Archives: June 11-17, 2005
Sounds ballpark plan nearly triples in size
Posted June 17, 2005
A $80-million proposal by the Nashville Sounds (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) for a downtown ballpark with accompanying residential and retail has nearly tripled into a $230 million development that includes 600 residential units, 125 of which would be affordable housing. Baltimore-based Struever Bros., Eccles & Rouse has increased its investment significantly since December 2003 when the project was $80 million and 225 residential units. A sticking point in negotiations over the ballpark was tax increment financing. Points of disagreement have centered around the city’s contribution of the former Thermal site and whether $20 million in tax increment financing needed to make the deal work includes that land value. Expanding the scope of the project helps make the numbers work.
D.C. ballpark deal calls for union workers
Posted June 17, 2005
District of Columbia Mayor Anthony A. Williams announced yesterday that the city has reached an agreement that requires local unions to hire and train hundreds of District residents for the construction of the new ballpark. The agreement, struck after nearly a year of closed-door sessions, essentially requires that bidders either have union shops or agree to have their workers join a union in order to participate. The agreement will require the approval of the D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission. Protesters argued the move would keep minority firms from bidding on the projects and force apprentices to join a union.
Marlins president: Team still reviewing ballpark options
Posted June 17, 2005
Florida Marlins President David Samson says the team is still looking at its options regarding a new retractable-roof ballpark in Miami. Samson did not say what any alternative options may include, nor would he say if the team’s hope of being in a new facility in time for the 2008 season was still feasible. (It’s probably not when you factor in land-acquisition issues.) The Marlins want a 38,000-seat ballpark to be built adjacent to the Orange Bowl in Miami.
Full-speed ahead for ballpark-building juggernaut
Posted June 17, 2005
Just when things seemed to be slowing down on the ballpark front you had announcements from the New York Yankees and the New York Mets about their plans for new facilities; you may also see at least three more new MLB ballparks in the majors in the next five years as well as Florida, Minnesota and Oakland work on their ballpark issues. (Tampa Bay and Kansas City loom in the distance as well.) One reason for the boom: tax-exempt bonds are a very attractive tool for financing ballparks, as well-rated municipalities are paying 4.25 percent to borrow money for 30 years. Meanwhile, reaction to the Yankees’ proposal for a new ballpark trickles in; Jerry Izenberg offers qualified support, but the Cincinnati Post’s Lonnie Wheeler is apparently unaware Yankee Stadium was renovated and extensively changed in 1978, as he talks about the current ballpark as if it’s the same facility where Babe Ruth patrolled the outfield. It’s not. Bob Raissman points out one fact left out of the discussion: because ballpark construction costs are deducted from MLB’s revenue sharing plan, teams like the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and the Kansas City Royals will be picking up a good chunk of construction costs.
Ballpark workers to protest tonight for higher wages
Posted June 17, 2005
Not too many teams owners agree to union representation among ballpark workers, so Orioles owner Peter Angelos was already pushing the envelope when he agreed to help the United Workers Association bring in a new contractor that pledged better wages and better treatment. Workers want $8.85 an hour — the livable minimum wage in Baltimore — but the Maryland Stadium Authority raised pay only to $7 per hour. Tonight the UWA will be picketing at Oriole Park at Camden Yards to protest their plight.
Minor-league ballpark pitched for Monticello area
Posted June 17, 2005
A New York City developer yesterday unveiled his proposed plans to build a large retail facility, a minor-league ballpark and other recreational activities on 650 acres of land at the Sullivan County Airport off Route 42 in the town of Thompson in the Monticello area. The ballpark would seat between 3,000 and 4,000 people and be open in time for the 2005 season.
Competing visions for Old Orchard Ballpark
Posted June 17, 2005
Here’s a name from the past. The future of Old Orchard Ballpark, the former home of the Maine Guides and the Maine Phillies (both Class AAA; International League), is under some debate as a developer wants to tear down the ballpark and to develop the 75 acres with restaurants, retail and residential. Local residents want the tract to stay in control of the city and used for community purposes. Old Orchard Ballpark was briefly used for concerts once the Guides moved, but today the ballpark has deteriorated and the playing field is completely overgrown.
