LaGrave Field, Fort Worth
Cats
It is one of the most unique facilities in pro
ball: LaGrave Field, the home of the Fort Worth
Cats (independent; American Association), sits
where the original LaGrave Field sat from 1926
through 1967. The dimensions are the same as in
the original facility, home plate sits in the same
place, and the dugouts of the old ballpark have
been converted to dugout suites. And, being Texas,
there's a hitching rail beyond the outfield for
folks riding to the games on horseback.
Doug Kingsmore Stadium,
Clemson Tigers
Before its thorough makeover and renaming in 2003,
“Beautiful Tiger Field” described the home of the
Clemson Tigers. Not surprising, and not an
overstated moniker. While the ballpark and other
athletic facilities are closely connected to the
western edge of campus, the grandstand view
features an appealing pastoral feel, and although
the ballpark is now named for Tigers alum and
contributor Doug Kingsmore, it's still a beautiful
field.
QuikTrip Park at Grand
Prairie, Grand Prairie AirHogs
The aviation theme is strong
at QuikTrip Park at Grand Prairie, the new home of
the Grand Prairie AirHogs (independent; American
Association), but it's not overwhelming and
gimmicky. We were there opening night: it's an
impressive facility that raises the bar for indy
facilities and should allow the team to be
competitive in the increasingly crowded
Dallas-Fort Worth market.
Obligatory legal information:
This site is copyright 1998-2008 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.
Ballpark Preview:
New Normal ballpark
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The $12 million stadium for a new Heartland
Community College and a new independent Frontier
League team will be implemented in two stages:
first, the artificial turf will be put down this
fall so the college can play on it next spring.
Construction of the grandstand portion of the
ballpark will take place next year, with an
opening scheduled for the 2010 season.
The ballpark in Normal, Il., will hold 6,750 fans in total:
2,500 in archair seats, 1,500 on benches with back
seating, 2,000 on the grass berm and another 250
in the 14 suites. In addition, the ballpark will
feature a beer garden, a retail store, team office
space, a playground, a picnic area and a tiered
dining area.
More information and renderings within. Mike
Veeck discusses the new ballpark and the new Normal
team in this week's
podcast.
Dodgers
sell Vero Beach franchise to Ripken Baseball
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The
Vero Beach Rays franchise -- which played for a long time as the Vero Beach
Dodgers -- has been sold by the Los Angeles Dodgers to to Ripken Baseball, with
the Tampa Bay Rays having a stake in the deal. With the Tampa Bay involvement,
we expect the team to be shifted to Port Charlotte for the 2009 season. The deal
is effectively immediately, with the Dodgers retaining management of the
franchise through the end of the season. Though the sale was totally expected --
we referred to it several times in past months, though the terms of the deal did
shift over time -- it's still a blow for baseball fans in Vero Beach, who face a
2009 season without either the Dodgers or Florida State League baseball.
Today's video: NY-Penn League
All-Star Game spot
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Today's
video comes from the Tri-City ValleyCats, hosts
of the 2008 NY-Penn League All-Star Game. This
commercial promotes the event, slated for Aug. 19
at Joe Bruno Stadium. There are bound to be some
future major leaguers on the field, and we're sure
the ValleyCats will put on a great show: the
schedule of events, which includes an Eddie Money
concert, is strong. We'd love to share your videos
with the baseball community; just send them to
editors@augustpublications.com.
Ghosts quadruple
merchandise sales with new moniker
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The
Casper Ghosts (rookie; Pioneer League), the former
Casper Rockies, have quadrupled merchandise sales
with the team's new name and logo, according to
owner Kevin Haughian.
"We really wanted something that reached out not only to our
great fan base in Wyoming but beyond," Haughian
said.
The team finished near the bottom in merchandise sales in all
of minor league baseball in 2007 (as the Casper
Rockies), but in 2008 it's a very different story.
Leading the way: the first glow-in-the-dark hat in
baseball history, which comes in three different
iterations. That's led the team to implement other
glow-in-the-dark merchandise.
