Aeros notch best attendance since 2009
New ownership makes a difference: the Akron Aeros (Class AA; Eastern League) finished the 2013 home schedule with 295,459 fans in 70 openings — the first attendance increase since 2011 and the most fans at Canal Park since the total of 316,836 in 2009. The Aeros ended up with a per-game average of 4,220. “The […]
River Bandits expand front office for 2014
Though the regular season ended yesterday, teams are already prepping for next year — like the Quad Cities River Bandits (Low Class A; Midwest League), who are adding two new front-office members today. The additions: new Assistant General Manager of Special Events Bridget Otten and new Finance Manager Dustin Miller. “The River Bandits make outstanding […]
Flying Squirrels claim Eastern League attendance title
Full-season leagues wrapped up their seasons yesterday. In the Double-A Eastern League, the Richmond Flying Squirrels claimed the circuit’s attendance title for the first time since 2010. The MiLB regular season isn’t done yet — the Pioneer League ends next weekend — but the full-season leagues are entering the playoffs. In Richmond, where the postseason […]
Pair arrested trying to steal Wrigley Field ivy
A pair of would-be ivy thieves were arrested at Wrigley Field early Sunday morning as they attempted to steal some ivy from the outfield walls at the Friendly Confines. The pair of Pennsylvania men were nabbed at the home of the Chicago Cubs after security cameras shot them around 3:45 a.m. walking through the ballpark. […]
Doing the Harlem Shake in St. Paul
You don’t see this too often: Check out this video of St. Paul Saints and Sioux City Explorers players combining on the Harlem Shake during yesterday’s season ender at Midway Stadium. The independent American Association teams combined to perform the popular dance at the end of the second inning. Nothing profound; just fun. —- Share […]
It was 47 years ago today: Final Beatles ballpark concert
It was the end of an era: The Beatles, who changed the live-music industry by playing at ballparks and stadiums, performed live for the last time, at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park. The August 29, 1966 event wasn’t billed as a final concert — though the Beatles had decided it was days before — and it […]
Arizona State to close out Packard Stadium history in 2014
The Arizona State University Sun Devils will close out their Packard Stadium history next season, opening the campaign on Feb. 14-16 by hosting Baylor University. The team’s final game at Packard Stadium — not counting any potential postseason games — is scheduled for Tuesday, May 20, with Abilene Christian in town. This is the final […]
Final home game tonight for Tucson Padres
Tucson’s latest run at Triple-A baseball ends tonight, as the Tucson Padres (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) play their final game at Kino Stadium before a departure to El Paso. This time the departure is a little different; the T-Padres were always a short-term plant at Kino Stadium, so while there was hope the team […]
What could have been: Cereal City Krunch
Almost every team has an unused alt logo or alternative team name. Here’s a fascinating one: the unused logo for the Cereal City Krunch, which would have been adopted if the Southwest Michigan Devil Rays (Low Class A; Midwest League) had stayed in the Cereal City. You probably don’t know the backstory. Back in the […]
New for 2014: Security Bank Ballpark
The home of the Midland RockHounds (Class AA; Texas League) will have a new name of Security Bank Ballpark come Jan. 1, 2014, once the current naming-rights deal with Citibank expires. The naming-rights deal is pretty major: 25 years, $3.6 million, with the first year costing the bank $120,000. It’s the third name for the […]
Canaries poised to break attendance record
We expect to be running lots of stories about teams setting attendance records in coming days, so here’s a start: the Sioux Falls Canaries (independent; American Association) are only 2,688 fans from a record, with four home games remaining. The current team record is 150,837 fans attending Canaries games in 2008. This year, 148,150 fans […]
Design deadlines slip on new Saints ballpark
A hard deadline of Aug. 23 for design work on a new St. Paul Saints (independent; American Association) ballpark has slipped and isn’t expected to be met for months. The contract with Ryan Companies called for design work and a firm estimate of the maximum construction cost to be met on Aug. 23. That deadline, […]
Birmingham reveals plans for new Negro Leagues museum
As promised, Birmingham is moving forward with a Negro Leagues museum adjoining Regions Field, home of the Birmingham Barons (Class AA; Southern League), according to city officials. The $2 million project, which has already received $400,000 in city funding, is slated to open in 2014. Organizers will need to privately raise the remainder of the […]