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Archives: Dec. 3-9, 2005

Archives: Dec. 3-9, 2005

Miami-Dade seeks solution for a Marlins ballpark
Posted December 9, 2005
Miami-Dade County Commissioners pushed Thursday for one more stab at salvaging a deal to help the Marlins build a ballpark, perhaps next to Dolphins Stadium with the help of Dolphins owner H. Wayne Huizenga. Commissioners asked County Manager George Burgess to meet with the Marlins to analyze whether any ballpark options remain. Later Thursday, Burgess met with Major League Baseball President Bob DuPuy to see if a deal is still possible. Talks have focused on whether a deal can be struck with Huizenga, who, sources say, has offered 15 acres and about $50 million for a ballpark near Dolphins Stadium. It’s unclear precisely how a deal would be structured, but even with the Marlins and county participating a funding gap that might be as high as $100 million remains. More from the Miami Herald.

Council set to debate lease agreement, cost estimate
Posted December 9, 2005
The D.C. Council today is expected to get its first look at two things critical to defining the future of baseball in the District: a lease agreement for a new ballpark along South Capitol Street and a new cost estimate for an alternative site near RFK Stadium. The D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission and MLB have signed off on the lease. Meanwhile, D.C. Chief Financial Officer Natwar Gandhi plans to submit a new estimate for construction at the RFK site, complete with an analysis of the economic development potential there. The two items are expected to set off a flurry of debate on a heavily divided council, which now has just 12 days to decide whether baseball along the Anacostia River will become a reality.

Canaries to issue bobblehead commemorating ill-fated implosion
Posted December 9, 2005
Well, you can tell the planning for the 2006 is well underway when team start issuing press releases regarding their promotions. We received one from that creative crew at the Sioux Falls Canaries (independent; American Association), announcing the team is planning to give away a miniature Zip Feed Bobble Building during the 2006 season. For those not glued to CNN or MSNBC, the Zip Feed demolition made for amusing watching when a demolition crew failed to fell it. It also allowed many of us, especially North Dakotans, to joke about the rather diminutive tower being the tallest building in South Dakota.

York ballpark tax plan carries caution flags
Posted December 9, 2005
An offer by the York County Industrial Development Authority to have the county and the local school district portion out a $100,000 payment in lieu of taxes — with a 2 percent annual escalation to begin in the sixth year of a 20-year agreement — is being met with some skepticism among school-board members, who wonder whether the new ballpark for an independent Atlantic League team would indeed be exempt from local property taxes. If it is, the payment is a good deal; if not, the payment is far lower than property taxes would yield. And therein lies the rub.

Marion baseball still seen as possibility
Posted December 9, 2005
After losing a Midwest League team on a vote of team owners, city officials in Marion continue to debate how to proceed after already committing to a new ballpark. Despite what has been said in the last few months, it now appears the Sally League or the American Association might be a viable alternative to the Midwest League, though the territory would also be a stretch for the Sally League (although that might change with some other potential franchise moves). The decision by the Midwest League to both reject the territory and the Simmons ownership application came after a contentious debate, but in the end every team but one sided with the Midwest League leadership.

Newark Bears and NJIT announce partnership
Posted December 9, 2005
The New Jersey Institute of Technology Highlanders baseball team will play their home games at Bears and Eagles Riverfront Stadium, home of the Newark Bears (independent; Atlantic League), beginning in the spring of 2006. This agreement coincides with a previous announcement the college would be expanding its baseball athletic program and moving up to NCAA Division I. The Bears also announced a pretty cool promotion in association with New York Yankees manager Joe Torre: "The Minor League, Major League Call Up" gives the opportunity for four lucky fans to attend a Saturday evening Newark Bears game, have an overnight stay at a New York Hotel, and then attend a Sunday afternoon New York Yankees game, where the fans can sit in Joe Torre’s personal seats. On top of the special promotion, Torre also purchased 250 to go towards the Newark Bears Corporate Care program, which is set up for underprivileged children to attend a game during the summer. In kind, the Newark Bears will donate another 250 tickets to Joe Torre’s Safe At Home Foundation.

