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Archives: March 12-18, 2006

D.C. ballpark to debut without retail
Posted March 17, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
If a new D.C. ballpark is completed as scheduled in March 2008, fans attending games during the opening season should not expect to stop at a restaurant outside the ballpark, shop at a boutique or walk along a pier on the Anacostia River a block away. Although Mayor Anthony Williams has promised a ballpark entertainment district that will include luxury condos and office buildings and create millions of dollars in annual tax revenue, developers said they will need more than two years to complete just the initial building plans. There's more than just a new ballpark in that part of Washington: major transportation improvements are forthcoming, including a $20-million renovation of the Navy Yard Metro station, and the D.C. Department of Transportation is about to spend $625 million to expand South Capitol Street and rebuild the Frederick Douglass Bridge.
    RELATED STORIES: D.C. officials unveil Nationals ballpark design; At long last, a D.C. ballpark deal; D.C. exempt on Nationals ballpark overruns; MLB signs lease for new Washington Nationals ballpark

City goes to bat for Yankees, Mets ballparks
Posted March 15, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Yankees and Mets scored big in the old bond game yesterday -- getting financial boosts from the city to help them build their new back-to-the-future ballparks. The city's Industrial Development Agency gave preliminary approval to the Yankees' bid for $930 million in bonds (including $866 million in tax-exempt financing) to erect a new 54,000-seat stadium in the South Bronx. The Mets -- who plan to build a 44,100-seat home just east of Shea Stadium -- got the preliminary okay for $632.1 million in bonds. The package includes $527.6 million in tax-exempt bonds. The go-aheads moved both teams closer to opening their 2009 seasons in the new ballparks and demolishing their out-of-date stadiums. The deals still need City Council approval. More from New York Business.
    RELATED STORIES: New Yankee Stadium plan earns unanimous approval; New ballpark report: The Yankees win!; Yankees' pitchman; Bronx residents spar over removal of parkland at new Yankee Stadium site; State agency approves plans for Yankees, Mets ballparks; Bronx beep playing hardball on new Yankee Stadium plan; Yank prez hits foes of stadium; Carrion to unveil plan for parkland lost to Yankee Stadium project; Ebbets' echoes in Queens; At Mets' park, you'll think you're in...Pittsburgh?; State agency approves plans for Yankees, Mets ballparks; Mets to go old school in new park

Ballpark museum celebrates triumph, but not tribulations
Posted March 15, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
There's some controversy in Daytona Beach over the redesign of Jackie Robinson Ballpark, the home of the Daytona Cubs (Class A; Florida State League). Exhibits at Jackie Robinson Stadium document the baseball player's many triumphs, but the ballpark's own history of segregation is left to the imagination. The Jim Crow bleachers where Rachel Robinson watched her husband integrate baseball are gone, replaced by picnic tables where families celebrate birthday parties and workers drink beer at company outings. Nothing marks the section where blacks were once forced to sit. The ballpark is where Robinson broke the color barrier during spring training in 1946 after being barred from playing in previous spring games. City officials plan to join with Bethune-Cookman College to present a "Day of Baseball" on Friday at Jackie Robinson Ballpark to celebrate the anniversary. Friday's celebration at the ballpark begins at 2:45 p.m. with a mini-baseball clinic. Local high school teams and youth baseball associations have been invited to participate.

Lots of glass, capital views
Posted March 15, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
More on the design of the new Washington Nationals ballpark unveiled yesterday. (You can see renderings farther down on this page.) The goal, according to architects from HOK Sport+Venue+Event and Devrouax & Purnell, was to avoid the retro look and instead open up the ballpark to fit in the local surroundings. Glass panels will make up the walls of the stadium concourse, giving the ballpark a translucent quality and opening it to the surrounding neighborhoods, architects said. Heavy use of concrete, which will be painted to look like limestone, is intended to repeat design aspects found in the convention center, federal monuments and the Verizon Center to the north. Cantilevered ramps -- one beyond left field and one along the first-base line -- will allow fans to take in views of the Capitol dome and the river, respectively, and many of the upper deck seats will provide similar views. And, of course, the design does work to maximize revenues with lots of club and plush seating. More from Reuters, the Frederick Free-Lance Star and the Washington Times. Thomas Boswell takes a wishy-washy stand and says the design may or may not work, while the Washington Post's architecture critic is already writing off the design -- as is the architecture critic from the Washington Times -- and Tom Knott of the Washington Times is clearly unimpressed.
    RELATED STORIES: D.C. officials unveil Nationals ballpark design

