A's: Don't
expect new ballpark before 2012
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This
is something we've assumed for months based on
discussions with team officials and architects
over the last several months, but
apparently it's news to the locals: Co-owner
Keith Wolff says the earliest the Oakland A's will
be playing in a new Fremont ballpark is the 2012
season, not the official 2011 date the team has
been peddling. There are a whole host of factors
delaying the ballpark development. First. nothing
happens until an environmental-impact study is
completed, and that's not likely to happen before
next year. Then the Fremont City Council must then
approve an actual proposal with actual numbers and
specific plans. And then Wolff must arrange
financing for the complicated development
proposal, which calls for a 32,000-seat ballpark,
a commercial center, a school and plenty of
parking. So if you think little is being done on
the project, you'd be right to a certain extent.
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A's detail Fremont
plans down to the letter;
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Transit teams try to solve Cisco Field
'challenges';
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village in Fremont;
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The next big thing: the San Jose A's?;
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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
Nationals Park
transformed into place of worship for papal Mass
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Pope
Benedict XVI celebrated Mass
today at
Nationals Park before an enthusiastic
crowd of over 46,000. Folks were lining up at 6 a.m. to enter the ballpark for
this morning's service, as the concession stands were serving doughnuts and
coffee and confessional booths were installed throughout. The large crowd also
caused some strain on public transit: officials with the local Metro system say
this should be the biggest day in terms of transporting people. (We
retain enough of our Missouri Synod upbringing to
know
Nationals Park wasn't technically
turned into a church --
no matter what the Washington Post says --
but that doesn't
diminish the majesty of the facility. For the record,
to be a church in the Christian tradition the
entire building must be consecrated. We're
guessing
Nationals Park wasn't consecrated. In
these situations, the altar instead is
consecrated. There's your lesson in religious
architecture for the day.) The local archdiocese
had an interesting argument to prevent ticket
scalping: it's against church law because Mass is
a sacrament and selling a sacrament is a no-no.
(We're guessing Bud Selig is quite envious of this
invocation of divine law.) The pope will also
celebrate Mass at
Yankee Stadium
on Sunday.
Video of today's event from the Washington Times.
Barons release
2009 All-Star Game logo
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The
Birmingham Barons and State Farm Insurance
formally unveiled the logo for the 2009 Southern
League All-Star Game. The contest will be played
in Birmingham at Regions Park on a date yet to be
determined during the summer of 2009, and State
Farm Insurance will be the presenting sponsor.
The 2009 All-Star Game logo was designed by Hartwell Studio
Works of Atlanta, Ga., the same company that
redesigned the Barons’ logos and uniforms this
past off-season. It primarily features the Barons’
logo colors (red, black, and white), with the
exception of two brown bats that form an “X”
behind the logo. The text of the logo was designed
to fit in and around a pentagonal “home plate”
shape. A small Barons “B” is also featured in the
logo.
The 2008 All-Star Game will be played in Zebulon, N.C. on
Monday, July 14, and will be hosted by the
Carolina Mudcats.
Aramark snares
concession deal at Rogers Centre
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The
Toronto Blue Jays have reached a ten-year food and beverage services agreement
with concessionaire Aramark. Under terms of the agreement, Aramark will provide
Rogers Centre with general and club level
concessions as well as manage the HSBC Club VIP Restaurant.
The new partnership will seek to elevate the dining
experience for Blue Jays fans and all guests attending events at
Rogers Centre. In an effort to offer the widest
possible variety of menu offerings and provide the highest quality of service,
Aramark and the Blue Jays will be reaching out to Jays' fans to conduct a series
of fan-based research initiatives to determine fan preferences.
Aramark assumed control of operations on March 28th and
executed its first major event, AMA Supercross, just one day later.
Visalia
officials: Oaks an important economic engine
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Visalia
officials say the Visalia Oaks (High Class A;
California League) are an important economic
engine worthy of support. This will be a
transitional year for the Oaks, who open at home
tonight: because of construction the team is
losing 900 or so seats at Recreation Park, which
really only holds 2,100 or so anyway. The
Visalia Times-Delta talks to local
restaurateurs and hotel owners who sing the
praises of fans arriving and spending money.
Eastern League,
Diamond Pro set up sport-field award
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The
Class AA Eastern League announced a partnership with Diamond Pro, a provider of
infield conditioners and other professional groundskeeping products, in
recognizing the top sports field manager in the Eastern League. The recipient of
the 2008 Eastern League Diamond Pro Sports Field Manager of the Year Award,
which will be chosen through balloting of Eastern League coaches and umpires,
will be announced in August as the 2008 season comes to a close.
"We are very excited to be partnering with Diamond Pro to
recognize the excellent work done by all of the sports field managers," said
Eastern League President Joe McEacharn. "Without the hard work of these
individuals and their crews, we would not be able to provide fans the exciting
baseball action they see day in and day out throughout the spring and summer."