New Jersey bill protects ballparks from injury lawsuits
Posted December 9, 2005
Ballpark operators would not be held liable if foul balls and errant bats injure fans anywhere in their ballparks under a proposed law unanimously approved by a New Jersey Assembly committee Thursday. The proposal was put together in response to a state Supreme Court ruling issued in September. That ruling granted Louis Maisonave of Newark the right to sue for injuries he received when a line drive struck him in the eye during a 1999 Newark Bears (independent; Atlantic League) game at Riverfront Stadium. Since Maisonave was at a concession stand and not in the stands at the time of the incident, the court ruled his lawsuit was legitimate.

USF seeks Big East baseball tourney
Posted December 9, 2005
The University of South Florida  will submit a bid to host the Big East tournament in May at the Bright House Networks Field, the home of the Clearwater Threshers (Class A; Florida State League) and the spring home of the Philadelphia Phillies. The Bulls had sought to host the tournament at Legends Field in Tampa, but the dates (May 24-28) conflicted with the Tampa Yankees’ minor-league schedule. Instead, the Bulls hope to bring the tournament to Bright House Networks Field, a 7,500-seat ballpark that opened last year.

Feud between Samson, Miami city manager continues
Posted December 9, 2005
Marlins President David Samson and Miami City Manager Joe Arriola continued their bickering over what’s gone wrong in the development of a new ballpark for the Florida Marlins. Some of it is quite silly: Arriola for some reason doesn’t think rent paid on a new ballpark should be credited as a contribution by the Marlins, while Samson is trying to spin his team’s actions in the most positive light. But Arriola did cross the line when he told Samson and owner Jeffrey Loria they should sell the team: no business owner should be subject to that sort of condition on government assistance.

Petco Park architect receives big honor
Posted December 9, 2005
New Mexico architect Antoine Predock, known for designs that grow out of their environs in the American Southwest, was named Thursday the winner of the 2006 American Institute of Architects’ Gold Medal, the highest honor the organization gives an architect.  His projects range in scale from Petco Park, the San Diego Padres ballpark, to the Turtle Creek House in Dallas, completed in 1993 for a client with a passion for bird-watching.

Class presents baseball team project for Terre Haute
Posted December 9, 2005
If the city were to somehow revitalize its downtown area, attract hotel developers and find someone other than taxpayers to renovate the ISU ballpark, then professional baseball might have a shot in Terre Haute, reported a class at Indiana University whose project is determining whether professional baseball is a good fit for the city. We’re not so sure the project is as feasible as the students think (that’s an awfully large wish list; while they’re at it they might as well wish for chocolate-mart dispensers on every corner), but good luck to them.

$16 million ballpark needs league of its own
Posted December 8, 2005
The issue for Marion, Ill., officials is how to proceed now that the Midwest League rejected an application from attorney John Simmons to move the South Bend Silver Hawks (Class A; Midwest League) to Marion. Construction has already begun on the ballpark, and the most logical plan would be to lease it to an independent league — the Frontier League and Northern League would be the logical choices. No doubt Marion would have been an outlier and added to travel expenses for league teams, and MiLB is under a mandate of sorts to decrease travel wear and tear on players. Does this open up a move of the Savannah Sand Gnats (Class A; Sally League) to Marion, now that the Midwest League has expressly said Marion is not in the league’s territory? (Yes, we know the Sally League has said no to the move once because of geographical concerns.) More from the Marion Daily Republican and the Southern Illinoisan.

Minnesota House GOP opposes special session for Twins ballpark
Posted December 8, 2005
A meeting of the Republican majority in the Minnesota House of Representatives saw the caucus come out in favor of addressing various stadium issues, including a proposal for a new Minnesota Twins ballpark, in the 2006 session, rather than in a special session. No surprise: the notion of a special session has been dead for a few weeks now. The question is whether legislators will support a new ballpark during an election-year session (both the House and the Senate are up for election in fall 2006); a recent special election won by pro-ballpark Democrat in a swing district may have changed some minds on that issue, however.

Ripkens form GreenJackets ownership group
Posted December 8, 2005
Cal and Bill Ripken have pulled together a team of current and former professional baseball players to share ownership of the Augusta GreenJackets (Class A; Sally League), with an eye on buying more franchises in the future. (Interestingly, the deal doesn’t include the Aberdeen Ironbirds.) The roster of investors now owning shares in the GreenJackets through Baseball Enterprises LLC includes Hall of Famers Eddie Murray and Kirby Puckett, as well as current Oriole third baseman Melvin Mora and former Orioles Dennis Martinez, Jason Johnson, David Segui and Mike Boddicker. Nice to see Kirby Puckett resurfacing: after he won a highly publicized sexual-assault case in 2003, he moved away from Minnesota and cut ties with the Twins and baseball.