San Antonio bid for Marlins on hold
Posted March 15, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Florida Marlins informed San Antonio officials on Tuesday that it will be '"a few more weeks" before the team and Major League Baseball decide whether to pursue more serious negotiations about moving the team there, Bexar County (San Antonio) Judge Nelson Wolff said Tuesday. Wolff, the county's highest-ranking politician, said MLB and the Marlins want to analyze the ''stadium proposal, media market and economics of San Antonio'' before deciding whether to go forward. Wolff and San Antonio officials have been pushing for a formal memorandum of understanding, but clearly the Marlins are hesitant about taking that next step. More from the San Antonio Express.
    RELATED STORIES: Wolff reveals site possibilities for San Antonio ballpark; Plan would provide $200 million toward new Marlins ballpark; Spurs looking to be part of ownership if San Antonio lures Marlins; San Antonio to Marlins: Include locals; Marlins move may spur border battle; Wolff makes ballpark pitch to Marlins; San Antonio under 'serious consideration' for Marlins relocation; Marlins front office meets with Homestead officials; Marlins to Oklahoma City?; Half-cent hike in Miami-Dade might help fund a Marlins ballpark; Owner laughs off idea of his track as Marlins ballpark site; Marlins, FAU to discuss stadium options; Norfolk session pleases Marlins; Possibility of Marlins ballpark deal called remote

South Coast League announces Sanford franchise
Posted March 15, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The independent South Coast League announced plans to place a team at Historic Sanford Memorial Stadium in Sanford, Florida. (Sanford is located just outside Orlando). The South Coast League will begin play in May of 2007 with six charter franchises located from the Carolinas to Florida (a slight scaling back from the eight franchises envisioned when the league was announced late last year); already in the fold are Macon, Albany and Bluffton, S.C. Formerly the spring training home of the Atlanta Braves, Historic Sanford Memorial Stadium currently houses various amateur baseball events and also serves as the home of a Florida Collegiate Summer League franchise. Despite the current collegiate club averaging some 200 fans per game over the course of an 18-game home schedule, SCL officials are confident that a pro team would thrive in Seminole County. The current SCL proposal calls for the summer collegiate club to continue playing a full home schedule at Sanford Memorial.
    RELATED STORIES: Macon City Council approves baseball contract; Baseball's return now in hands of Macon council; League looking to bring pro baseball to Greenville; South Coast League contacts Wilmington officials; Macon moves toward bringing baseball back to the city; Minor-league baseball in Macon -- again?; Macon ponders two baseball proposals; City explores baseball's return to Macon; Baseball team could slide home to Bluffton; South Coast League announces 2007 launch

Dodgertown is a little less blue
Posted March 15, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Anyone attending a spring-training game at Vero Beach's Dodgertown can't help but be swept away by the quaint atmosphere and the genuine sense of place. But the Dodgers aren't drawing that well in Dodgertown; the largest crowd this spring was just over 4,800, and Dodgers fans who used to populate spring training -- coming from Brooklyn and the East Coast, not from California -- are dying off. We've reported several times that the Dodgers are looking at moving spring operations to Arizona, a possibility that's raised here, but there's also the chance the Dodgers will pull some minor-league affiliations from the Southeast and into the California League.
    RELATED STORIES: State should spring for aid to teams; Glendale says it will be talking to teams about spring-training site; Details emerge on Sarasota County, city plan for stadium, event center, ballfields; Sarasota eyes ambitious plan to convert arena site to keep Reds; Cactus League may grow as cities plan new parks; Three-city race for new Arizona spring-training ballpark?; Apopka making its pitch for Indians spring training; Reds, Pirates team up to seek better facilities; Lee County game for third team; Spring-training facility not in city's best interests; Baseball, stadium would benefit city; Cleveland Indians scout training site in Cape Coral

Curve, Pirates extend affiliation
Posted March 15, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Altoona Curve (Class AA; Eastern League) announced a four-year extension of their Player Development Contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates, which will continue the affiliation through the 2010 baseball season. The announcement was made by Curve President & Managing Partner Chuck Greenberg at a press conference Tuesday afternoon at Blair County Ballpark in Altoona. The Curve and Pirates are entering their eighth season as affiliates, dating back to Altoona's inaugural year in the Eastern League in 1999. The new four-year Player Development Contract will start with the 2007 baseball season. We cover everything happening on the affiliation front here.

