxpayers would be protected from ongoing repair
costs at Lackawanna County Stadium, the home of
the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees (Class AAA;
International League), under a proposed management
deal with Mandalay Baseball Properties,
Commissioner Robert C. Cordaro said Tuesday. With
opening day for the SWB Yankees a little more than
12 weeks away, the county and California-based
Mandalay still have not submitted a management
agreement to baseball’s governing bodies for
approval. The commissioner said talks with
Mandalay went well Tuesday, and now the draft
document will be sent to the New York Yankees’
attorneys for their review. Barring major changes,
it would then come back to the county for
submission to the International League.
RELATED STORIES:
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?
Game plan: $450M Fenway
complex
Posted Jan. 10, 2007 (feedback)
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A
local developer aims to team up with the Boston
Red Sox on a $450 million air-rights complex plan
that would deck over the nearby Massachusetts
Turnpike and further transform the neighborhood
around Fenway Park. Newton builder John Rosenthal
yesterday unveiled plans to build a mixed-use
complex across the street from the ballpark, near
where there are also plans for a new rail and bus
transportation hub. The proposed project features
560 apartments in two high-rises as well as more
than 1,200 parking spots in two garages and a host
of new neighborhood shops. Rosenthal, who has
tried for years to build a signature high-rise
project near Fenway, said he is also close to
reaching an agreement to bring the Red Sox on as
minority partners. And he’s also brought on board
a big-name architect, Carlos Zapata, best known
for designing the new Soldier Field in Chicago.
New for 2007:
the Slippery Rock Sliders
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After a month of deliberations, 92 unique team
name submissions, and nearly 1,000 votes in the
Name the Team contest, Slippery Rock Professional
Baseball announced "Sliders" as the team’s
nickname. Sliders had the most nominations in the
first round of the contest and received nearly
twice as many votes as any of the other three
finalists (Boulders, Rockers, and Sluggers). Also
unveiled was the team logo, featuring a baseball
sliding through a circle. Forest green will be the
team’s primary color, accented by black and gray.
The inaugural season logo and merchandise were
designed by Ibistek Apparel of Butler, who will be
serving as the official merchandiser for Slippery
Rock Professional Baseball.
Village near Surprise
Stadium likely soon
Posted Jan. 10, 2007 (feedback)
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A 69-acre compound, replete with specialty retail
shops beneath 200 loft-style apartments, a 14- to
16-screen movie theater, office condominiums and
other amenities, is expected to go up near
Surprise Stadium, the spring home of the Texas
Rangers and the Kansas City Royals, by January
2009. At its last meeting, the Surprise City
Council approved an infrastructure agreement with
Millennium Properties & Development Inc. of Las
Vegas to build Surprise Stadium Village. The
project, bounded by Bell Road, Bullard Avenue,
Paradise Lane and Parkview Place, will neighbor
the city's future 25-court Tennis and Racquet
Complex and the stadium. The developer has sold
all but 5 acres of the development for individual
projects that city planners hope will soon become
"downtown Surprise."
Ballpark designers update
council
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Architects
for the Springdale minor-league ballpark are
attempting to blend a natural look into the design
of the facility. HOK Sport, the firm hired to
design the park, updated Springdale City Council
Wednesday morning on the design phase of the
project. Designers plan to incorporate the natural
environment into the ballpark, making it unique.
The firm is still attempting to nail down a final
design cost for the $33-million ballpark, slated
as the future home of the Wichita Wranglers (Class
AA; Texas League). Schematics include the overall
structural look of the building with plumbing and
electrical paths sketched in.
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Pastor supports ballpark minus alcohol presence;
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Arkansas town woos Wranglers;
Sponsors of Springdale ballpark sure of need;
New ballpark to be boon for Springdale, city
officials say;
Springdale Chamber pushes for support for ballpark;
Election Commission finalizes details for
Springdale ballpark vote;
Springdale ballpark details still under
construction;
Chamber wants July 11 election on Springdale
ballpark tax;
If Springdale ballpark built team will follow,
planners are told;
Royals’ farm club seeks home?;
Mayor’s idea: Extend bond, gain baseball;
Bond underwriters to study Springdale ballpark
funding options;
Turn-back funds to go for Springdale ballpark;
Springdale ballpark site under contract;
Springdale: Chamber fielding baseball inquiries;
Texas League boss dispels baseball chatter;
Public money may be needed to build Springdale
ballpark;
Springdale: Sports park feasible, study claims
Gwynn, Ripken
elected to Hall of Fame
Posted Jan. 10, 2007 (feedback)
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No
surprise: Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken, Jr., were
elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame by
some pretty comfortable margins.
Ripken was named on a record 537 ballots, with the
third-highest percentage (98.53) in the history of
the voting, while Gwynn received 97.6 percent of
the vote. What is refreshing about both: they
represented the game well as players, they played
their entire careers with single teams and have
continued to be involved in what some would
consider non-glamour positions -- Ripken as a
minor-league owner and Gwynn as a college coach.
Both were considered locks, so the more
interesting news may be who didn't make it and
why. Mark McGwire, whose career is now tainted by
potential steroid abuse, finished ninth in the
balloting. He -- along with Goose Gossage, Bert
Blyleven, Jack Morris and Lee Smith -- may have a
better shot at election next year when a
relatively weak class becomes eligible, unless you
consider David Justice and Shawon Dunston worthy
of famehood. Meanwhile, Rich Maris, son of former
great Roger Maris, says if steroid abuse by
McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds is confirmed,
the record for most homers in a season should
revert back to his father.
