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Archives: Sept. 17-23, 2006

Archives: Sept. 17-23, 2006

Mets to New Orleans, Orioles to Tides
Posted Sept. 22, 2006
The 2007-2008 Class AAA affiliation shuffle is, we think, complete: the New York Mets formally announced a two-year deal with the New Orleans Zephyrs (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League), leaving the Baltimore Orioles to sign at least a two-year deal with the Norfolk Tides (Class AAA; International League). For the Tides, the decision to dump the Mets ended a relationship dating back to 1969. But the Tides were openly irritated by a lack of attention from the Mets front office: In 2006 Mets general manager Omar Minaya and assistant general manager Tony Bernazard failed to make a single trip to Norfolk to check on the team and its surroundings. Technically, there are still two relationships up in the air — the Arizona Diamondbacks have not yet renewed with the Tucson Sidewinders (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League), while the Seattle Mariners have not renewed with the Tacoma Rainiers (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League).

 

A’s not ready to slide out of Oakland yet
Posted Sept. 22, 2006
A week after announcing it would end talks over a lease extension, the Oakland Athletics appear ready to stay at McAfee Coliseum at least until 2010 and possibly through the 2014 baseball season, a top Alameda County official said Thursday.  The breakthrough apparently came during the Athletics game Tuesday night at McAfee, where Wolff and Alameda County Supervisor Scott Haggerty met to settle differences. Haggerty said Thursday both agreed in concept to a deal that would keep the team at the stadium until 2010, with one-year lease extension options for three or four years beyond that. Under the

 

It’s official: Indians agree to Cactus League move
Posted Sept. 22, 2006
The Cleveland Indians made it official yesterday, sending a letter to the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority outlining their intention to move to a new spring-training facility in Goodyear, Az., in 2009. The Indians currently train at Chain of Lakes Park in Winter Haven, but after negotiations with Disney regarding a move to The Ballpark at Wide World of Sports soured, the Indians accepted an offer from Goodyear officials that was too good to refuse. Though a Dodgers spokesperson says the team is not interested in moving to Goodyear and sharing a facility with the Indians, the team is still making the kinds of moves you’d expect from someone leaving Florida, negotiating to selling the Vero Beach Dodgers (High Class A; Florida State League) to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and shifting minor-league operations westward. We also know the Dodgers have talked with officials from nearby Glendale about a potential move there. Goodyear officials say they’re talking with a second team about a move, but given that the Cincinnati Reds are now committed to Sarasota and the Orioles are making the big pitch to stay in Fort Lauderdale, we’re guessing those negotiations are merely backups for another current Grapefruit League team. The move by the Indians, by the way, is contingent on the Goodyear project receiving state funding.

Orioles pitch for $38-million spring ballpark rehab
Posted Sept. 22, 2006
The Baltimore Orioles sweetened the pot in their efforts to persuade Broward County to commit $1 million yearly in tourism taxes to a renovation and expansion of Fort Lauderdale Stadium, the team’s spring home. Besides paying rent, the Orioles would commit $1.1 million worth of advertising and marketing to Broward County, The Orioles would give Broward’s tourism bureau one 30-second advertisement for every game aired on the Orioles cable network and spots on the Orioles radio network, as well as a left-field placard at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The potential problem: Broward County would be diverting funds currently used to fight coastal shoreline erosion.

Yankees’ Triple-A affiliate, California management firm heading to Moosic
Posted Sept. 22, 2006
Here’s the follow-up from the local daily paper on the news about the New York Yankees signing an affiliate deal with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons (Class AAA; International League) and signing up Mandalay Baseball Properties to manage the team and Lackawanna County Stadium, along with an option to buy the team at a later date. Apparently the news of the affiliation was met with interest, as Red Barons officials say phones were ringing off the hooks after the announcement, though other reports have the reaction as mixed. Some county officials say they’ll closely scrutinize the Mandalay contract, as some Luzerne County officials are objecting to a clause in the contract giving Mandalay the option to buy the team for between $13 million and $16 million. There are some who wanted to see the Yankees move the affiliation to Syracuse, but John Simone says that wasn’t a possibility. The Wilkes-Barre Times-Leader likes the deal, as does the Scranton Times-Tribune.