Yankees officially unveil new ballpark plans
Posted June 16, 2005
The New York Yankees officially unveiled plans for a new Yankee Stadium. In a presentation led by Yankees owner George Steinbrenner and attended by a slew of dignitaries — including New York Gov. George Pataki and New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg — details for the new 51,800-seat, $800-million ballpark were outlined. Construction on the new ballpark, on a site next to the current Yankee Stadium site in Macombs Dam Park across 161st Street, is scheduled to begin next spring, with a 2009 opening anticipated. The new ballpark will feature a facade (made of unpainted limestone and concrete, just like the original) reminiscent of the original Yankee Stadium, which opened in 1923, while the signature copper frieze of the old stadium, painted white in the 1960s and removed during the renovation in the mid-’70s, will return to the ballpark roof. The new Yankee Stadium will essentially be two structures: the ballpark bowl and a more formal-looking building. The new ballpark will also feature the same dimensions and bullpen placements as the original ballpark, while other elements — like Monument Park — will be moved intact into the new ballpark. With 30,000 seats on the first level and 20,000 in the second level, fans will have a a closer view of the field than the current ballpark provides, and the concourses will be designed to allow a better view of the game while fans are visiting concessions. It will be smaller than the existing stadium, which has 56,937 seats and about 18 luxury boxes. (Interestingly, most of the current Yankee Stadium will not fall to the wrecking ball. The city plans to preserve at least the existing baseball field, the dugouts and the first level of the stands for Little League and high-school use.) The ballpark is part of a broader redevelopment plan that includes a hotel, conference center and high school for sports-related careers. The price is right for the city: the Yankees will pay the $800 million cost of construction, operation and maintenance costs; the city and state will spend an estimated $208 million on work related to the stadium, bringing the total cost to more than $1 billion. The state has agreed to spend up to $75 million to build three or four parking garages, which will add up to 5,000 new spaces, and to do some road work. More from the New York Daily News, the Newark Star-Ledger, The New York Times, Newsday and the Albany Business Journal. While most of the current Yankees expressed pleasure with the announcement, some members of the Boston Red Sox expressed regret. Some fans have mixed feelings as well. (They’re probably also bummed about the inevitable ticket-price hikes.) The New York Times’ Nicolai Ouroussoff rips the design: "The Yankees have managed to propose a stadium design that has neither the charm of the rickety old stadiums nor the energy and power of the most innovative. It is a hollow replica of the past that may beguile fans of the current team, but it fails to tap into the spirit of what New Yorkers like to think of as the most legendary sports team in America." More renderings here.
Names in for new State College baseball franchise
Posted June 16, 2005
Nearly 5,000 submissions have been made with over 400 unique names after the first round of voting to name State College’s future NY-Penn League baseball team. The top seven names after the first round, in alphabetical order, are: Black Bears, Copperheads, Miners, Mountain Bats, Ridge-Riders, Sliders and Stags. Because of the volume of responses, a semifinal round has been added in the contest. The semifinal round will run from Friday until June 26 and will allow fans to vote on one of the top seven names from round one, as well as an eighth line for a write-in vote. Votes may again be made through the team’s Web site.
Developer pitches ballpark for Columbia (S.C.) area
Posted June 16, 2005
The Columbus Catfish (Class A; Sally League) and Alan Kahn, owner and developer of the Village at Sandhill retail project near Columbia, S.C., are exploring the possibility of moving the team to Northeast Richland. In a letter to the league dated May 12, Kahn spelled out plans for an $18 million to $20 million ballpark that would be constructed at the rear of the 300 acres of Village at Sandhill, a development off Clemson Road that, when completed, will include shops, office spaces, homes and businesses. Early reaction to the plan was somewhat negative, as local officials questioned the suitability of a ballpark in the retail area.
Hines deal took root last summer
Posted June 16, 2005
More on the deal between the owners of land envisioned as the site of a new Minnesota Twins ballpark and Hines, a large development and property-management firm. The participation of the Houston-based Hines Development changes the dynamics of the discussion: while we don’t think Hines will up the price of the land for the ballpark, the general nature of the development could change to provide more retail and less office space; it may also bring about a change in the ballpark’s architects from HOK (which did preliminary drawings) to Dallas-based HKS. Also, the general mood among movers and shakers following this project is a lot more pessimistic than it was even two weeks ago, when folks were generally optimistic about the chances of the Minnesota Legislature giving Hennepin County permission to add a 0.15 percent sales tax to finance the ballpark. The Legislature is basically in limbo after Gov. Tim Pawlenty called a special session earlier this month; the governor, the House and the Senate are all disagreeing on a new budget, and the multisided negotiations are going nowhere. Legislative leaders say they won’t consider a Twins ballpark before they pass a budget, but with many state functions scheduled to shut down on July 1 if a budget is not passed, there’s the distinct possibility negotiations will go down to the wire with the Legislature passing a budget and then quickly adjourning, leaving the Twins measure dead for this year.
