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Archives: Jan. 22-Jan. 28, 2005

Archives: Jan. 22-Jan. 28, 2005

Red Sox adding premium seats
Posted January 28, 2005

The Boston Red Sox are making some more small changes to Fenway Park in an effort to squeeze more revenue out of the old ballpark. New: The Pavilion, a set of premium seats in the area of the .406 Club, behind home plate. The Red Sox are also working to increase the capacity of Fenway Park by 10 percent. You can expect more news next week regarding scheduled improvements in the clubhouse, concession, and restaurant areas, and the ”back of the house" space, reserved for Red Sox players and staff.

Twins to defend their turf
Posted January 28, 2005

The Minnesota Twins face a tough challenge: they have been arguing the need for a new ballpark for several years now, but at the same time must sell tickets to the Metrodome. It’s a fine line: there’s a very negative opinion of the Metrodome when it comes to baseball, but the Twins are a pretty entertaining team with marketable personalities like Torii Hunter and local boy Joe Mauer, and their efforts at customer service have improved markedly in recent years. This year the Twins are taking a regional approach to marketing with "Twins Territory" and also putting more of an emphasis on corporate sales. The team is adding 133 Dugout Seats (selling at $6,315 for the season) on the field between first to third base.

Contracts, ballpark are separate issues, say Marlins
Posted January 28, 2005

More fallout from the signing of Carlo Delgado by the Florida Marlins; critics are using the occasion to bash the Marlins for spending $52 million on Delgado and then asking the Florida Legislature for $60 million toward a new ballpark next to the Orange Bowl. The Marlins say these are two separate issues (in the past, the Marlins have been criticized for not spending enough on payroll; now they’re criticized for spending too much), and when you consider one of the loudest critics is a state legislator who called the Marlins "terrorists" for negotiation for state aid, it’s pretty clear most of this is good-old state politicking. More from the Sun-Sentinel.

Nationals rounding third, heading home
Posted January 28, 2005

Nothing new here, really; just a summary of the move of the Montreal Expos to Washington, D.C., and how smoothly the move has gone. The team will play the next three seasons at a refurbished RFK Stadium before a new ballpark opens. It is the first MLB franchise relocation since 1971, which is a pretty amazing record for stability in the sports world. Not everything is worked out, however; the Nats are still working on a radio deal.

Maine seat manufacturer sued over stadium seats
Posted January 28, 2005

Hussey Seats of North Berwich, Maine, has been sued by the Tampa Sports Authority over the seats originally installed at Raymond James Stadium, home of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In the lawsuit, the Tampa Sports Authority says the original red seats, designed to match the team’s uniforms, have faded to an "unsightly pink" and that the paint on the seat stanchions has bubbled and peeled. (A subcontractor had neglected to include ultraviolet inhibitors  Hussey has promised to replace the seats before the start of the 2006 season; its seats can be found in the stadiums used by the New England Patriots, Washington Redskins and Denver Broncos in the National Football League, and by the Seattle Mariners and Colorado Rockies.

Goodell’s secret? Be a part of the community
Posted January 28, 2005

There’s really no secret to being successful in the lower MiLB ranks or the college wood-bat leagues: become part of the community. Our friend Chris Goodell certainly has become part of the La Crosse community after taking over the GM position with the La Crosse Loggers (college wood bat; Northwoods League). I’m often asked by others in the baseball world why the Northwoods League is such a success, and it’s pretty simple: every team has a close tie to the community. Whether it’s Vern Stenman in Madison, Ryan Voz and Scott Allen in Alexandria, Joe Schwei and Kyle Mrozek in Mankato, or Dan Litzinger, Kim Archer and Eric Peterson in Rochester, one thing is the same: these folks reside year-round in the area and have some deep roots there.

New Waterloo ballpark not just a dream
Posted January 27, 2005

A new ballpark at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls is closer to reality, according to developer Eddie Diaz, who says there’s a 60 percent chance the ballpark will be completed. He adds several investors are interested in funding ballpark construction and helping seek a minor-league team. (The area is already home to the Waterloo Bucks of the college wood-bat Northwoods League; the UNI team shares Riverfront Stadium with the Bucks.) We did some asking around and were told the independent Northern League has little interest in placing a team in Waterloo; in theory a Class A Midwest League team could show some interest, but given the overlap between seasons and the generally bad experiences in the past when a Class A or above team is the tenant of a college-owned ballpark (think Columbia, S.C.), it’s highly unlikely.

Pass the Bluefish deal
Posted January 27, 2005

The Bridgeport News is urging the City Council to pass a revised lease for the Bridgeport Bluefish (independent; Atlantic League) at Harbor Yard Ballpark. A council committee approved the new lease earlier this week, while the full council will debate the measure on Feb. 7. Under the terms of the agreement the team will immediately pay almost half of the $430,000 it owes to the city for unpaid stadium rent. The rest of the debt would be paid to the city through higher parking fees over a three-year period. In addition, the annual stadium rent would be lowered from $225,000 to $150,000 for the next three years and an additional $25,000 annual fee would be dropped.