San Juan wants Marlins games
Posted March 15, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Major League Baseball officials met with promoters in San Juan two days ago to discuss the possibility of moving some regular-season games, including at least one series involving the Marlins, as early as this season. "We've talked about the possibility of the Marlins playing down here for a limited number of games," said baseball president Bob DuPuy. "Given the current situation in Miami and the absence of any plan for a stadium...I'm sure they'd be willing to look at it." MB Sports, the outfit that promoted Montreal Expos games at Hiram Bithorn Stadium, would promote any Marlins games.

1,000 buy Spikes season tickets so far
Posted March 15, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Season ticket sales have topped 1,000 for the State College Spikes (short season; NY-Penn League), according to Chuck Greenberg, managing partner and president of Curve Baseball LP, which operates the new club. Greenberg spoke at a Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County luncheon and said construction at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park is ahead of schedule. The Spikes open play June 20 at home against the Williamsport Crosscutters. Speaking of Williamsport: After receiving nearly 300 submissions for the "Name the Rivalry" Contest, the State College Spikes and Williamsport Crosscutters have announced that the winning entry, and the new rivalry name for the 2006 season will be the SawBuck Series. The winning name was submitted by Stewart Gingrich of Philadelphia, PA and Bob Birthisel of Charlotte, N.C.

Rangers plan concerts for ticket holders
Posted March 15, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Texas Rangers are bringing grilled Hebrew National hot dogs and live music to Ameriquest Field this season. The team is building an outdoor bandstand -- north of the third-base entrance on Ballpark Way -- that will host several concerts before and after games, said Rangers President Jeff Cogen. In the grassy area around the bandstand, called the North Lawn Pavilion, fans will be able to buy food cooked on large outdoor grills and sit at picnic tables during games and concerts. The Rangers plan to have 10 to 12 shows a year, and anyone who buys a baseball ticket can attend.

Giants plan a Ruthian response
Posted March 15, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
A high-ranking official for the San Francisco Giants said he doesn't expect the celebration of the slugger's 715th career home run to be muted in any regard. Nor does Giants chief operating officer Laurence Baer believe that Major League Baseball's celebration of Bonds passing the legendary Babe Ruth -- if and when that comes -- to be that much different from that of the team Bonds has played for the past 13 seasons. Meanwhile, another book looks at Bonds and what drives him.

Diablos unveil 2006 All-Star Game logo
Posted March 15, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The El Paso Diablos have unveiled the new 2006 All Star logo for the American Association/Can-Am All Star game, to be held July 18 at Cohen Stadium. The logo was designed to represent the unique southwestern El Paso flavor using chili peppers to represent the star on the Franklin Mountains. Measuring 459 feet in length and 278 feet in width, the star was originally lit as an El Paso Christmas tradition in 1940. Since World War II the star has been lit every year and has taken on a special significance within the El Paso community. In 1980 the star remained lit for 444 days during the Iran hostage crisis and for over a year in 1990 in support of Ft. Bliss and all US troops during Operation Desert Storm. The star on the Franklin Mountains now remains lit the entire year.

Entrepreneur offers free advice to save Tiger Stadium
Posted March 15, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
A gentleman named Steve Thomas says he has a new, dazzling plan to save Tiger Stadium: Convert the ballpark to its old configuration as Navin Field, with 12,000 to 15,000 seats. Put a minor league team there, cross-promote with the Tigers, hold some concerts, fill some storefronts and let it become a revenue source instead of the latest poster child for demolition by neglect. Considering Mike Veeck and the independent Northern League proposed this years ago (and were shot down by the city), it's safe to say this is not exactly a new idea.
    RELATED STORIES: Is it the final out for Tiger Stadium?

Build-a-Bear nests in new Busch
Posted March 15, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Build-A-Bear Workshop hopes to hit a home run with Cardinals fans and expand its baseball mascot business by opening a make-your-own Fredbird store inside the new Busch Stadium, the company said Tuesday. The new location means that Overland-based Build-A-Bear will have five exclusive ballpark mascot stores by the end of the year. The company opened its first mascot store in 2004 in Philadelphia's Citizens Bank Park and followed in 2005 with locations in Cleveland's Jacobs Field and Cincinnati's Great American Ball Park. In the upcoming baseball season it also will open a store in San Francisco's AT&T Park.

