Archives: June 4-10, 2006
Osceola County wooing Indians
Posted June 9, 2006
A proposal to have the Cleveland Indians shift their spring-training base to Disney World seems to be picking up some steam, with the Indians speaking highly of the potential move and Winter Haven officials saying they’ll do nothing to stand in the way. The Indians currently train at Chain of Lakes Park in Winter Haven, a parcel that local officials would love to redevelop. Under the current plan, Disney would donate 30 acres to the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which would then build a training camp; the Indians would play their spring games at the Ballpark at Disney’s Wide World of Sports. A proposal to have the Indians stay at a new training facility outside Winter Haven died because the Indians are unwilling to financially contribute to the development; state, county and city funds are available. The state has made $75 million available to municipalities to build new spring training facilities or refurbish existing ones, but despite what the article says, it’s not clear it would be available to the Indians. Gov. Jeb Bush has until June 20 to sign or veto the measure, and if he doesn’t do either it automatically becomes law. The Atlanta Braves already train at Disney’s Wide World of Sports; the Houston Astros train at nearby Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee.
Allentown ballpark plans to be unveiled today
Posted June 9, 2006
Officials will unveil preliminary designs for a new ballpark in Allentown today. The 7,000-seat ballpark will have two levels and about 16 suites, including several behind home plate. (The size and number of the suites would depend on the money available as construction progresses, according to county officials.) It would also contain picnic areas and all the other amenities fans are looking for at a modern ballpark. No officials word on the team moving to the new Allentown ballpark, which is scheduled to open in 2008; speculation centers on the Ottawa Lynx (Class AAA; International League) making the switch, with owner Ray Pecor selling a majority share of the team to an as-yet-unnamed third party already involved in major-league baseball. More from the Express-Times.
Wirth to cast first pitch at Bats game
Posted June 9, 2006
Any promotion involving Bourbon, fishing and baseball is all right by us. World renowned BASS angler Kevin Wirth will make Minor League Baseball history Saturday when he brings his famed fishing skills to the dry land at Louisville Slugger Field. Wirth, a Kentucky native, will forgo the traditional first pitch to make a ceremonial "First Cast" from the pitcher’s mound to home plate before the Louisville Bats (Class AAA; International League) take on the Indianapolis Indians, marking the first time the stunt has ever been performed in the team’s history.
Naming rights options scary
Posted June 9, 2006
Many would like to see the Minnesota Twins playing in Puckett Park in 2010, but the modern economics of professional baseball don’t allow for a new ballpark to be built without the sale of naming rights. The Twins will need to confront this as they prepare for their new downtown Minneapolis ballpark, and we’d be surprised if team officials had not already contacted the Fortune 500 firms in the area — Best Buy, General Mills, 3M, Target — about a naming rights deal. Minnesotans are pretty lucky: the last two naming-rights deals in Minneapolis St. Paul — Target Center in Minneapolis, Xcel Energy Arena in St. Paul — yielded names that weren’t overly crass. Still, for a populace used to Metrodome (where naming rights couldn’t be sold because of state laws), a naming-rights deal for a project of this magnitude will be jarring. Look for the dimensions at the new Twins ballpark to be similar to those at Safeco Park.
Veeck, Pointer, Moore, Barker to enter Sally League Hall of Fame
Posted June 9, 2006
Charleston RiverDogs co-owner Mike Veeck is one of four men who have been tabbed for induction into the South Atlantic League Hall of Fame’s Class of 2006. He will be joined by former first baseman Aaron Pointer, SAL director and Atlanta Braves officer Chip Moore, and former big league pitcher Len Barker. "The South Atlantic League is extremely proud to have the opportunity to recognize these men for their accomplishments to the league and to the game of baseball," said John H. Moss, SAL president. "The league takes great pride in its rich history, and these four men have been major contributors in creating a tradition that is unmatched in the minor leagues." Veeck joins his fellow RiverDogs owner, Marv Goldklang, as a HoF honoree.
Pro ball back in Granite Falls
Posted June 9, 2006
If you’re in the vicinity of Caldwell County and Granite Falls, N.C., you may want to check out the game between the Kannapolis Intimidators and the Hickory Crawdads (both Class A; Sally League) at historic M.S. Deal Stadium in Granite Falls. The last time a professional baseball game was played in the county was in August 1951, when the Granite Rocks took the field at the same stadium. The Rocks, members of the Class D Western Carolina League, made history that year by going 14-96, giving them one of the worst overall records in the history of professional baseball. The game’s at 5:15 p.m. to allow the game to be completed before the need for lights.