Thunder, Yankees extend PDC through 2008
Posted January 27, 2005

The Trenton Thunder (Class AA; Eastern League) and the New York Yankees are expected to extend their player-development contract through the 2008 season, according to the Trenton Times. The team has benefited mightily from the Yankees affiliation; seven of the top 10 attended games at Waterfront Park involved rehab assignments by Yankees players.

Legislators frown on Marlins double-dipping on tax breaks
Posted January 27, 2005

If the Miami Dolphins insist on evicting the Florida Marlins by 2010, the state will likely end a $2 million/year sales-tax rebate first enacted to retrofit Joe Robbie Stadium — now Dolphins Stadium — for baseball use when the Marlins arrived in town. Marlins officials are trying to procure $60 million in state funding for a new $420-million ballpark near the Orange Bowl; state officials say the team can’t double-dip. More from the Miami Herald. Meanwhile, the Miami Herald asks where the Marlins got the money to sign Carlos Delgado to a $52-million contract (twice, actually); I can remember when the media was bitching about the Marlins shedding payroll and not spending enough on players. Can’t have it both ways, guys.

KC panel will tackle stadium issues
Posted January 27, 2005

Fifteen political and civic leaders have been appointed by Kansas City and Jackson County officials to decide in the next three months whether the community should move toward building a new downtown ballpark for the Kansas City Royals or to improve the facilities at Truman Sports Complex with onsite restaurants and a retractable roof. Either option could cost upwards of a billion dollars.

Take me out to the cleaners
Posted January 27, 2005

Lawyer Jim Hennigan looks at the three proposals for a new ballpark in the Greenville (S.C.) area from the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx (Class AA; Southern League), the Capital City Bombers (Class A; Sally League) and the Hagerstown Suns (Class A; Sally League) and concludes that the Bombers’ proposal is by far the best of the three. He has particular scorn for the Diamond Jaxx proposal, noting it relies on some questionable assumptions — like selling the naming rights for a pretty high price —  and would have problems generating interest in the bond market. The author himself does make some questionable assumptions, however — I think it’s safe to say there’s a zero percent chance Mandalay would look to place a Class AAA team in Greenville — and he’s looking at the issue like a lawyer when there are so many intangibles involved. MiLB President Mike Moore will decide between the three competing plans this week or next.

MLB brings Wolff closer to owning A’s
Posted January 27, 2005

Real-estate developer Lew Wolff is another step closer to owning the Oakland Athletics after MLB’s legal counsel approved the documents submitted by Wolff and current club owners Steve Schott and Ken Hofmann. Two hurdles remain: getting the green light from 75 percent of other major-league owners and having the A’s lease at the Coliseum transferred to Wolff. Neither is expected to be difficult. More from the Oakland Tribune.

Eastern League debates Navigators’ future
Posted January 27, 2005

We know Lou DiBella, currently in negotiations to buy the Norwich Navigators (Class AA; Eastern League), has hinted he doesn’t know about the long-term viability of the team in Norwich. His concerns are apparently shared to an extent by EL President Joe McEacharn, who also expressed concern but was more circumspect with his own comments. "We’d be very hesitant (to approve of a move). We’d look at it very carefully," McEacharn said. "The State of Connecticut stepped up to the plate and built a very good facility up there. There a lot of things you can question about dwindling attendance and location of the park [within a suburban industrial park] have been called into question. We’re not going to leave people high and dry with a nice ballpark sitting up there."

Shakeup at helm of downtown arena/ballpark project in Stockton
Posted January 27, 2005

The city director of the downtown arena and ballpark construction project has been yanked and replaced with a consultant, former Assistant City Manager Gary Ingraham, who has been on the $115.4 million project less than two months. The decision alarmed some at City Hall, although officials said the switch is no big deal. The new ballpark is slated to be the home of the Stockton Ports (Class A; California League).

Mientkiewicz to loan Sox ball
Posted January 27, 2005

Boy, Dougie Mientkiewicz makes a lot of news for a backup first baseman who batted .231 last season. First, yesterday he was traded by the Boston Red Sox to the New York Mets for prospect Ian Bladergroen, who tore up the Sally League last year before suffering an injury. Normally we wouldn’t note a trade like this, but it’s interesting in the context of the larger story: he’s been in the news lately because he still holds the ball used to record the final out of the 2004 World Series, when the BoSox broke the Curse of the Bambino. However, Mientkiewicz says he’s close to reaching a settlement that will allow him to retain ownership while the team displays it for a year, likely on tours with the World Series trophy. He said the Red Sox plan to build a museum, but what happens to the ball then will be discussed later. Chances are pretty good Mientkiewicz will never possess the ball again; this solution allows him and the Red Sox to save face.

Ameriquest Field to offer space being left behind by KRLD
Posted January 27, 2005

The Texas Rangers will probably wait until the season starts to aggressively market office space at Ameriquest Field left behind by radio station KRLD. No matter what you think about the lack of development surrounding Ameriquest Field, the complex itself is a success: the office space is still at 80 percent occupancy after the defection of KRLD, with rents running $19.50 to $21.50 per square foot. And what amenities: Most of the offices have unfettered access to balconies that overlook the field, and all tenants receive four club-level season tickets and parking passes.