The fire marshal had the night off, as the St. Paul Saints (independent; American Association) set a single-game attendance record of 9,455 at last night’s final game at Midway Stadium. Yes, team psychologist Bill Murray was on hand, taking bows before the game with Mike Veeck and Marv Goldklang, founders of the franchise. Yes, there […]
Tag Archives | american association
University of Texas takes over Edinburg Baseball Stadium; will pro baseball return?
The University of Texas System is taking over Edinburg Baseball Stadium for use by UT-Pan American and UT-Rio Grande Valley, but it’s far from clear whether pro baseball will return to the facility. For many years Edinburg Baseball Stadium hosted the Edinburg Roadrunners (independent; United League Baseball), one of the more successful teams in the […]
One last hurrah at Midway Stadium
We’re down to the wire at Midway Stadium, where the St. Paul Saints (independent; American Association) will wrap up their tenure there with a final game tonight. As a ballpark, Midway Stadium was cheaply built and not blessed with an abundance of amenities. Originally called Municipal Stadium, it opened after St. Paul tore down the […]
Simunic, RedHawks exercise contract option
The only manager in Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks (independent; American Association) history, Doug Simunic, will be with the team through the 2017 season, as a two-year contract extension was exercised. Simunic signed a three-year extension in 2012, with the potential for a two-year extension. That extension is now in play. “I would like to capture one more […]
Amarillo Sox: Yes, we do want new ballpark
Talk about much ado over nothing: After Amarillo Sox (independent; American Association) GM Mark Lee once again said he’d prefer a Potter County Stadium renovation to a new ballpark, team ownership felt the need to step in to clarify things. That Lee said this isn’t surprising — heck, he’s been saying the same thing for […]
T-Bones prep a welcome to team’s three-millionth fan
Important milestone for the Kansas City T-Bones (independent; American Association): the team will welcome its three-millionth fan during an upcoming series at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. Heading into the July 18-23 homestand against Winnipeg and Grand Prairie, 154,195 people have attended games in 2014, which brings the total of fans who have seen games at CommunityAmerica Ballpark […]
The Week That Was: June 29
Ballpark prep, ugly sweaters, a potential Twins/Saints affiliation and Petco Park A/V upgrades were the top stories on Ballpark Digest this past week, as measured by page views. Here are the top stories, in order of popularity: What happens at a ballpark before a game? Lots of prepCrosscutters to don what could be ugliest uniforms […]
Future of Midway Stadium: 2015 demolition, redevelopment
We have a plan for Midway Stadium after the St. Paul Saints (independent; American Association) depart: the ballpark will be torn down next year and redeveloped by a company controlled by the Minnesota Twins ownership. United Properties, the real-estate firm controlled by the Pohlad family (which owns the Twins), will work with the St. Paul […]
Twins, Saints affiliated someday? Don’t count on it
Though Dave St. Peter and Derek Sharrer said there are reasons to discuss a future affiliation between the Minnesota Twins and St. Paul Saints, there are millions — and maybe tens of millions — of reasons why that will never happen. It makes for a good story: the two were on a panel together at […]
American Association, Can-Am game broadcasts free via the Web
It’s always good to watch more baseball: The independent American Association and Can-Am League are live-streaming games from all ballparks across multiple platforms. The streaming is part of a partnership with InnovaTV for the 2014 season. Fans can view the games on indpendentprofessionalbaseball.com, which is compatible with desktop and laptop computers; a variety of Apple […]
NCAA’s Emmert disses minor-league sports; teams diss Emmert
NCAA President Mark Emmert’s statement during a trial — that minor-league teams are not successful and don’t entertain fans — created waves of chatter among pro-baseball front offices, so expect a flood of promos mocking him, with the St. Paul Saints and Lake County Captains eading the way. Emmert testified in the ongoing Ed O’Bannon […]
New for 2014: Saints mascot Stephen Colboar
We have a name for this year’s four-legged St. Paul Saints (independent; American Association) pig mascot: Stephen Colboar. This was a good year for Saints porcine nicknames, as evidenced by the team’s press release: The Saints were looking for a humorous name that Minnesotan’s could gravitate towards (Johnny Hamziel), but sometimes a great idea on […]
Saints to revive popular Silent Night Friday
The St. Paul Saints (independent; American Association) are prepping for a final season at Midway Stadium, and to celebrate the team is reviving the ever-popular Silent Night, dating back to the 1993 season. The May 16 promo features a night that would make Marcel Marceau smile as mimes will help entertain the crowd. The mimes […]