Giants struggle
on, off the field without Bonds
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Everyone
assumed the San Francisco Giants would take a hit
at the box office after the team decided to part
ways with Barry Bonds, but we're guessing no one assumed how much of a slide in
attendance would take place. Of course, it doesn't help that the team is 6-10
and sporting a roster dotted with unproductive veterans. The smallest crowds
ever at
AT&T Park
have been recorded
this week, and Wednesday tally of 30,510 was the best of the bunch.
Pittsfield
wants debt resolved before Dukes play season at Wahconah Park
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The
city of Pittsfield wants Pittsfield Dukes (summer collegiate; NECBL) to pay an
unpaid bill of $8,351.62 before the team will be allowed to play at historic
Wahconah Park this summer. Much of the unpaid bill is in the form of rent
payments of $330 per game from last season. Dukes owner Dan Duquette says he's
in the process of paying the city,
but the
local newspaper seems to have overreacted to the news, wondering if the
NECBL will need to change its schedule if the Dukes can't begin play in June.
Forbes releases
annual MLB team valuations; Yankees, Mets lead the
way
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Forbes
released its annual MLB team valuations, and
as usual the New York Yankees led the way with a
$1.306 valuation. There's quite a gap between the
Yanks and the second-place franchise, the New York
Mets, which was valued at only $824 million,
followed by the Boston Red Sox, valued at $816
million. The valuations for the Yankees and Mets
will go up even more next year after both teams
move into new ballparks and open new revenue
streams. In general, the business of baseball has
never been better. Overall MLB revenues were up
7.7 percent, rising to $5.5 billion. Team values
are also up: the average team is now worth $472
million, up some 9.5 percent on average. In what
is perhaps the most interesting stat, Forbes
estimates that every MLB team turned a profit in
2007. Only three -- the Yankees, Red Sox and Blue
Jays -- were estimated to have actual losses, but
these were more than made up for with big profits
on the cable side of things. All three are
involved in cable networks (YES, NESN, Rogers,
respectively), and profits generated through these
ventures do not show up in the teams' ledger
books. Of course, you can expect all the usual
disclaimers from MLB teams decrying the valuations
and profit estimates; the industry likes to brag
about successes in some situations (like when any
pundit compares MLB to the NFL) and poverty in
others, especially when funding for a new ballpark
is at stake.
Baseball's flee
market
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Normally
we don't spend a lot of time discussing
memorabilia here,
but
we'll note this Newsweek article because we're
quoted in it. The topic is how the New York
Yankees and the New York Mets plan on stripping
Yankee Stadium
and Shea Stadium,
respectively, after the end of the season. We
don't particularly have a problem with it: if the
ballparks are going to be torn down anyway, it's a
good idea to take what's memorable and let the
fans have a shot at it.
Leaving behind
the ghosts of Yankee Stadium
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Speaking
of
Yankee Stadium:
a paranormal expert says
the ghosts currently inhabiting the old ballpark
won't make the move when the team moves into
a new Yankee
Stadium. We're not entirely sure why
disembodied souls are tied to a building on a
physical plane, but Dominick Villella, who works
for Paranormal Investigation of New York City,
thinks the ghosts of former Yankee greats -- or,
rather, their energy -- will stay behind. (We're
guessing a lot of them went away when Yankee
Stadium was rebuilt in the 1970s.)
Defenders add
submarine to Dodd Stadium
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Tonight
the Connecticut Defenders (Class AA; Eastern
League) will unveil the General Dynamics
Electric Boat Submarine. The twenty-foot long
submarine was fashioned in just two weeks by John
Wilson of SignCraft. It features a 778 near the
scope to signify General Dynamic’s most recent
project, The New Hampshire, which is in
development for the military. It also features a
t-shirt cannon with what the team calls an
impressive range. The submarine will be the focal
point for promotions at Dodd Stadium as a “Captain
of the Game” will be named for every Defenders’
home games. The “Captain of the Game” will sit in
the perch of the sub and help fire the t-shirts at
fans in between innings.
BlueClaws
unveil improvements for 2008
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The
Lakewood BlueClaws (Low Class A; Sally League) are
unveiling improvements to FirstEnergy Park,
including a new external video marquee, a
center-field bar and party area with a big-screen
TV, and a new sound system.
You can read all about the improvements here.
New for 2008:
QuikTrip Park at Grand Prairie
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The
Grand Prairie AirHogs (independent; American
Association) announced a ten-year naming-rights
deal with the QuikTrip Corporation of Tulsa, Okla.
The brand-new, $20-million ballpark project will
now be known as QuikTrip Park at Grand Prairie.
Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. It is
the first ballpark in the independent circuit
where a team has sold naming rights -- which is a
pretty amazing fact when you stop and think about
it.
QuikTrip operates nearly 500 gasoline and convenience stores
in nine states, including over 50 in the
Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area, with
concentrations in other major markets such as St.
Louis, Phoenix, Kansas City and Atlanta. Fortune
magazine listed the corporation as No. 28 in its
"100 Best Companies to Work For" in 2008,
QuikTrip’s sixth consecutive year on the list.