Spikes offer challenge to
fans: We win, you win
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Nothing
like a little humiliation of the front office to
get fans going. The State College Spikes (short
season; NY-Penn League) are throwing a We Win, You
Win promotion tonight. If the Spikes win, fans can
redeem their used ticket stubs for a $1 ticket to
a Field Box, Bullpen Box or Outfield Bleacher seat
to one of the Spikes' games against the Staten
Island Yankees on August 12, 13 or 14.
If the Spikes lose, General Manager Rick Janac and Director
of Ticket Sales Chris Phillips will have a "Walk
Off." The pair will walk around the bases for one
hour for every run the Spikes lose by. The
ballpark will open to the fans at 11:00 a.m. and
there will be an open mic for fans to heckle/cheer
on the walkers. The Spikes will donate $1 for
every fan in attendance on Saturday to the Breast
Care Center at Mount Nittany Medical Center. Janec
and Phillips had better have those walking shoes
ready: Marcus Bankston (0-5, 6.69 ERA) goes for
the 10-36 Spikes.
Chiefs set group,
season-ticket sales records
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The
Peoria Chiefs (Low Class A; Midwest League) have
announced that another ticket sales record broken
by the franchise. The 2008 Chief sales staff has
passed last season’s group and season ticket
revenue record and plans to surpass last season’s
record by five to seven percent by the end of the
season.
"We had a great season last year, thanks in large part to the
introduction of Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg as the
2007 Chiefs manager as well as to the work of our
sales staff," said Joe Wagoner, Vice President of
Sales. "This year we can give a lot more of the
credit to the hard work and dedication of our
staff. Though Sandberg has returned as our manager
for the 2008 season, we feel our salespeople
deserve the recognition for getting the fans back
to the stadium to see a good baseball game as well
as a Hall of Famer."
This year the Chiefs staff introduced new incentives for
their renewal program. Ticket package holders who
renewed their tickets early last fall and winter
received various memorabilia items autographed by
current and former Cubs stars. In 2007, the Chiefs
surpassed the previous group and season ticket
sales record by 15 percent.
Thunder offer their own
Favre promotion: free season tix
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Upon
hearing the news that future Hall of Fame
quarterback Brett Favre had been traded to the New
York Jets, the Trenton Thunder (Class AA; Eastern
League) offered the former Green Bay Packer season
tickets for the remainder of the 2008 Thunder
season.
"This is a big transition for Brett and his family, and the
Thunder wanted to ensure they would feel welcome
in the Garden State from day one," said Thunder
Assistant General Manager Greg Coleman. The New
York Jets play their home games in East
Rutherford, N.J., which is approximately an hour
drive from Trenton.
In the event the three-time MVP is unable to use his tickets
because of his football commitments, the Thunder
will donate Favre's tickets to the charity of his
choice.
MiLB, teams raise $100,000
for Iowa flood relief
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Minor
League Baseball representatives, on behalf of MiLB
Charities, will present $25,000 checks to local
officials in the Iowa cities of Burlington, Cedar
Rapids, Davenport (Quad Cities) and Des Moines,
beginning this Friday. The presentations to these
four Minor League cities affected by the recent
floods will take place at each club’s ballpark
before a home game.
"Minor League Baseball is pleased to be able to participate
in some small way in the recovery of the Iowa
communities so hard hit by the 2008 floods," said
Minor League Baseball President Pat O’Conner.
"These particular communities have served as
welcoming hosts for Minor League Baseball for many
years and, as a member of baseball's extended
family, we are most concerned with their recovery
and a return to normalcy, as soon as possible. Our
hearts and prayers go out to them as they battle
back, and we offer our help to lighten their
burden."
MiLB Charities, a tax exempt, 501(c)(3) charitable
organization affiliated with the National
Association of Professional Baseball Leagues (NAPBL),
originally pledged $50,000 to aid the Iowa flood
victims. Member leagues and clubs then came to the
aid of their fellow Minor League Baseball brethren
by sending donations to MiLB Charities for
dispersal to the Iowa cities.
The schedule of check presentations, including the recipient
of the $25,000 in each city, is as follows: August
8, Cedar Rapids, The Kernels Foundation; August 9,
Burlington, the City of Burlington; August 11,
Quad Cities, Unsinkable Spirit Fund; August 12,
Des Moines, City of Des Moines Parks & Recreation
Department.