Bad marriage brings fire sale, suitors
Posted December 8, 2005
Linda Robertson says goodbye and good riddance to the Florida Marlins after the team traded yet another starting player, Juan Pierre: six starters have been traded in 14 days, and Miguel Cabrera is the only player left from the 2005 opening-day lineup. If Jeffrey Loria and David Samson meant to shake up the Miami populace, it worked, but the problem is many city leaders were alienated by these actions. Bob DuPuy will be down in Miami today to meet with county officials and presumably see if there’s a way to close the $100 million funding gap that currently exists. But let’s be real: support in Miami for pro baseball has never been overwhelming. Meanwhile, Marlins season-ticket holders are upset they can’t get their money back for 2006 ducats — and to make the decision worse, the Marlins raised ticket prices for next season. Here’s one report that MLB will consider moving some Marlins series to San Juan or Monterrey if attendance drops.

Silver Hawks still on Kernan wish list
Posted December 8, 2005
Former Indiana Gov. and South Bend Mayor Joe Kernan indicated Wednesday that he is still interested in being an owner of the South Bend Silver Hawks (Class A; Midwest League), after the Midwest League rejected a proposed move of the team to Marion, Ill. (Interesting timing, especially when you consider Midwest League counsel Dick Nussbaum was head of South Bend’s department of law under Kernan and served as general counsel to Kernan when Kernan was South Bend mayor and Indiana governor.) Also rejected was the ownership application of attorney John Simmons; although Alan Levin and Palisades Baseball retain ownership of the South Bend team, league officials said that Simmons can resubmit his application to transfer ownership if he so chooses.

New day brings end to old Busch
Posted December 8, 2005
At about 12:24 a.m. today, the last remaining section of Busch Stadium came tumbling down to the cheers and honks from a crowd of onlookers. The occasion was marked by a hail of fireworks set off from the middle of the construction site. By the time the last piece came down, many of the people who braved the cold temperatures to say goodbye had already left. But some families stayed until the very end. Workers still have several weeks of clearing rubble and grading to make way for new the Busch Stadium, rising just to the south.

Minor-league baseball inquiries continue in Port Charlotte
Posted December 8, 2005
Charlotte County Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources Director Laura Kleiss Hoeft said there are still several groups interested in bringing a minor league-type baseball team to play 30 or more games at the Charlotte Sports Park during the summer months. The former spring home of the Texas Rangers will play host to a pro Korean team next spring, and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays still retain some interest into moving their spring-training facilities there. We know of at least one independent minor league looking into placing a team there for 2007 as well.

Without new ballparks, poorer teams face extinction
Posted December 8, 2005
An excellent point is made in this article: by any measure, New Jersey’s Meadowlands makes the most sense as an ultimate destination for the Florida Marlins. The Meadowlands management is itching to build a ballpark as part of a larger development overhaul, and the Madison Square Garden Network would presumably be willing to pay upwards of $50 million for TV rights to a team now that the Yankees and Mets are set up with their own cable outlets. However, the author is wrong when he says no one is yet muttering the "C" word, contraction: we’ve mentioned it here, and we’ve heard it from more than one person close to baseball.

New Greenville ballpark construction underway
Posted December 8, 2005
Construction is well underway on the new ballpark for the Greenville Drive (Class A; Sally League) on the West side of downtown Greenville. Team officials say construction is about three weeks ahead of schedule. The sod for the field is expected to be laid the first of February. The Drive is an affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, and the new ballpark will appropriately resemble Boston’s Fenway Park, complete with a Green Monster in left field.

Sounds weak
Posted December 8, 2005
The local alternative weekly looks at the prospects of a new ballpark for the Nashville Sounds (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League), with a plan currently before the city’s Metro Council. There are some legitimate issues raised here about the tax-increment financing used to build the ballpark, but the larger theme is how small-town politics — and in this instance, officials in Nashville are acting like they run a small town — can affect a project like a new ballpark, which many don’t consider an essential governmental service. Meanwhile, the public will get a chance to discuss what the new Sounds ballpark will look like, during discussions at a Dec. 15 public meeting.