Twig returns
for 59th season in the pros
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We
cover a lot of the coaching-staff announcements in
our Ballpark Notes section, but this one deserves
its own headline: Fort Worth Cats (independent;
American Association) first-base coach Wayne
Terwilliger will return for the 2007 season, the
club announced today. It will be his 59th season
in professional baseball and fifth year with the
Cats. Terwilliger, 81, was the team’s manager from
2003-05. He was named the Central League’s 2005
Manager of the Year after leading the Cats to a
franchise-best 60 wins. The team eventually won
the championship that year, their first of two
consecutive league titles. On June 27, 2005,
Terwilliger turned 80 years old and joined the
legendary Connie Mack as the only two 80-year-old
managers in baseball history. When he took over
the Cats in 2003, he became the oldest skipper in
minor-league history.
St. John's
renames ballpark after former coach
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St. John's University has announced the renaming
of the baseball program's home field, from The
Ballpark at St. John's to Jack Kaiser Stadium
beginning in the 2007 season. The stadium's
namesake, Hall of Fame coach John W. "Jack"
Kaiser, has been a part of the St. John's
athletics family for nearly 60 years. Kaiser began
his St. John's career as a baseball, basketball
and soccer player in the late 1940's, then as a
coach from 1952-1973, the Director of Athletics
from 1973-1995 and currently holds the title of
Athletic Director Emeritus. Throughout his career
at St. John's, Kaiser has been one of the baseball
program's biggest supporters. He led teams to the
College World Series as a player in 1949 and a
coach in 1960, 1966 and 1968, then went on to
provide department-wide leadership as the Director
of Athletics for 23 years. The ballpark's renaming
will be commemorated early in the spring when the
Red Storm opens its home season in March.
Ballpark
Notes
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The Portland Beavers (Class AAA; Pacific
Coast League) announced that Jason Haeussinger
has been named the team’s athletic trainer for
the 2007 season. Haeussinger, 36, joined the San
Diego Padres system in 1995 and most recently was
the athletic trainer for the Lake Elsinore
Storm (High Class A; California League)....The
New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Class AA;
Eastern League) and the New Hampshire
Interscholastic Athletic Association today
announced a 10-year agreement to continue playing
all four of the state's High School Baseball
Championship Games at MerchantsAuto.com Stadium
through 2016....The Charlotte County Redfish
(independent; South Coast League) announced four
additions to the front office: Assistant General
Manager Robert Ford, Group Sales Executive
Michelle Creed, Corporate Sales Executive
Andrew Bradley and Office Manager
Allison Spriggs. Ford joins the Redfish staff
after a two year stint as general manager of Blue
Hills Ski Area in Canton, MA. Ford also has
extensive Minor League Baseball experience working
both in the Atlantic League and in the St. Louis
Cardinals organization. Creed is a graduate of
Seton Hall University with a BS in Business
Administration - Sports Management. Prior to
joining the Redfish, Creed had worked for the
Bridgeport Bluefish and the Waterbury Spirit (both
independent; Atlantic League). Bradley is a
graduate of the University of Southern Indiana and
Campbell University in North Carolina. In 2006,
Andy worked as an intern with the Princeton Devil
Rays (rookie; Appalachian League). Spriggs is
currently a student of the University of South
Florida. She is a junior, majoring in
Marketing.....The Potomac Nationals (High
Class A; Carolina League) have announced the
hiring of seven new members to the front-office
staff. Jonathan Griffith joins the
Nationals as the Assistant General Manager of
Corporate Sales. Griffith spent the 2006 season
with the Kinston Indians (High Class A; Carolina
League) and has previously worked for the Richmond
Braves (Class AAA; International League) and the
Carolina Panthers of the NFL. Doug McConnell
comes on-board with the P-Nationals as the Box
Office Manager. A native of Malvern, Pa.,
McConnell comes to the P-Nats from the Delmarva
Shorebirds (Low Class A; Sally League) where he
served as the Box Office intern for the 2006
season. David Maier comes to the Nationals
as an Outside Sales Executive from the Southwest
Michigan Devil Rays (Low Class A; Midwest League),
where he served as a Marketing Intern for the 2006
season. Jennifer Roccanti comes to the
Potomac Nationals as Director of Community
Relations from the New Haven County Cutters
(independent; Can-Am Association), where she
served as Community Relations Manager. Anthony
Oppermann joins the Potomac Nationals as the
Director of Broadcasting and Media Relations.
Oppermann, a native of La Grange, Texas, spent the
2006 season with the Daytona Cubs (High Class A;
Florida State League), where he served as the
team’s Assistant Director of Broadcasting. Jim
Johnson begins his first season with the
Potomac Nationals as Director of Food Service
after spending nearly 15 years with Ogden
Entertainment. Carter Buschman returns to
the Potomac Nationals for his second season as the
Director of Stadium Operations. He spent the 2006
season with the P-Nats as an Operations Intern and
Director of Food Service. Ryan Johnston
will serve as the Potomac Nationals Assistant
Director of Stadium Operations after interning
with the team as the Stadium Operations Manager in
2006....The Mankato MoonDogs (summer
collegiate; Northwoods League) announced the
hiring of Jeremy Sullivan as the team's new
assistant general manager. Sullivan, a former
media relations intern from the 2004 season, is
excited to be back and will bring a professional
sports background to the front office. After the
2004 season, Sullivan graduated from Bemidji State
University and accepted a job from the Minnesota
Timberwolves.
Sullivan replaced Mike Then, the new GM of
the Green Bay Bullfrogs
(summer collegiate; Northwoods League)....The
Colorado Springs Sky Sox (Class AAA; Pacific
Coast League) will open their 20th season with an
exhibition against the Colorado Rockies at 2:00
p.m. on Friday, March 30th, team officials
announced today. The Sox will then open up their
Pacific Coast League schedule six days later at
home on Thursday, April 5th at 6:05 PM MST against
the PCL defending champion Tucson Sidewinders, the
Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks.