Ballpark Preview: Glendale spring-training
facility
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The $80-million Glendale Spring Training Facility
for the Chicago White Sox and the Los Angeles
Dodgers passed its 50 percent complete mile marker
in early August and should be ready for Spring
Training 2009.
The training facility, located at 107th Avenue and Camelback
Road in Phoenix, Ariz., is designed with 10,000
fixed seats and 3,000 lawn seats, making it the
largest facility in the state’s Cactus League.
"The innovative campus setting, with its contemporary
southwestern desert architecture, offers the best
in training facilities for two of Major League
Baseball’s most storied teams as well as a
destination location for the entire community,"
said Mo Stein, FAIA, FACHA, principal-in-charge at
HKS.
"The site, organized around a central connecting path and
lake, hosts two stadium entries – one at home
plate and a more prominent entry at center field,"
he said. "The stadium concourse is open with views
into the stadium as well as broad walkways. It is
a pedestrian experience, much like the entire
site."
Located on a 141-acre site with a three-acre lake, the
stadium has the capacity to host 13,000 fans. It
includes more than 118,000 square feet of major
and minor league clubhouses as well as four major
league practice fields, eight minor league
practice fields, and two practice infields. Each
team has a replica major league field to emulate
their home stadium.
More here,
including an additional rendering.
Will schedule problems
doom Sally/Midwest shift?
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Our
inbox/phone line was buzzing yesterday after a
proposed schedule from MiLB for a 14-team South
Atlantic League was released to team owners, and
it indicated a high level of dissatisfaction with
how the league would work if the Lake County
Captains and a new Bowling Green team were to
leave for the Midwest League. Basically, the
issues revolve around the need for regular
five-game series and homestands lasting 10 games
or more. In addition, a number of waivers would be
required because many road trips would violate the
500-mile rule, and the plan would increase the
number of times the Northern Division teams play
one another (31 times; the informal limit had been
24) while at the same time veer from
guidelines concerning weekend dates. In general,
five-game series aren't very popular among
operators, and neither are long road trips. This
is a plan pushed by the Cleveland Indians to shift
Lake County from the Sally League to the Midwest
League, but the consequences are ending up to be
more extensive than just the move of two teams:
there was already a lot of grumbling about the
plan from Midwest League owners (it was a
prime topic at the All-Star Game), and if the plan
garners more opposition in the Sally League,
there's a distinct chance it could be rejected by
owners in either league. UPDATE: A
sample schedule has been sent out to Midwest
League owners. It, too, contains five-game series
and 10-game homestands and roadtrips.
Seats from Shea priced at
$869 per pair
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The
city of New York and the New York Mets will be
selling seats from
Shea Stadium
for $869 a pair, considerably more than the $500
price memorabilia experts expected. Season-ticket
holders will get first crack at the seats,
available in orange (field-level), blue (loge),
green (mezzanine) or red (upper deck) at the Mets
website, with a sale to the general public
starting Aug. 25. The pricing is the highest we've
seen: the Cards charged $450 for a pair of seats
at Busch Stadium II. The Mets are donating their
share of the proceeds to the Mets Foundation. No
word on what the Yankees and the city will be
charging for
Yankee Stadium seats; we'd be surprised if it
was below $1,500 for a pair, given the aggressive
pricing for
Shea
Stadium seats.
On
this week's Ballpark Digest broadcast: Mike Veeck,
president of the St. Paul Saints (independent;
American Association) and the man bringing
independent Frontier League baseball to Normal,
Ill., discusses planning for the new Normal
ballpark and working with Frontier League
officials, his efforts strategies to bring a new
ballpark to St. Paul, the future of independent
baseball, and changes in his annual promotional
seminar.
Also on this week's broadcast: we present the big
news stories of the week (including an update on a
proposal to shift two Sally League teams to the
Midwest League), and Dave Wright looks back on
Skip Caray's career. To directly
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go to this page and click on the "Subscribe Now"
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Comments are welcome.
You can listen directly to the broadcast on your own
PC via this link
(it's a standard MP3 file).
More on Ballpark Digest
broadcasts here.
