A sale of AutoZone Park, home of the Memphis Redbirds (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League), to the city has been pushed back to Monday after objections from City Council members. The main objection: the pace of the deal. After years of having the ballpark and the team on the market, the city and the St. […]
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Hickory ballpark upgrades on tap
Upgrades to LP Frans Stadium, home of the Hickory Crawdads (Low Class A; Sally League), are on tap as the city works to keep the team with $1.5 million in new features. The team’s lease runs through 2022, but the team can opt out of it in 2018. The Crawdads are owned by Don Beaver, […]
Marion County delays decision on ballpark sales-tax referendum
A decision on a public referendum covering a sales-tax hike for a new Tampa Yankees (High Class A; Florida State League) ballpark in Ocala has been delayed by Marion County commissioners until later in December. Really, the decision has little to do with the merits of a sales-tax hike and more to do with whether […]
More upgrades proposed for Modern Woodmen Park
More upgrades at Modern Woodmen Park have been pitched to Davenport politicos by Quad Cities River Bandits (Low Class A; Midwest League) ownership. If you’ve been to a River Bandits game recently, you know the team has been working on a amusement-park-style addition to the ballpark past the left-field ballpark boundary. The improvements, as part […]
Nashville: We want to make sure there’s development with new Sounds ballpark
A Metro Council committee threw the Nashville Sounds (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) a serious curveball today, debating whether to require the team to cover debt should associated development next to a new ballpark not happen. The funding plan for the new Sounds ballpark calls for the city to pay $37 million in construction costs, […]
Marion County to take up Yankees ballpark funding Tuesday
Marion County Commissioners will decide tomorrow whether to spend $175,000 toward a referendum on whether county residents should pay a half-cent sales tax for a new Tampa Yankees (High Class A; Florida State League) ballpark. The issue: whether to hold the referendum at the polls or use a mail-in ballot. It looked like the referendum […]
Doubledays nonprofit owner seeks city help to cover debt
Auburn Community Baseball is seeking $125,000 in loaned city funds to cover debts associated with its management of the Auburn Doubledays (short season A; NY-Penn League). The Doubledays and Falcon Field are owned by the city of Auburn, but the team is managed by the nonprofit. So, basically, the debt is the responsibility of the […]
Memphis offers $20M for AutoZone Park; city, Cards to pay $20M for renos
The city of Memphis is set to pay $20 million for AutoZone Park, the home of the Memphis Redbirds (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League), and spend $5 million more on upgrades, along with $15 million from the St. Louis Cardinals. Those are the terms of the deal, which will be debated by the Memphis City […]
Nashville: We’ll save money building at Sulphur Dell
Building a new Nashville Sounds (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) ballpark at Sulphur Dell instead of a proposed waterfront site will save the city millions in construction and financing costs. The new ballpark, to be built on the site of the historic Sulphur Dell ballpark, which served as home to Nashville baseball from the end […]
Nashville acquires land for new Sounds ballpark
The city of Nashville will officially acquire a key parcel of land from the state for construction of a new Nashville Sounds (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) ballpark on the old Sulphur Dell site. As far as historic locations go, this is a biggie: baseball was played on the Sulphur Dell site from the Civil […]
Isotopes Park wins 2013 Field of the Year
The field at Isotopes Park, home of the Albuquerque Isotopes (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League), has been named the winner for the 2013 Field of the Year by the Sports Turf Managers Association. The organization’s Field of the Year Award has been given since 1992 to members who manage baseball fields at the professional level. […]
Lake Monsters unveil new logo, branding
The Vermont Lake Monsters (short season A; NY-Penn League) unveiled a new team logo and identity featuring the team’s mascot, CHAMP, as the team begins their 21st season of Minor League Baseball. After using logos with the variation of a gray “Champ” floating through the letter V during the franchise’s first years as the Vermont […]
Should Memphis worry about future loss of Redbirds?
Despite a long-term lease being part of a deal for Memphis to buy AutoZone Park, a local columnist warns that the St. Louis Cardinals could move the Memphis Redbirds (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) someday. Of course, this is an oblique threat: it sounds like the city and the Cards will sign a long-term, 17-year […]