This will be the 8th exhibition game between the
Sky Sox and Rockies and the 7th played at Security
Service Field (the two teams squared off in 1995
at Coors Field). In the seven previous match-ups,
the Sky Sox hold a 5-2 advantage over their Major
League affiliate. The last meeting between the two
teams was in 2005 when the Sox defeated the
Rockies 5-1 on April 2nd of that year.
Officials
optimistic of finalizing Marlins ballpark deal in
downtown Miami
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Major League Baseball, Miami-Dade County and city
of Miami officials said Monday they are optimistic
they are close to finalizing a deal to build a
ballpark for the Florida Marlins on publicly owned
land just north of the county's government center
in downtown Miami. All sides admit, however, that
there are still funding gaps and unidentified
funding sources (how that's for a euphemism?), and most tellingly the front
office of the Marlins -- which would be expected
to pick up a greater share of the costs of the
$500-million retractable-roof ballpark than under
previous plans -- declined
to comment on the proceedings. Even with some new
sources of funding, there remains a $100 million
or so gap between what government can provide and
what the Marlins are willing to pay, unless a new
study commissioned to establish the true costs of
the ballpark comes in far below what everyone
expects. MLB officials, we hear, are counting on
the state coming through with some funds (new
Florida Gov. Charlie Crist once worked for
professional baseball as an attorney), but the
state Legislature would need to be involved as
well. MLB can push and push all it wants, but at
the end of the day the Marlins will need to pry
open the wallets and come up with some additional
funds.
More from the Miami Herald.
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Development OK'd for potential Marlins ballpark
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Antonio move;
Wolff plans to give Marlins a
deadline;
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Willis, ballpark deal key issues for Marlins;
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San Antonio officials get an invite
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City and county forming teams to lure Marlins;
San Antonio bid for Marlins on hold;
Wolff reveals site possibilities for San Antonio
ballpark;
Plan would provide $200 million toward new Marlins
ballpark;
Spurs looking to be part of ownership if San
Antonio lures Marlins;
San Antonio to Marlins: Include locals;
Marlins move may spur border battle;
Wolff makes ballpark pitch to Marlins;
San Antonio under 'serious consideration' for
Marlins relocation;
Marlins front office meets with Homestead
officials;
Marlins to Oklahoma City?;
Half-cent hike in Miami-Dade
might help fund a Marlins ballpark;
Owner laughs off idea of his
track as Marlins ballpark site;
Marlins, FAU to discuss
stadium options;
Norfolk session pleases
Marlins;
Possibility of Marlins
ballpark deal called remote
Sounds fail to file lease
legislation
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The
Nashville Sounds (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League)
have failed to file legislation with the Metro
Council in time for the team to finalize a
property lease with the city and begin
construction of its proposed new $43 million
downtown ballpark by Feb. 1, a self-imposed
deadline the Sounds last month called a "drop
dead" date for starting ballpark construction --
in part because of rising construction costs.
Still, both the baseball team and Baltimore
developer Struever Bros. Eccles & Rouse -- which
will build a roughly $200 million
hotel-residential-commercial development
surrounding the ballpark -- expressed confidence
Monday they would be able to meet an April 15
deadline the council set last month.
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ballpark;
Sounds ballpark developer needs to score soon;
Ballpark financing not set as deadline approaches;
Struever mulling ballpark-area changes in
Nashville;
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PCL president applauds Nashville ballpark deal;
Yaeger calls stadium plan flexible and
fan-friendly;
Sounds settle on 2008 opening date for new
ballpark;
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Nashville Metro Council approves new Sounds
ballpark;
Company says Sounds deal sets stage for Frank
project;
Sounds send commitment letter to Council;
Caucus continues pressure for minorities' role in
stadium;
Nashville Council Black Caucus wants more minority
work on ballpark;
Sounds are rounding third;
Sounds remain at bargaining table;
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Council should give Nashville ballpark their
support;
Sounds woo minority business owners for ballpark
project;
Sounds ballpark vote delayed;
Museum, dining wanted at new Sounds ballpark;
Sounds move ahead with ballpark design;
Sounds weak;
Sounds ballpark proposal passes first test on
Council;
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council;
Many good questions raised over Sounds deal;
Chamber of Commerce backs Sounds ballpark plan;
Downtown merchants rally for Sounds;
Board seeks information on Sounds ballpark deal;
Neighbors of Nashville ballpark expect project to
spark development;
Sounds, Nashville sign agreement for new ballpark;
Sides close on Sounds ballpark plan;
Sounds ballpark plan nearly triples in size;
New Sounds ballpark proposal in doubt;
Nashville ballpark bill may have to wait until
fall;
Sounds deal stalls, but still in play;
City bobbling save on Sounds’ perfect plan;
Sounds ballpark negotiations slow;
Will ballpark make SoBro soar?;
Sounds swing deal to get new ballpark;
Sounds win city approval for new ballpark
Dave Zweifel: City ought to
take Mallards' pitch
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Dave
Zweifel, editor of the Capital Times (Madison's
afternoon daily newspaper), says Madison should
accept a proposal by the Madison Mallards (summer
collegiate; Northwoods League) to renovate
Warner Park with a combination of city funds and Mallards
spending. The city of Madison had already planned
to spend $800,000 on replacing the 1982 bleachers
around the infield this coming year. The Mallards
are asking that the city earmark that money
instead as part of a $4 million renovation after
the 2007 season that, among a host of other
improvements, would rotate the field 180 degrees
so that the batters aren't batting into and the
fans aren't facing into the late afternoon sun.
