Recent
Visits |
Memorial Stadium, Fort Wayne
Wizards
There's nothing much distinctive about
Memorial Stadium, the home of the Fort Wayne
Wizards (Low Class A; Midwest League): it doesn't
have a signature ballpark element, nor is it an
attraction on its own. Mike Nutter, the energetic
general manager of the Wizards, seems to
understand this. From a small but efficient
merchandise shop just inside the main door to an
usher who actually retrieved a foul ball and
handed it to a kid, one gets killed with little
kindnesses. No one thing stands out alone but add
it all up and you walk away with the feeling
people were actually glad you came to visit --
deficiencies in the ballpark not withstanding.
Fifth Third Field, Toledo
Mud Hens
The
home of the Toledo Mud Hens (Class AAA;
International League),
Fifth Third Field is an impressive
edifice that seemed to have been carved out of
stone. The fact that it has helped turned Toledo's
warehouse district into the place to be during the
summer is one of the more impressive feats of the
young 21st century. In its sixth year of business,
Fifth Third has become one of the must-see stops
on the minor-league tour. After all, how can you
not like a park where the standing-room seats are
some of the best in the house and there is a
statue honoring kids peeping through the fence
watching a game? Dave Wright
shares his recent visit to Fifth
Third Field, while Jim Robins tells why the public
art at the ballpark may the finest in all of
minor-league baseball.
Comerica Park, Detroit
Tigers
OK,
so it's not Tiger Stadium; in fact, it's the
opposite of Tiger Stadium in every way, as if
Tigers owner Mike
Ilitch had ordered the architects to do everything
diametrically the opposite of how things were done
at Tiger Stadium. On those terms, Comerica Park
may be a disappointment to long-time Tigers fans.
On its own merits, however, Comerica Park is a
decent facility that isn't too subtle about
wanting to get the most revenue possible out of
your wallet. Detroit native Dave Wright reports on
his visit to Comerica Park.
|
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Features |
2007 Ballparks
Arkansas
Calgary
Idaho Falls
Marion, Ill.
Midland, Mich.
York, Pa.
2008 Ballparks
Billings
Lehigh Valley
LSU
Madison, Wis.
(renovations)
Springdale, Ark.
Southern Maryland
University of South
Carolina
Washington, D.C.
2009 Ballparks
Charlotte County, Fla.
Columbus, Ohio
Glendale, Az.
Goodyear, Az.
New York Mets
New York Yankees
Pensacola,
Fla.
Winston-Salem
2010 Ballparks
Kansas City
(renovations)
Minnesota
Oakland
Athletics
Ballparks of the Past
Colt
Stadium
Crosley Field
Durham Athletic
Park
Ebbets Field
Griffith Stadium
Huntington Avenue
Grounds
Jack Russell
Jarry Park
Joannes Field
L.A. Coliseum
Metropolitan
Stadium
Muehlebach
Field
Municipal Stadium
(Kansas City)
Sicks' Stadium
Tinker Field
War Memorial
(Greensboro)
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The Last Good Season
2006 Attendance
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2005 Attendance
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2004 Attendance
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league
Combined
overall
2003 Attendance
MLB attendance
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League overview
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league
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2002 Attendance
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Fine Print |
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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
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Broadcasts |
Virtually every MiLB team now streams broadcasts over the
Internet, which makes it easy to follow your favorite team when
you're on the road. In addition, you can catch MLB game broadcasts at
MLB.com or via XM Radio.
More
on Internet radio and TV broadcasts here! |
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Archives: March
12-18, 2005
County benches Knights'
ballpark plan
NEW!
Posted March 17, 2005
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Mecklenburg
County Commissioners voted 8-1 to go ahead with
design of a city park on a parcel of land eyed by
the Charlotte Knights (Class AAA; International
League) as the site of a new ballpark. The
eight-acre site is now out of the running, and
team officials say they will look for another
potential site near the downtown area.
The Knights
currently play in Fort Mill, S.C., and have
offered to pay half the costs of a new ballpark. A
local civic group is expected to issue its
recommendations for a new ballpark in report due
April 8.
