The Richmond City Council made it official last night: Residents will not get to choose the location of a new Richmond Flying Squirrels (Class AA; Eastern League) ballpark. Council President Charles R. Samuels had proposed putting the location to voters in the form of a fall referendum. And while that initially was seen as a […]
Tag Archives | eastern league
Flying Squirrels: Fans don’t know what they are missing
A key selling point for the Richmond Flying Squirrels (Class AA; Eastern League) in the team’s quest for a new ballpark: fans don’t know what they’re missing when it comes to upgrades. There is a certain sentiment among Richmond baseball fans that The Diamond is a perfectly adequate venue for pro baseball, so what’s the […]
Richmond committee: Don’t put ballpark location to vote
The decision where to build a new ballpark for the Richmond Flying Squirrels (Class AA; Eastern League) should not be left to voters in a November referendum, according to a city committee recommendation. Though the recommendation from the Organizational Development Committee doesn’t technically kill the proposal, it does send a clear signal that the full council […]
Sea Dogs STRIVE for world record
Another popular promotion — going for a word record — is underway with the Portland Sea Dogs (Class AA; Eastern League), who are partnering with local charity STRIVE to attempt to break the Guinness World Record for Most Simultaneous High Fives. High Fives for STRIVE will take place on Friday, July 5 at Hadlock Field […]
Ottawa baseball deal in final stretch
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 […]
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 […]
Navigators prepay seven-year lease on Fraser Field
The North Shore Navigators (summer collegiate; Futures League) are committed to Fraser Field through 2020 after agreeing to a new lease that calls for a $45,262.15 prepayment. Prepaying the rent didn’t field the Navs any breaks on the total amount, but it does give Lynn the money to buy a new synthetic turf to replacing […]
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 […]
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 […]
Dowling returns as Rock Cats president; Restall new GM
Bill Dowling, who spent 16 years as co-owner and CEO of the New Britain Rock Cats (Class AA; Eastern League), has returned to the team’s front office as president, with Tim Restall the new GM. They replace John Willi, who will remain as a consultant with the team. Willi was named president/GM when the Solomon […]
New Richmond ballpark: On or off?
Despite the effort by Richmond business leaders to see the economic impact of a downtown ballpark, there are some worries that planning for the new Richmond Flying Squirrels (Class AA; Eastern League) ballpark has stalled. Hopes were raised after 150 Richmond business leaders, part of Greater Richmond Chamber’s InterCity program, traveled to Denver to see […]
Ottawa revamps ballpark funding plan
Realizing the original lease proposal for a Class AA Eastern League team was totally unrealistic, Ottawa city officials are looking at raising more money locally for Ottawa Stadium upgrades. The original deal, hammered out by the city and Beacon Sports, called for a team to invest millions to upgrade the ballpark to Double-A standards, with […]
Mayor to pitch Blue Jays on charms of Ottawa Stadium
With the prospects of pro baseball returning to Ottawa dimming daily, Mayor Jim Watson is heading to Toronto to meet with Blue Jays officials about their interest in putting a team in Canada’s capital. Watson has led an effort to bring a team to Ottawa Stadium and brokered a deal with Beacon Sports on a […]