Archives: April 30-May 6, 2006
Marlins bill dies when Florida Legislature adjourns
Posted May 6, 2006
The Florida legislative session ended last night with the Florida Senate passing a $2-million-per-year tax rebate for the Florida Marlins, but the measure failed when the legislative session ended and the Florida House lacked time to pass the measure. The Senate passed the measure with 17 minutes left in the session, but ballpark opponents sat on the bill as time expired. The Marlins didn’t come away from the session empty-handed; earlier in the day a separate bill authorized a half-cent sales tax that could be used by any municipality (including Miami) to build a stadium, not just a Florida Marlins stadium. More from the Miami Herald.
Spring-training bill passes Florida Legislature
Posted May 6, 2006
The Florida Senate overwhelmingly passed a bill authorizing spending on new or renovated spring-training facilities as well as a half-cent sales that could potentially be used to help fund a Florida Marlins ballpark. The bill funds renovations of existing facilities or construction of new spring-training facilities in Fort Lauderdale, Winter Haven, Port St. Lucie, St. Petersburg, Sarasota and Bradenton. To quality for the state funding — which totals up to $75 million in tax rebates, or $15 million per municipality for 30 years — a team must sign a long-term lease to stay in Florida and local municipalities must match any state contribution. If the measure passes, new facilities are expected in Winter Haven, Sarasota and Fort Lauderdale for the Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds and Baltimore Orioles, respectively. The measure now goes to Gov. Jeb Bush; although he earlier expressed skepticism about the bill, the fact it was overwhelming approved by both the House and the Senate (114-2 today) and the fear Florida could lose two more teams to Arizona should lead to his approval.
The bill also contains a half-cent sales tax that could be used by any municipality to build a stadium, not just a Florida Marlins stadium. A separate provision calling for $2 million in yearly sales-tax rebates to Hialeah for a Marlins ballpark is still under debate.
Coyotes win out in Edinburg — for now
Posted May 6, 2006
The Edinburg Coyotes (independent; United League Baseball) effectively won control of Edinburg Baseball Stadium for the coming season after attorneys from the Edinburg Roadrunners (independent; formerly Central League) asked that their appeal bond be returned. An appeal bond was required from the court after the Roadrunners said they were appealing a decision booting the team from Edinburg Baseball Stadium for the coming season. Roadrunners attorneys say they still plan on pursuing the appeal, however, but it is increasingly unlikely to affect the upcoming season. More from the McAllen Monitor.
Pawlenty: no metro tax to pay for new stadiums
Posted May 5, 2006
Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty came out yesterday against a proposed metrowide Minneapolis-St. Paul sales tax to pay for new facilities for the Minnesota Twins and the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings, as well as road construction in the region. Pawlenty reaffirmed support for a Minnesota Twins ballpark funded by the team and a 0.15 percent sales tax in Hennepin County, but said he’s veto any proposals that lumps the Twins and Vikings together. Not a surprise: Senate DFLers created the metrowide tax partly as a political move designed to bring Republican Pawlenty on the record regarding any new taxes. It’s a complicated situation; not everyone in the Senate supports the three-in-one funding proposal, and you can bet someone will introduce the Hennepin County plan for a straight up-or-down vote. More from the Star Tribune and the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
Meanwhile, some opponents of a Twins ballpark are turning their attention to Twins owner Carl Pohlad, saying he has bought access to legislators in efforts to get a ballpark bill passed. In terms of spending at the Legislature, Pohlad isn’t in the top tier, and many forget Pohlad does have quite a few business interests in Minnesota other than the Twins (something the Star Tribune quite conveniently forgot to include). It’s a sign ballpark opponents are desperate if they’re going after Pohlad; Lord knows he’s personally gummed up ballpark proposals in the past, making him an easy target, but in recent years his sons have stepped up their involvement with the Twins, and both Jerry Bell and Dave St. Peter have been the public faces of the ballpark campaign this session.
Old rancor fades amid signs of unity and sighs of relief
Posted May 5, 2006
After nearly two years of acrimonious debate, Washington’s new ballpark is finally a reality, as the District held an official groundbreaking. Over 600 people showed up for the ceremony, including many ballpark opponents who vowed to support the project. Also in the crowd: owners of the gay bars and strip joints displaced by the ballpark. One issue that’s bound to come up: how to honor the Washington Senators at the new ballpark. There’s a statue honoring Clark Griffith at RFK Stadium; that should be moved to the new ballpark. Walter Johnson, the best pitcher in Senators history, should be honored as well; a statue honoring him at Griffith Stadium is currently located at an area high school, and it should be brought to the new ballpark as well. (Naming the new ballpark Walter Johnson Park is a little silly, however.) More from the Fredericksburg Free-Lance Star, AP and the Washington Times. Now that a new ballpark is in the works and the team is being sold, MLB can start to tally up its profits from owning the Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals.
