The sale of the Hagerstown Suns (Low Class A; Sally League) has officially been completed, with a group of investors buying the franchise from Mandalay Baseball for a reported $6.7 million. The new ownership group is lead by Bruce Quinn, general manager of Polo Trace Country Club in Delray Beach, Fla. The group also includes […]
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Kane County switches affiliation to Royals
In perhaps the biggest surprise of the affiliation season, the Kane County Cougars (Low Class A; Midwest League) have shifted affiliations from the Oakland A’s to the Kansas City Royals, under a two-year player-development deal announced today, leaving Oakland and Burlington as the last two Low Class A teams standing. This will be the fourth […]
Fresno Grizzlies clean house
The Fresno Grizzlies (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) are cleaning house this offseason, dismissing three front-office executives and bringing in Richard Fleming as new CEO of the franchise. It’s an interesting choice for the Grizzlies: Fleming is a business consultant who has worked with the likes of Monsanto and Microsoft, but not with a professional […]
Phillies, West Chester agree on new ballpark
After years of rumor and false starts, the city of West Chester, Pa., has snared the Philadelphia Phillies as a partner of sorts on a new ballpark, with the Phils pledging a Class A team for the facility if the city will build. And the city will build. The plan is for the West Chester […]
Escondido to begin ballpark process this week
The process for Escondido (Cal.) to finance and build a ballpark for the relocated Portland Beavers (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) should begin this week when the City Council decides whether to spend money on engineering and environmental studies. The agenda item on Wednesday’s meeting calls for the City Council to “consider and approve a […]
Fate of Bevos in the air until November, maybe December
In a chicken-and-egg situation, San Diego Padres owner Jeff Moorad says he’s willing to buy the homeless Portland Beavers if Escondido builds a new ballpark — but nothing will happen on either front for months, leaving the rest of the Pacific Coast League in limbo. Escondido (Cal.) officials sound pretty confident they can put together […]
Burlington to study future of Centennial Field
The city of Burlington, the University of Vermont and the Vermont Lake Monsters (short season A; NY-Penn League) have commissioned a study to determine the future of Centennial Field, the oldest ballpark still in use in Minor League Baseball, and certainly one of the worst. The issue is simple for Engineering Ventures: Decide what in […]
Birmingham OKs initial ballpark funding plan
A Birmingham City Council committee today gave preliminary approval to a plan presented by Mayor William Bell that would more than double the city’s hotel tax rate to partially pay for a new ballpark — and move a planned baseball museum away from historic Rickwood Field. The plan would hike the city’s hotel rate from […]
Rainiers win; are rewarded with PCL playoffs on the road
The Tacoma Rainiers have been division champs for two straight years, and last night the team advanced to the PCL Championship Series against the Memphis Redbirds after defeating the Sacramento River Cats in the first round of the playoffs. Too bad the famous statue of Ben Cheney isn’t enjoying the winning streak: Cheney Stadium is […]
What comes next in affiliation process?
There’s a lot of misinformation and misapprehension about what happens next in the affiliation process for MiLB and MLB teams, but one thing is certain: an existing minor-league team is guaranteed a parent no matter what. So Doubledays, Sounds and Muckdogs fans can relax: a team’s return is not dependent on the player-development process. We’ve […]
New for 2011: Jackson Generals
The West Tenn Diamond Jaxx (Class AA; Southern League) played their last game this weekend; the team will be known as the Jackson Generals beginning next season. According the Kevin McCann, author of Jackson Diamonds–Professional Baseball in Jackson, “the name Jackson Generals has a rich history of unusual plays and colorful players. Some of the […]
Toronto extends with Lansing, takes over in Bluefield
The Toronto Blue Jays made two announcements today regarding its farm system, signing an extension of its player-development contract with the Lansing Lugnuts (Low Class A; Midwest League) and taking over from Baltimore with the Appalachian League’s Bluefield team, to be known as the Bluefield Blue Jays. The Bluefield Blue Jays will begin play with […]
Uncertain times in Huntsville for the Stars
It’s all but certain that the Huntsville Stars (Class AA; Southern League) will be back at Joe Davis Stadium next year, with Buck Rogers at the helm. Past that, it’s all up in the air, as several cities are seeking a Southern League franchise and current parent Milwaukee is ready to shop around. Joe Davis […]