More from the Charlotte Observer.
RELATED STORIES:
Knights take 3rd swing at uptown;
Knights owners deny plans to sell team;
Uptown park or Knights ballpark?;
Charlotte board cool to new ballpark;
Center-city baseball in Charlotte?;
Project may wrap around ballpark
Minor League chief visits
Jaxx, Farmer
Posted March 17, 2005
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MiLB
President Mike Moore was in Jackson (Tenn.) to
meet with management of the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx
(Class AA; Eastern League) and city officials
about the future of the team. Owner Bob Lozinak
says still intends on moving the team out of
Jackson at the end of the season, citing the
losses needed to trigger an escape clause in the
team's contract. However, the same clause also
allows the city to buy the team for $11.3 million
-- the average price of the last two Southern
League franchise sales -- and there's still talk
the city will partner with a buyer to purchase the
Jaxx keep the franchise in Jackson. Tomorrow is a
crucial day, as there's a deadline for the city to
act on the purchase. There's still one immediate
concern for the team: technically, the team has no
lease this season for Pringles Park, and in theory
the city could evict the team.
RELATED STORIES:
City, Diamond Jaxx delay decision on future of
team; Moore to intervene;
City may buy Jaxx;
Greenville awarded to Cap City Bombers;
Statement from West Tenn Diamond Jaxx regarding
Greenville;
Jackson mayor urges Jaxx to stay;
Sportsplex proposal pitched in Jackson;
Jackson looks at buying Diamond Jaxx
Two financing deals cleared
for D.C. ballpark
Posted March 17, 2005
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The
District of Columbia's chief financial officer has
certified two proposals that would provide private
financing for a new baseball stadium along the
Anacostia waterfront and reduce the public costs
for the project. According to a report prepared by
Natwar M. Gandhi, the city could expect to lower
its financial commitment using a proposal by
Deutsche Bank, which has offered as much as $493
million in exchange for control of some revenue
sources related to the ballpark, or one from the
Cleveland-based Gates Group, which offered up to
$175 million in exchange for revenue generated by
a special parking district. Of the rejected plans,
most called for the District to issue more in the
way of bonds so developers could build an
entertainment district next to a new ballpark and
then control the revenues.
Initial reaction from the D.C. City Council was
extremely negative --
Gandhi already has told the council either
proposal would be at least $30 million more
expensive than the District financing plan
ratified in December -- so Gandhi will
prepare a more detailed evaluation. Steven
Pearlstein comments. Meanwhile, a top
appointee in former D.C. Mayor Marion Barry's
administration
has been named to oversee efforts to hire local
contractors for the construction of the ballpark.
The D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission said
yesterday that Courtland V. Cox, 64, will begin
working next week as director of local, small and
disadvantaged business enterprise development, a
newly created position.
RELATED STORIES:
D.C. ballpark architect finalist sees move to
modern design;
Ballpark design bids cut to three;
Eight bid to design Nationals' ballpark;
D.C. mayor, officials to see games in Florida;
'Big boxes' part of D.C. ballpark pitch
Cubs get closer to a bigger
ballpark
Posted March 17, 2005
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The
Commission on Chicago Landmarks approved a plan
from the Chicago Cubs to expand
Wrigley Field and
add buildings to the general area.
The vote was unanimous and came amid praise for a
design that has been drawn and redrawn since first
being proposed by Cubs officials nearly four years
ago. Plans call for moving Wrigley's walls out
about eight feet to add 1,790 bleacher seats and
developing a five-story building with a commercial
space and a parking garage on a parcel adjacent to
the ballpark. The Cubs would pay a total of $3.1
million for city-owned land required to make both
projects feasible.
RELATED STORIES:
Cubs unveil plans for Wrigley bleacher expansion;
Cubs reach a deal with city for more bleacher
seats;
Cubs, city near deal on Wrigley expansion;
Alderman to Cubs: Put off expansion, get more
night games
PSU unveils new drawings of
proposed baseball park
Posted March 17, 2005
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New
drawings of a proposed ballpark for Penn State and
a New York-Penn League team were presented to the
College Township Planning Commission. Penn State
is planning to build the park, which it will own.