2009 Winter Meetings to be held in Indianapolis
Posted May 5, 2006
Mark this on your calendars: the 2009 Winter Meetings will be held in Indianapolis on Dec. 7-11. Not that there’s anything wrong with Indianapolis in December: there actually is a lot going on there these days, and by that time the new Indianapolis Colts stadium should be open as well. More from the Indianapolis Star.
Busy days for two teams at the ballpark
Posted May 5, 2006
O’Brien Field is home to both the Peoria Chiefs (Class A; Midwest League) and the Bradley University baseball team, but there have not been many scheduling conflicts between the two teams, until this year. Even though the Chiefs are the primary tenant, it sounds like they’re pretty accommodating to help work around Bradley’s schedule, with 11 a.m. games scheduled for today and tomorrow to allow Bradley use of the ballpark later in the day. Many in minor-league baseball worry about full-season teams sharing facilities with colleges, but for the most part it seems to work out.
Major league bid’s up to us
Posted May 5, 2006
Portland has been such a nonfactor in recent ballpark discussions it’s a little jarring to see another call to bring major-league baseball to the Rose City. Many readers may not be aware of the problems Portland has had with sports facilities: owner Paul Allen has threatened to move his Portland Trail Blazers or declare bankruptcy after the city refused to throw more money his way, and that experience left a sour taste in many Portland sports fans toward professional sports. (A May 2004 poll is cited here as evidence Portlanders want MLB, but a two-year poll is utterly worthless in gauging current public sentiment.) Add to that financial woes in City Hall, and you don’t have much of an appetite for major-league baseball.
General-admission seating returns to South Bend
Posted May 5, 2006
Here’s a change that should be great for fans. The South Bend Silver Hawks (Class A; Midwest League) announced today the return of general admission bleacher seats at the Cove. The seats will go on sale effective immediately. General-admission seats will be made available to the public at $3 per ticket and $2 for seniors and children. General-admission bleacher seating is one of the great things about minor-league baseball.
SwampDogs’ owners raise bar
Posted May 5, 2006
Glad to see Darrell Handelsman making an impact as manager and part-owner of the Fayetteville SwampDogs (summer collegiate; Coastal Plain League). Handelsman, who runs and coaches the team for his father and owner, Lew, announced a series of unique game promotions, revealed that the 2006 CPL All-Star Game will be held at Riddle Stadium and unveiled new uniforms during a Thursday morning news conference.
8 innings of words get us no closer to a Tiger Stadium fix
Posted May 5, 2006
George Jackson, the man Detroit city government has entrusted with the future of Tiger Stadium, says he’s tired of developers with half-baked ideas and no money to fix up or redevelop the venerable old ballpark. Harry Glanz is a developer who want to fix up and redevelop Tiger Stadium, but he says city officials don’t want to see it happen and refuse to let him tour the place again. Glanz says he’s ready to put together a realistic plan for redevelopment if can bring in an engineer and go over the ballpark, but Jackson says he had one visit already and doesn’t need another. Yet more proof Detroit isn’t seriously about redeveloping the ballpark. The Tigers are earning a lot of goodwill with their on-field performance; a lot more could be earned with a public declaration of support for a renovated facility from Mike Ilitch.
Ballpark Notes
Posted May 5, 2006
Toledo Mud Hens (Class AAA; International League) manager Larry Parrish has been selected to lead the International League All-Star Team in the 19th Annual Triple-A All-Star Game, while Omaha Royals skipper Mike Jirschele will manage the Pacific Coast League All-Stars. Parrish will be in his home dugout as the Toledo Mud Hens will host the 2006 Game at Fifth Third Field on Wednesday, July 12. Parrish becomes the ninth manager to pilot a Triple-A All-Star team in his home ballpark….Bank of America will be the title sponsor for the 2006 NY–Penn League All-Star Game, which the Aberdeen IronBirds will host in August….The Edinburg Coyotes and United League Baseball announced that that the Edinburg Coyotes, the City of Edinburg and Edinburg Baseball Stadium will play host to the Inaugural United League Baseball All-Star Game and Fan Festival. The All-Star Game is to take place at Edinburg Baseball Stadium on Wednesday, July 12, with the Fan Festival and Home Run Derby taking place on Tuesday, July 11, also at Edinburg Baseball Stadium.