Crowds lag, Reds roll on
Posted June 9, 2006
The Cincinnati Reds have had a great start, in first place for a good chunk of the season — including now. But the Reds fan base don’t seem inclined to support the team: last night the Reds defeated the Chicago Cubs 7-1 before a crowd of 26,039 and 15,931 empty seats at Great American Ball Park. The victory was the eighth straight for the Reds. It was a lovely night for baseball. The kids are out of school. Yet large expanses of the upper deck were nearly empty. Owner Dan Castellini acknowledges the need to build up the fan base, however.
Nuxhall happy to be back at ballpark
Posted June 9, 2006
Former Cincinnati Reds broadcaster Joe Nuxhall was back at Great American Ball Park after being hospitalized with double pneumonia. Nuxhall is still undergoing treatment for lump on his tonsil, a recurrence of lymphoma. He has had seven treatments and has 28 left. He plans to participate in his annual golf tournament Thursday at Hamilton Elks. Saturday is the 62nd anniversary of Nuxhall’s major-league debut as a 15-year-old. Copies of "Joe: Rounding Third and Heading for Home" will be available for $30 or with a poster for $35. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Reds Community Fund and Joe Nuxhall Character Education.
Start-ups find new ways to move huge data files over Internet
Posted June 9, 2006
If you’ve noticed your high-speed Internet connection lagging lately, you’re not alone. The proliferation of video-based Web sites (YouTube, Google Video) on the Internet is creating a ton of new traffic, threatening to overwhelm Internet service providers. Baseball has some culpability in the issue: Major League Baseball games are hogging about half of the bandwidth of Akamai, an Internet firm that works with content providers and delivers up to 20 percent of all Web traffic. There’s a debate in Washington over whether ISPs should be allowed to charge the biggest bandwidth hogs more money for access to their networks; some grassroots activists want to see the Internet stay the same, while others want to introduce tiered pricing where those using bandwidth — like those subscribing to MLB.com’s video feeds — pay more.
Glacier Pilots are a hand-picked lot
Posted June 9, 2006
We’ve been highlighting summer collegiate leagues all week, and we’d be neglectful if we didn’t mention the start of the Alaska Baseball League tonight. At one point the ABL was on the verge of collapse, but the league made a remarkable recovery thanks to some new blood and is now in fine shape. The ABL always managed to attract the cream of West Coast talent (like Mark McGuire), and it seems to be doing well in attracting top-level athletes today. Last night the Valley Baseball League launched as well; the Haymarket team is now the Senators.
Baseball Notes
Posted June 9, 2006
The Portland Sea Dogs and New Hampshire Fisher Cats (both Class AA; Eastern League) are teaming up to host a New Hampshire vs. Maine Senior All-Star Game. The inaugural game will be played on June 26, 2006 at 1:00 p.m. at Merchantsauto.com Stadium, home of the Fisher Cats. Next year the game will be played at Hadlock Field, home of the Sea Dogs, and it will alternate sites each year thereafter. The game will pit the best high-school senior players in New Hampshire against the best high school senior players from Maine….
Nationals firm on issue of above-ground parking
Posted June 8, 2006
The incoming Washington Nationals ownership group firmly told District government leaders yesterday that it expects a new ballpark to be completed by April 2008 with above-ground parking garages, insisting that city planners have run out of time to build parking underground to make way for an entertainment district. The 1,225 parking spots on the site of the 41,000-seat ballpark probably will go to holders of high-priced tickets and patrons of luxury suites. Also, city officials promised the creation of a mixed-use entertainment area featuring shops, restaurants, condos and office buildings to reap tax dividends from the project. Developers hired by the city have said that building parking underground is crucial to realizing that goal.
Hazmat removal at D.C. ballpark site up by $2.9M
Posted June 8, 2006
The D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission yesterday voted to spend an additional $2.9 million to remove hazardous materials from the site of the Washington Nationals’ new ballpark in Southeast after the construction team discovered more contamination than expected. The expenditure is on top of the $8 million already set aside for hazmat removal at the site and will be funded by a contingency built into the budget for the $611 million project (although the commission is already almost half into the contingency fund just a month after construction started). Much of the removal work centers on large underground gas tanks left behind by previous landowners. So far, the construction team has demolished 24 buildings at the site and installed 140 of the 2,400 pilings needed to build the ballpark. Meanwhile, the commission approved a change to its contract with the ballpark construction team to allow for up to 16,000 square feet of retail space along the ballpark’s facade on First Street.