The battle for a new MLB ballpark in San Jose is spilling over to the minor-league side, as local officials question whether the San Jose Giants (High Class A; California League) are paying enough in rent for Municipal Stadium. The Cal League team, largely owned and managed by parent San Francisco Giants, pays $1,000 monthly […]
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Tigers, Lakeland to map out future of Tiger Town
With the Detroit Tigers’ spring-training lease up in 2016, Lakeland is spending $50,000 to map out the future of Tiger Town and Joker Marchant Stadium. The study, to be performed by HKS (the same firm overseeing the 2001 renovation of Joker Marchant), will address the parts of the complex that need updating to meet current […]
New turf, new series for Rangers
For the third year in a row, the Texas Rangers are installing new turf at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington in the midst of the regular season. It’s fairly unusual for an established team to make making such drastic turf changes once play has started, but apparently the high temps under the hot Texas sun require […]
Lasorda hospitalized after heart attack
Former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda is hospitalized in New York after suffering what the team called a “mild” heart attack while attending the 2012 amateur draft. The 84-year-old Hall of Famer is recovering in stable condition at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center. Doctors inserted a stent to correct a blocked artery in Lasorda’s […]
Kasten: Dodger Stadium renovations could hit nine figures
Saying the renovations could end up costing hundreds of millions, Stan Kasten outlined some of the physical improvements new owners have planned for Dodger Stadium. While Dodger Stadium is a crown jewel of Major League Baseball ballparks — now the third oldest, after Fenway Park and Wrigley Field — it’s also been steadily neglected since it was […]
Mickelson joins potential Padres ownership group
Golfer and San Diego native/resident Phil Mickelson has joined Peter O’Malley’s group in their pursuit of the San Diego Padres ownership. Mickelson, second only to Tiger Woods in career earnings since 2004, earned about $61 million last year between tournament wins, appearances and sponsorships, per Sports Illustrated. So he brings some serious backing to the […]
Marlins Park receives LEED Gold Certification
Marlins Park, the new home of the Miami Marlins, has received a major award: it’s the first retractable-roof facility in the world to receive LEED Gold Certification. LEED-NC (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for New Construction) is a rating system that was designed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to guide and distinguish […]
Yankees on the market? Daily News says yes, Steinbrenner says no
Hal Steinbrenner is denying a New York Daily News report that the New York Yankees, in the wake of the $2B sale of the Los Angeles Dodgers, may be headed for a sale. It’s really a simple matter: The Daily News is reporting that the Steinbrenner family has been exploring the possible value of the team, […]
Charges dropped in Dodger Stadium beating
Because both sides in a Dodger Stadium parking-lot postgame fracas were determined to be at fault, Los Angeles County prosecutors declined to press charges on anyone involved. It was a case of road rage gone extreme, as a simple fender-bender ended up turning into something more violent. Though one of the participants got the worst […]
Moyer sets mark, pitching in 50 ballparks
Colorado’s Jamie Moyer, whose debut came in 1986, has now pitched in 50 Major League Baseball ballparks — a record in baseball’s modern era. Rudy Seanez, a well-traveled reliever, has the second-most number: 47 ballparks. The 49-year-old Moyer hit the 50-ballpark mark Monday night after starting for the Rockies at Marlins Park, the new home […]
New owners, old problems: another beating at Dodger Stadium
Though there are new owners of the Los Angeles Dodgers, old problems persist at Dodger Stadium, as police deal with a fan being assaulted as he left the parking lot. The case is different than the beating of Bryan Stow last season, when Dodgers and Giants fan clashed after the season opener. Yesterday it was […]
Giants: Nothing would tempt us to give up Silicon Valley territory
San Francisco Giants ownership made one thing abundantly clear at this week’s MLB owners meetings: they have no intention of ever giving up their territorial rights to Silicon Valley. The background: Oakland A’s owner Lew Wolff wants to build a new downtown San Jose ballpark but is being blocked by the Giants ownership, who retain […]
Peoria to spend $48 million on upgrading spring-training complex
Peoria (Az.) will spend $48 million on upgrading the spring-training complex for the San Diego Padres and Seattle Mariners as part of a lease extension running through 2034. Spring training has become a big business, with demanding — and receiving — first-rate complexes. The Peoria Stadium complex was considered state of the art when it […]