The Toledo Mud Hens (Class AAA; International League) are working on an expansion of Fifth Third Field that would also invest in the revitalization of the surrounding neighborhood. The total cost of the project would be between $10 million and $15 million. Within the ballpark, the Swamp Shop store could be expanded, and both a […]
Tag Archives | class aaa
IronPigs funeral promo turns poignant
A tongue-in-cheek promo turned poignant when the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Class AAA; International League) and a local funeral home awarded a free funeral package to a local man diagnosed with ALS. The package, sponsored by Reichel Funeral Home and valued at nearly $10,000, covered all the services normally associated with a funeral — casket, professional […]
New El Paso ballpark set for April 11, 2014 opening
The new Triple-A Pacific Coast League El Paso ballpark for the relocating Tucson Padres is set for an April 11, 2014 opening, according to team and city management. The season opener for the new franchise is scheduled for April 3, giving team officials some precious time to make sure operations are set. Ballpark construction moves […]
Pacific Coast League unveils 2014 realignment
The franchise is moving only 300 or so miles, but the addition of an El Paso team in 2014 is causing the Class AAA Pacific Coast League to plan a divisional realignment. The makeup of the PCL conference divisions for 2014: Pacific Northern – Fresno Grizzlies, Reno Aces, Sacramento River Cats, Tacoma RainiersPacific Southern – […]
Rochester Red Wings to host outdoor hockey this December
Outdoor hockey will come to Frontier Field, home of the Rochester Red Wings (Class AAA; International League), this December with six games over 10 days. We’ve seen several ballparks host hockey in recent years, including both MiLB and MLB facilities. The model that seems to work best: multiple games tied to an event. That’s the […]
Results of Colorado Springs ballpark poll under wraps
A poll to determine citizen views of a proposed downtown Colorado Springs ballpark is under wraps for now, deemed a confidential work product by city officials. The 40-question poll was sent to 40,000 Colorado Springs Sky Sox (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) email-list subscribers and members of the Colorado Springs Regional Business Alliance. Only 2,000 […]
Indianapolis Indians, Pirates extend PDC through 2016
The Indianapolis Indians (Class AAA; International League) and the Pittsburgh Pirates extended their player-development contract (PDC) for two more seasons, through 2016. “The Pirates leadership team of President Frank Coonelly, General Manager Neal Huntington, Assistant General Manager Kyle Stark and Director of Minor League Operations Larry Broadway has provided excellent leadership for the organization,” said […]
Higher interest rates impact El Paso ballpark debt
Higher-than-anticipated interest rates on city-backed bonds is raising the long-term cost of a new El Paso ballpark by $17 million, as the City Council approved the deal yesterday. City officials had anticipated a rate of 5 percent for nontaxable bonds and and 5.75 percent for taxable bonds. That didn’t attract any bond buyers, so the […]
Knights announce return date to Charlotte
The official return of the Charlotte Knights (Class AAA; International League) to Charlotte is set for April 11, 2014, when the team opens BB&T Ballpark. The date was announced at a press conference today. Members of the Charlotte Knights front office staff, along with Frances Crockett, former co-owner and GM of the Charlotte O’s, were […]
RailRiders exceed 2011 attendance
Big milestone for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (Class AAA; International League): the team has already drawn more fans to PNC Field than in all of 2011, before ballpark renovations began. A crowd of 7,294 yesterday pushed the team past the 2011 total. The team played on the road last season while the ballpark was being renovated. […]
Triple-A All-Star Game a big hit
With a sold-out ballpark and a solid game experience, the Reno Aces (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) won plaudits for their hosting of the Triple-A All-Star Game earlier this week. We heard from plenty of front-office folks about the great time they had in Reno, and that experience was apparently echoed in the stands. From […]
Ballpark Preview: New El Paso Ballpark
With the final bureaucratic hurdles cleared and a budget of $60.8 million finalized, it’s time to turn to the most interesting part of a new El Paso Triple-A ballpark: the design. You may know the backstory: El Paso businesspeople, in the form of MountainStar Sports Group, bought the Tucson Padres (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) […]
Can Tucson bring back pro baseball?
With the impending departure of the Tucson Padres (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League), local officials are debating what can be done to bring back minor-league baseball or spring training to the city. Current T-Padres GM Mike Feder is optimistic about a possible return of Minor League Baseball to Tucson: “The only way of getting baseball […]