It will lease the park to Altoona Curve (Class AA;
Eastern League) management. Baseball fans will get
six months of intercollegiate and then
minor-league games at a field with fixed seating
for 5,000 and a grass seating area for 1,000 more.
The Penn State team will use the field from March
to May, and the minor league team from June to
August. Construction is expected to begin in May
for a June 2006 opening.
RELATED STORIES:
PSU ballpark details begin to emerge;
Deal in works with Curve to build new stadium;
Penn State trustees approve architectural studies
of ballpark;
Penn State baseball program may get new field;
Penn State ballpark plans progressing;
Curve brass excited about possibilities that exist
in State College;
Lyons finds friends inside
ballpark team
Posted March 17, 2005
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Restaurateur
Patrick Lyons is thrilled with the new ownership
of the Boston Red Sox, who are working with him to
make Fenway Park
and Landsdowne Street more of a destination site
even when the Red Sox are not playing. Along with
launching a year-round eatery at Fenway Park,
Lyons is teaming up with the Sox owners and other
street business owners to pump millions into
remaking the dingy thoroughfare. Crews are already
preparing the way for old-fashioned streetlights,
widened sidewalks and trees along the length of
Lansdowne. Meanwhile,
Red Sox management continues to work toward
bringing the Rolling Stones into Fenway this
summer.
RELATED STORIES:
Fenway buying continues: Red
Sox want garage as part of expansion, area
improvement;
Red Sox announce more
changes to Fenway;
Boston Globe: .406 Club is
in a slump;
Antiquated Fenway getting a
bit of a makeover;
Fanatical over Fenway;
Red Sox submits plan for
Fenway expansion;
Red Sox adding premium seats
Take me out to the ballpark,
Dad, for the toons
Posted March 17, 2005
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In
an effort to lure youngsters to the ballpark, the
Atlanta Braves and its parent company,
Time-Warner, are constructing a $3 million
interactive attraction at Turner Field based on
shows and characters from Cartoon Network.
An 80-foot-tall facade, featuring several of the
network's cartoons, will be hard to miss as fans
enter the ballpark in April. The first phase of
the project -- two miniature sandlot fields on
which kids can play ball amid bop bags
representing cartoon characters -- is scheduled to
open May 23. The remainder, featuring eight
interactive environments from cartoons, will open
July 25. There will be video screens on which
parents can steal a peek at the Braves game.
Style-challenged Sox get
'Queer Eye' fashion help
Posted March 17, 2005
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Part
of the appeal of the Boston Red Sox last season
was their dirtbag approach to the game: players
like Kevin Millar and Johnny Damon didn't care if
their uniforms were scruffy or their hair was
greasy. Everything changes when you win a World
Series, however, and the wives of several Red Sox
players appealed to the stars of "Queer Eye for
the Straight Guy" to spiff up their hubbies. The
Fab Five were at City of Palms Park in Fort Myers
this week to outfit the players to make them look
more championship worthy.
Proposed ballpark may rescue
flood-damaged Richmond area
Posted March 17, 2005
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Here's
an interesting take on efforts by the Richmond
Braves (Class AAA; International League) to build
a new ballpark in the city's Shockoe Bottom area:
the area was so devastated by Tropical Storm
Gaston last summer, causing as much as $30
million in damage to local businesses, that the
ballpark and the associated development would be a
great way to revitalize the area.
RELATED STORIES:
Richmond ballpark plan strikes out on site,
economics, financing;
Wilder quits role in Richmond group;
Threat not part of deal for Richmond ballpark;
Braves getting outside pitches;
Braves or bust?;
Drains a strain on Richmond ballpark plan?;
Wilder: Stadium proposal lacks details;
Richmond ballpark questions remain;
Richmond Braves assume role as developer;
New ballpark plan for Shockoe Bottom
Some fret about traffic
around USC ballpark
Posted March 17, 2005
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The
University of South Carolina is still planning a
new ballpark for the city's Congaree Vista area,
but some neighbors are worried about increased
traffic from the 6,500-seat facility. USC still
has not officially announced the location and
scale of the project; we also hear some
professional teams are still interested in placing
a team at the facility, although USC recently
rejected a proposal to share the ballpark with the
relocated Hagerstown Suns (Class A; Sally League).