O-Royals walk
away from negotiations for new downtown ballpark
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Alan
Stein, president of the Omaha
Royals (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League), says he
has shut down negotiations to play at a new
downtown Omaha ballpark and will pursue other
options, including possible moves outside the
market. The team has already had talks with
representatives from suburban Sarpy County about a
new ballpark there, and the O-Royals have received
permission to explore a move to suburban Houston
and Vancouver as well. Following a meeting with
MECA President and Chief Executive Officer Roger
Dixon, Stein said the city has negotiated with the
team in good faith but there are still some issues
that have not yet been resolved. The decision to
explore other potential options and a home for the
Triple-A franchise was made to adhere to a strict
timeline that is based on the eventual demise of
Rosenblatt Stadium.
"We have to do what is best for the Omaha Royals, our fans
and our shareholders. And while we continue to
keep all options open, including the College World
Series Stadium in downtown Omaha, we need to
explore, more aggressively, other opportunities,"
Stein said. "We are still looking at other
communities, both inside and outside the Greater
Omaha area, that are interested in being the new
home to the Royals. But as I’ve said before we
would very much like to keep a professional
baseball team that is affiliated with Major League
baseball in the metro-area."
Pendulum Studio
snares Normal ballpark design deal
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A
new Kansas City architectural practice, Pendulum
Studio, has been awarded a $12-million ballpark to
be built on 22 acres of the Heartland Community
College campus in Normal, Illinois. While the name
of the firm is new, the principals -- Jonathan
Cole and Devan Case -- are well-known in the
sports architecture world, given their experience
over the years with HOK Sport, HNTB, 360
Architecture and BNIM Architects.
The new facility will be home to the Heartland College
baseball team as well as a new independent
Frontier League team owned by Normal Professional
Baseball Club LLC, led by veteran baseball
operator Mike Veeck. The multi-sport complex has
been designed to accommodate baseball, soccer,
football and concerts, distinguishing itself as
one of the most flexible facilities in the region.
The project will consist of two phases, the main
playing field and practice fields will be ready
for collegiate play March 2009. The remainder of
the facility will be ready for professional
baseball May 2010.
More here.
Initial renderings released for College World
Series ballpark
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(discuss) Three
architecture firms will begin their own road to
Omaha after having been selected in June by Omaha
Mayor Mike Fahey to design the new Omaha Baseball
Stadium, the future home for the College World
Series.
Led by Omaha-based HDR, Inc. as architects and engineers of
record, the team also includes nationally
recognized ballpark designers HOK Sport as design
architect and DLR Group as associate architect.
“This is a tremendous project for the community to continue
its legacy as the home of the College World
Series,” noted Bruce Carpenter, AIA, HDR project
principal. “By creating this vibrant new
environment, the experience for both fans and
athletes will be enhanced for many generations to
come.”
HDR and HOK Sport have been working together on the project
since November 2007, assisting the Mayor’s select
committee with pre-design services including
studies for the renovation of the existing
Rosenblatt Stadium, the evaluation of eight
potential new stadium sites, and programming and
conceptual design of the current new stadium
option. HDR brings an intimate knowledge of the
Omaha landscape, having been a fixture in Omaha
architecture for more than 90 years. DLR Group has
designed more than 40 ballparks, and HOK Sport has
designed more than 150 ballparks across the
country.
PETA names the
most veggie-friendly ballparks in the minors
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(discuss) It
used to be hard to find an alternative to meat
products at a ballpark, but these days most teams
offer something of interest to vegetarians.
Recognizing this, PETA has released its yearly
awards to the most vegetarian-friendly ballparks
in the
minor leagues. Leading the list is
MerchantsAuto.com Stadium, the home of the New
Hampshire Fisher Cats (Class AA; Eastern League),
where you can find grilled veggie burgers,
vegetarian baked beans, veggie wraps, garden
salad, grilled veggie sandwiches, grilled
portobello burgers (available on request and
cooked to order: veggie burgers, veggie sausages
and veggie dogs. Rounding out the PETA top-ten
list: Durham Bulls Athletic Park, PGE Park, McCoy
Stadium, Cheney Stadium, AutoZone Park, Ripken
Stadium, Frontier Field, Harry Grove Stadium and
Appalachian Power Park.
Will two teams
shift from Cal League to Carolina League?
