Despite some official disapproval from the City Council, the owner of the London Rippers (independent; Frontier League) says he has no plans to change the controversial team name. It’s fair to say there was a little disturbance in the Canadian community over the team name, which associates one of history’s most notorious mass murderers with a […]
Tag Archives | independent
Life on the road for the Skeeters: Trains, planes and automobiles
The first year of the Sugar Land Skeeters (independent; Atlantic League) has been mostly a success, but players are learning one new way of baseball life: some grueling road trips. Of course, spending hours on an airplane is infinitely better than spending many, many more on a bus. And this year may be the worst […]
Logos released for NAL’s Sonoma County, Hawaii teams
We have some logo news to report: here are the logos for the independent North American League’s Sonoma County Grapes and Hawaii Stars, set to debut this season. The Grapes will be playing as a road team in the four-team Northern Division of the NAL, while the Stars will be playing at Wong Stadium in […]
Affiliated ball in St. Paul? Don’t hold your breath
A hot rumor in Twin Cities baseball circles has the St. Paul Saints possibly going affiliated if a new downtown ballpark opens. Forget it: the chances that happens are slim and none. Not that there’s no precedence for a market switching from indy to affiliated in the wake of a new facility: it’s happened in […]
NAL lays out game plan for 2012
After a hectic week, officials with the independent North American League laid out a 2012 game plan, with the Sonoma County Grapes a road team and the Hawaii Stars playing in Hilo. Forced into finding two new teams to ensure a four-team Northern Division for the upcoming season after the departure of the Yuma Panthers […]
The Week That Was: May 13
New indy leagues and affiliated ballparks, updates to Dodger Stadium and Wrigley Field, and the fate of the Portland market all made headlines this week at Ballpark Digest. Here are the most popular stories of the past week on Ballpark Digest, as measured by page views: Five potential ballpark sites under discussion in Wilmington Dodger […]
St. Paul officials confident in scoring state aid for Saints ballpark
A day after the Minnesota Legislature wrapped up its 2012 session with dramatic funding of a Minnesota Vikings stadium, it appears the St. Paul Saints (independent; American Association) may be a winner as well. We wrote several days ago about the Saints project being shut out of any direct funding in the legislative bonding bill […]
Smock first commissioner of AWBL
The folks at the American West Baseball League are moving fast, naming Sean Smock as the independent circuit’s first commissioner. Smock is a veteran of the Golden Baseball League, one of the predecessors to the North American League and where the AWBL owners have roots. Smock first worked for the Tucson Sidewinders (Class AAA; Pacific […]
Pecos League makes debut in Santa Fe
The lack of beer didn’t seem to matter to the hundreds of fans showing up for the debut of independent Pecos League baseball in Santa Fe, where the Fuego launched a home opener yesterday. We don’t cover the Pecos League much: the six-team circuit has been a struggling entity that’s played in some pretty marginal cities (i.e. […]
Jose meets the press in Worcester
Jose Canseco, the newest member of the Worcester Tornadoes (independent; Can-Am League), met the local press yesterday and was by all accounts charming and accommodating. The 47-year-old took batting practice at Hanover Insurance Park at Fitton Field yesterday as well, as the Tornadoes prep for the 2012 season. “Guys, don’t take this as a joke […]
Saints ballpark funding alive — but just barely
State funding for a new St. Paul Saints (independent; American Association) ballpark is still alive, but will be a long shot as the Minnesota Legislature finalizes its bonding plan for the 2012 session. Gov. Mark Dayton had included $27 million in state money in his initial bonding request to the Legislature, but neither chamber included […]
Two new ballparks emerging in Champaign?
University of Illinois officials are debating the merits of a renovated Illinois Field, but city officials say their pursuit of a Low Class A Midwest League team won’t allow any cooperation on a new facility. Illinois Field, the home of the Illini baseball team, has been surpassed on the facilities front by other Big Ten […]
New for 2012: Hawaii Stars
The second new team in the independent North American League has been announced: the Hawaii Stars will be owned and run by the existing Na Koa Ikaika Maui ownership. The team doesn’t have a home yet, but owner Bob Young and other NAL officials are looking at playing some games at Wong Stadium in Hilo, a […]