"We are so excited to have QuikTrip as our naming rights
partner," said Mark Schuster, president of the
AirHogs. "There were several suitors for the
naming rights, but it came down to two deciding
factors for us. First, we wanted a retail partner
that we could cross-promote with. With QuikTrip
having over 50 locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth
market, and having access to the thousands of
people who visit their stores daily, this made
them the ideal partner to promote our games and
events. Second, we were completely sold on the
leadership at QuikTrip. Their vision for what we
could accomplish with this partnership mirrored
ours."
Ballpark Preview: QuikTrip Park at
Grand Prairie
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Mark Schuster tells us this
will be the best ballpark in the independent
American Association, but he might be aiming his
sights a little low. The new home of the Grand
Prairie AirHogs features permanent seating for
6,000 fans, a 6,000-square-foot sports bar and
restaurant beyond the left-field fence, a cigar
bar, a swimming pool overlooking the right-field
wall, and a 17,000 square-foot Wide World of Parks
Kids Zone, which includes a rock-climbing wall, a
miniature golf course and a wiffle-ball field,
among other attractions.
More information
and renderings within.
Warthogs
announce Mandalay partnership
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As
we reported on March 28, the Winston-Salem Warthogs (High Class A; Carolina
League) are entering into a partnership with Mandalay Baseball Properties to
manage the team's new downtown ballpark and other team operations. Mandalay will
receive a management fee. The firm owns several teams -- the Dayton Dragons (Low
Class A; Midwest League), the Erie SeaWolves (Class AA; Eastern League), the
Frisco RoughRiders (Class AA; Texas League) -- and manages other teams either as
a minority owner or in a straight management deal. The move is the latest in an
attempt to make over the
franchise: the team will lost the Warthogs moniker next season as well.
RELATED STORIES:
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Bulls, Rays extend
PDC
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The
Durham Bulls (Class AAA; International League) and the Tampa Bay Rays have
extended their player-development deal through the 2010 season. No surprise: the
Rays have sent some pretty good players through Durham and ensured the team was
competitive most seasons, and the organization is know for cordial relations
with its affiliates.
This week's podcast:
Springdale opens a new park, while two more
celebrate notable anniversaries
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On
this week's podcast: Springdale sees the opening
of a new ballpark; two teams ramp up efforts to
sell naming rights; two notable ballparks
celebrate anniversaries; and an attempt to curse
the Yankees is foiled by a discovery in a service
area. Publisher Kevin
Reichard and Senior Editor Dave Wright review the
hot topics in the baseball and ballpark worlds in
the weekly Ballpark Digest podcast. We've added
the ability to listen directly to Ballpark Digest podcasts from the front page of the site: just
click on the audio button in the box directly
below this -- no need to load a media player or
other software. The Ballpark Digest podcast has
proven to be a popular feature of the site:
according to the Feedburner stats it's been heard
10,396 (!) times via that service alone since Sept. 17,
2007. To directly subscribe to the feed using Firefox or Internet Explorer,
go to this page and click on the "Subscribe Now"
button.
Comments are welcome.
You can listen directly to the podcast on your own
PC via this link
(it's a standard MP3 file).
More on Ballpark Digest
podcasts here.
Sarasota
officials waiting, waiting, waiting for a call
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Sarasota
officials are patiently waiting by the phone for a call from the Baltimore
Orioles or the Milwaukee Brewers about their interest in moving spring
operations to Ed Smith Stadium after the Reds move out after Spring Training
2009. We're not surprised either team immediately jumped to respond to the city:
the Orioles continue to say privately their first choice is to stay in Fort
Lauderdale and continue to work on a backup plan with Indian River County
officials to renovate Dodgertown. The Brewers, meanwhile, can't move until 2012,
and it doesn't take a master negotiator to reason that Sarasota should develop a
little hunger for spring training to return; there's just no reason to hurry.
More
from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
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officials: Reds spring move not a done deal;
Reds close to
striking deal for Arizona move;
Deadline
approaching on Goodyear pitch to Reds;
Sarasota County
offers $17.6 million toward Ed Smith Stadium renovation;
New Arizona
spring-training venues on schedule; Reds eye move west;
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decision on Ed Smith Stadium improvements;
Reds ask about Lee County
as possible spring-training home;
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Reds exploring
spring move to Arizona;
Orioles on their way to
Dodgertown?;
Community must face up to future of Ed Smith Stadium;
New Dodgers/ChiSox
training facility still up in the air
Mets unveil
specifics of Jackie Robinson Rotunda at new
ballpark
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The
New York Mets, the Jackie Robinson Foundation and
naming-rights partner Citi unveiled the imagery
and text for the Jackie Robinson Rotunda at
Citi Field, the
Mets' new ballpark opening in 2009. The Jackie
Robinson Rotunda at Citi Field pays tribute to
Jackie Robinson, the American trailblazer who
became the first African-American player in Major
League Baseball's modern era when he broke the
sport's color barrier 61 years ago today.
