Archives: August 6-12, 2005
A’s owner to offer specific ballpark plan to keep team in Oakland
Posted August 12, 2005
More on the proposal by the Oakland A’s front office to put a new ballpark just north of McAfee Coliseum. The development would include retail and housing components and would aim to transform a swath of industrial land along Interstate 880. The project would involve up to 90 acres of industrial land between 66th Avenue and High Street, and will be pitched as one requiring no up-front investment from Oakland. The project area is bounded by I-880 and San Leandro Street, a dingy stretch marked by industrial shops, truck yards, warehouses and a daily swap meet that operates on the grounds of the defunct Coliseum Drive-In. Oakland’s managing partner, Lew Wolff, is expected to present specifics of the plan to the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority today.
D.C. seeks to buy land for ‘Ballpark District’
Posted August 12, 2005
D.C. officials are negotiating to purchase more than five acres of additional land in Southeast Washington for a ballpark complex, a move aimed at influencing development that could maximize the return on the city’s investment in the ballpark. The city has planned since last fall to build the ballpark by 2008 on a 20-acre plot near South Capitol Street and the Navy Yard. Now officials want to expand their reach in order to produce a "ballpark district" that would feature restaurants, stores, commercial buildings and residential units. The additional land would come from parcels totaling 3.2 acres north of the stadium plot that are owned by Metro and at least two acres east of First Street that are owned by the D.C. Water and Sewer Authority. Meanwhile, it looks like the Nationals may sell for the second-highest price in baseball history, as MLB is expected to set a minimum price of $450 million for the franchise.
Arlington town center details aired
Posted August 12, 2005
The Texas Rangers are working with Hicks Holdings on a new town center that will sit between Ameriquest Field and a new Dallas Cowboys stadium. The first phase of the mixed-use project would include a heavy concentration of upscale retail tenants at street level and residential lofts above the shops. The new Cowboys stadium is expected to open in 2009; the development would be open by 2008.
Asheville Tourists sold
Posted August 12, 2005
The Asheville Tourists (Class A; Sally League) have been sold for about $6.5 million to a group headed by Detroit Pistons owner William Davidson, pending approval of minor league and major league organizations. The group also owns the Tampa Bay Lightning of the NHL; one can presume the group will be seeking other minor-league franchises as well. Minority owner Ron McKee, who was the Tourists’ general manager since 1980 before stepping down from day-to-day duties before this season, will serve as a consultant to the new owners. Owner Woody Kern put one condition on the deal: the team not be moved from McCormick Field.
Property-hungry Sox target Lansdowne Street
Posted August 12, 2005
The Boston Red Sox are seeking to expand their property holdings in the Fenway Park area, and they’ve added to their holdings with the purchase of a defunct nightclub, Sophia’s. The Red Sox are also talking with local entertainment entrepreneur Patrick Lyons about buying his nightclubs. Lyons and the Red Sox know each other well: Lyons opened the Game On! nightclub in Fenway Park in a partnership with the BoSox. The Red Sox are morphing into a real-estate development firm that happens to own a ballclub: condos, retail, a hotel and parking are among the uses under discussion for the Red Sox-controlled properties around Fenway.
Renovators hustling on Diablo Stadium
Posted August 12, 2005
Work continues on the renovation of Tempe Diablo Stadium, the spring-training home of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The team will get four new practice fields, a new minor league clubhouse and renovated clubhouses for the major league players and the visiting team. Improvements that fans will notice include cupholders at each seats, new fold-down seats, a new exterior and a new party deck. Remember, it’s never too early to think about spring training; check out our sister site, Spring Training Online, for the full scoop.
Chase Field in the D-Backs’ future?
Posted August 12, 2005
The Arizona Diamondbacks and JPMorgan Chase & Co. are expected to announce a new name for Bank One Ballpark at the end of the season. (As you’ll recall, Bank One was purchased by JPMorgan Chase & Co., and the Bank One name is disappearing.) Insiders are saying the BOB will be renamed to Chase Field.
In memoriam: Theodore Roosevelt “Double Duty” Radcliffe
Posted August 12, 2005
Former Negro Leagues star Theodore Roosevelt “Double Duty” Radcliffe died of cancer early Thursday at the South Side home of his niece, Debra Radcliffe. Believed to be the oldest living former professional baseball player, Radcliffe was 103. A native of Mobile, Ala, where one of childhood friends was the legendary Hall of Fame pitcher Leroy “Satchel” Paige, Radcliffe played 32 years in the Negro Leagues for 15 different teams, including the great 1932 Pittsburgh Crawfords, the Chicago American Giants, and the Kansas City Monarchs. He reportedly had more than 4,000 career hits and 500 home runs. As a pitcher, he is said to have won more than 400 games and recorded more than 4,000 strikeouts. Damon Runyon hung the nickname of "Double Duty" on Radcliffe after watching him catch one game and pitch in the nightcap of a Negro Leagues All-Star Game.
