Archives: Nov. 12-18, 2006
Judge dismisses lawsuit on new Yankees ballpark
Posted Nov. 17, 2006
A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit seeking to stop construction of the new $1 billion ballpark for the New York Yankees. Construction of the new ballpark involves paving over large portions of two parks in the Bronx and cutting down about 400 mature oak trees. The Yankees are to offset the loss of the parks by building new parkland, including three ballfields at the site of the current Yankee Stadium, which will be dismantled. A group of South Bronx neighbors and parks advocates filed a federal lawsuit in September protesting the loss of the parks, after first filing a suit in state court seeking a restraining order that was dismissed. The suit was dismissed based on lack of merit. More from the New York Daily News and AP.
Sounds ballpark developer needs to score soon
Posted Nov. 17, 2006
It may be the bottom of the ninth for the Nashville Sounds (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) new downtown ballpark plan, but the team and its developer are not ready to say extra innings will be needed to close the deal. The Sounds and Baltimore developer Struever Bros., Eccles & Rouse are working to close a complicated $43 million financing package by the end of the year, a requirement of a memorandum of understanding between both parties and Metro. However, despite lacking a final design and finalized financing as of this week, neither party would say an extension to the end-of-the-year deadline to close the deal would be needed.
Pima County trying to avert loss of White Sox for spring training
Posted Nov. 17, 2006
As we’ve been predicting the last few days, Pima County will put up a struggle before letting the Chicago White Sox move spring-training operations to Glendale from Tucson Electric Park. Pima County Supervisor Ramon Valadez sent a letter to the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority’s top executive asking that the agency not approve money to construct a $76.8 million stadium on a chunk of land abutting Glendale. The county supervisors also sent a letter this week to state Senate President-elect Tim Bee, R-Tucson, urging a legislative fix that would block the White Sox’s possible move from Tucson to a publicly funded stadium. White Sox officials have hinted to us about the possibility of buying out the team’s lease, but Puma County officials apparently will hold the ChiSox to the terms of the lease, which calls for the team finding a replacement before a move can be made. More from the Lakeland Ledger, the Arizona Daily Star and the Tucson Citizen. In Florida, local officials are lamenting the loss of the Los Angeles Dodgers, but they think another team can be lured to Dodgertown and Holman Stadium.
New for 2007: The Southern Illinois Miners
Posted Nov. 17, 2006
The new Marion team in the independent Frontier League has a name and logo: the Southern Illinois Miners. "We wanted a name the people of the region should identify with in a personal way," said team spokesperson Erik Haag. "We think the miner was an excellent choice because he represents the many great qualities of people in Southern Illinois — hard working, honest and dedicated." Along with the name, the team unveiled the new logo, consisting of the team name in letters chiseled out of a rock face and a strong miner swinging a baseball-bat-shaped axe at a baseball in a mound of coal. The team’s new Website is now live at southernillinoisminers.com. More from the Southern.
New for 2007: The Corvallis Knights
Posted Nov. 17, 2006
Starting this summer, Oregon State’s Goss Stadium at Coleman Field will be the home of the Corvallis Knights (summer collegiate; West Coast Collegiate Baseball League). The team — formerly based in the Portland area as the Aloha Knights — will play 26 games on the home diamond of the OSU Beavers, the 2006 NCAA national champions. It’s an interesting move: most summer-collegiate teams eschew college facilities for some pretty obvious reasons, but if this works out you can see similar moves from other leagues.
If Tribune puts Cubs on the block, investors are interested
Posted Nov. 17, 2006
A group of 15 investors is lining up financing for a possible purchase of the Chicago Cubs if the baseball team is put up for sale by its parent, Tribune Co. Tom Begel, chairman of TMB Industries, said Thursday that he and other investors expect the team to be sold for up to $600 million. That seems very low to us when you throw in ownership of Wrigley Field: We would expect the purchase price to be closer to $800 million for a powerful brand whose television and radio revenues could be adequately exploited outside the Tribune ownership, and some are whispering the final tally could be closer to a billion dollars. The Chicago-based media company bought the Cubs in 1981 for $20.5 million.