Look for the Suns to possibly end up in Bowling
Green, as team owners meet with city officials
later this month.
RELATED STORIES:
Bottom of the ninth in Columbia;
New USC/city stadium plan could leave out Bombers;
Columbia council won’t swing at any pitch;
Latest Columbia ballpark plan full of holes;
USC has sought, still wants baseball deal;
Tanner: 2007 ‘realistic’ for new stadium
Stadium's comeback could
rest with voters
Posted March 17, 2005
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Voters
may get to give their opinion in November on
Paterson (N.J.) Mayor Joey Torres' ambitious plan
to restore Hinchliffe Stadium and bring additional
parking and recreation facilities to downtown.
Torres unveiled his plan Tuesday night when he
asked the City Council to allow him to place a
non-binding referendum on the general elections
ballot to gauge residents' views on the estimated
$60 million project. Torres, who will be up for
reelection in 2006, wants Hinchliffe to become a
modern stadium that would seat about 8,000 for
athletics, graduations and other city events. The
local school district plans to build a new public
high school that would attach to the stadium in
order to teach students about the business of
sports. The 10-classroom, 103,000-square-foot
Sports Business Academy would house the bathrooms,
locker rooms and a kitchen that would serve fans
at stadium events. Hinchliffe Stadium was once the
home of the New York Black Yankees of the Negro
Leagues.
RELATED STORIES:
Hinchliffe Stadium proposal features fields,
sports academy, pool, ice rink;
Helping Hinchliffe live;
After silence and decay, stadium's place in
history recognized;
NFL kicks in $200,000 for Hinchliffe fix-up;
Paterson seeks to reclaim plaques missing from
stadium
Ads spotlight players, not
PNC Park
Posted March 17, 2005
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After
years of basing marketing campaigns around the
experience at PNC Park, the Pittsburgh Pirates are
reversing course and making their nucleus of young
players the centerpiece of this year's
advertising. The "Come Hungry" spots that will
begin airing on local TV and radio stations and
appearing in print publications Friday center
around the idea that the Pirates' young stars --
specifically, Jason Bay, Oliver Perez and Jack
Wilson -- are craving a winner as much as the
fans. Speaking of PNC Park: the scoreboard will
feature a new video screen from Daktronics, as the
old video screen from Sony proved to be ill-suited
to the weather conditions in Pittsburgh.
West Virginia
Power unveil new uniforms
Posted March 17, 2005
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The
West Virginia Power (Class A; Sally League)
unveiled their new uniforms this week, The home
jerseys are white with a gold and black piping on
the collar and sleeves. The front is emblazoned
with “Power” and the letters on the front and
numbers on the back are layered gold and cream to
create a shadowed image. The home jerseys will be
worn with the moss cap. The away jerseys are grey
with a gold and black piping on the collar and
sleeves. The front is adorned with “West Virginia”
and the letters on the front and numbers on the
back are layered gold and cream to create a
shadowed image. The away jerseys will be worn with
the gold cap.
You can see them at the West Virginia Power Web
site.
Cats to launch
2005 ticket sales with BBQ bash
Posted March 17, 2005
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Here's
the way to launch a ticket event. The Fort Worth
Cats (independent; Central League) are holding
"Baseball, Bands and BBQ" at LaGrave Field on
April 2. The event begins at 9 a.m. with the Cats’
annual Showcase Saturday event. Individual game
tickets for the 2005 season will go on sale for
the first time that morning. Also, fans will be
able to get autographs from former and current
Cats’ players, enjoy free hot dogs and much more.