Giants mark
50th anniversary of move to San Francisco NEW!
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The
San Francisco Giants marked the 50th anniversary
of their move from New York City to the Bay with
two relatively low-key ceremonies. First, the team
laid a plaque commemorating the move at the site
of the former Seals Stadium, the team's home
before Candlestick Park opened. (Seals Stadium is
shown below.) The site is now host to big-box
retailers. Then, at the game itself at
AT&T Park,
legendary Giants were on hand and broadcaster Jon
Miller re-created the opening minutes of the play
by play from the initial game. Lost in the hoopla
over the Dodgers
game at the Coliseum in late March: the first
West Coast regular-season MLB was played at Seals
Stadium when the Giants hosted the Dodgers.
New Nationals
ballpark already impacting DC neighborhood
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An
authority no less than the
New York Times says
Nationals Park, the new home of the
Washington Nationals, has had a positive impact on
the surrounding neighborhood. Now, it wouldn't
take much to be a slight improvement: the area was
basically a red-light district before the
bulldozers came in. But what follows is what is
important: new retail, housing and office space
are in the works. Speaking of
Nationals Park:
the Baltimore Sun admits the food is better at
the DC ballpark than at
Oriole Park.
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Nats;
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parking garage to Nats fans;
Crews pick up pace to renovate Metro
station;
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Land acquisitions push up price of new Nats
ballpark;
Parking to be limited near new Nats
ballpark;
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DC ballpark neighbors
fear fan inundation;
PNC Bank buys naming
rights for Nationals' seats;
Nats to open new ballpark
March 29;
Photo tour of new Nats
ballpark;
Nationals make effort to address parking woes at new
ballpark;
On deck: Playing field for
new Nats ballpark;
Goals unmet on ballpark
construction jobs for D.C. workers;
RFK is full of concrete
memories;
Nationals choose
Centerplate to manage concessions at new ballpark;
Lessons for the Lerners:
what to steal from other ballparks;
Nats ballpark to have extensive seating for
wheelchairs;
Metro, District and Nationals talking possible
'ballpark fare';
Signing off on the last beam;
Top price for ducats at new Nats ballpark: $400;
Nationals' transition extends off field;
National crisis: Capital franchise in turmoil;
Ballpark brings hope but no guarantee;
Nationals ballpark 'on time, on budget' for 2008
opening;
Future
distinctly on rise for Nationals;
District not over park cap;
New Nats ballpark to feature cherry blossoms
beyond left-field fence;
As ballpark rises, battles over land continue;
For Nats' home, a rapid ascent;
Nats ballpark cost tops cap, council members say;
Nats owners to pay $20 million for ballpark
upgrades;
With new Nats ballpark, name of the game is money;
D.C. Council approves ballpark parking garages;
The D.C. ballpark parking debate;
Severe penalties await city if parking garages
aren't provided, Gandhi warns;
Ballpark garages proposal rejected;
Fenty promotes aboveground parking to end fight
over new Nats ballpark;
New Nats ballpark construction on schedule for
2008 opening;
Cropp pushes for decision on parking at DC
ballpark;
Mayor proposes lifting cap for DC ballpark parking;
DC ballpark to be first LEED-certified ballpark in
country;
Legislation would revive condo and garage
development at new DC ballpark;
New focus at D.C. ballpark: parking;
D.C. parking issue threatens budget;
Development plan near new Nats ballpark falls flat;
Garage plan at new D.C. ballpark at risk
Consultant
expects Normal ballpark deal shortly
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Consultant
Mike Thiessen says meetings scheduled for tomorrow
and Friday should yield a solid bid for a new
ballpark at Normal's Heartland College. Several
potential owners have contacted Thiessen about the
plan, which involves private capital building a
new ballpark at Heartland College. We continue
hear an ownership group from the independent
Frontier League is in the lead, though groups
interested in an affiliation with the independent
Northern League and American Association are in
play.
RELATED STORIES:
Future of Normal ballpark, team should be clear in
coming weeks
Fan falls to
his death at Shea Stadium
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Brooklyn
resident Antonio Nararainsami, who installed
heating and air conditioning systems for a living,
fell to his death last night after the New York
Mets game at
Shea Stadium. He was walking down an escalator
(which was not running), slipped and then fell two
stories. He was later pronounced dead at the
hospital.
T-Bones to mock
Vick jail term with promo featuring prison garb
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The
Kansas City T-Bones (independent; American
Association) are building a promotion around
former NFL quarterback Mike Vick's prison term in
nearby Leavenworth with a promotion where the team
will sport black-and-white striped prison shirts
and the visiting team, the Gary-SouthShore
RailCats, will be sporting the tops from orange
jumpsuits. Not quite sure the garb is in good
taste. We're not a fan of Michael Vick promotions
-- as you'll recall we criticized the St. Paul
Saints (independent; American Association) for a
Vick promotion -- and while the T-Bones have lots
of community partners on this one (Pets Without
Partners, American Pit Bull Society, The Pet
Connection, Heart of America Humane Society and
the Humane Society of Greater Kansas City), the
decision to put players in prison garb is going
over the line. The game is scheduled for May 28.