Baseball Notes
Posted March 15, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
WTKT-AM (1460-The Ticket) is the new flagship radio station of the Harrisburg Senators (Class AA; Eastern League) WTKT has a more powerful signal than the Senators’ previous home, WKBO-AM, allowing more fans to listen to games. Terry Byrom and Mark Mattern remain the radio announcers for the Senators.

D.C. officials unveil Nationals ballpark design
Posted March 14, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
After more fits and starts than a runner caught between bases, the nation's capital finally unveiled the design of a new Washington Nationals baseball stadium on Tuesday. The 41,000-seat ballpark will replace aging RFK Stadium, where the team now plays. It will rise about a mile south of the U.S. Capitol, along the banks of the Anacostia River on land now occupied largely by industrial firms. The design is definitely not retro: steel, glass and concrete are the main design elements, and the form was dictated by the need to provide views of the D.C. skyline.
    The new Nationals ballpark, as designed by Devrouax-Purnell Architects and HOK Sport+Venue+Event, should be a relatively understated addition to the Washington skyline. Instead of adopting a Federalist theme -- with lots of arches and stately brickwork -- the design team went for a light, airy design using glass and steel. There will be approximately 22,000 seats in the lower bowl, 12,100 in the upper seating area (which will feature views of the U.S. Capitol dome, located just 15 blocks away), 2,500 club seats and 1,112 suite seats for a total of 41,000 seats.
    Two club lounges with seating for 1,800 will features indoor dining: the 500-seat Founders Club and the 1300-seat Diamond Club will provide bar and dining services.
    A total of 78 suites will include 8 16-seat Founders Suites on the main level, 2 24-seat Owners Suites, 58 12-seat standard suites on 2 mid levels and 10 24-seat Party Suites on the mid level.
    For those outside the club level, a separate 10,000-square-foot restaurant and bar will overlook the outfield. There also will be a 10,000 square foot youth training area and a 2,000 square foot arcade.
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Is it the final out for Tiger Stadium?
Posted March 14, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
This summer, officials in cash-strapped Detroit should decide whether to demolish Tiger Stadium, the ballpark that once housed baseball immortals but lately has become a symbol of the city's political and economic failures. Early indications are that now may be the time to snap those final keepsake photos. By month's end, a $400,000 annual stipend to pay for maintenance of the stadium will expire. Detroit officials say they've yet to see a realistic plan to reuse it and acknowledge they've already formed plans to disassemble the stadium and auction all its contents, from steel beams to seats. We're not entirely sure Detroit politicians or Tiger officials really want to save the old ballpark: there have been some proposals from preservationists and minor-league baseball officials about renovating the facility. City officials may want to check out what British soccer officials are doing with North London's Highbury -- formally known as Arsenal Stadium -- which is closing down as the Arsenal moves into Emirates Stadium next season. Highbury was built in 1913 and seats about 30,000; Emirates Stadium will seat 60,000. The venerable old stadium won't be going away: they will preserve the exterior, redevelop the interior into housing of about 750 properties, and renovate the pitch into a spacious garden. We include Tiger Stadium in our list of Endangered Ballparks.

RiverHawks move into new digs
Posted March 14, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Rockford RiverHawks (independent; Frontier League) are open for business at RiverHawks Stadium. The RiverHawks began the business week today in their new front office after transferring operations from the old Marinelli Field location last Friday and Saturday. The RiverHawks had been in that location since moving to the Rock River Valley from Springfield in November 2001. "This is a big day for the RiverHawks and the Rock River Valley in general," RiverHawks general manager Josh Olerud said. "We look forward to opening our doors to our fans and sponsors." Full business operations are available at the RiverHawks Stadium office for both advertisers and ticket buyers. Opening Day at brand-new RiverHawks Stadium is 7:05 p.m. Wednesday, May 31, when the ‘Hawks host the Evansville Otters.