The Mallards themselves would come up with $2
million in cash and would like permission to raise
the remaining $1.2 million by, among other ideas,
selling naming rights to the field.
RELATED STORIES:
Mallards ask for input on ballpark
Council considers city help
with moving expenses
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Members of the Winston-Salem City Council took
steps yesterday to ensure that renters who might
be displaced by a possible new Winston-Salem
Warthogs (High Class A; Carolina League) ballpark
project near downtown will be given adequate
financial assistance to move elsewhere. About 15
to 20 families in the area of Green and Watkins
streets could be affected, officials said. Billy
Prim, the project's lead developer and a co-owner
of the Winston-Salem Warthogs, has offered to pay
$800 to $1,000 for relocation costs, but that
amount probably will not be enough, officials and
residents said. Relocation payments made by the
city would not go directly to residents, unless
they moved themselves, officials said. Relocation
payments would be paid instead to such service
providers as the utility companies and the mover.
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Prim's word is his bond;
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W-S ballpark could avoid difficult permits since
it has no creek;
Traffic concerns dominate Winston-Salem ballpark
meeting;
City outlines routes to proposed Warthogs ballpark;
W-S finance committee recommends incentives for
new Warthogs ballpark;
New ballpark in Winston-Salem a go;
Nearing the goal in Winston-Salem;
New Warthogs ballpark won't affect local streets;
Winston-Salem ballpark plan takes time to stretch
When San Antonio woos teams,
it'll go slow
Posted Jan. 9, 2007 (feedback)
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Mayor Phil Hardberger and County Judge Nelson
Wolff met and agreed Monday that a more
deliberate, sensible approach is needed in future
negotiations with professional sports teams that
say they are interested in relocating to San
Antonio. Hardberger and Wolff, who played central
roles in failed relocation talks with the NFL's
New Orleans Saints in 2005 and Major League
Baseball's Florida Marlins in 2006, say talks
should proceed only with the approval and
involvement of NFL and MLB officials, not just
team owners. Although a high-ranking MLB
official monitored the flirtations between the
county and the Marlins, Commissioner Bud Selig was
never directly involved. Hardberger and Wolff hope
the new policy will prevent teams from using San
Antonio as a bargaining chip in negotiations with
their own cities to gain new facilities.
RELATED STORIES:
San Antonio to discuss ways to lure pro franchises
County may help fund Lorain
ballpark
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Lorain is moving a step closer toward completing
construction of an enhanced Campana Park ballpark.
County commissioners have agreed to hold a special
meeting this week to vote on giving the city about
$175,000 from a solid waste fund to make
additional upgrades to the stadium being built,
Commissioner Lori Kokoski said Monday. The money
will be spent on projects including the
construction of retail space and a canopy roof
over the seats. Cleveland State University and
Lorain County Community College already have
agreed to play at the stadium, and the city is
hoping to attract an independent Frontier League
team in the future.
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Avon takes a swing at baseball;
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Baseball slides into Lorain;
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Foltin faces opposition over upgrades at park
Ballpark's future is far
from certain
Posted Jan. 9, 2007 (feedback)
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One
possible casualty of a new downtown ballpark in
Fort Wayne: Memorial Stadium, the current home of
the Fort Wayne Wizards (Low Class A; Midwest
League). Some say it should be converted to a
community facility and maintained as the home of
the Indiana University-Purdue University baseball
team, but university officials say they can't
afford the ballpark as it stands right now, and
especially if some needed repairs -- new seating,
concrete repair and modifications for the disabled
-- are made. Complicating things, the management
of the Fort Wayne Coliseum (which owns the
ballpark and the land) says they won't sell the
ballpark site. All of this is painting a very
bleak picture of the facility's future.
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Wizards set 2008 ballpark goal;
Enjoy downtown for what it is, not what you
remember;
Downtown Fort Wayne needs a full plan, including a
ballpark;
Playing ball downtown;
We need to build ballpark downtown;
Study supports downtown Fort Wayne ballpark;
Can downtown Fort Wayne ballpark be a boon?;
Learning by example from Dayton;
Fort Wayne looks at improvements to Memorial
Stadium;
A new(er) ballpark in Fort Wayne?;
Ballpark panel sees one diamond in future;
New owners bring fresh ideas to Fort Wayne;
Fort Wayne's baseball future may be downtown;
A new downtown castle?;
Memorial Stadium far from obsolete;
Fort Wayne Wizards sold;
Fort Wayne ballpark has 50 years of usability
left, says architect;
Debate begins on proposed downtown Fort Wayne
ballpark;
Group set to discuss downtown Fort Wayne ballpark;
Field of dreams in Fort Wayne?
Myers, two partners buy
ballpark
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Spartanburg High School baseball coach Tom Myers
and two business partners have purchased
Greenville's Municipal Stadium, the former home of
the Greenville Braves (Class AA; Southern League)
and the Greenville Bombers (Low Class A; Sally
League)' minor league affiliate in the city. The
Greenville City Council approved the purchase on
the second reading on Monday night. The ballpark,
located on Mauldin Road, and its 42 surrounding
acres were bought from the city for $1,955,365.
Myers, along with Mike Prochaska and Greg Cassidy,
formed Greenville Athletics LLC and this group
will operate the facility. The plan includes the
addition of five other baseball fields and an
indoor hitting facility.