Missouri governor reappoints sports chairman
Posted August 12, 2005
Despite concerns about a potential conflict of interest, Missouri Gov. Matt Blunt on Thursday reappointed Mike Smith to a five-year term on the Jackson County Sports Complex Authority, which oversees Kauffman Stadium, the home of the Kansas City Royals. Blunt said his office found no evidence that the authority chairman’s pursuit of a Lee’s Summit retail complex, including a new ballpark for an independent Frontier League, interfered with his work on the authority. Foes say they want to see an opinion from a state ethics board before making a decision.
Freedom drawing in fans
Posted August 12, 2005
Congrats to Florence Freedom (independent; Frontier League) owner Clint Brown on turning things around with that troubled franchise. He’s put $600,000 into Champion Window Field after buying the team in the offseason, adding a video scoreboard and finishing the landscaping and parking lot work. He’s also presented a stable face to the public, which was perhaps the most important task of all.
Beach Bums’ ballpark progressing
Posted August 12, 2005
Work continues on a new ballpark in Traverse City, Mich., for the Traverse City Beach Bums (independent; Frontier League). The clubhouses are 90 percent complete and the team offices could be fully operational within two weeks. The bowl portion of the project is up, as are the light towers. The fan parking lot has been black-topped, and installation of large field-view windows for each of 34 private boxes in the stadium will begin any day. The concrete seat risers are finished and 3,518 chair-back seats are in production at the American Seating Company in Grand Rapids.
Plan to study new Amarillo ballpark a good idea
Posted August 12, 2005
More on the announcement by the Amarillo City Commission that it was considering spending $100,000 to study the feasibility of a new ballpark in the city. Columnist Lance Lahnert drools over the possibility of landing an affiliated team, but that may not be realistic: Amarillo is certainly not a Class AAA city and the Class AA Texas League seems set in stone now that there’s a new ballpark in the works in North Little Rock. (And then there’s competition in the state from Lubbock, where ballpark planning and construction is already underway.) The more likely suspects: a new indy league or the return of the Central League.
Developers threaten historic slave-trade site
Posted August 12, 2005
Here’s a pretty decent background piece on the tensions facing the Richmond Braves (Class AAA; International League) and Global Development as they pursue a $330-million development in the city’s Shockoe Bottom district that will include a ballpark, residential and retail. Shockoe Bottom was home to one of the largest slave markets in the 19th Century, and some residents want to commemorate that history. There are enough gray areas grudgingly acknowledged in this article, however (technically, the development footprint doesn’t extend to the actual market site), and Richmond Mayor Doug Wilder — who is certainly sensitive to the concerns of the city’s African-Americans — has endorsed the basic Braves/Global proposal.
Dog days at the ballpark
Posted August 12, 2005
The New York Times covers one of our favorite promotions: dog days at the ballpark. Yes, we’re in the midst of the dog days of summer, but the promotion is different: folks bring their pooches to the ballpark. Some MLB teams now hold dog-days promotions, as do the majority of minor-league teams. (The Colorado Springs Sky Sox invite owners and their pets to every Wednesday home game.) Yes, there are some issues sometimes (some pups are not polite about where they poop), but overall fans really like the idea of having a pet with them at the game. There are some rules involved: MLB teams will limit the pooches to a specific section, for instance. But teams use this as a way to reach out to new fans and sponsors: At the typical dog-friendly game, pets and owners can visit booths on the stadium concourse that offer products and services from dog treats to canine massage. Most offer special rest areas, often with fake grass and plastic fire hydrants. Alas, most dogs aren’t patient enough to sit through a full game; many will need lots of love and extra attention.
Diablos set Central League attendance record
Posted August 12, 2005
In their first season in independent baseball, the El Paso Diablos broke the Central Baseball League average attendance record Wednesday night as they won the first series of the home-stand against the Pensacola Pelicans. In 44 games the Diablos have attracted 174,941 fans to Cohen Stadium, an average of 3,976 per game. If the Diablos do not have a single person attend their final three home games the average attendance would be 3,722; which already surpasses the previous Central League average attendance record of 3,680 per game, set by the Springfield/Ozark Mountain Ducks in the 2000 season.
Baja League announced
Posted August 12, 2005
A group led by Bob Lipp announced a new professional-level league, the Baja League, will begin play September 2006. The league will be the first fall league not affiliated with Major League Baseball. The league office will handle all team operations. There will no player restrictions. The majority of players will be former professionals along with undrafted college graduates. Currently, the league is comprised of six team directors that represent six communities within the southern areas of Arizona and California. The inaugural season will consist of six teams with two to be added for the 2007 season. The next league meeting is set for Tuesday August 30, 2005 at San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora.
Ocean’s Nine: Surf a hit
Posted August 12, 2005
Crissy Richardson dons the uniform of Splash, the teal-colored mascot of the Atlantic City Surf (independent; Atlantic League), and is one of the featured performers at the show. Not quite sure this statement is going to endear her to the players or the front office; "The players probably don’t like hearing it, and I don’t rub it in their faces, but I get more applause than any of them combined," she said. "This is a baseball game, but a lot of people are not just here to see baseball."