Installation of grass at SWB ballpark among agreement upgrades
Posted Sept. 22, 2006
As part of their agreement luring the New York Yankees as the parent team of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons (Class AAA; International League), the Lackawanna County Stadium has agreed to spend $400,000 installing grass turf at Lackawanna County Stadium, scrapping the six-year-old artificial turf currently in use. That’s a lot cheaper than FieldTurf, but the stadium authority will also need to maintain real grass — and that’s something that will cost more on a daily basis. For the Yanks, it was a must: none of their affiliates currently play on artificial turf. With the move, the only remaining International League team playing on artificial turf is the Syracuse SkyChiefs.

BayBears’ options are down to three
Posted Sept. 22, 2006
The Mobile BayBears (Class AA; Southern League) will play baseball at Hank Aaron Stadium again in 2007. But the team that will supply the BayBears with players won’t be known for a few more days. Mobile could wind up staying with the San Diego Padres, or become an affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks or Seattle Mariners, as those are the available teams. Remember, it was San Diego that wanted to shop around, and the Padres are interested in a deal with the San Antonio Missions (Class AA; Texas League). More on Class AA affiliations from the Jackson Sun.

Great Lakes waits for new parent
Posted Sept. 22, 2006
The Great Lakes Loons (Low Class A; Midwest League) aren’t renewing an affiliation with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, and it sounds like there’s a chance the Los Angeles Dodgers may sign on as an affiliate. The Dodgers decided not to renew their PDC with the Columbus Catfish (Low Class A; Sally League), and there are some personal connections between members of the Dodgers front office and Midland.

Pulaski loses Jays as parent; negotiations underway for replacement
Posted Sept. 22, 2006
More on the decision by the Toronto Blue Jays to pull out of the rookie-level Appalachian League, leaving the Pulaski team to look for a new parent. Appalachian League president Lee Landers sounds fairly confident of Pulaski landing another major-league parent; someone like the Washington Nationals, whose new front office knows the benefits to a strong farm system, could be a possibility.

Fans want Angelos out
Posted Sept. 22, 2006
Peter Angelos was the toast of the town 10 years ago, the owner of a Baltimore Orioles franchise battling back to respectability and the team’s first playoff appearance in 13 seasons. Yesterday, Angelos was the villain at the team’s ballpark. About 1,000 fans rose en masse and exited Camden Yards during a game against the Detroit Tigers in protest of the ninth consecutive losing season by the Orioles.

A time for change in Myrtle Beach
Posted Sept. 22, 2006
Coastal Federal Field will have a very different look when the 2007 season dawns if the new owners of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (High Class A; Carolina League) successfully institute many of their planned changes to the ballpark that first opened in 1999. The changes, as outlined by Pelicans managing partner Chuck Greenberg, are pretty extensive: state-of-the-art video board and scoreboard, wholly revamped food services, additional grill stands and picnic areas, moving in the fences, moving the bullpens, and adding a signature ballpark item like a beach.

Skanska wins $81M of Yankee Stadium contracts
Posted Sept. 22, 2006
Skanska USA Civil, the Queens-based unit of Swedish construction firm Skanska AB, said it has received contracts worth $81 million to help build the new Yankee Stadium. Under the contracts, Skanska will build the entire structural steel frame for the new Bronx ballpark. Skanska will also supply the piling to the ballpark, which will be built adjacent to the original Yankee Stadium, the company said. Not that we care, but we’re guessing someone with New York street smarts and is against the project will point out the fact that the three largest contracts — steel, construction and framing — have gone to companies with Canadian, German and Swedish owners.

Progress seen in baseball labor talks
Posted Sept. 22, 2006
Major League Baseball and the Players Association are making progress in quiet, almost daily labor negotiations, and the two sides appear poised to reach agreement on a new deal without the typical work stoppages or even strike threats that have characterized past labor agreements. The current labor agreement runs through Dec. 19. The fact that it’s almost October and this is the first we’ve seen any coverage of the talks bodes well for their future resolution.

D.C. parking issue threatens budget
Posted Sept. 22, 2006
D.C. officials yesterday speculated that a developer’s rejection of a contract for building a parking garage near the new Washington Nationals ballpark will force the city to exceed its $611-million spending cap. The city must provide parking as part of the ballpark lease, and a deal was struck with a developer to build two parking garages on the north side of the ballpark and surround them with condominiums, a hotel and retail spaces. But that deal collapsed, leaving the city to figure out how to meet the terms of the lease when there is only $21 million budgeting for parking.

