Large crowd, lots of sewage in Oakland
The Oakland Athletics drew a decent crowd to O.co Coliseum — some 36,000-plus — and the result was sewage backups in the clubhouses, forcing both teams out and causing thousands of dollars in damage. Now, you’re thinking: hey, the Oakland Raiders regularly draw much larger crowds during the NFL season. But, as anyone else who […]
Fredericksburg ballpark could turn profit for city: study
A new ballpark in Fredericksburg, Va., for the Hagerstown Suns (Low Class A; Sally League) could run a surplus of $274,000 annually under the right conditions, according to a study from Brailsford & Dunlavey. The Suns are discussing a 30-year lease for a new ballpark, paying $3 million for the land acquisition and committing to […]
Beating victim Stow sent home; no more insurance
Despite the need for around-the-clock care, Dodger Stadium beating victim Bryan Stow was sent home from the Centre for Neuro Skills in Bakersfield, Cal., because his insurance coverage ended. As you’ll recall, Giants fan Stow was beaten in the Dodger Stadium parking lot following the season opener in 2011. After being beaten severely, he was […]
TinCaps celebrate Social Media Night with 6,000 Twitter fan handles
Certainly one of the best promotions of the year: The Fort Wayne TinCaps (Low Class A; Midwest League) celebrated Social Media Night at Parkview Field last night with jerseys sporting more than 6,000 Twitter fan handles. “We like to say that Fort Wayne TinCaps baseball is ‘All About You,’” TinCaps Vice President of Marketing Michael […]
Proposed Biloxi ballpark draws opposition; rally set for today
A proposed Biloxi ballpark for a Class AA Southern League team has hit some more opposition, as some councilmen want to see it located elsewhere in the city, and more opponents seek public input. We already once covered the effort by the Steps Coalition to force a referendum on the ballpark-funding issue; leaders of that […]
Proposed Santa Maria pro team raises hackles of youth-baseball advocates
A proposed upgrade of Santa Maria’s Elks Field for an independent Pacific Association team has raised opposition from youth-baseball organizers, who don’t want to lose any spots in an already crowded schedule. Baseball fields are at a premium in Santa Maria, both for its own residents and those of neighboring Santa Barbara, which contracts with […]
Blue Rocks to host 2014 California-Carolina League All-Star Game
The Wilmington Blue Rocks (High Class A; Carolina League) are hosting the California-Carolina League All-Star Game at Frawley Stadium on June 17, 2014. This will be the second time Wilmington has hosted this inter-league All-Star event. “We are excited about the opportunity to host an event of this caliber,” said Blue Rocks general manager Chris […]
Franchise owners offer $12.1M toward new El Paso ballpark
To close a funding gap in construction of a new downtown El Paso ballpark, team owners MountainStar Sports have offered to pay $12.1 million to cover the overages. Under the proposal, the city would borrow $60.8 million toward the new ballpark instead of the original $52.8 million. (Why is the city borrowing more? Municipalities typically […]
Book news; welcome to a new advertiser
Some news coming out of August Publications and Ballpark Digest today: please welcome a new advertiser to these pages, and afterwards check out our latest book release. The advertiser is the Tennessee Smokies (Class AA; Southern League), who are seeking to fill some positions in their front office. Check out the ad in the column […]
Naming rights under debate in Frederick
With naming rights to Harry Grove Stadium assets potentially drawing $251,000 annually, city officials are sparring over how much of that to keep and how much to share with the Frederick Keys (High Class A; Carolina League). The ballpark name won’t change, but naming rights to parts of the facility could be placed on the […]
Cardinal Stadium should be torn down: Engineers
Though Cardinal Stadium, former home of the Louisville Redbirds (Class AAA; American Association), is rapidly deteriorating and should be town down soon, according to an engineering report. The facility, known as Fairgrounds Stadium when it opened in 1957, was home to pro baseball in Louisville between 1982 and 1999, when the team moved to Louisville […]
Testing at new Saints ballpark site yields unexpected contamination
City officials knew that the site of a new St. Paul Saints (independent; American Association) ballpark was polluted, but further testing indicates far more contamination on the site than originally anticipated. Before it hosted a manufacturing plant, the Lowertown site hosted a coal gasification plant, where coal was converted to coal gas, which could then […]
Sinkhole impacts last night’s Indians-Rangers game
It’s been a rough year for the grounds crew at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, with last night’s batting practice scrapped after a bad pipe behind the pitchers mound caused a sinkhole in the turf. The issue: the broken pipe flooded the middle of the infield, causing a sinkhole. It was caught before the game, as […]