Discovery Place plan
receives approval
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Developers with plans for multiple sports
stadiums, more than a million square feet of
retail space, 1,400 housing units and possibly a
hotel with an indoor water park received final
approval from the Laurel (Md.) Town Council on
Monday night. The approval follows months of
packed public hearings and controversy over 480
acres of mostly farmland that was officially
annexed into the town Monday. The $500-million
development will be built as a destination for
youth sporting events, complete with a 12,000-seat
sports arena, a 6,000-seat baseball stadium and
multiple other venues, along with hotels,
shopping, entertainment and permanent housing.
Though the ballpark hasn't come up as the
potential home of a pro team, we're guessing
someone will be intrigued by the notion of placing
a team in Laurel.
Ballpark
Notes
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Rockford College first-year Head Coach
Bob Koopmann and Rockford RiverHawks
(independent; Frontier League) General Manager
Josh Olerud released the 2007 Rockford
College Regents baseball schedule. The 32-game
slate is highlighted by 17 home games, all played
at RiverHawks Stadium. Koopmann is a former
manager of the 'Hawks....Ever Magallanes,
the older brother of 2006 Cedar Rapids Kernels
(Low Class A; Midwest League) skipper Bobby
Magallanes, was manager of the team. Ever
Magallanes led the Tempe Angels to the 2006
Arizona League Championship game, where they lost
to the Padres. Eric Owens returns as the
Kernels Hitting Coach. Owens made his professional
coaching debut with the Kernels last season. He
played nine seasons in the majors with the Reds,
Brewers, Padres, Marlins and Angels. Pedro
Borborn, Jr. joins the Angels after a nine
year major league pitching career with the Braves,
Dodgers, Blue Jays, Astros and Cardinals and will
be the Kernels Pitching Coach. Rounding out the
Kernels field staff is trainer Mike Metcalfe....The
Gateway Grizzlies (independent; Frontier
League) and 1380 AM ESPN Radio announced
that the two have reached a broadcast agreement
for the station to continue as the flagship
station of the Gateway Grizzlies radio network for
the next two seasons. The 2007 season will mark
the station's third season as the Grizzlies'
flagship station. Joe Pott will return in
2007 for his sixth full season behind the
microphone as "Voice of the Grizzlies." Pott has
been a part of Grizzlies broadcasts since the
team's inception, and has earned recognition as
the Frontier League's Broadcaster of the Year in
each of the past two seasons....Frank Kremblas
returns as manager of the Nashville Sounds
(Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) this season, the
team announced on Monday. Pitching coach Stan
Kyles and trainer Jeff Paxson will also
return. Harry Spilman will be the team's
new hitting coach, replacing Gary Pettis,
who was hired by the Texas Rangers....Tony
Siegle is the new senior adviser of baseball
operations for the San Francisco Giants in
his third stint with the team. Also signing up
with the Giants: former manager Felipe Alou,
who will work as a special assistant to GM
Brian Sabean....
DuPuy: Progress
being made on new downtown Miami ballpark
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MLB
President/COO Bob DuPuy tells MLB.com that
progress is being made on a new downtown Miami
retractable-roof ballpark,
but came short of actually committing to whether a
new facility is imminent. Parsing these sorts of
puffy statements is always hard -- especially when
it comes from MLB.com and not an independent news
source -- so we did a little asking around and
heard this: plans are progressing like they've
been progressing over the past few months, with
Miami-Dade County and the city of Miami offering
the same things they've been offering all the
time. What's changed is that the Marlins ownership
is now committing more to a downtown location and
dropping the pretense of fielding offers from
Pompano Beach and Hialeah in hopes of seeing up
some sort of bidding war between municipalities.
MLB officials, to their credit, have been
steadfast in their belief in a downtown ballpark;
the real progress has come from getting the
Marlins ownership onboard. UPDATE:
Apparently one new source of funding has popped
up: funds from Miami's Community Redevelopment
Agency. By law, these funds must be used to spur economic
development in ''blighted'' neighborhoods. Tax
money created from a CRA stays inside the
district, and it's really meant for local
spending, not for large projects like a ballpark.
Even so, CRA funds don't come close to bridging a
funding gap for the ballpark, so what we reported
earlier today stands: the
basic funding plan for a ballpark remains intact,
and the sides really aren't closer to a new deal.
