A deal to bring pro baseball back to Ottawa is close at hand, with Mandalay Baseball Properties poised to own a Class AA Eastern League team and Rogers Communications buying naming rights to Ottawa Stadium. The deal, which was first reported by Ken Grey and confirmed with MiLB team owners, calls for Mandalay to buy […]
Tag Archives | class aa
Biloxi petition drive falls short; council to study bond rates
A petition drive to force a referendum on city spending on a new Bixoli ballpark has fallen short, with the City Council voting today to move ahead with gather rate information on a potential bond sale. The Steps Coalition, a group seeking to put the question of bonding to voters in a fall election, gathered […]
Richmond ballpark location may be decided by voters
In a sign the discussion is shifting, a plan is afoot to put the issue of a new Richmond Flying Squirrels (Class AA; Eastern League) ballpark location to voters via referendum. The move is significant: the assumption is that a new ballpark will be built, with the unresolved issue the location of the facility. That’s […]
Player development vs. winning on display in Springfield
The seemingly eternal debate over player development vs. winning was on display last night in Springfield, when a doubleheader determining a first-half title was scrapped after a manager pulled the plug on the game. The Springfield Cardinals (33-35) and Tulsa Drillers (34-34) came into Sunday’s game with the Drillers up one but the Cardinals set […]
Proposed Biloxi ballpark draws opposition; rally set for today
A proposed Biloxi ballpark for a Class AA Southern League team has hit some more opposition, as some councilmen want to see it located elsewhere in the city, and more opponents seek public input. We already once covered the effort by the Steps Coalition to force a referendum on the ballpark-funding issue; leaders of that […]
Biloxi group wants referendum on new ballpark
A local group is seeking to ask voters to approve public funding of a new Biloxi ballpark and will work to gather 1,500 signatures to force a referendum. The Steps Coalition has announced it will work to force the referendum, but it must be done quickly: 1,500 signatures must be gathered by June 18. If […]
End of an era in Trenton: Chase retires
It’s the end of an era at Arm & Hammer Park, as Chase, “bat dog” for the Trenton Thunder (Class AA; Eastern League), is set to retire at the beginning of July. Chase’s retirement party is set for Friday, July 5, with Chase bobbleheads distributed to the first 2,000 fans. Chase will pass the Thunder […]
Blue Wahoos announce staff promotions
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Class AA; Southern League) announced four staff promotions from all areas of the organization, including grounds, merchandise, community relations, and clubhouse management. Blue Wahoos owner Quint Studer said that the promotions came after each staff member demonstrated leadership, a commitment to excellence, and a desire to grow and improve professionally. “What […]
Ottawa approves outlines of ballpark spending; specifics to be decided
With the Ottawa market apparantly up for grabs, an Ottawa city committee approved a plan to spend at least $10 million on improvements to Ottawa Stadium to attract an affiliated team. With the city now openly talking of seeking targets other than a Double-A team — the potential of a Single-A team was mentioned at […]
City commits additional spending on Hoover Met; concerts now target
Seeking to diversify the offerings at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium, the local city council pledged $352,000 in additional facility improvements, including a big electrical-system upgraded needed to attract big-time musical tours. All in all, the city has authorized $1.5 million in ballpark upgrades since the Birmingham Barons (Class AA; Southern League) moved to a new downtown […]
Bennett, Young, Bryant unveil plans for new Biloxi ballpark
A trio of dignitaries — Tim Bennett, Ken Young and Gov. Phil Bryant — unveiled plans for Caillavet Park in Biloxi, as the state has kicked in $15 million in BP oil-spill money toward the project. The Biloxi City Council had already agreed to issue $21 million in bonds for the project, and now more […]
Bennett: We can open Biloxi ballpark in 2014
Never let it be said Tim Bennett is anything less than a complete optimist, as he says a new ballpark for a Class AA Southern League team in Biloxi can be opened in time for the 2014 season. Bennett, an entrepreneur working on a new ballpark in Biloxi for several years (and before that a […]
Rickwood Classic set for tomorrow
This is one of the essential events of the baseball season: the Birmingham Barons (Class AA; Southern League) are hosting the annual Rickwood Classic tomorrow at historic Rickwood Field. We’ve attended the Rickwood Classic in the past and had a ball, so we’d highly recommend the event for anyone who loves baseball in general and […]