Archives: August 28-Sept. 3, 2005
Cubs to pass on concerts next season
Posted September 2, 2005
Concerts are the easiest way for baseball teams to raise additional money at the ballpark: they’re already set up for crowds and the layout makes perfect sense for setting up a stage. Recent minor-league tours by Bob Dylan/Willie Nelson and Def Leppard proved this point. But these concerts may not scale to major-league parks, where the large crowds needed to make money on a Rolling Stones or Jimmy Buffett concert may not work as well. The Chicago Cubs are passing on any concerts next summer, despite the success of bringing in Jimmy Buffett this weekend. It took Buffett 10 years to persuade MacPhail that the concerts would be a good idea and the executive says the door is already closed to a return visit next year. And some team owners are going to be scared off by what the Boston Red Sox experienced in bringing the Rolling Stones to Fenway Park: most of the outfield turf had to be replaced and a game postponed by a hour so the grounds crew could repair all the damage. Speaking of Jimmy Buffett: here’s a fascinating article about his early days in Key West as a fan of the Key West Conchs of the Florida State League (playing to Wickers Field) and his idea to put a team in the Mexican League, splitting time between Key West and Cancun and traveling via an airplane owned by Virgin Airlines’ Richard Branson. Really.
Zephyr Field sustains minor damage; in use by emergency personnel
Posted September 2, 2005
The New Orleans Zephyrs (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) and their family members made it out of New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina hit and have since cancelled a series against the Iowa Cubs. Zephyr Field was hit by some minor cosmetic and structural damage, but overall it sounds like it’s in pretty good shape, serving as a staging area for emergency personnel and equipment participating in the ongoing search-and-rescue mission. If you’re heading to the ballpark this weekend, check with your favorite team about any relief activities they may have going on: we’ve received word from a slew of teams about fundraising efforts at games. More on the Zephyrs from FoxSport’s Ken Rosenthal.
Retailers hoping Lugnuts will stay downtown
Posted September 2, 2005
For some reason business owners in downtown Lansing are worried about the Lansing Lugnuts (Class A; Midwest League) moving out of Oldsmobile Park when their lease expires in 2009. Lugnuts ownership say they have no intention of leaving and want to work out a contract extension binding the team to Lansing through 2020.
In Salem, If you sell it, they will come
Posted September 2, 2005
Jamie Toole, GM of the Salem Avalanche (Class A; Carolina League), is given his props for injecting new life into the team: the Avalanche has set attendance records the last two seasons. When he arrived on the scene two years ago, he cleaned house, and the moves have worked out: Every night has some sort of sponsor, and the advertising budget was dramatically increased.
Accounting firm to move near ballpark
Posted September 2, 2005
A city-owned warehouse beside Appalachian Power Park, the home of the West Virginia Power (Class A; Sally League), is about to get its first true tenants, as a local accounting firm has signed a lease for office space. The building, renovated in the course of ballpark development, has sat largely empty as plans for other tenants fell through. The Power also committed to an additional 2,000 square feet of space.
Fan value index at MLB parks
Posted September 1, 2005
Sports Illustrated provides a pretty decent roundup of major-league ballparks in terms of fan value. Some of the numbers here are rather arbitrary — you really can’t knock one team because their city’s transit system sucks — and one of the factors, "atmosphere," is purely arbitrary. (An example: for most games the Metrodome sucks in terms of atmosphere. When the playoffs start, the atmosphere complete changes. Fans make atmosphere.) We do agree that Miller Park is a great experience; we don’t agree that Rogers Centre presents a better value than Fenway Park because the experience Fenway Park is simply priceless.
Pacific Coast League passes 7-million mark
Posted September 1, 2005
Speaking of attendance: the Pacific Coast League surpassed the 7-million-fan mark yesterday, a first for any single circuit in a season in Minor League Baseball history. The PCL had set a new single season record when it eclipsed the 6.8 million fan mark on August 26, and now celebrates the achievement of 7-million fans, a goal set at the beginning of the year. Earlier this week, Oklahoma and Albuquerque announced new single season attendance records and Sacramento, with one more opening, has drawn over 10,400 fans per game, 740,000 overall. Current projection are for the final regular-season total to near 7.3 million.