RELATED STORIES:
Dade leaders pitch 'urban' ballpark for Marlins;
New downtown Miami site explored for proposed
Marlins ballpark;
MLB official hopes Crist can pave way for new
Marlins ballpark;
Focus in Miami turns to new ballpark for Marlins;
Marlins ballpark chances at Pompano considered a
long shot;
Pompano Park pitched as location for new Marlins
ballpark;
Marlins, Loria at crossroads with uncertain future;
Orange County commissioner pushing for Marlins;
Miami Arena owner sues to stop sale;
Buyers sue Miami Arena owner;
Deadline looms over proposal for Marlins ballpark
in downtown Miami;
Marlins officials tight-lipped on downtown Miami
ballpark proposal;
MLB ready to move on downtown Miami ballpark;
Delay in solving cloud over Marlins' future has to
end;
Selig: Marlins need a new ballpark;
DuPuy, local officials discuss new Marlins
ballpark again;
Marlins ballpark suffers setback;
DuPuy meets with Marlins officials about new
ballpark;
Hialeah ballpark plan hinges on financial
feasibility;
Marlins to San Antonio: No thanks;
Hialeah mayor upbeat on prospects of new Marlins
ballpark;
San Antonio, Marlins end courtship for now;
Tough times for Marlins and their fans;
Marlins players adjust to the empty seats;
Marlins to view San Antonio sites: Officials will
visit as planned with Florida park talks
continuing;
Marlins hit new lows in 8-5 loss;
Failing bid for Marlins teaches Wolff a lesson;
New funding plan proposed for Marlins ballpark in
Hialeah;
Development OK'd for potential Marlins ballpark
site in Hialeah;
Hopes fade in pursuit of Marlins;
Marlins have until May 15 to decide about San
Antonio move;
Wolff plans to give Marlins a
deadline;
Loria wants Marlins' fate decided soon;
House-hunting for Marlins on hold, for now;
Willis, ballpark deal key issues for Marlins;
Is Texas big enough for three MLB teams?;
San Antonio makes first pitch to Marlins owner;
Loria: Marlins seriously talking with San Antonio;
Will Florida Marlins jump into San Antonio's net?;
San Antonio officials get an invite
Nolan Ryan backs San Antonio Marlins idea;
City and county forming teams to lure Marlins;
San Antonio bid for Marlins on hold;
Wolff reveals site possibilities for San Antonio
ballpark;
Plan would provide $200 million toward new Marlins
ballpark;
Spurs looking to be part of ownership if San
Antonio lures Marlins;
San Antonio to Marlins: Include locals;
Marlins move may spur border battle;
Wolff makes ballpark pitch to Marlins;
San Antonio under 'serious consideration' for
Marlins relocation;
Marlins front office meets with Homestead
officials;
Marlins to Oklahoma City?;
Half-cent hike in Miami-Dade
might help fund a Marlins ballpark;
Owner laughs off idea of his
track as Marlins ballpark site;
Marlins, FAU to discuss
stadium options;
Norfolk session pleases
Marlins;
Possibility of Marlins
ballpark deal called remote
Reed: Interest in Senators'
sale is on rise
Posted Jan. 8, 2007 (feedback)
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Harrisburg Mayor Stephen R. Reed said 20 different
persons or entities have expressed interest in
purchasing the Harrisburg Senators (Class AA;
Eastern League), who were placed on the market in
late October as a means to help reduce the city's
budget deficit. That includes every tirekicker to
come down the pike; the real number to consider is
two, as in there's only two groups seriously
looking at buying the team, Ivy Walls and Ripken
Baseball. Reed says the team could fetch as much
as $16 million, which we find to be an absolute
stretch, given the problems with Commerce Bank
Park and the probability that ballpark
improvements won't be coming down the pike despite
the availability of some state money.
Land price is tripping up
Twins ballpark deal
Posted Jan. 8, 2007 (feedback)
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A dispute
over the price of land where the new Minnesota
Twins ballpark will be built is threatening to
derail the property's sale just two months before
work is to begin on the site. With construction
schedules calling for workers to begin clearing
the land in March, Hennepin County officials
acknowledge that a sizable gap -- likely in the
millions of dollars -- separates them from the
property's primary owners, Land Partners II, a
limited liability partnership with more than a
hundred investors. Hennepin County officials say
they're surprised about the increased demands from
Land Partners II, but there's a very simple
explanation. Land Partners II's economic model was
to sell the land for a new Twins ballpark at a
modest cost and then make more by developing land
it owns adjacent to the ballpark. However,
changing economic fortunes in downtown Minneapolis
-- where the condo market is depressed -- make
that business plan obsolete, so Land Partners II's
new plan is to make most of its money on the sale
of the Twins land. Should Hennepin County taken
options on the ballpark site a year ago?
Absolutely. But they were seduced by lead
officials from Land Partners II, who assured
county officials (and many other observers) they weren't going to hold up the
project with outrageous financial demands. The
county has offered over $10 million for the site;
the appraised value is $8.37 million. There are
also some old animosities at play here: in the
past Rich Pogin and Bruce Lambrecht (heading Land
Partners II) were heavily involved in conservative
causes, while the political makeup of Minneapolis
is very liberal. There's also a lot of posturing
here on both sides, so take this article with a
grain of salt.
RELATED STORIES:
Ballpark site owners put squeeze on Twins;
New year brings new ballpark tax for Hennepin
County shoppers;
Ballpark players ironing out use, development
agreements;
Twins release more details on new ballpark;
New Twins ballpark bypasses standard reviews;
Ballpark's link to downtown Minneapolis
inadequate, group says;
Ballpark should be held to high standards;
Twins formally announce design team for new
ballpark;
Firms lined up early for stadium work;
Eminent-domain effort begins for Twins ballpark
land;
Designing the experience around the Twins ballpark;
Ideas for Twins ballpark, some from left field;
A freeze frame for Twins;
Experts blow hot, cold on ways to heat new Twins
ballpark;
Appraisal delay puts Twins new ballpark off
schedule;
Twins pick ballpark designers;
As Twins chase playoffs, ballpark preparations
push on;
Twins ballpark on track to open in 2010;
Hennepin County Board approves ballpark sales tax;
Opposition turns out for hearings on new Twins
ballpark;
Twins ballpark debate keeps going with deal all
but done;
It's official: Twins to switch broadcast rights to
KSTP-AM;
Twins to switch broadcast partner after 46 seasons;
Twins seek partners for naming rights,
sponsorships;
Twins searching for trademark ballpark design;
Hennepin County OKs spending plan for Twins
ballpark;
Twins' ballpark push tab: under a hundred grand;
Twins ballpark spending plan outlined;
Naming rights options scary;
More than a ballpark in Minneapolis;
Twins' ballpark opponents were tired of the fight;
supporters weren't;
Pawlenty says he'll sign Twins ballpark bill this
week;
Legislature approves Twins ballpark; opening
slated for 2010;
Legislature moves toward original Twins ballpark
plan;
Poll shows majority of Minnesota residents don't
think Twins need new ballpark;
Hennepin County Board OKs Twins ballpark plan;
Will new Twins ballpark go green?;
Hennepin County board OKs revised Twins ballpark
plan;
Politics, tax tangle Twins' quest for new park;
Supporters say Twins ballpark bill has enough
votes to pass;
Twins ballpark proposal picking up steam in
Minnesota Legislature;
Twins laying off threats, for now;
It's back! Twins ballpark issue still with us;
Twins are hearing dreaded 'C' word again; Twins make pitch in court to leave Dome; Bonoff won despite supporting ballpark;
Hennepin County gives go-ahead for study related
to Twins ballpark;
Twins sue to get out of Metrodome lease;
Minnesota Twins, Hennepin County reach agreement
on ballpark funding;
Twins back Minneapolis ballpark location;
What's up with a Twins ballpark?;
Ballpark tax plan is calling for a first
Prim's word is his bond
Posted Jan. 8, 2007 (feedback)
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Some
members of the Winston-Salem City Council are
asking questions about a proposed ballpark for the
Winston-Salem Warthogs (High Class A; Carolina
League) near downtown, a project that marks the
largest financial-incentive package that the city
council has considered publicly. One of the key
questions is about the financial guarantee that
the lead developer, Billy Prim, has offered on
ticket surcharges. At the heart of the question is
a nagging concern about the city's exposure to
financial risk should the project take a turn for
the worse. Prim, who also is a co-owner of the
Warthogs, has given his word to pay any financial
shortfall if the ticket surcharges do not meet
expectations.