Kids will be able to play whiffle ball and run the
bases at LaGrave Field. Cats’ manager Wayne
Terwilliger and former Cats’ player/manager Bobby
Bragan headline a group that will be signing
autographs at LaGrave Field. The festivities
continue throughout the day with a Barbecue
Cook-off. Prizes will be awarded for the best
meats and over $4,000 in additional prize money
will be up for grabs. At night, the musical acts
will take center stage as the up-and-coming band
Cowboy Crush performs.
Baseball Notes
Posted March 17, 2005
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Former
Boston Red Sox pitcher Dick Radatz died
Wednesday when he fell down a flight of stairs in
his home, police said. He was 67. Radatz, a
6-foot-5 right-hander nicknamed "The Monster,"
lost his balance and suffered a severe head injury
in the fall Wednesday afternoon. He's survived by
a daughter and a son; Dick Radatz Jr. is
co-founder and president of the college wood-bat
Northwoods League....The West Michigan
Whitecaps (Class A; Midwest League) will face
the Fort Wayne Wizards at Comerica Field
on Aug. 22....The Sioux Falls Canaries
(independent; Northern League) and Cass Clay
have a sweet deal, literally; the Canaries
announced today a partnership with Cass Clay Ice
Cream in 2005. Beginning in mid-May, the Canaries
will be featured on pails of Cass Clay Double-Play
Vanilla Ice Cream. The pail will include the
Canaries team logo and schedule, and 25 cents from
every carton sold will go to the Canaries Care
Fund.
Wolff: A's ballpark already
in works
Posted March 14, 2005
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Incoming
Oakland Athletics owner Lew Wolff says planning
for a new new Oakland Athletics ballpark has
already begun, with local firm Gensler Architects
and two well-known ballpark designers (who he
declined to identify). The Oakland Tribune
speculates HOK Sport, the designer of 10 of the
last 14 MLB parks, is involved. Wolff says he may
have no choice other than to build in Oakland (and
he is planning a park next to the Coliseum):
rumors about the team ending up in Las Vegas are
unfounded and the territorial issues with San Jose
(the city is in the Giants' territory) are too
insurmountable. However, Wolff says he can't
promise the team will remain in Oakland: he won't
renegotiate the team's current lease at Network
Associates Coliseum, which runs through 2007 with
three one-year options.
RELATED STORIES:
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
Giants staying in Scottsdale
until 2025
Posted March 14, 2005
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The
San Francisco Giants and the city of Scottsdale
came to an agreement for the team to stay at
Scottsdale Stadium for spring training through
2025, with options that could extend it through
2035. The deal calls for the Arizona Sports and
Tourism Authority to spend $20 million and for
Scottsdale to give $3.1 million to upgrade the
team's facilities at Scottsdale Stadium and at
Indian School Park, with an additional playing
field and an infield to be constructed on land
beyond right field at the ballpark. The deal is
expected to be approved by the City Council at its
Tuesday meeting.
More
from the San Francisco Business Times.
Wrigley plans net to protect
new area
Posted March 14, 2005
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The
Chicago Cubs are addressing their problem with
falling concrete at
Wrigley Field by installing a plastic barrier
under the ceiling of the concession area concourse
beneath the lower grandstand. The
concession-safety measure comes as the team
informed the city of its plans to upgrade safety
netting installed beneath the upper deck after
reports last summer of three incidents in which
chunks of concrete fell to the seating area below.
In addition, the team is installing netting as a
stopgap measure.