Missions, city agree on ballpark lease
Posted Nov. 17, 2006
When the San Antonio Missions (Class AA; Texas League) open the 2007 season April 12, their longtime home will have a new look, from the concourses to the scoreboard. The San Antonio City Council approved a new lease for Wolff Stadium at its meeting Thursday, clearing the way for more than $1.5 million in renovations at the 12-year-old ballpark. The Missions will take over operations Nov. 26. Under the 10-year contract, which was approved unanimously, the city will spend $300,000 to bring the lighting system up to Minor League Baseball standards. The Missions will spend approximately $1.25 million on projects ranging from the installation of a new scoreboard with a video screen to renovations of the sound system. More from the San Antonio Business Journal.
Firms lined up early for stadium work
Posted Nov. 17, 2006
The Star Tribune appears to be unaware of the fact that the Minnesota Twins have already come to unofficial agreements with M.A. Mortenson (construction), HOK Sport (design) and Hammel Green Abramson (site work) to work on the new downtown Minneapolis ballpark, but that’s OK — as a Ballpark Digest reader, you know the score. The real story here is how firms like Mortenson must begin work years in advance to woo the powers that be in order to land sizable contract. In the case of HOK Sport, Earl Santee was working with the Twinsville organizers literally for years before Hennepin County officials came up with a ballpark-financing plan.
Motorcycle club to challenge use of IronPigs name
Posted Nov. 17, 2006
The Lehigh Valley’s new Class AAA International League team has some competition for their choice of the name IronPigs. The Texas-based Iron Pigs Motorcycle Club told the team this week that it holds a trademark on its name and plans to take action to force the baseball team to change. Bob Nowlin is the club’s national secretary-treasurer. He said the club has defended its trademark "several times," including earlier this year against a Harley-Davidson dealership in Arkansas. He said the group spent lots of time and money to get the trademark. Most people misunderstand the nature and intent of trademarks: it’s not to prevent anyone else from using a term or phrase, it’s to assert ownership of the term or phrase in a specific area. Will consumers be confused by the name? Probably not, and MiLB attorneys don’t think so, either. More on the nickname from the Citizen’s Voice.
MLB still open to hosting games in China
Posted Nov. 17, 2006
Not much of note came out of the recent MLB owners’ meetings, but one possibility still lingers: the chance MLB will send two teams to China to play a season-opening series. If MLB opens the 2008 season in China, it would come three months before the Beijing Games — the last Olympics where baseball and softball are to be played. The International Olympic Committee took both sports off the program for the 2012 Games in London. MLB is opening an office in China, but the lack of a suitable facility could end up dooming a trip.
Metal bat ban plan draws protests
Posted Nov. 17, 2006
Is there a move away from metal bats? We’re seeing amateur groups announcing plans to dump metal bats in favor of wood bats. Currently high-school baseball leaders in New York City are considering a proposal to switch to wood bats, and that’s creating a backlash, as officials from USA Baseball, the American Baseball Coaches Association, and Protect Our Nations Youth (PONY Baseball) have entered the fray, quoting studies that they say show that a safety issue does not exist and arguing that the ban makes the national pastime appear exaggeratedly dangerous. USA Baseball and the ABCA (as well as many individual coaches) rely on funds from metal-bat manufacturers and shouldn’t be totally trusted on this issue. Metal bats have no place in the game of baseball, and groups and publications pushing them (and we all know who they are) are selling themselves out to the highest bidder.