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Baseball
America is reporting that Bakersfield and High
Desert will be leaving the Cal League and shifting
to the Carolina League. That's a story several
sources have peddled us in recent weeks, and one
we've passed on reporting, as we've not been
totally confident about the veracity of the
claims. True, there's a lot of wishful thinking
here, and it allows the Cal League to deal with
the issue of what to do with Bakersfield. But
we're really doubtful about where Baseball America
says the teams will end up: Richmond and
Fayetteville. First, we can't believe Richmond
will go from a Class AAA market to a High A
market, especially when there are Class AA Eastern
League owners eager to explore the market.
Richmond is just too big -- the population of
Richmond proper is
around 192,000, and that's not
counting any of the surrounding communities.
That's almost twice the size of Erie, Pa., and
more than five times the size of Norwich. Second,
we think it's highly, highly doubtful Fayetteville
will go for affiliated ball after being burned in
the past with the likes of the Cape Fear Crocs.
Darrell and Lew Handelsman have put down some
pretty firm roots at Riddle Stadium and have a
lease at the ballpark through 2013 -- a lease we
can't see Darrell giving up without a fight. And
the Fayetteville city officials we talked with say
they have absolutely no stomach for putting money
into a new ballpark after the Handelsmans came in
and spent their own money on fixing up Riddle
Stadium. (That's one side effect of the rise of
summer-collegiate ball: decent markets like
Fayetteville, Columbia, Madison and Wilmington,
N.C. are not as eager to explore pitches from
affiliated teams as they were in the past because
the summer-collegiate teams have established some
deep roots.) Would some owners and commissioners
like to see the shift? Absolutely. Is it likely to
happen? Right now we'd put it at 50-50 -- but not
in the scenario envisioned by Baseball America. We
hear Columbia, S.C. is a much more likely
destination for a team than Fayetteville (it was a
market targeted by the Sally League in recent
years) -- but you still have the problem of a
Coastal Plain League team holding the lease to the
ballpark, and it's a stretch given the geography
of the league.
Fallout
continues over Dayton/Peoria brawl
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(discuss) You'll
all recall
the unfortunate bench-clearing brawl between the
Peoria Chiefs and Dayton Dragons on July 24,
and late last week Midwest League President George
Spelius handed down his punishments to both teams.
Seven Chiefs players and interim manager Carmelo
Martinez have been suspended for a combined 98
games with a total of $4,600 in fines. Starting
pitcher Julio Castillo, no longer on the Chiefs
active roster after being charged with felonious
assault in Ohio's Montgomery County, lead the way
with a 60-game suspension that extends into next
year. He was also fined $1,000. Outfielders
Brandon Guyer and Cliff Andersen, infielder Jovan
Rosa, pitchers Steve Vento and Audy Santana and
catcher Mario Mercedes were each fined $150 and
suspended for three games. The suspensions started
Friday night against South Bend and will be
staggered over the next week. Martinez, the Cubs'
Latin American Field Coordinator, was fined $1,500
and suspended for 20 games. He was filling in as
Chiefs manager for the three-game series while
Ryne Sandberg was in Cooperstown, N.Y. for the
Hall of Fame induction ceremonies. In addition to
the individual punishments, the remaining Chiefs
players were fined a lump sum of $1,200 for
leaving their positions in violation of the
On-Field Behavior. Dayton had eight players
suspended three games each for their roles in the
incident, and each were also fined. In addition,
manager Donnie Scott was suspended three games and
fined while the rest of the players were fined for
leaving the dugout.
We're not entirely sure how much this hurts minor-league
baseball. Brawls are a relatively rare occurrence
in the game: sure, you'll see posturing in games
after a brushback pitch, but dugout-clearing
melees don't happen very often. The real concern
here --
and the reason for much angst from Joe McEacharn
and Branch Rickey III, we are guessing -- is
that a fan was injured. What happens on the field
in terms of conflict historically hasn't affected
attendance, but if fans start to be wary of
showing up to the ballpark because of the
possibility of injury relating to on-field
actions, then there's cause for worry. But if this
ends up being a one-time incident where the
punishments are deemed to be sufficiently severe
-- and between the suspensions and the ongoing
legal actions, we suspect they are -- then Minor
League Baseball will be fine.