RELATED STORIES:
Cubs unveil plans for Wrigley bleacher expansion;
Cubs reach a deal with city for more bleacher
seats;
Cubs, city near deal on Wrigley expansion;
Alderman to Cubs: Put off expansion, get more
night games
Ports peeved over ballpark
Posted March 14, 2005
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The
Stockton Ports (Class A; California League) sent a
sharply worded letter to the city regarding their
new home,
Banner Island Ballpark,
expressing team owner Tom Volpe's dissatisfaction
with design changes made to the ballpark after
construction starts and concern the ballpark won't
open in time. The city and architect HKS changed
the ballpark's configuration from a two-deck
facility seating 4,000 to a single-deck facility
seating 5,000. The Ports say the new ballpark will
be less cozy, making it tougher to sell season
tickets; the city eliminated a second deck so it
could build a facility that could be expanded to
10,000 in the future. (Volpe may also be upset the
city decided to pursue a Class AAA Pacific Coast
League franchise this offseason as well.) It does
sound the city officials in charge of this
situation were pretty clueless about many things:
it would be an extreme long shot for Stockton to
land a PCL team, and asking the team to not use
any name for ballpark until naming rights are sold
is simply stupid: you must call the ballpark
something until naming rights are sold -- and
a month before the start of the season naming
rights are still unsold.
Hitting the mark: FBI
informants say McGwire was juiced
Posted March 14, 2005
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Perhaps
there's more truth to what Jose Canseco alleges
regarding Mark McGwire and steroids than everyone
initially assumed. The New York Daily News quotes
two former steroid dealers as saying McGwire
received regular steroid injections in the 1990s,
with FBI officials confirming McGwire's name came
up repeatedly during an investigation of illegal
steroid trafficking on the West Coast.
Interestingly, MLB Commissioner Bud Selig
doesn't bother to deny the allegations: "If
someone wants to fault us for what happened 15 or
20 years ago, OK,"' Selig said Sunday during a
news conference at Scottsdale Stadium. "I don't
have time to do that. I have time to correct the
present and make sure the future is clean. That's
what we're doing.'' The problem is that many
inside and outside of baseball don't believe the
present system does ensure the future is clean.
Tony La Russa continues to stand by McGwire,
but Sammy Sosa refuses to comment. Meanwhile,
MLB officials are producing documents per a
subpoena from a Congressional committee
investigating the use of steroids in baseball.
Lancaster ballpark will hit
to all fields
Posted March 14, 2005
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The
modern ballpark is turning into more than just a
place to see a baseball game; it's turning into a
community center hosting concerts and other
events. That's what we're seeing in Lancaster,
where Clipper
Magazine Stadium, the new home of the
Lancaster Barnstormers (independent; Atlantic
League), where the team is promoting the ballpark
as a multiuse facility hosting concerts (like this summer's
Def Leppard/Bryan Adams tour of minor-league
venues) band competitions,
exhibits, car shows, high school and collegiate
sports.) At Dr Pepper Seven Up
Ballpark, the home of the Frisco Rough Riders
(Class AA; Texas League),
high-school teams are drawn to the facility.
RELATED STORIES:
Seats with a view in Lancaster;
Baseball fever in Lancaster;
Lancaster builder unveils plans to convert
burned-out bakery;
Lancaster ballpark starts taking shape;
Merchants, residents excited about new neighbor
Orioles ad says they're
seeking Nationals' TV deal
Posted March 14, 2005
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Three
weeks before the start of the regular season and
the Washington Nationals are still without a
television contract. Many believe the owner of the
Baltimore Orioles, Peter Angelos, is working to
block a TV deal this season as part of the
negotiations between him and MLB over the move of
the Nats to D.C. Not true, Angelos says: he took
out a full-page ad in the Washington Post
yesterday saying the Orioles are working to bring
Nationals games to D.C. as part of the Orioles'
television network. The team is already proving to
be a success: on Saturday, the Nationals sold more
than 50,000 tickets during the first six hours of
individual game sales.
Not buying Mariner ads' new
QVC concept
Posted March 14, 2005
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Now
that we're less than a month from the beginning of
the regular season, we're seeing teams unveil
their marketing campaigns for the season. The
Seattle Mariners are going with a slightly offbeat
marketing pitch that's basically a sendup of QVC/home-shopping-network
infomercials, where players pitch baseball-related
items; in one, Ichiro Suzuki and Raul Ibanez try
to sell batters' boxes. Compared to previous M's
campaigns, it sounds like this series falls flat;
many in Seattle remember classic commercials
featuring Edgar Martinez using a Clapper to turn
off the lights at Safeco Field.
