Archives: Aug. 12-18, 2007
Selig: Relocation an option if ballpark issue not settled
Posted Aug. 17, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Bud Selig opened the door Thursday to the possibility the Florida Marlins could relocate if they are unable to hammer out a deal to build a retractable-roof ballpark in South Florida. You’ve got to give Bud credit for terrible timing: the future of the South Florida sports scene is on hold until the University of Miami decides whether to move to Dolphin Stadium, which would open the Orange Bowl as the site of a new Marlins ballpark. Marlins President David Samson also displayed a high dose of disingenuousness in saying the Marlins were under the gun because they need to vacate Dolphin Stadium by 2010; Dolphins owner Wayne Huigenza has stated he’d be open to extending the Marlins’ lease. The bigger story is the frustration felt by MLB officials over the whole Marlins situation: city of Miami, state and Miami-Dade County officials have refused to roll over and give into MLB’s demands for state funding of a new downtown ballpark. The best MLB can expect is partial county funding of a new ballpark on the Orange Bowl site — a significantly lesser plan. More from the Palm Beach Post.
Norwich wants makeover for Dodd Stadium
Posted Aug. 17, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
City officials want to spend $190,000 to resod the playing field and $100,000 each to move in the fences and renovate the bathrooms as part of a $610,000 upgrade designed to make Thomas J. Dodd Memorial Stadium more hitter-friendly and more inviting to fans. Some of the changes, which would be paid for by a bond issue requested by the city’s Baseball Stadium Authority, are required in accordance with the city’s lease with the Connecticut Defenders (Class AA; Eastern League). But the cost could prove to be controversial among taxpayers, since the Defenders are about $200,000 behind in their lease payments to the city, and attendance, despite rising slightly this year, has dropped over the past several years to among the lowest in its league.
Texas Collegiate League sues seven teams in effort to preserve league
Posted Aug. 17, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Texas Collegiate League Chairman and Chief Executive Gerald Haddock on Tuesday sued the seven teams that told him they did not intend to return next year. "We are all under agreement that we are not going to play under this business model," said Jeff Najork, general manager of the Duncanville Deputies. "There is no way any of us will come back. It sounds like to me that we can’t lose any more money." Haddock, a Fort Worth investor and former minority owner and general counsel for the Texas Rangers, said in his lawsuit that the teams’ action is a "textbook example of an illegal group boycott" and a violation of Texas antitrust laws. In the lawsuit, filed in Tarrant County civil court Tuesday, Haddock is asking the court to block any effort by the teams to form a new league using the same concepts as the TCL. Haddock places the value of the TCL at more than $3 million.
The Denton Outlaws, Duncanville Deputies, Coppell Copperheads, Colleyville LoneStars, Wichita Falls Roughnecks, Mineral Wells Steam and Weatherford Wranglers were named in the lawsuit; not included were the Brazos Valley Bombers and McKinney Marshals. More from the Bryan-College Station Eagle.
Coors Field view dispute goes into extra innings
Posted Aug. 17, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
A property just behind the left-field wall at Coors Field could see a 14-story building, potentially blocking that signature view of Colorado’s Rocky Mountains. Denver’s Planning Board unanimously voted to recommend a zoning change for a property at 2010 Delgany Street that would allow for a 14-story building, but local businesses and the ballpark authority oppose the project. They want the Denver City Council to strike out the zoning change by designating the view a view plane — offering an unobstructed view from a designated location, such as the one from the west steps of the State Capitol. The City Council still must approve the zoning change, so the debate will continue.
Officials: No progress on bringing ballpark
Posted Aug. 17, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Despite township officials’ efforts to cover all bases in planning for a ballpark complex on New Jersey’s Route 33, bringing the project to fruition has proven to be a whole other ballgame. Township Environmental Protection Manager John Riggs said the ballpark for an independent Atlantic League was supposed to be built with no public funds from the township or county. However, the developers ended up looking for money from both entities, for infrastructure and other components of the project. Steve Kalafer, owner of the Somerset Patriots and Newark Bears (both independent; Atlantic League, wanted to establish a team in southern Middlesex County, Riggs said. The ballpark was to be the central feature of what would be called Monroe Marketplace, located on westbound Route 33 near Applegarth and Perrineville roads.
Jackie Robinson Ballpark Heritage Day to be held August 25
Posted Aug. 17, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Daytona Cubs (High Class A; Florida State League) and Volusia County Government are teaming up to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Jackie Robinson’s entry into Major League Baseball with "Jackie Robinson Ballpark Heritage Day." In 1946, Major League Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson broke baseball’s color barrier at City Island Ballpark in Daytona Beach as a member of the Montreal Royals, the top farm team of the Brooklyn Dodgers. The ballpark was the site of the first racially integrated spring training game in modern baseball history. Robinson was promoted to the Dodgers in 1947. Four thousand seats to the August 25 game, Daytona Cubs vs. Vero Beach Devil Rays, are available to the public at no charge and can be picked up at any Volusia County library. (Branch locations are listed at www.volusia.org/library.) The tickets are available at Volusia County libraries on a first-come, first-served basis.