Fairly retiring from Mariners’ broadcast booth
Posted Sept. 22, 2006
Seattle Mariners broadcaster Ron Fairly, whose career in baseball spans almost half a century, said Thursday he will retire at the end of the season. Fairly has been a Seattle fixture for 14 seasons, joining the Mariners in 1993 after broadcasting stints with the Angels and the Giants. He’s spent the past 27 years in broadcasting after a 21-year playing career as a first baseman and outfielder.

Steinbrenner says health is just fine
Posted Sept. 22, 2006
Despite some talk to the contrary, George Steinbrenner says he’s fit and feeling fine. And for those who don’t believe him, the New York Yankees owner invites them to join him at the gym. Steinbrenner discussed his health, his team, the upcoming postseason and other topics in a rare, lengthy interview with The Associated Press. Despite rumors that his health has deteriorated, he seemed confident and upbeat, albeit a bit reserved at times.

Wellenzohn named president of Long Beach Armada
Posted Sept. 22, 2006
The independent Golden Baseball League announced today that David Wellenzohn has been named as the president of the Long Beach Armada, effective immediately. The fourteen-year professional sports executive joins the Golden Baseball League after taking a year off from baseball to serve as a legislative consultant to the Buffalo, NY Common Council. Wellenzohn’s extensive sports experience includes manager and assistant director of stadium operations for the Buffalo Bisons (Class AAA; International League) during three seasons, manager of baseball operations for the Wichita Wranglers (Class AA; Texas League), and general manager of the Jamestown Jammers (short season; NY-Penn League) for five years. In addition, he was director of stadium operations for both the Florida Marlins and Miami Dolphins at Joe Robbie Stadium for two years and the baseball site manager for the 1996 Atlanta Olympics at Fulton County Stadium for two years.

Reds owner has to answer to fans
Posted Sept. 22, 2006
Cincinnati Reds owner Bob Castellini, along with a few members of his staff, took questions from a group of Reds fans and attempted to explain why things are the way they are at Great American Ball Park and with the team. Most of the questions had to concern the team’s makeup next season, but some of the questions were of the livelier sort, including why there’s no organist at Great American Ball Park and why the outfield fence dimensions should change.

School District 7 in talks to use Duncan Park Stadium
Posted Sept. 22, 2006
Spartanburg, S.C., city leaders and School District 7 officials are in preliminary talks –again — to consider using the Duncan Park Stadium for varsity and junior varsity baseball and softball practices and games. Using Duncan Park instead of a campus facility would allow the school district to devote ballpark land to other users, and it would give the venerable old ballpark another tenant. Officials estimate it would take $4.4 million to renovate the ballpark, which opened in 1926; Spartanburg is closing the ballpark but giving Friends of Duncan Park a year to raise money for a renovation.

Affiliate shuffle continues: Yanks to SWB, Nats to Columbus, Cubs to Knoxville
Posted Sept. 21, 2006
The 2007-2008 affiliation picture is getting clearer by the minute. First, the Triple-A logjam was cleared a little yesterday when the Columbus Baseball Team, Inc. board of trustees voted in special session to sign a two-year PDC with the Washington Nationals for the Franklin County-owned Columbus Clippers (Class AAA; International League). The marriage was consummated rather quickly — just a day after Nats GM Jim Bowden visited Cooper Stadium — but one big factor was Bowden’s willingness to play an exhibition game in Columbus. Don’t expect this marriage to be long-lasting: the trustees were pretty upfront in their desire to woo the Cleveland Indians and the Cincinnati Reds in 2008. More from the Columbus Dispatch.
    This morning the Lackawanna County Commissioners announced that they have reached an agreement with the New York Yankees to become the parent team of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons (Class AAA; International League). Also announced by the county: Mandalay Sports will manage the team and Lackawanna County Stadium on behalf of the stadium authority. The decision doesn’t come without some controversy: officials from Luzerne County, which owns half of the Red Barons, wonder why they were not involved in negotiations. With the announcement, two MLB teams need to find affiliates. It’s expected to be announced that the Baltimore Orioles have signed a deal with the Norfolk Tides (Class AAA; International League), leaving the New York Mets to hook up with the New Orleans Zephyrs (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League).  More from the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
    Today the Tennessee Smokies (Class AA; Southern League) announced a new two-year development deal with the Chicago Cubs. The Smokies had been affiliated with the Arizona Diamondbacks the last two seasons, but a poor performance on the field led the Smokies management to make the change to the Cubs, who have a record of rehabbing big-leaguers like Kerry Wood at Double-A. The Cubs had been affiliated with the West Tenn Diamond Jaxx (Class AA; Southern League) since 1998, but the lack of certainly about the franchise’s future led the Cubs to shop around. The San Antonio Missions (Class AA; Texas League) are said to be the target of both the Diamondbacks and the San Diego Padres. More from the Jackson Sun and the Knoxville News Sentinel.
    Also announced today: the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (High Class A; Carolina League) and the Atlanta Braves renewed their affiliation deal through the 2008 season. "We are delighted to extend our affiliation with the Atlanta Braves,” said Myrtle Beach Pelicans LP President & Managing Partner, Chuck Greenberg. "The Braves organization has long been a model throughout Major League Baseball and we are excited to have the opportunity to bring our working relationship to new heights in the future."