Schoolcraft cool to ballpark
proposals
Posted March 14, 2005
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Officials
at Michigan's Schoolcraft College aren't keen to
partner with a group seeking to bring an
independent Northern League to the Detroit area,
as school officials met with National Sports
representatives in recent weeks, but there are no
additional meetings planned. School officials say
bringing in professional sports facilities (a
group also made a pitch for an MLS stadium on
campus) isn't the best use of the college's
limited land.
RELATED STORIES:
Report due March 21 on Troy ballpark;
Tigers put political squeeze on Troy ballpark plan;
Troy ballpark strikes out
Build-A-Bear
Workshop opening new stores in Cincinnati,
Cleveland ballparks
Posted March 14, 2005
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Apparently
there's big money in stuffing bears at ballparks.
Build-A-Bear Workshops will
stadium stores will
open this season at Great American Ball Park in
Cincinnati and
Jacobs Field in Cleveland. In addition, the
New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates,
Kansas City Royals and St. Louis Cardinals will be
giving away team-branded Build-A-Bear Workshop
teddy bears to fans on special promotion days. In
Cincinnati, Make Your Own Gapper by Build-A-Bear
Workshop will be open during all Cincinnati Reds
home games and will allow fans to purchase a
Gapper plush doll, stuff it, give it a special
heart, fluff it and then dress it in unique Reds
clothing and accessories. The store will also
feature a one-of-a-kind Reds Ballpark Bear, the
first in a series of bears available only at Great
American Ball Park. In the same fashion, fans of
the Cleveland Indians will be able to make their
team mascot, Slider, at Make Your Own Slider by
Build-A-Bear Workshop and an Indians Ballpark
Bear. Both of these items are available only at
the store in Jacobs Field, which will be open
during all Indians home games.
Business booming near
Surprise ballpark
Posted March 14, 2005
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If
you've checked out our summary of the Surprise (Az)
ballpark (the spring home of the Kansas City Royals and Texas
Rangers in our
Complete Guide to Spring Training) you'd know
there was not a lot near the ballpark last year
when we made our initial visit. Surprise is on the
extreme northwest side of Phoenix, but apparently
there's been a lot of growth in the area
surrounding the ballpark: strip malls are popping
up, with a movie theater, four restaurants and a
10,000-square-foot retail building are planned.
Five hundred acres will be dedicated to
commercial, office, residential, resort and
medical uses.
The legacy of Luther
Williams Field
Posted March 14, 2005
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Macon's
Luther Williams Field is an authentic link to
baseball's past, a 1920s-era ballpark that last
hosted affiliated baseball in 2002 with the Macon
Braves (Class A; Sally League). Locals are trying
to figure out the future of the old ballpark: in
its present state there's little chance an
affiliated team will move in, and while there's
talk of an independent league moving in someday,
nothing will happen in the next year or so.
RELATED STORIES:
Macon baseball to return in '03;
Macon
bids R'aves a teary goodbye;
The first pitch was thrown around 7 p.m.;
Searching for Luther Williams
Milwaukee went batty as home
of Braves in '53
Posted March 14, 2005
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Here's
a look at a franchise move that helped change
baseball: the move of the Boston Braves to
Milwaukee for the 1953 season. Owner Lou Perini
had decided the Braves could not be competitive in
Boston and began looking for a new home for his
team; Milwaukee business leaders were wooing the
Braves and Bill Veeck's St. Louis Browns, and
after the American League denied Veeck's request
to move the team in an attempt to force Veeck out
of the league (it worked; he sold the Brownies a
year later to Baltimore interests), Perini leapt
into action and moved the team a month before the
season opened.
A concession: Ballpark jobs
are not easy
Posted March 14, 2005
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Every
year we run an article where a journalist sells
concessions at the ballpark for a day and then
realizes how hard it is to perform manual labor
for a living. This article, where a reporter for
the Knoxville News schlepped programs at a
Diamondbacks-Athletics game at Tucson Electric
Park, is probably the earliest we've seen this
genre of article appear in a season.
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