Marlins bait
Posted December 8, 2005
Here’s a look at the long and twisted history of finding a home for the Florida Marlins, going all the way back to H. Wayne Huizenga’s ownership of the team. Basically, the author lays out all the blame for the current mess on Huizenga, pointing out Broward County is already paying for a new arena to house another Huizenga team, the NHL’s Florida Panthers, while the state is paying for baseball improvements to Dolphins Stadium — in other words, Huizenga’s already grabbed the low-lying fruit when it comes to government facility funding. Greg Stoda argues the Fish should either take up Huizenga on his offer of land for a new ballpark or explain why they’re turning it down.

Pilots, board close to ballpark lease
Posted December 8, 2005
After the chairman of the Peninsula Stadium Authority threw the Peninsula Pilots (summer collegiate; Coastal Plain League) out of War Memorial Stadium in mid-September, Hank Morgan was worried that the Pilots had played their last game in Hampton. But the authority and the Pilots are now close to a four-year lease that could lead to the ballpark’s revitalization. Some funding responsibilities will be shifted — the Pilots will maintain the facility in lieu of a lease payment — and money now contributed by Hampton and Newport News will instead be used to fund renovation projects.

STMA announces minor-league turf awards
Posted December 8, 2005
Dennis Klein, Brad Detmore, Chris Ralston and Ken Kopinski are the overall classification winners in the Sports Turf Manager of the Year Awards for Minor League Baseball. The awards are sponsored by the Sports Turf Managers Association (STMA) who honored the winners today at the Baseball Winter Meetings. Klein of the Pacific Coast League Round Rock Express is the Triple-A winner. Detmore of the Corpus Christi Hooks of the Texas League was selected as the best at the Double-A level. Ralston of the California League Bakersfield Blaze was rated tops in the Class A group. Kopinski of the Ogden Raptors of the Pioneer League is the winner from the short-season circuits.

The latest building salesmen look like the others
Posted December 8, 2005
A proposal for a megadevelopment in San Antonio containing a  NASCAR track, golf resort, retail center, hotels, a movie theater complex, a rodeo village, a Major League Baseball park and an NFL stadium just looks too good to be true, especially when the details are so vague. There are some projects just too big to be tackled without government subsidy; this would appear to be one of them.

Brick to be renamed
Posted December 8, 2005
We’ve mentioned this before, but here are some more details on the renaming of SBC Bricktown Ballpark, the home of the Oklahoma RedHawks (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League), to AT&T Bricktown Ballpark. However, the SBC naming rights agreement with the ballpark has expired, so there is a possibility that some other corporate name could be attached to the stadium. The RedHawks’ 13,066-seat home was Bricktown Ballpark in 1998, then was changed to Southwestern Bell Park, Southwestern Bell Bricktown Ballpark and, on Feb. 15, 2002, SBC Bricktown Ballpark.

Students pitch bringing pro baseball to Terre Haute
Posted December 8, 2005
More on the class project at Indiana State to bring pro baseball to the city. We know the Frontier League has shown some interest in the idea, although this article hints (probably quite incorrectly) that affiliated ball would be interested as well. The team would play at ISU’s own Sycamore Field. That would mean renovations to the complex, including expanding parking and seating.

A legend of the past gets shot at Hall
Posted December 8, 2005
James Donaldson may be the best baseball player you’ve never heard of, but the African-American great is close to a significant award. Donaldson, a flame-throwing, knee-bending lefthander, pitched for a barnstorming team called All Nations that made several appearances in small Minnesota towns starting around 1912 — eight years before the formation of the Negro Leagues. As a barnstormer, Donaldson went 80-5 (which, to be blunt, wasn’t that unusual for the era: remember, he was playing townballers in rural Minnesota, and the competition wasn’t that great), but the bigger factor today lies in the recognition of his peers; the In 1952, the Pittsburgh Courier ran a list of the greatest black players ever and Donaldson was on the list, and N.Y. Giants manager John McGraw once called him the best player he ever saw. He’s nominated in a special National Baseball Hall of Fame election to recognize former greats of the Negro Leagues and earlier.