Sky Sox to hold "Rai Henniger Day"
Posted Aug. 17, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Colorado Springs Sky Sox are very happy to announce that Sunday, August 26 will be Rai Henniger Day at Security Service Field. The Sky Sox will take on their division rivals, the Salt Lake Bees, that day in a 1:05 p.m. match-up as they wrap up their 2007 regular-season home schedule.
As part of the day’s festivities, the Sky Sox will hold an in-game silent auction and post-game live auction of sports memorabilia with all proceeds benefiting the Rai Henniger Family Fund. The Sky Sox will also donate a portion of the day’s ticket proceeds to the fund so fans will be able to help the Hennigers just by attending the game.
Also as part of the celebration, the entire Sky Sox front office staff will don Hawaiian shirts in honor of Rai’s home state. Fans in attendance are encouraged to wear their favorite Hawaiian shirt as well. The already scheduled promotions of 25-cent hot dogs and "The Shirt Off Our Backs" will also be a part of the day. Henniger was seriously injured in a pyrotechnic accident while setting up for a recent Sky Sox baseball game in May.
Bob L. Head winner to appear at PGE Park Saturday
Posted Aug. 17, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
One of the cleverest promotions in minor-league baseball this season will come to a head Saturday when Bob L. (Leroy) Head will appear at Saturday’s Portland Beavers (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) game at PGE Park. Bob L. Head, who hails from Maquoketa, Iowa, was selected by fans from three finalists to have his own bobblehead likeness cast as the center of Saturday’s Bob L. Head promotion at PGE Park. The first 2,000 fans in attendance at Saturday’s game will receive a Bob L. Head bobblehead. In February, the Beavers launched a nationwide search for people named Bob L. Head, looking for the ultimate candidate to star in the team’s Esurance Bob L. Head promotion. The team narrowed the list to three finalists in May and, in true democratic fashion, put it up to the fans through a popular vote on the team’s website. Nearly 30,000 votes were cast over a two-week span, and Bob Leroy Head of Maquoketa, Iowa, emerged victorious after garnering more than 50 percent of the vote. He’ll also be appearing at John O’Donnell Stadium for an Aug. 24 Swing of the Quad Cities (Low Class A; Midwest League) game.
In memoriam: Sam Pollack
Posted Aug. 17, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Sam Pollock, best known as the GM of the Montreal Canadiens during their glory days in the 1960s and 1970s, passed away yesterday in Toronto at the age of 81. Pollock was best known for his stint with the Habs, but he also had tied to the baseball world, serving on the Board of Directors for the Toronto Blue Jays in the nineties before serving as the Chairman and CEO for the ball club from 1995 to 2000. He was a current and active member of the Board of Directors for the Jays Care Foundation, serving as the vice chairman.
WU plans upgrades to sports facilities
Posted Aug. 17, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Washburn University is preparing to undertake nearly $3 million in renovations to its athletic facilities, including improvements to Falley Field, which has had no significant improvements since opening in 1990. An artificial turf infield will be installed along with new batting cages and bullpens at a cost of $458,175. The entire infield, including base paths and the batter’s box, will be Field Turf. The only dirt will be the pitcher’s mound. The outfield will remain natural grass.
Ballpark Notes
Posted Aug. 17, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Cleveland Indians today broke the two-million mark in tickets sold for games at Jacobs Field this season for the 13th time in franchise history, and the first since 2005. It also marks the earliest point to reach the two-million plateau in a season since 2002.
Sports authority approves ballpark
Posted Aug. 16, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The group giving the biggest chunk of money for Glendale’s proposed spring-training ballpark gave final approval on Wednesday, rounding one of the final bases to bring the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago White Sox to Phoenix’s West Valley. The Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority will contribute two-thirds, or roughly $54 million, of the funding for an $80.7 million ballpark. The facility will be designed with 12,000 permanent seats and 3,000 lawn seats, making it the second-largest in the Cactus League. Sports-authority board member John Benton said pairing two major-league teams would be a boon for the Cactus League and the economy. A city-commissioned study showed the storied ballclubs would give an annual $15 million jolt to the local economy with the long-coveted Dodgers being one of the league’s biggest draws. While the ballpark will most certainly go forward, there’s still some doubt as to when the White Sox arrive. The team’s contract with Pima County commits them to spring training at Tucson Electric Park, and so far there’s been no talk about a settlement of that contract or a replacement team.
Two sites OK’d for Reno ballpark
Posted Aug. 16, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
SK Baseball officials intend to make a decision around Labor Day whether to build a Triple-A ballpark in downtown Reno or at the Grand Sierra Resort, after winning approval of both sites Wednesday night. The special-use permits approved by the Reno Planning Commission will go before the Reno City Council only if there is an appeal. The project, rushed through the planning process, must meet an Oct. 1 deadline to have permits to be eligible to use revenue from a 2 percent car rental tax, yielding $24 million over 20 years, to build the ballpark for the relocated Tucson Sidewinders (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League).