FCC asked by O’s to rule on Nats TV stalemate
Posted June 16, 2005
The Baltimore Orioles yesterday asked the Federal Communications Commission to order Comcast cable company to begin carrying Washington Nationals games immediately and break a deadlock that has kept millions of fans in the Mid-Atlantic region from seeing Nationals games on television. The move by the Orioles, who control baseball’s rights to the entire Baltimore-Washington television market through the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network, escalates the war between the Baltimore club and Comcast over who will dominate cable television sports in the region.
Hey! How ’bout those ‘Chucks?
Posted June 16, 2005
The Vermont Expos (short season; NY-Penn League) are holding a contest to rename the team. The suggestion from this columnist is an original name like the Vermont Woodchucks, but that’s not a very original name: the Wisconsin Woodchucks have been a mainstay in the college wood-bat Northwoods League for years. Other suggestions: the Vermont Moose, the Vermont Sugar Maples, the Vermont Flatlanders and the Vermont Mudders.
Majestic home, not so grand team
Posted June 16, 2005
You’ve probably read the nice things we’ve said about Bright House Networks Field, the regular-season home of the Clearwater Threshers (Class A: Florida State league) and the spring-training home of the Philadelphia Phillies. So far the facilities have overshadowed the team: the Threshers have drawn well despite the Phillies supplying a less-than-competitive team this year and last.
Hall idea becoming great steal
Posted June 16, 2005
Go to a Texas Rangers game this season and you’ll see the team is putting a lot of emphasis on voting for the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame. Announcer Chuck Morgan says he got the idea for a Rangers Hall of Fame during his short stint with the Kansas City Royals and seeing their Hall of Fame, but the idea didn’t exactly originate with the Royals; heck, Monument Park in Yankee Stadium is a whole lot older than the Royals franchise.
Suns prepare to welcome millionth fan to Baseball Grounds
Posted June 16, 2005
The Jacksonville Suns (Class AA; Southern League) are preparing to welcome the 1,000,000th fan to attend a Suns game at the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville walk through the gates for a Suns game since the ballpark was opened in April 2003. In the ballpark’s inaugural 2003 season, the team drew 359,979 fans, setting an all-time Jacksonville baseball attendance mark, as well as achieving the second highest attendance total in Southern League history. However, in 2004, Suns fans proved they could do better, as the team welcomed 420,495 fans through the gates, again setting a Jacksonville mark and giving the Suns the second and third-best attendance figures in league history. Through the last home game on June 12, the Suns have drawn 194,892 in 2005, giving the team a three-year total of 975,366, just 24,634 fans short of 1,000,000.
Hitting home in San Antonio
Posted June 16, 2005
Here’s an account of a visit to Nelson Wolff Stadium, the home of the San Antonio Missions (Class AA; Texas League). It sounds like a pretty festive atmosphere, heavy on the Tex-Mex food and the promotions you find in almost every minor-league park these days. It’s nice to read an account of a ballgame where the writer is not so jaded as to be amused by the spinning-bat race.
Yankees’ ballpark plans stepping up to the plate
Posted June 15, 2005
In one of the worst-kept secrets in the ballpark world, the New York Yankees today will unveil plans for a new Yankee Stadium to be built next to the current Yankee Stadium site in Macombs Dam Park, across 161st Street. The open-air ballpark, which could open as soon as 2009, would seat 51,800 — although it could be expanded to 54,000 seats — with 50 to 60 luxury suites. With 30,000 seats on the first level and 20,000 in the second level, fans will have a a closer view of the field than the current ballpark provides. It will be smaller than the existing stadium, which has 56,937 seats and about 18 luxury boxes. (Interestingly, most of the current Yankee Stadium will not fall to the wrecking ball. The city plans to preserve at least the existing baseball field, the dugouts and the first level of the stands for Little League and high-school use.) The design, by HOK Sport+Venue+Event, would restore many of the signature features of the original 82-year-old ballpark that were wiped out by the 1976 renovation, and it would retain the same field dimensions and dugouts, according to two executives who have seen the plans. The ballpark is part of a broader redevelopment plan that includes a hotel, conference center and high school for sports-related careers. The price is right for the city: the Yankees will pay the $800 million cost of construction, operation and maintenance costs; the city and state will spend an estimated $220 million on work related to the stadium, bringing the total cost to more than $1 billion. The state has agreed to spend up to $75 million to build three or four parking garages, which will add up to 5,000 new spaces, and to do some road work. It is interesting at how little fuss the proposal has generated in a city that stresses historic preservation: maybe the preservationists living on the Upper East Side don’t really care about sports, or maybe most people realize the original Yankee Stadium was basically torn down in the 1976 "renovation."