Sadly, the incident overshadowed a pretty significant event
in Chiefs and Midwest League history: Peoria and
Kane County attracted
32,103 fans to
Wrigley Field last week for the first minor-league
game in that ballpark's august history. It's
believed to be the second-biggest attendance tally
in Class A history, surpassed only by a 1981 Cal
League game played at Jack Murphy Stadium during
the MLB players' strike. Still, the Wrigley Field
tally was big enough to set a Midwest League
attendance record.
More on that game from the Chicago Tribune.
Today's
videos: Gary Coleman signs one-game deal with Madison Mallards
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We
have the first celebrity signing on the summer-collegiate front, as the Madison
Mallards of the Northwoods League attracted plenty of media attention last week
with the signing of former child star Gary Coleman to a one-game contract.
Coleman indeed showed up to Warner Park to sign
the contract and lead off in the subsequent game. In the first video, Coleman --
who first hit the national scene in the Different Strokes sitcom -- signs
the contract, while in the second he steps to the plate, with a surprising
result.
Barons
to honor Negro Leagues
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The
Birmingham Barons (Class AA; Southern League) and the American Negro League
Association will partner together on Tuesday, August 5, to honor Birmingham’s
rich Negro Leagues history. Several former Negro Leagues players are expected to
be in attendance, including Raymond Haggins, John Mitchell, Jessie Mitchell,
William H. "Bill" Greason, and Robert A. "Bob" Veale. Veale achieved arguably
the most success of the group, spending all or part of 13 seasons in the Major
Leagues (including two as an All-Star) and serving as a key member of the World
Series-winning pitching staff for the 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates.
The group will be recognized in a special pre-game ceremony
before the Birmingham Barons take on the Chattanooga Lookouts Tuesday evening.
During the game, a wide selection of Negro Leagues and other
baseball memorabilia will be on sale in a silent auction format, with the
proceeds benefiting the American Negro Leagues Association. Items include
autographs from Veale and former Black Baron (and Hall of Famer) Willie Mays,
Negro Leagues jerseys from Hall-of-Famers Josh Gibson and Hank Aaron, and a
variety of other hats, shirts, pictures, and jerseys.
On
this week's Ballpark Digest broadcast: Joe Santry,
Director of Communications/Media/Historian for the
Columbus Clippers (Class AAA; International
League), joins us to the discuss the final days of
historic Cooper
Stadium. Only a handful
of dates remain there as the Clippers look forward
to a new ballpark in the city's Arena District.
Also on this week's broadcast: we present the big
news stories of the week, and Kevin Reichard
discusses his recent trip to Billings' Dehler
Park. To directly
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(it's a standard MP3 file).
More on Ballpark Digest
broadcasts here.
RiverHawks to
host 2009 Frontier League All-Star Game
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The
Rockford RiverHawks will host the 2009 Frontier League All-Star Game next July
15. It will be the first time the RiverHawks, who have been in the Stateline
since 2002, have hosted the game.
"The Frontier League is honored to come to Rockford for the
All Star game in 2009," Frontier League commissioner Bill Lee said. "It is the
league’s featured event, and we hope the fans of the RiverHawks will enjoy the
game and all the events as much as we will enjoy bringing it to them."
In addition, the all-star game marks one of the
highest-attended games in the league each season and produces economic benefits
for the host community. The Traverse City Beach Bums reported a total attendance
of 9,199 for a two-day celebration that included the All-Star Game, held on July
16, and a skills competition and home run derby, held the night before.
Fort Myers looks
at condemning 96 properties to make way for ballpark expansion
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Fort
Myers is looking at condemning up to 96 properties in the general area of City
of Palms Park to make way for an expansion of the Boston Red Sox's
spring-training facility. Currently the Red Sox play at City of Palms Park and
practice at a facility several miles away, but team management has expressed a
desire to combine operations at one facility and has discussed a potential new
facility with Sarasota and Lee County officials. We're not quite sure how
feasible this plan is: invoking eminent domain these days is a more difficult
process than it was a few years ago, and all it takes is one stubborn landowner
willing to finance a lawsuit to gum up the process. More from the
Fort Myers News-Press.