Baldwin:
Current ballpark proposal won't work in Richmond
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A
proposal by the city of Richmond to build a
replacement for The Diamond near the existing
ballpark won't work because of its proximity to
I-95, says Richmond Braves (Class AAA;
International League)
GM Bruce Baldwin, whose team is decamping for
Gwinnett County next season. It would be possible
for a long homer to make it on the freeway based
on initial sketches, although a ballpark in that
location surely would have nets installed to
prevent that sort of thing. We don't see anything
happening with a ballpark proposal in Richmond
until the R-Braves formally release the territory
and St. Pete can begin fielding applications for
relocation. The plan for an 8,000-seat ballpark
will more than likely be overkill for whatever
team ends up with the Richmond territory, even if
it's an Eastern League team like the Erie
SeaWolves.
IL to honor
Hall of Famers with statue
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The
International League announced today that
inductees into the circuit’s Hall of Fame will be
presented with a special memento to honor their
designation among the League’s immortals. The
International League’s 125th Anniversary Committee
has commissioned the creation of a statue
presented to members of the IL Hall of Fame upon
their formal induction. The statue, a replica of a
player tipping his cap to the fans, is symbolic of
having been recognized for a job well done. A list
of the 2008 inductees, as well as a photo of the
statue, can
be seen here.
Fans impressed
with the big screen at D-Backs games
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There's
nothing like a new high-definition scoreboard to
please the fans, as the front office of the
Arizona Diamondbacks will tell you. The D-Backs
installed a new mondo hi-def display at
Chase Field before
the start of the season, and so far fans seem
happy with the results, according to this
Arizona Republic article. It is 6,256 square
foot; some teams have similar installations (the
Blue Jays have a spectacular center-field display
in Rogers Centre),
and we're expecting virtually every team to fo
this route in the next several years.
Ballpark Notes
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Mike
Sanchez is the first public-address announcer
of the new Harlingen WhiteWings
(independent; United League Baseball). A native of
Miami, Florida, Sanchez enters his first season as
the stadium-address announcer for the Harlingen
WhiteWings, but previously he could be heard as
the voice of the Brownsville Lopez Lobos where he
has announced hundreds of baseball games since
2000...The Spot makes its return at
Commerce Bank Park beginning this Thursday, as
the Harrisburg Senators (Class AA: Eastern
League) are opening a Spot at the Park
booth at the ballpark .Harrisburg has been without
the Spot Restaurant since its closing on September
28 after nearly 70 years in business. But now
thanks to the efforts of the Billy Kaldes, the
Senators, Sportservice and Marc Butler of Ollie’s
Bargain Outlet, the Spot Dog and Rendell Burger
are being resurrected.....
MECA approves
ballpark deal; O-Royals lease not a sure thing
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A
new 24,000-seat ballpark for the College World
Series is a step closer to reality after the
Metropolitan Entertainment and Convention
Authority (MECA) board today approved
an agreement with the city of Omaha to manage and
build the facility. The deal pretty much hews to
the structure of what had been previously made
public, though now the city must put up a little
more in maintenance and debt reserves. The two
sides plan on formally signing an agreement before
presenting a final plan to the NCAA. We're not
sure the financing plan is as solid as many
believe: the $140 million budget calls for $59.4
million in private donations, and that's a big
number to be raising when the country is in or on
the verge of a recession. Also, it's not a given
the Omaha Royals (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League)
will be a tenant: we've been reporting for weeks
that the O-Royals would look elsewhere if the
proposed ballpark lease were unacceptable (and
apparently there's not a lot of flexibility in
crafting a favorable lease: the MECA agreement
specifically prohibits any "sweetheart deals"),
and
the Omaha World-Herald finally catches up with our
reporting. Apparently PCL President Branch
Rickey III has already weighed in against playing
in the new ballpark because of its large size and
potentially bad lease, and we know the O-Royals
owners have talked fondly of markets like
Vancouver and Tucson. One problem: Warren Buffett
and Walter Scott still own a small chunk of the
O-Royals, and they'd need to sign off on any move
of the franchise. Currently the O-Royals pay
$5,000 per year to play at
Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium
and keep the concession money; we're guessing MECA
is talking about charging the team a whole lot
more than that.