Ballpark Notes
Posted Nov. 17, 2006
Keith Michlig is the inaugural General Manager of the South Georgia Peanuts (independent; South Coast League). Michlig will oversee the entire Peanuts organization from corporate development down to player management. Keith’s professional career began in the Midwest League (Class A) in 1995 where he was the Director of Merchandising and Food & Beverage for the Beloit Snappers. After two seasons in Beloit, he became Director of Promotions and Retail for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Appleton). In 1998, he was appointed General Manager of the Northwoods League’s Wisconsin Woodchucks (Wausau). He left baseball in 2000 to attend graduate school. His work in sports continued, as Michlig was named Director of Marketing & Promotions at Mercer University (Macon), an NCAA Division I member of the Atlantic Sun Conference. Michlig moved to Florida in 2003 to become the Palm Beach County Sports Commission’s Marketing Manager, where he was actively involved with the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award planning committee. Most recently, Keith was the Director of Marketing & Community Affairs for the National Alliance for Youth Sports in West Palm Beach….Former Major League pitcher Dennis Lewallyn was named as the Tennessee Smokies (Class AA; Southern League) pitching coach for the 2007 season after spending the last twelve seasons in the Arizona Diamondbacks Minor League operation. "I’m a southern boy and East Tennessee will be a good fit for me." Lewallyn said. "I am excited to be with the Cubs organization, this will be my first year with them and I am looking forward to it." Lewallyn was most recently Arizona’s minor-league pitching coordinator in 2005-2006, a position he also held from 2002 to July of 2004 before he was promoted to the Diamondbacks as their bullpen coach….John Mizerock, who managed the Wilmington Blue Rocks (High Class A: Carolina League) from 1995-97, will return this season to manage in Wilmington. Nelson Liriano will serve as hitting coach. The Kansas City Royals also made a slew of other organizational coaching announcements. Tony Tijerina is the new manager of the Wichita Wranglers (Class AA; Texas League), coming over the New York Mets organization. He’s joined by Tommy Gregg as hitting coach. Darryl Kennedy is the new manager of the Burlington Royals (rookie; Appalachian League) after serving in the same capacity for the Frisco RoughRiders (Class AA; Texas League) the past two seasons. He’s joined by hitting coach Jon Williams. Ryan Long returns to the Royals organization after being named the new hitting coach for the Burlington Bees (Low Class A; Midwest League)….Bob Geren is the new manager of the Oakland A’s….
Dodgers, White Sox reach deal with Glendale
Posted Nov. 16, 2006
Glendale (Az.) officials on Wednesday announced their proposal to build a spring-training complex for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago White Sox on Phoenix land that was purchased by Glendale several years ago. The official announcement of the deal marks just the beginning of actions that would need to occur for the ballpark to become a reality. The city now will seek funding from the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority in a proposal that will request nearly two-thirds of the $76.8 million construction cost. Goodyear, which wants to build a facility for the Cleveland Indians, has already made a request. If approved, the White Sox must either buy out the remaining seven more years in its contract for Tucsoon Electric Park with Pima County or find a replacement team. The Sox say they’ve talked with several Grapefruit League teams about a move, but given that most are committed to long-term leases (except the Baltimore Orioles), a move would be problematic, given MLB’s requirement teams move in pairs for scheduling purposes. It won’t be that difficult for the Dodgers to move: a provision in their Dodgertown/Holman Stadium lease allows them buy back the facility from the county (essentially paying off any bond monies owed on the facility), move spring training and the sell the land to a developer. Glendale is becoming quite the sports mecca: the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes play at Jobing.com Arena, while the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals play at University of Phoenix Stadium. More from the Business Journal of Phoenix, the Tucson Citizen and the OCRegister.
Davenport City Council approves JOD lease
Posted Nov. 16, 2006
Despite misgivings from a couple of aldermen, the Davenport City Council approved a long-term lease Wednesday night with Florida-based Main Street Baseball, paving the way for new ownership at city-owned John O’Donnell Stadium. The lease approval also clears the way for Main Street Baseball to buy the Swing of the Quad Cities (Low Class A; Midwest League) from Seventh Inning Stretch, headed by Kevin Krause. Under the conditions of the lease, Main Street — which also operates the Columbus Catfish (Low Class A; Sally League) — will lease the stadium for 25 years. Under the terms of the contract, the city gets an annual payment of $273,000 for the first two years of the lease and $385,000 annually in years three through 25. Current owner, Seventh Inning Stretch, now pays a little less than $490,000 on its 15-year lease. If the Swing purchase goes through, it must also be approved by MiLB and MLB.