Cleveland
takes occupancy of new Goodyear ballpark; new Glendale facility halfway done
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The
Cleveland Indians are now in control of their new spring-training facility in
Goodyear, Az., and will be moving in Aug. 11. It's quite a move: the team has
run spring training out of Winter Haven, Fla., since 1992, so there's a lot of
stuff to move cross-country. The Indians will have the facility to themselves in
spring 2009 before the Reds move to the 10,000-ballpark for spring training
2010.
More from the Arizona Republic. Meanwhile, the folks at HKS wrote to let us
know the new $80-million spring-training facility in Glendale, Az. for the
Chicago White Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers passed its 50-percent-complete
mile marker. The training facility, located at 107th Avenue and Camelback Road
in Phoenix, Ariz., is designed with 10,000 fixed seats and 3,000 lawn seats,
making it the largest facility in the state’s Cactus League. “The innovative
campus setting, with its contemporary southwestern desert architecture, offers
the best in training facilities for two of Major League Baseball’s most storied
teams as well as a destination location for the entire community,” said Mo
Stein, FAIA, FACHA, principal-in-charge at HKS.
Dreyfuss Road
renaming completed in Columbia
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The
city of Columbia, S.C. has erected a new street sign in back of Capital City
Stadium, correcting a misspelling of Dreyfuss Street. The street received that
name to honor Pittsburgh Pirates owner Barney Dreyfuss, who built the original
ballpark on that site in 1926 when he was owner of the minor-league Columbia
Comers. Dreyfuss received additional attention in recent weeks when he was
inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame and his involvement in Columbia
became part of the induction ceremonies. The Columbia Blowfish (summer
collegiate; Coastal Plain League) honored by wearing 1927 replica jerseys (a
photo is shown below) to honor Dreyfuss; in addition, Blowfish owner Bill
Shanahan asked the city to change the sign to the correct spelling of Dreyfuss
Road, and the change was made relatively quickly. (Thanks to Bill Shanahan
and the Blowfish for the photos.)
Thunder to combine
riverboat ride, game
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The
Trenton Thunder (Class AA; Eastern League) and Liberty Belle Catering are
offering a package for the August 14 game against the Bowie Baysox that includes
transportation to the game via a Mississippi-style paddleboat.
This special offer includes dinner and music during a boat
cruise from Burlington City to Waterfront Park. After the game, fans will cruise
back down the river and enjoy dessert on the ship.
Packages that include boat transportation, music, meal and
game ticket can be purchased for $60 by calling 215-757-0800 or by visiting
libertybelle.com.
Sticker shock
for Mets fans, as 2009 invoices go out
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New
York Mets season-ticket holders received some nasty news last week when they
received their invoices for season tickets. The price for most tickets will go
up between 50 percent and 75 percent, and we're guessing parking rates will be
going up by a wide margin as well. New Yorkers will enter a new dimension when
it comes to ticket prices -- but you know the Mets and the Yankees will get away
with huge price jumps on new ballparks, because that's what the market will
bear.
More from Newsday.
Lowell
Spinners change name to Mike Lowell Spinners
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The
Lowell Spinners (short season; NY-Penn League) officially became the Mike Lowell
Spinners for the third consecutive season on July 30, a tribute to the Red Sox
popular third baseman and 2007 World Series MVP.
Lowell, who received the key to the City of Lowell in a
ceremony held at Fenway Park earlier this month, is a Red Sox fan favorite not
only at Fenway, but also at LeLacheur Park where shirts with his moniker dot the
crowd on a nightly basis.
Ballpark Notes
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The
Wenatchee AppleSox (summer collegiate; West Coast Collegiate Baseball
League) announced that the team has reached an agreement with KPQ-AM to
broadcast the AppleSox games through 2013. The station has carried the live
broadcasts since the team’s inception in 2000. Dan Conway, general
manager of Cherry Creek Radio in Wenatchee, which owns KPQ and seven other
stations in the market, is pleased to extend the partnership. "Now more than
ever, localism is critical to the success of our communities. I can’t tell you
how excited we are at Cherry Creek to continue to bring the AppleSox to the
Wenatchee Valley." The AppleSox will be celebrating their 10th anniversary next
year....West Virginia Power (Low Class A; Sally League) GM Ryan Gates
has left the team and will run the new independent Frontier League franchise in
Avon, Ohio. The resignation is effective immediately as Ryan will begin
preparations to launch the new team and stadium for an opening in May 2009.