RELATED STORIES:
Council postpones Winston-Salem ballpark vote;
Attendance, costs at question in W-S ballpark plan;
County quiet on funding for new Warthogs ballpark;
W-S ballpark could avoid difficult permits since
it has no creek;
Traffic concerns dominate Winston-Salem ballpark
meeting;
City outlines routes to proposed Warthogs ballpark;
W-S finance committee recommends incentives for
new Warthogs ballpark;
New ballpark in Winston-Salem a go;
Nearing the goal in Winston-Salem;
New Warthogs ballpark won't affect local streets;
Winston-Salem ballpark plan takes time to stretch
Mark McGwire, silent
candidate
Posted Jan. 8, 2007 (feedback)
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From all
accounts Mark McGwire lives in seclusion, eligible
for election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame
but virtually gone from the game of baseball. He's
not been in the public eye since testifying before
Congress on steroid abuse and then refusing to
discuss his possible use. McGwire is a vexing
issue for baseball: he certainly was a legitimate
power hitter (banging out 49 in his rookie season
while playing at McAfee Coliseum, not exactly a
home-run park), but Jose Canseco has said he and
McGwire did steroids together while teammates with
the A's. In fact, the former USC star has cut off
ties with his alma mater. The entrance to the
school's baseball stadium, Dedeaux Field, is named
Mark McGwire Way. But it has never been officially
dedicated because USC has been unable to make
arrangements with McGwire as to an appearance.
Budig buys
into RiverDogs
Posted Jan. 8, 2007 (feedback)
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Dr. Gene A. Budig, past president of Major League
Baseball’s American League, has become a partner
in the Charleston RiverDogs (Low Class A; Sally
League). "No segment of organized baseball is more
exciting than the minor leagues," said Dr. Budig,
who joins Marv Goldklang and Mike Veeck as the
RiverDogs’ primary owners. "And no minor league
team is better run than the RiverDogs under Mike
Veeck. The team was great fun for the record
number of fans who visited Joseph P. Riley, Jr.
Park during the 2006 regular season."
The RiverDogs established a new Charleston professional
baseball attendance record in ’06 with 267,908
fans.
"Gene is one of those people who commands respect, not only
because of his very impressive background in
education and the game but, of even greater
importance to me, as a thoroughly decent
individual," said Goldklang. "Mike and I are
honored to have him as our partner."
Budig was a university president/chancellor for 22 years
before assuming the top job in the American League
(1994-2000). He headed Illinois State University,
West Virginia University and the University of
Kansas. He currently serves as a senior advisor to
Major League Baseball.
Buzz over new ballpark
boosting Clippers
Posted Jan. 8, 2007 (feedback)
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Things are
looking up for the Columbus Clippers (Class AAA;
International League), and the team's president
and general manager, Ken Schnacke, points to a
corner lot in the Arena District as the reason for
the optimism. It's there, where Nationwide
Boulevard and Neil Avenue intersect, that
Huntington Park will be built, lifting the short-
and long-term prospects of the Clippers. The
Triple A baseball club saw its attendance jump to
near 520,000 in each of the past two seasons at
aged Cooper Stadium. It had not been that high
since 1996 and had slipped below 500,000 every
year but one from 1998 through 2004.
RELATED STORIES:
$4 parking for Clippers guaranteed for 2009;
Donors commit $24 million to Columbus ballpark;
Columbus ballpark to be delayed until 2009;
Clippers ballpark back on track;
County picks 360 Architecture to design Clippers
ballpark;
Clippers ballpark sponsors balk at labor plan;
Clippers' new home should have real baseball feel;
Nationwide to oversee Clippers’ stadium
construction
Cummings named
GM of Lancaster Barnstormers
Posted Jan. 8, 2007 (feedback)
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The
Lancaster Barnstormers (independent; Atlantic
League) have named Kevin Cummings, a minor league
sports veteran of 17 years, as general manger of
the defending Atlantic League champions. Cummings
will begin his work on Jan. 15. He brings a wealth
of minor-league-baseball experience to the
Barnstormers, including stints as general manager
of the Sarasota Red Sox (High Class A; Florida
State League) and as assistant general manager of
the Mobile BayBears (Class AA; Southern League).
