Braves ballpark foes debate legal action
Opponents of a new Atlanta Braves ballpark in Cobb County say they are looking at legal action to prevent or delay public bonding on the project. This isn’t new — basically, the same coalition has been opposing the ballpark since it was announced and had previously looked at a legal challenge to derail county officials […]
New Braves ballpark financing, construction contract approved by Cobb County
Cobb County formally committed to a financing and development plan for a new Atlanta Braves ballpark, including the awarding of a construction contract, but not before protesters were escorted from the meeting. On the agenda at last night’s meeting: a series of seven agreements with the team and community development agencies that will enable construction […]
Kokomo approves bonds for new ballpark
The Kokomo (Ind.) Common Council moved ahead with a $11-million bonding plan for a new downtown ballpark that would also provided needed flood mitigation. The new ballpark, envisioned for 2015, would provide both a playing field for area baseball and soccer fields but also add flood mitigation in the form of berms, a raised ballpark […]
Green Bay Bullfrogs open new era at Joannes Stadium
The new owners of the Green Bay Bullfrogs (summer collegiate; Northwoods League) unveiled improvements to Joannes Stadium in last night’s season opener. As you’ll recall, Big Top Baseball — the ownership group that also owns the Madison Mallards, the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters and the Kenosha Kingfish — acquired the Bullfrogs in the offseason, with Liz […]
Flying Squirrels ballpark plan on hold
Mayor Dwight Jones withdrew a proposed financing plan for a new Richmond Flying Squirrels (Class AA; Eastern League) ballpark just before it was destined for City Council rejection. The mayor made the decision last night to give him and staff more time to persuade at least one of the five council members opposing the project […]
Topping a Ferris wheel: this year’s Modern Woodmen Park improvements
Who doesn’t love a Ferris wheel? In Davenport, a new Ferris wheel is just one of the improvements this season to Modern Woodmen Park, home of the Quad Cities River Bandits (Low Class A; Midwest League). We had a chance to take in a River Bandits game with the kids this weekend, including some serious […]
NCAA baseball tourney field unveiled
Big day in college baseball: the 64-team field for the 2014 NCAA baseball tournament was announced, with Oregon State snaring the top seed. The national top eight seeds are Oregon State (42-12), Florida (40-21), Virginia (44-13), Indiana (42-13), Florida State (43-15), La.-Lafayette (53-7), TCU (42-15) and LSU (44-14-1). The top eight seed for Indiana marks […]
Griffith memorial stolen from Tinker Field
A bronze memorial to former Washington Senators owner Clark Griffith at Orlando’s Tinker Field has disappeared, leading to worries that the historic piece was sold for scrap metal. The memorial sat in the ballpark concourse, directly past the front gates. Griffith, as owner of the Senators, brought his team to Tinker Field for spring training […]
Richmond ballpark plan lacks council support on eve of vote
A proposed new ballpark for the Richmond Flying Squirrels (Class AA; Eastern League) is currently headed for defeat, with five council members poised to vote against a Shockoe Bottom plan. Mayor Dwight Jones has proposed a plan that calls for the sale of land in the city’s Boulevard area currently serving as the site of […]
Portland poised to welcome eight millionth fan
The Portland Sea Dogs (Class AA; Eastern League) are poised to hit a big milestone in team history, with the 8-millionth fan in franchise history expected to be at Hadlock Field Tuesday. The Sea Dogs have hosted 7,996,841 fans at Hadlock Field and are just 3,159 fans away from 8 million. The 8 millionth fan […]
Thanks a million — again
We hit a coveted milestone again this month, recording a million page views on Ballpark Digest. Thanks to each and every one of you for your patronage and support. We’re in the middle of what’s turning out to be a great season. We’ll have some book announcements this week, and some site announcements as well. […]
Feds target MLB teams, interns, clubbies over back pay
Better prepare: the Labor Department is targeting Major League Baseball teams for back pay to interns and clubhouse staff, bringing them to minimum wage. Let’s face it: lowly paid labor is a backbone of all professional sports, and many current front-office personnel spent their time toiling for low wages (or, going back some time, no […]
Cubs end negotiations with rooftop owners, expand Wrigley Field renovations
The Chicago Cubs are moving forward aggressively with Wrigley Field renovations, cutting off negotiations with rooftop owners and expanding the scope of the project. Chairman Tom Ricketts announced the new plan, which will be presented to the city’s Landmarks Commission June 5. It calls for an expansion of Wrigley Field seating, plenty more signage and […]