Death, destruction beats a shiny new ballpark
Posted Aug. 16, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
We’re a little surprised to see such a piece of dreck carried by Bloomberg, which usually features well-researched news. The argument here is that the new Minnesota Twins ballpark should not be funded with local revenue, with the money instead diverted bridge maintenance — a stand prompted by the collapse of the I-35W bridge over the Mississippi River in downtown Minneapolis. Furthermore, writes Scott Soshnick, it’s unseemly for the Twins to have a new ballpark when people died in a tragedy. Let’s begin by looking at how the ballpark is being funded: a 0.15 percent sales tax in Hennepin County. Soshnick’s apparent suggestion is to scrap that funding, have the Twins pay for the entire cost of the ballpark and then divert the money toward bridge inspections. Aside from the dubious constitutionality of the proposal (the funding of the public highway system is spelled out in the State Constitution, and it doesn’t include local sales taxes), it’s virtually impossible that the Minnesota Legislature and Hennepin County would approve such a dramatic act and then ask voters to change the Constitution. Furthermore, there is money in the state budget for bridge inspections, but as a culture we promote new roads over maintenance, and it’s time to change those priorities. Incredibly, Soshnick ends his rant by saying Minnesotans have to choose between baseball or bridges. Such a Manichean view devalues the tragic deaths that occurred when the bridge collapsed; it’s silly to say that we can’t have safe bridges if we have a new ballpark.
Miners set Frontier League attendance record
Posted Aug. 16, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
On Wednesday, 4,132 fans attending the Southern Illinois Miners (independent; Frontier League) game and set Frontier League history. The team has now drawn 218,285 paying customers, a new single-season record, shattering the old mark of 217,500 set by the Gateway Grizzlies in 2004. There are still eight home games remaining, and if the team averages about 5,000 fans per contest, the Miners should finish upwards of the 250,000 mark.
Ballpark Village still seeking $115M subsidy
Posted Aug. 16, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Missouri Development Finance Board (MDFB) has put Ballpark Village, the development planned by the St. Louis Cardinals next to the new Busch Stadium, on its Aug. 21 agenda. Last month, during MDFB’s regular monthly meeting in Jefferson City, Mo., the Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED) recommended that the first phase of the Ballpark Village project receive $26.8 million for the first of two funding components, according to Chase Martin of Cordish Co.
11 set hunger strike over pay at ballpark
Posted Aug. 16, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Eleven current and former temporary workers who will begin a hunger strike Sept. 3 to secure higher wages for those who pick up the trash at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the home of the Baltimore Orioles. The hunger strike announced yesterday is the latest move by the United Workers Association to pressure the Maryland Stadium Authority to meet its demand for better pay. Oriole Park at Camden Yards workers typically earn $7 an hour. They’re asking for at least Baltimore’s living wage of $9.62, even though the city’s minimum wage doesn’t apply to the workers since the ballpark is state owned.
Ducks’ Offerman suspended after assault charges
Posted Aug. 16, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Jose Offerman has been suspended indefinitely by the Atlantic League after a wild bat-swinging incident Tuesday night in Bridgeport, Conn. The Long Island Ducks infielder was arrested after charging the mound and injuring two players with his bat in the second inning of the Ducks’ 13-12 win. Offerman had homered on the game’s first pitch. He came to bat in the second inning and after a first-pitch strike, he was hit on the left calf by left-hander Matt Beech. Bat in hand, after initially taking a couple steps toward first base, he charged the mound, taking three swings at Beech and also hitting catcher John Nathans in the back of the head during his backswing. According to Bridgeport police, Beech broke the middle finger of his right hand and Nathans suffered a concussion. Offerman, Beech and Bluefish manager Tommy John were ejected after order was restored. Nathans remained in the game but upon returning to the dugout at the end of the inning, he passed out. Police arrested Offerman in the visiting clubhouse, allowing him to dress before taking him from the stadium in handcuffs. He was charged with two counts of assault in the second degree and posted $10,000 bond.
Two Reno ballpark sites to go before city planners
Posted Aug. 15, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Reno Planning Commission will be asked tonight to approve permits for a new ballpark for the relocated Tucson Sidewinders (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) in downtown Reno and at the Grand Sierra Resort. SK Baseball has applied for special-use permits to build at both 10-acre sites and faces an Oct. 1 deadline to have an approved site to take advantage of a countywide 2 percent car rental tax that would help pay for the ballpark. Since April 2004, that tax has accumulated more than $6 million. While more detailed studies for water, sewer and parking are to come, the plans submitted are for a $35-$45-million ballpark seating 6,500 people and providing space for another 3,500 on the lawn. The city planning staff recommends approval of the sites. City planners and officials are hot for the downtown site.
Sounds ballpark enters mayoral debate
Posted Aug. 15, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
One mayoral candidate thinks he can get a deal done with the Nashville Sounds (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) for a new minor-league ballpark. The other is a die-hard baseball fan "intrigued" by a downtown ballpark but less certain about its pros