 

Development plan near new Nats ballpark falls flat
Posted Sept. 21, 2006
The D.C. Sports and Entertainment Commission yesterday abandoned a plan to build condominiums, shops and parking garages next to the new Washington Nationals ballpark in Southeast Washington, dealing a major setback to Mayor Anthony Williams’s hope that the project would spark renewal of the Anacostia River waterfront. The deal collapsed when the commission and Western Development, headed by Herbert S. Miller, failed to reach an agreement on the financing terms of his mixed-use development proposal by yesterday’s deadline. There’s also a larger issue: without a development plan, there’s now no plan to provide the 1,225 parking spots promised the Nats when the ballpark opens in 2008. More from the Washington Times.

Lopardo rethinking commitment to Lynn
Posted Sept. 21, 2006
Though no firm decision has been made, North Shore Spirit (independent; Can-Am Association) owner Nick Lopardo says that just the idea that he has to think about whether to stay in Lynn or move the franchise elsewhere is a "huge disappointment." "I’ve spent $9 million on this franchise in cash, and capital improvements," Lopardo said Wednesday in a wide-ranging interview. "I was pretty serious back in 2003 when I said we were bringing professional baseball back to Lynn. I just thought we’d be farther along right now than we are." Lopardo, whose team just completed its fourth season in Lynn, has until next Wednesday’s CanAm League meeting in Brockton to decide the Spirit’s future. We’ve attended Spirit games, and we can’t fault Lopardo: he’s done everything right in terms of spending money and promoting the team.

Orange County commissioner pushing for Marlins
Posted Sept. 21, 2006
An Orange County commissioner is calling for an exploratory committee to look into luring the Florida Marlins to Orlando. It’s actually not an outlandish idea on its face: the city is already exploring spending $242 million on renovating the Citrus Bowl to basically host two big games a year (the University of Central Florida is moving to its own stadium), and some in government say that money could be better spent on a new downtown ballpark for the Fish. The issue is whether the Orlando market can support Major League Baseball: it is barely supporting an NBA franchise.

Hit-and-run for spring training
Posted Sept. 21, 2006
More on the decision by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays to shift spring-training operations to Port Charlotte and the Charlotte County Sports Complex, the former spring home of the Texas Rangers. The complex will receive a multimillion-dollar renovation — if a state grant comes through, as is expected — and while the move will make business sense for the D-Rays, it’s a little bittersweet for anyone else who loves spring training, as the move probably means the demise of Al Lang Field. Al Lang is one of the most scenic venues in spring training, and unless there’s a business reason to keep the facility open past 2008, you can expect St. Petersburg politician to call for its demolition. It will take some imagination and hard work, but we can see uses for the ballpark: given its historic stature, MLB should work to schedule some spring-training games — maybe some matches between the former tenants — and we’re a little surprised the independent South Coast League isn’t jumping on a venue like this. More from the News-Press.

Landes steps aside in Hagerstown; Smith promoted
Posted Sept. 21, 2006
We will miss the daily press releases detailing the latest wacky promotion from the Hagerstown Suns (Low Class A; Sally League), as GM Kurt Landes has announced he is stepping out of the GM position, to be replaced by assistant GM Will Smith. Landes is also leaving Mandalay Baseball Properties and isn’t saying where he plans on landing, other than that it’s a new significant position within the MiLB industry. I’m sure he’ll let us know — with a splash, of course.

 

Business side of minor-league baseball has short off-season
Posted Sept. 21, 2006
Actually, these days there’s really no off-season. If you read this site, you know plans for the 2007 season are already well underway, what with the many teams now advertising for positions. Here’s a look at how the Jacksonville Suns (Class AA; Southern League) treat the offseason: except for a short break here and there, it’s already busy.

Mills, Colony delay close of Xanadu deal