The Unified Government of Wyandotte County/Kansas City is spending $8 million to buy privately built CommunityAmerica Ballpark, home of the Kansas City T-Bones (independent; American Association). The Unified Government, in cooperation with the State of Kansas, plans to use $8 million in Village West Sales Tax Revenue Bonds (STAR) to buy the ballpark, which was […]
Archive | Independent Baseball
Atlantic League announces new divisional alignment
The independent Atlantic League will have a new divisional structure for 2014, with the eight teams split into the Liberty and Freedom divisions. The Somerset Patriots, Long Island Ducks, Camden Riversharks and Bridgeport Bluefish are in the Liberty Division; the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, Sugar Land Skeeters, Lancaster Barnstormers and York Revolution are in the […]
Diablos owners pitch Joplin on ballpark improvements
The El Paso Diablos (independent; American Association) could relocate to Joplin, Mo. if the city council goes ahead with improvements to Joe Becker Stadium for 2015. The Diablos shut down operations in El Paso’s Cohen Stadium at the end of the 2013 season due to the impending move of the El Paso Chihuahuas (Class AAA; […]
First ruling in Fielders lawsuit: mixed
A civil lawsuit filed by Rich Ehrenreich and the Lake County Fielders against the city of Zion moved forward yesterday, with both sides proclaiming some level of victory. In a sense, nothing really was decided. Zion was seeking to exclude Mayor Lane Harrison and former economic development director Delaine Rogers from the lawsuit under claims […]
End of an era: Last Saints game in Midway scheduled
With a new ballpark on the way downtown, the St. Paul Saints (independent; American Association) have scheduled their last home game at Midway Stadium: August 28, 2014. It surely will be an event. For all its faults — uncomfortable seating, lack of amenities like suites and a larger press box, small clubhouses — a lot […]
Total price tag for abandoned Fielders ballpark: $7.8M
Despite the use of temporary facilities, it cost local taxpayers almost $8 million to build Fielders Stadium for the Lake County Fielders (independent; North American League). NBC Chicago examined all the costs related to the ballpark, which served as the home to the Fielders for two seasons until the team went under. Currently team owner […]
Saints, St. Paul reach initial agreement on ballpark lease
A new-ballpark lease between the city of St. Paul and the St. Paul Saints (independent; American Association) calls for an expected rent of $600,000 annually, with profit-sharing in the mix. Though the final details still need to be ironed out, there is a framework in place to be presented to the St. Paul City Council […]
New for 2014: Santander Stadium
Sovereign Bank Stadium will officially become Santander Stadium later this week, as the home of the York Revolution (independent; Atlantic League) will be renamed as a result of a bank merger. The Spain-based Santander Group purchased Sovereign Bank in 2009, but is only getting around to rebranding the chain now. The original naming-rights deal — […]
Ottawa City Council approves Can-Am League deal
By a wide margin, the Ottawa City Council approved a lease with the independent Can-Am League to place a team in Ottawa Stadium for the 2015 season and beyond. After issuing requests for proposals for an Ottawa Stadium lease, two serious contenders emerged: an affiliated bid from Mandalay Baseball Properties with a Class AA Eastern […]
Pat Salvi profiled in Chicago Lawyer
No great profundities on our part, just some friendly advice: Team owner Pat Salvi was profiled in the latest issue of Chicago Lawyer, and it’s worth a read. Salvi owns the Gary-Southshore RailCats (independent; American Association), Schaumburg Boomers (independent; Frontier League) and North Shore Navigators (summer collegiate; Futures League). Besides being a very good team […]
Ottawa to negotiate ballpark lease with Can-Am League
An Ottawa council committee today voted to direct staff to negotiate an Ottawa Stadium lease with the independent Can-Am League for the 2015 season. Staff had recommended the city move forward with the Can-Am League over a competing bid from Mandalay Baseball Properties, seeking to bring a Class AA Eastern League team to Ottawa. The […]
Atlantic League schedules released; same lineup as ’13
Several independent Atlantic League teams released schedules for the 2014 season, with a league lineup remaining unchanged for the coming year. The league lineup: Bridgeport Bluefish, Camden Riversharks, Lancaster Barnstormers, Long Island Ducks, Somerset Patriots, Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, Sugar Land Skeeters and York Revolution. Left off the schedule: the Loudoun Hounds, who are facing […]
Hounds: New ballpark won’t be ready for 2014 opener
A new Loudoun (Va.) ballpark for the Loudoun Hounds won’t be ready for the 2014 season opener, meaning the team will either play elsewhere while construction work is completed. According to the Hounds, work is being done on the facility, which is also designed to house professional soccer. The VIP Sports & Entertainment schedule has […]