Minneapolis committee conditionally approves Twins ballpark
Posted June 15, 2005
The Minneapolis City Council’s Intergovernmental Relations Committee officially endorsed a new ballpark for the Minnesota Twins in downtown Minneapolis, but put some conditions on that support. The conditions: no negative impact on the city’s general fund or capacity to deliver basic services; no imposition of costs upon the city for infrastructure improvements and reimbursement of the city for impacts on city services related to design, construction and operation of a new ballpark; no preemption of the city’s charter provision, adopted by the voters, limiting city funding for a sports facility to $10 million without a citywide referendum; and preservation of the city’s authority for local taxes, including the city’s entertainment tax. It doesn’t sound like the current plan from Hennepin County would break any of those conditions, however. Approval of the plan from the full City Council is expected Friday.
Cat’s out of the bag
Posted June 15, 2005
So far the independent Northern League’s expansion into Canada has to be judged a failure. In Edmonton, there’s a full-scale revolt as Edmonton Cracker-Cats owner Dan Orlich has been feuding with GM Mel Kowalchuk and others in the city. Kowalchuk, who ran the Edmonton Trappers (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) for most of their existence, has been persuaded by league officials to stay on; meanwhile, league president Mike Stone is heading up to Edmonton to smooth out the situation. Part of the conflict involves a dispute over who is running the team: Orlich’s significant other, vice-president Ericka Cruise, is said to have fired an usher in front of several highly placed members of the corporate community during an opening-day function in the Home Plate Lounge. In addition, Cruise and Orlich have been working to evict the Edmonton Big River Prospects from Telus Field; the Prospects say the Cracker-Cats have not been living up to the terms of their lease. Probably not a good business strategy for an out-of-town owner to piss off the locals.
Vipers blowing chance
Posted June 15, 2005
Meanwhile, things aren’t that much better at Calgary’s Burns Stadium. Attendance has been modest so far this season for the expansion Calgary Vipers (independent; Northern League). There are some good reasons for this — owner Jeff Gidney took over the team late in the process after a Japanese investment group was booted by league officials — but it doesn’t sound like the team is being run with any élan: there are no in-house promotions, no pocket schedules, no game-day programs.
MiLB attendance remains strong through May
Posted June 15, 2005
Attendance at Minor League Baseball games remained strong through May as 7.3 million fans went through the turnstiles to boost the two-month total to 13,203,740 for the 176 teams in 11 leagues. It is the first time that April-May attendance has ever exceeded 13 million.
Bill to boost Saints revenue revised to benefit Zephyrs
Posted June 15, 2005
A tax bill designed to funnel revenue to the New Orleans Saints football team was rewritten Tuesday to give the New Orleans Zephyrs (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) a sales tax break the team has been seeking. Without objection, the House Ways and Committee sent House Bill 807 by Rep. Bryant Hammett, D-Ferriday, to the full House for debate. The original bill sought an increase in the hotel-motel tax in Orleans and Jefferson parishes from 4 percent to 5 percent and the imposition of up to a 10 percent tax on tickets to Saints home games and other National Football League events at the Superdome.
Atlanta a model for reusing an Olympic Stadium
Posted June 15, 2005
As the New York Mets plan for the possible use of a new ballpark for the 2012 Summer Olympics, they have a pretty good model for how to convert a ballpark into an Olympic venue — Atlanta, which hosted the 1996 Summer Games, built Turner Field as the Olympic Stadium and then converted it to a baseball facility for the Atlanta Braves. It sounds like the construction of the New York Mets ballpark will happen no matter if the city lands the 2012 Summer Olympics, but the possibility must be planned into the facility.