Marlins ballpark funding gets a new life
Posted May 4, 2006
The Florida Marlins’ hopes for a state tax subsidy to build a new ballpark were revived Wednesday night when Miami senators put aside their feuding and backed a plan to bring the team to Hialeah. With Hialeah Sen. Rudy Garcia in the lead, Miami Sens. Alex Villalobos and Alex Diaz de la Portilla quietly collected votes for their plan for the $60 million subsidy and tacked it onto a bill that guarantees the Orlando Magic basketball team the same type of tax break. The measure will be voted on today — just two days before the end of the two-month lawmaking session — in the full Senate, which has been the death chamber for a Marlins subsidy since 2000. The House is expected to approve the measure if the Senate does. The interesting thing here is how special interests are coming together for a proposal that most assume will fail because of location and lack of adequate freeway access. For instance: Armando Codina is a Miami developer and former Gov. Jeb Bush business partner who owns the industrial Hialeah site eyed as a ballpark location. (It’s probably no coincidence Bush says he has an open mind about this proposal while rejecting better deals in the past.) He’s offering to give the land to Hialeah, which in turn would give to the Marlins. The presence of the ballpark would certainly raise the value of the rest of the industrial site — a pretty good move for Cordina, since we’re talking about a marginal site at the end of Miami-Dade County. It’s always hard to look a gift horse in the mouth, but MLB may want to take a very close look at this plan before approving it. Tom Lee, the president of the Florida Senate and a powerful opponent of Marlins ballpark plans, predicts it will fail.
Marlins officials say they weren’t aware of the ballpark-funding plan until learning about it last night. Instead, the team went ahead with plans to visit potential ballpark sites in San Antonio.
Swing pays off ballpark debt
Posted May 4, 2006
Seventh Inning Stretch, owners of the Swing of the Quad Cities (Class A; Midwest League), delivered a check for $366,986.61 to the City of Davenport yesterday afternoon. This amount, plus a payment made Monday of $48,254.64, fulfills the requirements made to the city. Seventh Inning Stretch has been in discussions with the City for the past 17 months dealing with disputed accuracy of the construction renovation amount, possible revisions to the lease and a planned payment schedule. As consideration for this payment, an understanding exists for negotiations to continue addressing the lease and the agreed figure which, if appropriate, would be applied to the renegotiated lease. In a fit of whimsy, the team sent team mascot Clyde — an orangutan — to deliver the check without giving local officials any warning. (Nor the newspaper; no photo record exists of the transaction.) More from Quad Cities Online.
Spring ballpark funding bill survives, Marlins-free
Posted May 4, 2006
A plan to attach a Florida Marlins funding plan to a a bill funding renovations of existing facilities or construction of new spring-training facilities in Fort Lauderdale, Winter Haven, St. Petersburg, Sarasota and Bradenton was rejected by the Florida Senate, but one small change was added: Port St. Lucie was added to the communities eligible for the program. To quality for the state funding — which totals up to $75 million in tax rebates, or $15 million per municipality for 30 years — a team must sign a long-term lease to stay in Florida and local municipalities must match any state contribution. If the measure passes, new facilities are expected in Winter Haven, Sarasota and Fort Lauderdale for the Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds and Baltimore Orioles, respectively.
It’s official: Lerner nabs Nats
Posted May 4, 2006
It’s official: A group led by Theodore "Ted" Lerner that includes former Braves chief honcho Stan Kasten, broadcaster James Brown and several well-connected D.C. political types is buying the Washington Nationals for $450 million, if MLB owners accept Commissioner Bud Selig’s recommendation. Former Atlanta Braves president Stan Kasten, who joined forces with the Lerners last month, will oversee day-to-day baseball operations; it’s rumored that Bob Wolff will be involved on some level with the team as well. Major League Baseball is expected to vote on Selig’s recommendation at its next owners’ meeting, which will take place in New York on May 17th and 18th. Lerner will make his first appearance as Bud Selig’s anointed one today at the groundbreaking for the new ballpark. There will be a lot of fences to mend and a lot of issues with the current and new ballparks to work out. One issue that won’t go away: the lack of diversity (i.e., African-Americans) in the Lerner group. Whether it’s valid or not — one city councilman pointed out that diversity could include women, Asians and other minorities — it is an issue that reverberates in Washington, though it was put on the back burner when the Lerners were introduced yesterday. Fred Malek, who at one time headed a group assumed by many to be in the lead to land the team, was gracious in defeat. Speaking of the new ballpark: Property values will rise significantly in the next couple of years in Anacostia as the new ballpark and waterfront developments are completed, a big-league panel of experts agreed yesterday.