United Sports seeks privately financed ballpark in Amarillo
Posted September 1, 2005
United Sports Equities, a Dallas group that includes former Amarillo Dillas owners Byron Pierce and John Bryant, is proposing a privately financed ballpark if Potter or Randall counties are willing to provide the land. The 4,000-seat ballpark would cost between $4 million and $5 million; the new entry in a new startup independent league would play at Potter County Memorial Stadium until the new ballpark is finished.
No one knows when Vince will give up control of Rays, not even Vince
Posted September 1, 2005
Despite what’s been reported in other media outlets, there’s no clear agreement for Vince Naimoli to step down as head of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays; there’s a lot of speculation about what was inevitable the day Stuart Sternberg bought a majority stake in the team last year. Sometimes the media’s a little too quick to claim a scoop when there is none.
Astrodome to temporarily serve as home of Katrina refugees
Posted September 1, 2005
The Houston Astrodome has a new, temporary purpose: serving as home to the tens of thousands of New Orleans residents left homeless by Hurricane Katrina. Buses are transporting the folks staying at the Superdome to the Astrodome, although that process apparently has been temporarily halted while the Superdome area is secured. Meanwhile, many minor-league teams have stepped up efforts to raise money for relief efforts; check with your local team before heading to the ballpark foe details. Plus, the Mississippi Braves (Class AA; Southern League) made it official: the rest of their season has been cancelled.
Balls to the walls with the New Haven County Cutters
Posted September 1, 2005
The New Haven County Cutters (independent; Can-Am League) had a rough opening season, but things seem to be turning around in 2005: attendance is up, the team is close to a second-half divisional championship, and Yale Field is the same historic venue it’s always been.
Baseball Notes
Posted September 1, 2005
Mark Mattern, the voice of the Harrisburg Senators (Class AA; Eastern League), has worked his 2,000th game. With the call of Wednesday’s game against the Reading Phillies, Mattern reached the 2000 mark. He started working on Senators’ radio when baseball returned to Harrisburg in 1987. From 1987 to 1994, Mattern worked all Senators’ radio games home and away. When Brad Sparesus joined the broadcast team, Mattern cut back on the road trips….New Jersey Jackals general manager Ben Wittkowski has been named the Can-Am League’s Executive of the Year, as voted upon by league managers. In his first year with the club, the Jackals have drawn 113,666 fans through their first 47 home games and are on pace to break last year’s attendance mark by over 12,000….The Albuquerque Isotopes (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) will set a franchise record tonight for highest attendance in a single season. With a year to date total of 572,838, the club needs just 4,029 to establish the single season mark….Nick Cirillo, the Florida Marlins batboy suspended because he vomited after a prank, will appear tonight on the David Letterman show.
M-Braves cancel series due to Hurricane Katrina; other teams adjust as well
Posted August 31, 2005
The Mississippi Braves (Class AA; Southern League) have cancelled a three-game series against the Chattanooga Lookouts because of damage to Trustmark Park. The issues with the ballpark are actually fairly minor — the center-field batter’s eye must be replaced, while there are damaged signs throughout the ballpark, and some dangling light fixtures, although miraculously the ballpark never lost power — but given how bad things are in Mississippi as a whole, the Braves were smart to scrap the series. A season-ending series against the Carolina Mudcats is also in peril. Also cancelled tonight: the Montgomery Biscuits at the Mobile BayBears. The Memphis Redbirds (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) cancelled games on Monday and Tuesday after heavy rains soaked the area; tonight the Redbirds will host a doubleheader against the Nashville Sounds, with any residents of Louisiana admitted for free. Even the Dayton Dragons (Class A; Midwest League), the Akron Aeros (Class AA; Eastern League) and the Cleveland Indians were forced cancel games due to rain caused by Katrina. Also, check with your favorite team before you head to a game this weekend: many are featuring some sort of relief efforts for those affected by the hurricane damage.