"We were fortunate to have had many quality candidates to
choose from given the Barnstormers’ enormous
success on and off the field," said Jon Danos,
president of the Barnstormers. "Kevin’s deep
experience combined with his personal qualities
kept surfacing through the search process as being
ideally compatible with the community and our
staff."
Most recently, Cummings spent two years as president of the
Lowell Lock Monsters/Devils of the American Hockey
League. He will replace recently-departed
Barnstormers general manager Joe Pinto as
Lancaster prepares to host the 2007 Atlantic
League All-Star game on July 11. Cummings has
twice coordinated league all-star events, in the
Florida State League (1992) and the Southern
League (1998).
Northern
League, American Association teams to stage
exhibition games
Posted Jan. 8, 2007 (feedback)
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In
a sign that things may be thawing out a little in
a sometimes-tempestuous relationship between the
independent Northern League and American
Association, the Sioux Falls Canaries announced
two exhibition games against former Northern
League rivals Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks and Winnipeg
Goldeyes. The RedHawks, who won the 2006 Northern
League Championship, will visit Sioux Falls for a
game on Saturday, May 5, and the Goldeyes will
follow on Monday, May 7. Most other Northern
League and American Association teams have not yet
announced their exhibition schedules, so we don't
know if this is a sign of things to come.
UPDATE: It is. The Goldeyes will also be
playing the St. Paul Saints (independent; American
Association) in two preseason tilts. Last month
Northern League owners rescinded a ban on their
teams playing American Association teams in
exhibition games, but a ban on intraleague or
All-Star games remains in effect.
Ballpark
Notes
Posted Jan. 8, 2007 (feedback)
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The Detroit Tigers announced Rob Matwick
has been named the club’s Vice President,
Communications. Matwick’s responsibilities will
include overseeing baseball media relations,
business public relations and broadcasting.
Matwick joins the Tigers after spending over 21
years with the Houston Astros, serving most
recently as the Senior Vice President, Ballpark
Operations and Customer Service. He originally
joined the Astros in October of 1985 as the club’s
Director, Media Relations, a position he held
until being promoted to Vice President,
Communications on July 22, 1999. Matwick served in
that capacity until being promoted to Senior Vice
President, Ballpark Operations and Customer
Service on January 1, 2001....The Rancho
Cucamonga Quakes (High Class A; California
League) have finalized their field staff for the
upcoming 2007 season. Returning as manager is
Bobby Mitchell, who led the Quakes to a 63-77
finish in his first season with the Quakes in
2006. Last season was Mitchell’s first year as a
minor league manager following 14 seasons as a
roving minor league instructor. Craig Grebeck
returns for his second season as the Quakes
hitting coach. Grebeck, 42, had a 12-year Major
League career after being signed in 1986 by the
Chicago White Sox as an undrafted free-agent out
of California State University-Dominguez Hills.
Ken Patterson will assume duties as the Quakes
pitching coach for 2007. Patterson, 42, comes to
the Quakes after spending 2006 as the pitching
coach for the Arkansas Travelers (Class AA; Texas
League). Eric Munson joins the Quakes as
the athletic trainer. Munson comes to Rancho
Cucamonga after spending the past two seasons with
the Cedar Rapids Kernels, the Angels’ Low-A
affiliate in the Midwest League. He graduated from
North Dakota State University in May of 2004 with
a degree in athletic training....The Southern
Illinois Miners (independent; Frontier League)
announced the addition of Bart Zeller to
the coaching staff. Zeller will serve as the Bench
Coach and Hitting Instructor for the Miners during
their inaugural season. Zeller graduated from
Eastern Illinois University while playing both
football and baseball. He was named All-Conference
in football and 3rd Team All-American (NAIA) his
senior year. After college, Zeller was signed by
the St Louis Cardinals and spent seven years as a
catcher in their organization reaching the Major
League Club for one year as a catcher and coach.
Zellar spent two years as the bench coach for
Miners coach Mike Pinto with the Sioux
Falls Canaries (independent; American
Association)....The Stockton Ports (High
Class A; California League) announced additions to their front-office staff.
Mike Palazzolo will join the team as Director of Special Projects,
Danielle Alt will be the Community Relations Manager, J.P. Sneed will
be the Stadium Operations Manager, Justin Gray will be the Box Office
Manager and Jennifer Norris joins as a new Group Sales Account Executive.
Palazzolo is a Fremont native who will embark on his fourth season in
professional baseball. He spent his first three seasons in baseball with the
Fresno Grizzlies (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League). A native of Algona, Iowa,
Alt is beginning her second season in professional baseball. She had previously
interned for the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (High Class A; Carolina League). Gray,
who will be running the day-to-day operations in the Ports Box Office, was born
and raised in Stockton. He is beginning his first full season in professional
baseball after interning with the Ports during the 2006 season. Norris, a Group
Sales Account Executive, also interned with the Ports in 2006 prior to landing
her full-time position. Sneed, the new Stadium Operations Manager, joins the
Ports after earning his MBA least May from the University of Georgia in Athens.
This will be his third position in professional sports, having worked previously
for the South Carolina Stingrays (ECHL) and the Charleston RiverDogs (Low Class
A; Sally League)....Tom Kotchman returns as manager of the Orem Owlz
(rookie; Pioneer League). Kotchman, the only manager the organization has ever
had, will mark 2007 as his seventh in Utah. In addition to Kotchman, the Owlz
field staff from 2006 will remain intact, with Orem native Zeke Zimmerman
returning as pitching coach and Francisco Matos as hitting coach, with
Utah County resident and BYU faculty member Aaron Wells as athletic
trainer.
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