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Rosenblatt
defenders give Omaha mayor an earful;
Omaha
formally commits to 24,000-seat downtown ballpark;
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tell to NCAA to live with Johnny Rosenblatt?;
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MECA formally
opposes new ballpark on its land;
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falling apart?;
O-Royals ready to bail on
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Downtown
ballpark remains choice of Omaha officials, despite higher price tag;
Nebraska
Legislature enters Omaha ballpark fray;
Lot C emerges as frontrunner
for new Omaha ballpark site;
Two sites emerge as
frontrunners for new Omaha ballpark;
Omaha ballpark
panel picks architects to evaluate sites;
Save Rosenblatt
Committee wants representative on mayor's ballpark committee;
NCAA's feelers out
for CWS sites;
Omaha mayor's public
pitch for ballpark begins;
More options
introduced for new home of College World Series;
Skeptics of Omaha
ballpark proposal look for return on funding;
Public to have say on
Omaha ballpark proposal;
Omaha restaurant
owners vow opposition to ballpark tax;
Omaha mayor unveils
$117-million ballpark plan;
Rosenblatt group
sends petitions to NCAA;
Omaha and the CWS: City
bids for 20-year deal;
Omaha Royals support
plan for new ballpark;
NCAA ties College World
Series to new ballpark;
Today's video:
Kevin Costner: Save Rosenblatt Stadium;
Costner: Save
Rosenblatt Stadium;
New downtown Omaha ballpark would be near Qwest;
Rosenblatt fans try to draft Costner;
Rosenblatt demolition among Omaha ballpark
suggestions;
Royals president says two baseball facilities can
work;
Petition drive aims to save Rosenblatt;
Could Indy someday be host for CWS?;
New Omaha ballpark could feature other pastimes;
Coaches reminisce as talk turns to proposed
downtown ballpark;
Plan B: Fix up Rosenblatt;
Omaha wants at least 10-year CWS extension before
ballpark work;
Mayor: NCAA shows interest in new Omaha ballpark;
Omaha floats new ballpark for CWS, O-Royals
Ballpark Visit:
NYSEG Stadium, Binghamton Mets
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NYSEG Stadium,
the home of the Binghamton Mets (Class AA; Eastern
League), may not
be the flashiest facility in the minors, but may
be the most family-friendly facility we've run
across in a long time. It's a ballpark where kids
can run the bases in the middle of the fifth and it's a ballpark where dollar
hot dogs are available every night of the week.
With a host of attractions geared toward kids --
like the giant mascot inflatable shown to the
right-- NYSEG Stadium is a place where families of all
sorts can go out and have a safe, affordable time.
Read our full account
here. UPDATE: We love our readers! We
were wrong, wrong, wrong about NYSEG Stadium being
the only place to buy spiedies in pro baseball.
The Tri-City ValleyCats (short season; NY-Penn
League) not only offer Lupo’s Spiedies at the
Buddy’s Barbeque area of Joe Bruno Stadium, they
have a mascot, Spiedie the Chicken, who throws
sandwiches out to the crowd while riding a Vespa.
Nice. We will be seeing Spiedie in action when we
visit Bruno Stadium for the NY-Penn League
All-Star Game this August. Thanks to Vic
Christopher of the ValleyCats for the information.
Knights
shopping naming rights to new ballpark
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The
Charlotte Knights are selling the present and the future: In addition to
promoting this season at Knights Stadium,
the team is also shopping naming rights for a new Uptown Charlotte ballpark.
Private Sports Consulting has worked with the team on a plan to sell the rights
for between $500,000 to $1 million annually. That's a little on the high end,
but not unreasonable for a city the size of Charlotte: the team's profile should
dramatically rise in a new ballpark, which may open as
early as next season (though we're growing more and more skeptical about the
team meeting that deadline).
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Study: local business
will buy into Knights ballpark plan;
Mecklenburg
County approves new Charlotte ballpark;
Reese offers to settle
lawsuits over new Knights ballpark;
Vote on new Charlotte
ballpark delayed;
Mecklenburg
County approves land swap for new Knights ballpark;
With lease deal
close, Knights ready ballpark plans;
Appeal filed in
Charlotte land-swap case;
Charlotte
ballpark lawsuit tossed;
Council action
aids Charlotte baseball deal;
Knights say downtown
site squeeze is OK;
Much up in air with uptown baseball plans;
County waves Knights toward uptown;
County details Knights ballpark numbers;
Knights now pushing to get ballpark in play by
2009;
Charlotte approves Knights ballpark deal;
Knights in talks on financing new ballpark;
Schools agree to role
in land swap for baseball;
County moves forward on Knights ballpark plan;
A new season for Knights, but same old battles;
More time wanted for Charlotte baseball deal;
Officials: Arts
sale not about sports;
Ballpark land swap
still in play for reshaping Charlotte;
Could new Charlotte
ballpark be delayed by lawsuit?;
Land deal for Charlotte ballpark advances;
Diehl plans fight over Charlotte ballpark;
Mecklenburg County set for baseball deal role;
Charlotte Council seeks answers on baseball;
Uptown park for Knights makes sense;
Charlotte council gets update on baseball plan;
Chamber: poll shows overwhelming support for
Knights ballpark;
Backers urge: Make noise for Charlotte ballpark;
A slow curve in Charlotte;
Charlotte ballpark land swap seen as feasible;
Charlotte Knights select Barton Malow to oversee
ballpark construction;
Hard days for Knights;
Knights see more fans, but lag league;
Knights select Odell Associates, HOK to design new
ballpark;
Knights meet with potential architects;
Competing plans for baseball parks in Charlotte;
The big pitch for uptown baseball in Charlotte;
Charlotte turns to funding plans for ballpark;
Will Charlotte ballpark be magnet for growth?;
Third Ward residents object to new Knights
ballpark;
Uptown baseball in Charlotte may cost city $5
million;
Charlotte ballpark plan now turns to question of
real estate;
Arts package heads the agenda for city funding,
but baseball is now up to bat with a new plan;
Uptown ballpark plan has some rally-killers;
Deal in works for uptown Charlotte ballpark
Pelicans,
Braves extend PDC
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The
Myrtle Beach Pelicans (High Class A; Carolina League) announced a two-year
extension to their player-development contract with the Atlanta Braves. The
extension will continue the Pelicans partnership with the Braves, which has been
intact since the franchise’s inception in 1999, through 2010. The announcement
was made by Pelicans’ President & Managing Partner Chuck Greenberg and Braves’
Director of Player Development Kurt Kemp in a special pre-game ceremony prior
the Pelicans home opener against the Frederick Keys.