A $105 box seat? It’ll be Fenway reality in 2007
Posted Nov. 16, 2006
Days after announcing the team committed $51.11 million for the rights merely to negotiate a contract for highly touted Japanese starter Daisuke Matsuzaka, the Boston Red Sox released details of some pretty steep ticket hikes for 2007. Box seats will cost $105, a $10 per ticket increase, while other seating prices will rise 3 to 5 percent, according to the club. The Red Sox said the price increases will affect fewer than 1-in-5 tickets in Fenway Park; big spenders will be hit the hardest. The team has not yet established a cost for Green Monster and right-field roof seating. Speaking of Matsuzaka: the baseball world is buzzing about the "gyroball" he pitches that supposedly will revolutionize baseball. Too bad he doesn’t actually throw one.
GBL makes it official: Yuma will host new winter league
Posted Nov. 16, 2006
The Arizona Winter League (AWL), a new professional baseball league is now set to play in Yuma, Arizona from January 15-February 17th, 2007. The four team instructional league will be administered by the independent Golden Baseball League (GBL) and will be staffed with instructors and managers from the GBL summer season that has resulted in over 40 GBL players signing with major league organizations over the last two seasons. The GBL chose Yuma over Phoenix and El Centro, CA as the inaugural site for the AWL.
"Yuma was our first choice and we have been very impressed with the City’s support to bring the AWL here," said David Kaval, CEO of the Golden Baseball League. "The weather is fantastic, the Ray Kroc Complex is first class, and I’m excited about bringing pro baseball to the winter visitors who aren’t able to see the Yuma Scorpions play in the summer. We are thrilled that the city has recognized the economic and quality of life value of this new league and we hope to make this a permanent part of Yuma’s winter calendar."
Arizona Winter League games will be held at the Ray Kroc Complex and Desert Sun Stadium in Yuma where a 21-game season with a Championship Game will be played during the month. The four teams of 25-man rosters will be made up of professional free-agents, independent professional players under contract using this as a development/instructional opportunity to get ready for the 2007 summer season, and collegiate players that were overlooked in the 2006 MLB amateur draft.
Boro buzzes with talk of new Mets ballpark
Posted Nov. 16, 2006
Flushing’s boys of summer may be in hibernation, but that hasn’t stopped talk about the Mets’ new ballpark from circulating across the borough. And with Citi Field scheduled to open in 2009, residents from Jackson Heights, Woodhaven and elsewhere chimed in this week on the Mets’ future home. "There’s always something good about something being new; technology’s always better," said Warren Alvarez, 23, who came to Flushing with his twin brother, Wilson, to watch workers constructing the new stadium. The Alvarez brothers seemed excited about the amenities that Citi Field will offer, including more luxury boxes and restaurants. But they said they were disappointed the ballpark will not be named after Brooklyn Dodgers second baseman Jackie Robinson or William Shea, the lawyer who helped bring the National League team to New York.
New Dayton development plan has city officials beaming
Posted Nov. 16, 2006
Dayton city officials could barely contain their excitement Wednesday as developers publicly unveiled a proposed development they’ve been negotiating with city administrators since March. The area near Fifth Third Field, home of the Dayton Dragons (Low Class A; Midwest League), would be "Ballpark Village," complete with a gourmet grocery store, a bookstore and other shops, restaurants, a fitness facility and entertainment spots. Developers and city officials will spend the next six months trying to determine if the deal can work: looking at financing, doing environmental studies, and analyzing the market. The $230-million development is proposed by a subsidiary of Mandalay Baseball Properties, owner of the Dragons, and Cincinnati-based Bear Creek Capital.
Fix the D.C. ballpark parking plans
Posted Nov. 16, 2006
The Washington Times comes out against a plan by District of Columbia officials to build above-ground parking next to the new Washington Nationals ballpark currently under construction. Their reasoning is pretty sound: Three ugly parking garages will do nothing for local economic development, while plans for condos and mixed-use development in the area would. Part of the fault must be laid at the feet of the Washington Nationals: by pressuring the council to meet the terms of the lease for 1,225 parking spots, they turned their back on the neighborhood. Baseball owners always have a weird attitude toward development surrounding ballparks: if they economically benefit they’re for development, but they’re against it if it looks like people will spend less money in the ballpark.