Freedom's ballpark adds four new suites with air conditioning
Posted March 14, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
When the Florence Freedom (independent; Frontier League) plays its first home game at Champion Window Field in May, the facility will feature a new attraction: four enclosed, air-conditioned suites. Construction on the four suites, which can accommodate up to 25 people, began March 1 and is scheduled for completion by May 1. The suites, which will be in the upper deck along the third base line and feature 12 baseball-style and four bar seats, will be open to anyone who would like to rent them, but are expected to be an attractive amenity to Greater Cincinnati businesses that might want to hold a meeting prior to taking in a Freedom baseball game.

Zephyrs featured in Hollywood film
Posted March 14, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The New Orleans Zephyrs (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) are featured in a scene in the movie "Failure To Launch," which opened nationwide Friday. The three-minute scene takes place with the film's stars Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew McConaughey attending a baseball game filmed at Zephyr Field in the summer of 2005. The scene shows Zephyrs shortstop Jason Bowers turning a double play against the Omaha Royals and Zephyrs mascot Boudreaux leading the crowd in a cheer.  Filmed during a series against the Royals in 2005, Zephyrs staff members and players donned Zephyrs and Royals uniforms to film the double play and also a home run later cut from the movie.

Expect a different WBC next time around
Posted March 14, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
It sounds like MLB officials are pleased with the World Baseball Classic; though the response hasn't been great in the United States (a terrible TV contract has a lot to do with that) and some feel it unnecessarily detracted from spring training, it did make a splash overseas. One idea that has picked up steam in the last week is the possibility that the next event will be split up, with Rounds 1 and 2 starting a week later in spring training and the semi-final and final being played during the All-Star break in July. That's sure to raise a fuss from the players, who view the All-Star Game as a needed midseason break; asking them to commit to two or three games may cause more stars to drop out.

Frontier upgrades show why Rochester is special
Posted March 14, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
More on the upgrades to Frontier Field, the home of the Rochester Red Wings (Class AAA; International League). The most apparent upgrade will be the new scoreboard. The original videoboard (24 feet wide and 18 feet high) was removed Monday and the new one (32 feet wide and 24 feet high) will be installed Wednesday or Thursday. Parts from the old board will be used on the 490 marquee and the scoreboard in right field. A new playing field will be installed after this season and the stadium will gets its first extensive repainting. Holes in the roof will be patched. Rochester Community Baseball's share of the tab will be at least $800,000.
    RELATED STORIES: Red Wings announce improvements to Frontier Field

New D-Rays owners meet with Midwest League
Posted March 14, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
A Midland-based investment group moved closer toward acquiring the Southwest Michigan Devil Rays (Class A; Midwest League), as the Michigan Baseball Foundation formally presented their business plan to league officials at a Chicago-area hotel, the latest step in buying the team from Ivy Walls Management. The team will play a final season in Battle Creek before moving to a new ballpark in 2007.
    RELATED STORIES: Midland planners approve ballpark site plan; Michigan Baseball Foundation signs purchase agreement for D-Rays; New Midland ballpark a big -- and exciting -- undertaking; It's official: Midland group buying SW Michigan D-Rays; Owner says he's discussed moving Battle Creek team; Midland officials have seen no plans for baseball team; Will Midland get minor league baseball team?

Baseball Notes
Posted March 14, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Alexandria Aces (independent; United League Baseball ) announced the hiring of Jonathan Yardley as director of media relations and broadcasting. Yardley will join Louisiana fan favorite Lyn Rollins in the broadcast booth for home games, alternating between play-by-play and color commentary, while handling all the Aces road games solo. A Morristown, New Jersey native, Yardley enters his second season in professional baseball having spent last season as director of broadcasting and media relations for the Yakima Bears (short season; Northwest League). A graduate of Rice University, Yardley spent four seasons broadcasting Owls baseball, including NCAA Regional, Super Regional and College World Series action. He also spent one summer broadcasting for the Hyannis Mets (summer collegiate; Cape Cod League). All ninety (90) regular season Aces home games and any pre-season or post-season games will be broadcast live on The Tiger 104.

Lamping overcame harsh criticism, political wrangling to make the new Busch a reality
Posted March 13, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
When the St. Louis Cardinals open the next Busch Stadium next month, it will be the culmination of years of hard work for Cardinals President Mark Lamping, who did the hard work in gaining government approvals and working with lenders to assure adequate financing. It was a tightrope act: many in St. Louis wanted to see the previous Busch Stadium stay the home of the Cardinals forever and city government just didn't have the money to build a new ballpark. But things like enhanced luxury boxes weren't possible in the old Busch. It doesn't sound like the Cards are going overboard in sponsorship deals in the new park: From the Bank of America replays to two Hardee's branded concessions and Big Mac Land, most of the St. Louis Cardinals' former advertisers and sponsors are following in the steps of Anheuser-Busch and making their presence known at the new Busch Stadium. Though economists always pooh-pooh this sort of information, it appears the new Busch Stadium is spurring some development in the local area: entertainment venues are expecting more business, as are local hotels, and local restaurant owners are scouting out new outposts close to the park.