More on the current state of affiliations here.
Bees
reevaluate future naming-rights deals
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Franklin
Covey is debating whether to renew their naming-rights deal at Franklin Covey
Field, the home of the Salt Lake Bees (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League).
Franklin Quest, a predecessor to the firm, entered into a 15-year deal for
naming rights for $1.4 million, and the Bees front office says they can get more
on a new naming-rights deal.
More from the
Deseret News.
It's official:
Nationals Park is LEED certified
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So
many people were discussing this as a foregone conclusion we were a little
worried it might not happen.
Nationals Park,
the new home of the Washington Nationals, is the first major-league facility to
be LEED-certified. LEED is a point-based system where projects earn points for
satisfying specific green building criteria. This project incorporated enough
green design elements, such as water conservation, using efficient field
lighting, adding a green roof and incorporating recycling at the ballpark, to
qualify it for a higher level of certification. (Penn State's Medlar Field at
Lubrano Park, also the home of the State College Spikes, was the first ballpark
to be LEED-certified.)
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parking garage to Nats fans;
Crews pick up pace to renovate Metro
station;
Nationals ready for opening of new ballpark;
Land acquisitions push up price of new Nats
ballpark;
Parking to be limited near new Nats
ballpark;
Nationals to open regular season at home on March 30;
DC ballpark neighbors
fear fan inundation;
PNC Bank buys naming
rights for Nationals' seats;
Nats to open new ballpark
March 29;
Photo tour of new Nats
ballpark;
Nationals make effort to address parking woes at new
ballpark;
On deck: Playing field for
new Nats ballpark;
Goals unmet on ballpark
construction jobs for D.C. workers;
RFK is full of concrete
memories;
Nationals choose
Centerplate to manage concessions at new ballpark;
Lessons for the Lerners:
what to steal from other ballparks;
Nats ballpark to have extensive seating for
wheelchairs;
Metro, District and Nationals talking possible
'ballpark fare';
Signing off on the last beam;
Top price for ducats at new Nats ballpark: $400;
Nationals' transition extends off field;
National crisis: Capital franchise in turmoil;
Ballpark brings hope but no guarantee;
Nationals ballpark 'on time, on budget' for 2008
opening;
Future
distinctly on rise for Nationals;
District not over park cap;
New Nats ballpark to feature cherry blossoms
beyond left-field fence;
As ballpark rises, battles over land continue;
For Nats' home, a rapid ascent;
Nats ballpark cost tops cap, council members say;
Nats owners to pay $20 million for ballpark
upgrades;
With new Nats ballpark, name of the game is money;
D.C. Council approves ballpark parking garages;
The D.C. ballpark parking debate;
Severe penalties await city if parking garages
aren't provided, Gandhi warns;
Ballpark garages proposal rejected;
Fenty promotes aboveground parking to end fight
over new Nats ballpark;
New Nats ballpark construction on schedule for
2008 opening;
Cropp pushes for decision on parking at DC
ballpark;
Mayor proposes lifting cap for DC ballpark parking;
DC ballpark to be first LEED-certified ballpark in
country;
Legislation would revive condo and garage
development at new DC ballpark;
New focus at D.C. ballpark: parking;
D.C. parking issue threatens budget;
Development plan near new Nats ballpark falls flat;
Garage plan at new D.C. ballpark at risk
Thunder mark
15th anniversary of Waterfront Park
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The
Trenton Thunder (Class AA; Eastern League) has been one of the most successful
franchises in pro baseball, and the team marks the 15th anniversary of
Waterfront Park this summer. It's an amazing story: Trenton may not be one of
the economic hot spots of the country, but the Thunder regularly draw over
400,000 a season and should welcome their six-millionth fan this season.
