An FBI raid on Ramapo City Hall Wednesday led to seized hard drives and documents relating to alleged corruption in the city, including the building and financing of Provident Bank Park. From Newsday: FBI spokesman Jim Margolin confirmed the raid, but would not answer questions. A law enforcement source with knowledge of the investigation said […]
Archive | Independent Baseball
New for 2013: Mackleboar
The St. Paul Saints (independent; American Association), following a proud team tradition, have yet another clever name for the team’s porcine mascot: Mackleboar. The Saints revealed the name at the World’s Largest Game of Catch today in downtown St. Paul. The name was selected out of over 600 entries in the Name the Pig Contest […]
More Montreal baseball: Can-Am League schedules exhibition
Pro baseball will indeed return to Montreal in the form of the independent Can-Am League for a day, as the Quebec Capitales and Trois-Rivieres Aigles will play an exhibition at Gary Carter Stadium. The exhibition game is set for Saturday, May 11 at Montreal’s Ahuntsic Park at 7:30 p.m. Last October the baseball field at […]
TD Bank Ballpark goes green with solar panels
With the installation of 3,465 solar panels, TD Bank Ballpark, the home of the Somerset Patriots (independent; Atlantic League), is now one of the greenest ballparks in all of baseball. The installation was overseen by Somerset County Improvement Authority. “The initiative of Somerset County and the Board of Chosen Freeholder to reduce the carbon footprint […]
Saints ballpark renderings released; environmental study approved
The City of St. Paul has concluded a basic environmental assessment of the site for a proposed St. Paul Saints (independent; American Association) ballpark will suffice, paving the way for detailed planning to begin. At the same time, the city released some renderings of the ballpark plan, revealing a much more conventional design than originally […]
Skeeters preserving Houston baseball history
The Sugar Land Skeeters (independent; Atlantic League) are creating a home for the Houston baseball memorabilia collected by the Finger family and once displayed in the Finger Furniture store. That furniture store was built on the site of Buff Stadium, longtime home to the Houston Buffs, a cornerstone of the minor-league Texas League. What that […]
It’s the Alexandria Aces for 2013
The Alexandria Aces (independent; United League Baseball) are officially returning to Bringhurst Field, as the indy circuit signs a lease that will work around the dangerous portions of the historic ballpark. As you’ll recall, late last season a different version of the Aces — this one playing in the summer-collegiate Texas Collegiate League — pulled […]
Atlantic League eyes Fort Worth’s LaGrave Field
Peter Kirk says the independent Atlantic League is looking at putting a team in an upgraded LaGrave Field in Fort Worth. From Jim Seip: Architects that work with ODP have looked at the stadium and believe the shell of LeGrave Field can be saved and used after a renovation/addition has been completed to bring the […]
Atlantic League: Get the lead out!
The independent Atlantic League is implementing rule changes this year in an attempt to address a perennial concern: speeding up baseball games. We’ve written about the rule changes before; now that the season is imminent, it’s a good time to review them. The York Dispatch’s John Walk has a nice piece on the changes, complete […]
United League returns to Alexandria
The independent United League Baseball is returning to Alexandria (La.), as the league reached a tentative agreement to place a team at Bringhurst Field for the 2013 season. Alexandria was an original ULB member, but as of late the Alexandria Aces were part of the summer-collegiate Texas Collegiate League. Last season the Aces played under […]
Virginia Beach awarded Atlantic League franchise — but financing for ballpark remains
A group seeking to bring pro baseball to Virginia Beach has received conditional approval from the independent Atlantic League, but financing for the $25-million ballpark/youth baseball project is still up in the air. The group, Virginia Beach Professional Baseball, LLC, is looking to build a 6,000-seat ballpark near the existing Sportsplex. The ballpark would be […]
New Hounds ballpark approved
A new ballpark for the Loudoun Hounds (independent; Atlantic League) was approved unanimously last night by the Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, clearing the way for the team to begin play with the 2014 season. The new ballpark at the One Loudoun development at the interchange of Route 7 and Loudoun County Parkway will be […]
Goodbye Pheasants, welcome back Canaries
One of the more ill-conceived name changes in baseball has been reversed, as the Sioux Falls Canaries (independent; American Association) are back and the Pheasants are gone. Canaries has been a traditional name of pro baseball teams in Sioux Falls (that and Packers), and dropping the Canaries name was assumed to have hurt the team […]