The San Jose A's of Fremont?
Posted March 13, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
It's no secret that Oakland A's managing partner Lew Wolff and his investors are looking at a new ballpark in Fremont after failing to work out a deal for a new ballpark in Oakland. The intrigue raised here is the possibility of the A's moving to Fremont and then marketing themselves as the San Jose A's. While the move would be cheeky -- San Jose is part of San Francisco A's territory -- Bud Selig has made it pretty clear that geographic names really don't matter after allowing Arte Moreno to rename his team to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.
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Yaeger calls stadium plan flexible and fan-friendly
Posted March 13, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The design phase of the new ballpark for the Nashville Sounds (Class AAA; International League) is underway, and GM Glenn Yaeger talks about his team's goals and status in this interview with the Tennessean. There was a small kafuffle over the opening day being delayed until 2008, but it sounds like putting things off for a year was a no-brainer: construction firms couldn't guarantee a 2007 opening, the design was delayed while Metro Council dawdled over final approval of the project, and ensuring minority participation would have been hard with the earlier deadline.
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Teams say upgrades will make stadiums 'brand new'
Posted March 13, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Kansas City Royals and the NFL's Kansas City Chiefs aren’t asking for brand-new stadiums, but the proposed improvements to Arrowhead and Kauffman would amount to almost the same thing. The sturdy cores of the 34-year-old structures would remain. Ringing them would be new amenities giving fans much more elbow room -- new seating areas, wider concourses, more rest rooms, quicker trips to grab a hot dog and many more opportunities to spend money. That is what is on the table when Jackson County voters decide April 4 whether to accept a 3/8 -cent sales tax for 25 years. The chief economist with a nonpartisan budget-analysis group questions the need for the tax.
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Bennington approves new ballpark
Posted March 13, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Bennington Select Board has tentatively approved a lease to allow for construction of a new 2,200-seat ballpark, anticipated to become the home of the Bennington Bombers of the summer collegiate New York Collegiate Baseball League in 2007. Final approval of the lease, which will run for 49 years, is awaiting completion of a survey of the site selected for the ballpark.
    RELATED STORIES: Bennington may build new ballpark for NYCBL team

Buzz draws sponsors to Brewers
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The Milwaukee Brewers have renewed 95 percent of the club's business sponsors for the upcoming season -- compared with 80 percent in recent years -- and have added several new sponsors to the lineup. In addition, the team is close to finalizing a new agreement with its largest sponsor, Miller Brewing. The Milwaukee brewer, which paid $40 million for the naming rights of Miller Park, is expected to sign a seven-year agreement that would significantly increase its sponsorship. Brewers management also is negotiating with several local companies for the naming rights to the right field picnic area opening this season. Nothing like a winning season, some high-profile ballpark improvements and a new ownership to renew interest in a team.

Commerce Bank Park sign to reach for new heights
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Commerce Bank, which plunked down $3.5 million in 2004 to attach its name to Commerce Bank Park, the home of the Harrisburg Senators (Class AA; Eastern League) for the next 15 years, plans to erect an 80-foot-high, 488-square-foot illuminated sign to let everyone know.  With its internal illumination, the sign would glow on both sides and be visible from the East and West shores of the Susquehanna River. It would be emblazoned with the words "Commerce Bank Park," and would feature the bank's red "C" logo against a blue background.

Diamondbacks executives working on new ways to regain sponsors, fans
Posted March 13, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Arizona Diamondbacks enter the 2006 season facing a number of financial challenges, ranging from sponsorship renewals to filling up a ballpark that's grown increasingly vacant in recent years. As the team tries to maintain a payroll that will keep it competitive in an improved National League West, it's also saddled with millions in deferred salaries that piled up as the team signed players to huge contracts leading up to its 2001 World Series Championship season.