Avon mayor: new
ballpark to open in 2009
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Avon
(Ohio) Mayor Jim Smith says his city will break ground next month on a new
5,000-seat ballpark for an independent Frontier League ballpark. He sounds
pretty confident about the ballpark opening next season; given the later start
to the Frontier League season, they should be fine barring any weird weather. We
think the mayor is smoking crack when he estimates
2 million people will visit the ballpark next season: the Southern Illinois
Miners led the Frontier League last season with a total attendance of 259,392,
and we can't see enough big events in Avon to argue 1.6 million plus will be
attending events other than baseball games.
Happy birthday,
Blair Field
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When
it was first built in 1958, folks in Long Beach held out the dream Blair Field
would be the home for a future major-league baseball team. That didn't happen
... although it hosted a few exhibition games and several future major leaguers
played there.
It was used heavily over the years as the home for three
minor-league
teams, including the Long Beach Armada (independent; Golden Baseball League),
thousands of high school games and (for a decade), a practice facility for the
NFL Los Angeles Rams.
The place fell into disrepute but has been refurbished and
(since 1993) is the home field for Long Beach State, the preseason pick to win
the Big West Conference. On Friday, April 11, the Dirtbags hosted UC-Irvine on
the 50th anniversary of the first game ever played there.
The Long Beach Press-Telegram is taking the occasion to look
back fondly on a field that is now considered one of the best college baseball
facilities in the country.
Should Richmond
say goodbye to baseball?
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Paul
Woody is trying to raise trouble
when he argues Richmond should just ignore baseball once the Richmond Braves
(Class AAA; International League) move out of town. He's right that there's
likely to be a battle over the territory; we would expect at least one Eastern
League to put in a claim for Richmond, and they won't care whether The Diamond
is in bad condition; their angle will be for a new ballpark.
Curses, foiled
again! Attempt to hex Bombers fails when jersey is
uncovered
Posted April 14, 2008 (feedback)
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An
attempt by a Red Sox-loving construction worker at
the
new Yankee Stadium to place a
curse on the Bronx Bombers failed when
workers
uncovered a David Ortiz jersey buried in the
ballpark. Construction worker Gino Castignoli, a
Red Sox fan who helped lay cement at the new
ballpark as a day worker, surreptitiously hid the
jersey under a service entrance behind home plate,
and then bragged to the New York Post about
his deed. (Apparently his thinking was the burying
of the Ortiz jersey would put a curse on the
Yankees similar to the Curse of the Bambino.) That
didn't sit too well with other
Yankee Stadium
construction workers, who deduced where Castignoli
laid the jersey and asked to look for it. Sure
enough, they found the Ortiz jersey. Now, if
you're going to go to the trouble of sneaking a
Red Sox jersey into a
Yankee Stadium
construction site, you probably should be smart
enough not to brag about it until it's too late to
dig up the jersey.
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Sponsorships
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Finales set for
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Progress report: New York's new ballparks;
The stadium chase;
Yankees, Mets won't
sell seat licenses; ballpark funds in place;
Whole new ballgame;
Yankees, Mets bond sales set, both teams rated
junk;
Bronx group goes to court vs. new Yankee Stadium;
New York City receives IRS approval on ballpark
bonds;
New York Agency approves ballpark financing for
Yankees, Mets;
MTA pressed to create shortcut to Shea;
Is Steinbrenner house, which Ruth built, poor?;
NY City Council easily passes Yankees, Mets
ballpark bonding bills;
Squeeze play on Mets ballpark;
Mets: Forget about naming new park after Jackie
Robinson;
New Mets ballpark deal is stalled;
Squeeze play on the Mets;
Strike one for new Mets ballpark;
Mets park's name will fetch millions;
Mets unveil plans for new ballpark;
Yankees, Mets closer to new ballparks;
City goes to bat for Yankees, Mets ballparks;
State agency approves plans for Yankees, Mets
ballparks
Topeka
moves forward with ballpark plans
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Topeka
officials announced tentative plans for a 2,500-seat ballpark based on feedback
from area residents. Doug Stewart of the Stewart Sports Group and Bob Carlson,
principal at DLR, made a presentation last Friday. Though no location was
specified, it sounds like officials are leaning toward a downtown location.
We've heard from the mayor's office and will be posting some renderings and
other details later today.
Ballpark Notes
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The
Trenton Thunder (Class AA; Eastern League) introduced its new character,
Strike, at Kids Opening Day on Sunday, April 13. Throughout the month of
March, fans were invited to visit www.trentonthunder.com and suggest a name for
the new character. Suggestions were also accepted at Thunder community and
school appearances throughout the month. Over 1,000 suggestions were made with
"Strike" being the most suggested name....Jake Bowen, who played infield
for the Rockford RiverHawks (independent; Frontier League) in 2006, was
killed Saturday in a traffic accident in his hometown of Cedar Park, Texas.
Bowen, a passenger, was involved in a single-car wreck.