Topeka ballpark pitched
Posted August 31, 2005
Former minor-league pitcher Michael Gregory Johnson wants to bring an independent Northern League team to Topeka when the league expands by four teams in 2007. Johnson wants city assistance to build a ballpark, but city officials are already warning their only participation would be to provide tax-increment financing for a facility in a blighted area. Whether he’s being realistic or not is another issue: he foresees a $17-million facility with seating for 5,500 and a retractable roof, complete with free parking. Baseball insiders have looked at Topeka several times over the years; curiously, National Sports Services, which has been looking at establishing Northern League franchises elsewhere, is headquartered in Topeka.
MLB is thinking locally for Nats
Posted August 31, 2005
Major League Baseball officials apparently have a new game plan for selling the Washington Nationals: establish a base sale price that only a few groups can meet — which will surely be northward of $425 million — and then evaluate the final bids based on financial suitability, local participation and minority representation. That would seem to bode well for the Fred Malek bid, which scores high on all three factors, as well as the Albert Lord/William Collins bid, which also scores well.
Grizzlies deal in place; City Council approves new lease
Posted August 31, 2005
The sale of the Fresno Grizzlies (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) to a group headed by Boston-area real estate developer Chris Cummings cleared its first hurdle when the Fresno City Council approved the purchase. The Fresno Baseball Club, a limited liability company, is composed of Cummings, three other general partners and 14 limited partners, mostly from the East Coast. The other general partners are his brother William J. Cummings Sr., a public affairs executive with Exxon Mobil Corporation; Brian Glover of Madera Ranchos, an independent real estate consultant; and Dick Ellsworth, a former major-league pitcher and partner of Grubb & Ellis/Pearson Realty in Fresno. Originally the Fresno Diamond Group had wanted to sell majority ownership of the team and retain 49 percent, but the Fresno Baseball Club is buying outright ownership. The deal must still be approved by the Pacific Coast League, MiLB and MLB.
Mid-Missouri Mavericks pitch ballpark project
Posted August 31, 2005
Mid-Missouri Mavericks (independent; Frontier League) owner Gary Wendt says his team needs a new ballpark by 2007 if the team is to stay in Columbia. Missouri Sports Equities LLC, the Wendts’ development group, will pay for construction and maintenance of a new ballpark at the Boone County Fairgrounds if Columbia or Boone County agrees to give 35 acres of land (25 acres for the ballpark, 10 for other development) to the owners. The city or county would receive an annual lease payment and a portion of ballpark revenues. Currently the team plays at Taylor Stadium at the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Big changes coming in Tampa Bay?
Posted August 31, 2005
Word is there could be some big changes with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays next season, with Vince Naimoli leaving the team, Chuck LaMar moving into a new role and Lou Piniella walking away from the last year of his contract. New owner Stuart Sternberg apparently is ready to walk in and make over the team’s front office, using a more stats-oriented approach to evaluate players.
Fort Wayne continues debate over new ballpark
Posted August 31, 2005
The Fort Wayne City Council is debating how to manage and fund large-scale projects like arenas and community centers, and one topic under discussion is a downtown replacement for Memorial Stadium, the home of the Fort Wayne Wizards (Class A; Midwest League). The issue is whether the facility is near the end of its life expectancy — as some council members say — or whether the city should remain committed to the ballpark for the next 20 years.
Columbus, Catfish sign three-year lease extension
Posted August 31, 2005
The Columbus City Council unanimously approved a three-year lease extension with the Columbus Catfish (Class A; Sally League). The Catfish will play at Golden Park through the 2008 season. During the 2005 season, attendance has doubled and sponsor support has nearly tripled. The Catfish have been rumored to be seeking a new ballpark in suburban Columbia, S.C.