His labors gave birth to Cove
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With the purchase of the South Bend Silver Hawks (Class A; Midwest League) by a group led by former South Bend Mayor Joe Kernan, the team's future at Covaleski Stadium is ensured. That leads the local newspaper to profile the late Charles Minkler, who dreamed up the idea in 1984 and convinced another former mayor, Roger Parent, of the need for a ballpark in South Bend. He convinced Robert and Debby Staley and John Wendel (now owner of the the Northwoods League's Thunder Bay Border Cats) to move a Midwest League team to a new ballpark, and the rest is history.
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Blind reporter marries at Yankee Stadium
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Syndicated radio personality Ed Lucas and baseball fan Allison Pheifle were married Friday at Yankee Stadium. The weather cooperated -- it was a seasonally warm 72 degrees in the Bronx -- as the popular radio-show host tied the knot. It's a great story all around: both bride and groom are legally blind, and they were introduced by former Yankee great Phil Rizzuto. The last game Lucas actually saw was on Oct. 3, 1951, when as a 12-year-old he ran home from school in time to see Bobby Thomson hit the "Shot Heard 'Round the World" to win the National League pennant for the New York Giants. Afterward, he was pitching in a pickup game when a ball struck him between the eyes, detaching both retinas and wrecking his sight. It was the first wedding held in Yankee Stadium.

Landowners ordered to vacate D.C. ballpark area
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It's official: landowners at the site of the new Washington Nationals ballpark in Southeast Washington must move out. D.C. Superior Court Judge Joan Zeldon issued the order yesterday, paving the way for demolition and environmental clean-up of the site to begin immediately. The city had acquired title on most of the land on the site through eminent domain last fall, but had issued a motion in January asking the court to force landowners to clear out. Judge Zeldon said on Feb. 24 she would grant the city's motion once the city and Major League Baseball signed a lease agreement for the ballpark.
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Anti-Castro sign sparks protests in Havana
Posted March 13, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Several hundred people, most of them young and members of various athletic teams, rallied in front of the U.S. Interests Section in Havana on Friday to protest what the Castro government has called "the cynical counter-revolutionary provocations" aimed at the nation's baseball team during the World Baseball Classic round in Puerto Rico. The gathering was prompted by a scuffle that erupted in the stands Thursday during Cuba's 11-2 win over the Netherlands when a demonstrator held up a sign reading, "Abajo Fidel," which means "Down with Fidel." Among several speakers at Friday's protest was Olga Ledia Castillo Fernandez, the mother of Cuba's 21-year-old slugger Yulieski Gourriel. The Cuban government, in a front-page editorial Friday in the communist party daily Granma, accused U.S. and Puerto Rican authorities of supporting the anti-Castro protesters.

State should spring for aid to teams
Posted March 13, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Here's a call for the Florida Legislature to pass a proposal to fund new or improved spring-training facilities in Sarasota, Bradenton, Fort Lauderdale, St. Petersburg and Winter Haven. The cost would be $15 million, and the funds must be matched by a team or a local municipality. Arizona is rolling out the red carpet to attract two teams from the Grapefruit League, and although there's a chance two or more teams (Cleveland, Baltimore, Los Angeles) might look to leave Florida, the state funding gives municipalities some ammunition in an attempt to keep them.
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Red Wings announce improvements to Frontier Field
Posted March 13, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Rochester Red Wings (Class AAA; International League) announce state aid for improvements to Frontier Field in conjunction with local and state legislative leaders. A $1.6 million state aid grant will be used to fund a new scoreboard, replacement of the playing field, and maintenance-related improvements at the 10-year-old ballpark. In return, the Red Wings have committed to invest at least $800,000 to help fund these improvements.

Maroon Monster may swallow sun
Posted March 13, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Winthrop University baseball coach Joe Hudak said last week that he had received design plans for a permanent screen along the outfield wall at Winthrop Ballpark that would block out the late-afternoon sun. The screen would stretch from the left-center-field pole to the right-center-field pole and would be as high as the bottom of the ballpark's lights. Since the ballpark was built in 2001, the Eagles have had to take "sun delays" because the sun would shine so brightly in the eyes of hitters and umpires at home plate that they couldn't see the ball.

Wanted: an owner for the Nationals
Posted March 13, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
If you think politics can get nasty, just wait until the lobbying gets really heavy for the groups vying for the Washington Nationals. Owning the team will be a big sign of prestige in a town that worships prestige. Some of the groups have close ties to Bud Selig -- like the Jeff Smulyan and Stan Kasten groups -- while other groups are power players in D.C, such as the Fred Malek/Colin Powell group.