Winston-Salem leaders impressed with First Horizon Park
Posted May 4, 2006
City officials from Winston-Salem were impressed with a visit to First Horizon Park, the home of the Greensboro Grasshoppers (Class A; Sally League). City leaders and owner of the Winston-Salem Warthogs (Class A; Carolina League) are looking at a new downtown ballpark to replace Ernie Shore Field. The current plan is for a $22-million ballpark, about $40 million in residential and retail construction and an $8-million parking deck on 16 acres of downtown land. To build a $22-million ballpark, Winston-Salem could borrow money and have the property-tax revenue from the $40 million private investment in the retail and residential projects pay for the debt; a sale of Ernie Shore Field to Wake Forest would also defray those costs. In theory, the ballpark would pay for itself, with the city putting up no money up front.
U of Minnesota to pursue privately financed ballpark
Posted May 4, 2006
University of Minnesota athletic director Joel Maturi says the results of a recent feasibility study is encouraging U officials to pursue a privately financed, $11-$13 million on-campus ballpark to replace rapidly deteriorating Siebert Field, which played host to only one Gopher baseball game this season. It sounds like the ballpark will be funded via alumni contributions and donations to the athletic department, which means it will probably be placed on the Minneapolis campus. The St. Paul Saints (independent; American Association) had been pitching the U on a plan for a joint Gophers/Saints stadium on the St. Paul campus. Saints officials say they expect to have some sort of ballpark plan ready this month; one idea thrown out in the past was building what would basically be a new ballpark on the current Midway Stadium site. (Speaking of the Saints: the team opens exhibition play today with an 11 a.m. match at Midway Stadium against the Sioux Falls Canaries.)
A day of rest for Twins ballpark proposal
Posted May 4, 2006
After weeks of fast and furious action surrounding funding proposals for a new Minnesota Twins ballpark, yesterday the Minnesota Senate did nothing on the issue. But a Senate committee did pass along a bill authorizing a new Minnesota Gophers football stadium, and the sense is that three stadium proposals (Twins, Minnesota Vikings and Gophers) will somehow be rolled together in some sort of megabill. The biggest issue isn’t the funding mechanism per se; it’s whether or not there will be a public referendum on whatever passes. Meanwhile, Sid Hartman trots out a predictable comment: if things are in doubt, he’s willing to point out other cities would be eager to have the Twins — in this case, Las Vegas. Why people are manipulated by the sleazy Hartman is a mystery to all free-thinking people in Minnesota. In another predictable column, GOP mouthpiece Katherine Kersten speaks out against public funding of sports facilities.
Major gas pains In the minor leagues
Posted May 4, 2006
Minor-league baseball is a bus sport, and that means teams are biting the bullet when it comes to paying for gasoline. Some teams are also paying surcharges on ballpark supplies as well. Steve Bryant, owner of the Carolina Mudcats (Class A; Carolina League), says his transportation costs are 40 percent over a year ago, and he’s not alone: every owner is facing the same issues.
Volcanoes selling naming, experience rights
Posted May 4, 2006
The Salem-Keizer Volcanoes (short season; Northwest League) are seeking a corporate partner interested in ballpark naming rights and turning Volcanoes Stadium into an interactive corporate experience. As part of the partnership, the Volcanoes are considering an interactive section of the ballpark where more than 115,000 fans will "live" the partner’s brand. Volcanoes Stadium will be renamed after the corporate partner. The club is also including extras like box suites, tickets, promotional tie-ins and media exposure.
Blacksnakes bring in local investor
Posted May 4, 2006
St. Joe native Linden Black becomes the first local minority partner and member of the Board of Directors for the St. Joseph Blacksnakes (independent; American Association). Black was instrumental in bringing professional baseball back to St. Joe for the first time in 54 years. Black is past president of both the Southside Sertoma Club and YMCA, is a member of the Downtown Rotary Club and is co-founder of the St. Joseph Saints (summer collegiate; MINK League) and served as chairman of the board among many other community involvements.
Baseball Web site gives West End Field top grade
Posted May 4, 2006
Our recent look at West En