Pair object to Emmis bid for Nationals
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Two Milwaukee money managers with millions invested in Indianapolis-based Emmis Communications Corp. are crying foul over the company's attempts to buy the Washington Nationals. Emmis, which owns radio stations in the U.S. and Europe, said in September that it would contribute $100 million to a bid for the Nationals. Making the pitch was Jeff Smulyan, Emmis' CEO and controlling shareholder, who owned the Seattle Mariners from 1989 to 1992. Richard Lane and Peter Lautmann, the Milwaukee money managers who together own 4.3 percent of Emmis' stock for clients and shareholders, say Emmis could deliver a better return by sticking to its primary game: media. Playing with shareholder money at a time when shareholders have a lot of legal leverage may be a risky move for Smulyan.

He's done it, or broadcast it, all
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Frank Gilhooley first broadcast Toledo Mud Hens (Class AAA; International League) games in 1953, but his connection with the club goes back even further: he served as a bat boy for the Mud Hens in the 1930s at Swayne Field. After graduating from Central in '42, he played both baseball and basketball at the University of Notre Dame; after that he called other sports for local teams and returned as the voice of the Mud Hens in 1987.

The keeper of the Philadelphia A's legacy
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Here's a look at Ernie Montello, the 71-year-old caretaker of the Philadelphia Athletics Historical Society in Hatboro, Pa. The museum is a tribute to "baseball when it was really a game," Montella said in a telephone interview from that shrine, decades removed from the Oakland Athletics franchise at spring training in Arizona. Montella watches over the museum's seats from Shibe Park, those plaques from Veterans Stadium, programs, scorecards and replicas of Athletics jerseys from the 1940's and 50's purchased as gifts for a father or grandfather. Montello is not alone: The Philadelphia Phillies have done an exceptional job in highlighting the Athletics' legacy in the historical displays at Citizens Bank Park.

'Stormers away? It'll be time to play on the deck
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For its sophomore season, the Lancaster Barnstormers (independent; Atlantic League) plans to open the doors at Clipper Magazine Stadium and host all-ages deck parties during "happy hour" on eight Friday nights while the Barnstormers are away. Live music ranging from an '80s classics group to a Jimmy Buffet cover band will replace the sounds of cheering fans. And typical ballpark fare like peanuts and Cracker Jacks will take a back seat to such picnic grub as grilled hamburgers and hot dogs -- and beer for those of age.

Art critics offer support of Portland's right to say 'no'
Posted March 13, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
This is so much ado about nothing. Dan Burke, the owner of the Portland Sea Dogs (Class AA; Eastern League), wants to donate a bronze sculpture showing a happy family at the ballpark to the city of Portland and display it outside Hadlock Field.  As currently proposed, the bronze statues of a family of four en route to a baseball game don't meet the city's guidelines for acceptable public art because one of the caps sports a Sea Dogs logo -- and the guidelines prohibit the use of commercial logos on public art, even on donated sculptures.
    RELATED STORIES: Bronze statues trouble Portland committee

KU sports facilities suffer storm damage
Posted March 13, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Hogland Ballpark, the home of the Kansas University baseball team, suffered damage when heavy storms hit the area Sunday morning. A portion of the left field fence at Hoglund Ballpark collapsed when a tree toppled into it, and signage on the scoreboard was damaged as well. KU’s baseball team also is on a long hiatus, with the next home game set for March 29 against Wichita State.

No offseason for Ports' GM
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Here's a look at Mike McCarroll, GM of the Stockton Ports (Class A; California League), as he and his team prepare for the 2006 season. He helps with ticket sales and works with vendors. He walks the concourse and talks with fans. He checks on the concession stands, making sure the hot dogs are hot and the beer is cold. He's on the field between innings, assisting fans in the bat spin and human bowling contests.

Baseball Notes
Posted March 13, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox plans to manage the Braves for at least two more seasons. Cox, 64, signed a one-year extension of his current deal Sunday, keeping him in Atlanta through 2007, the same length of contract as general manager John Schuerholz. Cox is seventh on the career wins list with 2,092, has guided the Braves to 14 division titles in a row and captured the last two National League manager-of-the-year awards.