Archives: Dec. 18-24, 2006
Lauderdale reverses decision; O’s to stay
Posted Dec. 23, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Fort Lauderdale City Commissioners reversed a decision made earlier this week and voted Friday to continue the tradition of spring training at Fort Lauderdale Stadium. The unanimous decision came after the Baltimore Orioles agreed to spare the city any costs to upgrade the venue and add baseball diamonds and soccer fields. The state and Broward County would contribute $39 million for the stadium over 30 years. The Orioles, who have held spring practice at the ballpark since 1996, will pay the rest, including interest and insurance for the complex, projected to cost at least $40 million. With the 15-year agreement that includes three five-year options, the city is eligible to receive $15 million in state sales tax rebate dollars for each of five communities with aging spring training venues. The plan is to strip Fort Lauderdale Stadium down to its steel girders and redo the facility. Also, nearby Lockhart Stadium will be torn down and replaced by multiple practice fields. After the commission had declined to contribute to the project, work mysterious leaked out that the Orioles had already talked with Vero Beach about a move to Dodgertown. (Funny how those things happen.) This will also allow the Orioles to move their minor-league
Nats owners to pay $20 million for ballpark upgrades
Posted Dec. 23, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The owners of the Washington Nationals plan to spend at least $30 million to improve the city-financed ballpark under construction on the Southeast waterfront, according to Mark Lerner, son of principal owner Ted Lerner. In addition, after the park opens, the Lerner family plans to spend "millions more each season to develop the park’s personality," Mark Lerner said. Lerner said the family will improve the main scoreboard and "get it to HDTV-quality," double the size of the outfield restaurant and place "an LED display on top of it," and increase the size of the board that shows scores of other baseball games. Club level suites will get sliding-glass windows and bathrooms, Lerner said. The ballpark is already one-third finished with a right field grandstand that now stands 100 feet, or 10 stories, high. After five months of digging, with 340,948 cubic yards of soil removed in 34,095 truckloads, the ballpark project shifted into its steel-and-concrete erection phase on Oct. 5.
$80 mil for baseball taps out sports authority
Posted Dec. 22, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority finalized grants of $80 million to Glendale and Goodyear for new spring-training facilities in a move that ties up all funds available to the authority for the next 25 years. That clears the way for the Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers to shift spring-training to Glendale and the Cleveland Indians to shift spring training to Goodyear, a net gain of two teams for the Cactus League. Enough money has been set aside to renovate five existing spring-training facilities, however, but official say they are unlikely to approve any new facilities. Goodyear will receive up to 50 percent of the funding for a $56 million one-team complex, plus $18.75 million in land around it. Glendale will receive up to the two-thirds of the funding for an $80.7 million two-team facility. Glendale will pay for its portion of the project with tax revenues generated by commercial development around the complex. The approval is still contingent on the cities working on specific agreements with the authority, and there could be a few issues. We continue to hear there’s a strong chance the Chicago White Sox won’t be moving to Phoenix until 2013, as their lease at Tucson Electric Park expires in 2012. To break the lease, the ChiSox must either find a replacement or pay off $28 million in termination fees. But the state grant is contingent on two teams playing in Glendale. So negotiations in the next few months should prove to be interesting, to say the least, although we’ve heard the White Sox and Glendale officials have already agreed on the terms of a delayed move. Also, in a rather naked power play, the White Sox asked the authority not to fund the Goodyear project until the team found a replacement in Tucson — a move squarely designed to force the Indians to Tucson Electric Park. The authority declined. There’s little chance the Indians would move to Tucson, for one great reason: there are no direct flights from Cleveland to Tucson. More from the Lakeland Ledger, the Morning Journal, the Arizona Daily Star and the Chicago Tribune.
Commissioners to decide on Fort Lauderdale Stadium overhaul
Posted Dec. 22, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Fort Lauderdale City Commission has scheduled a special meeting today to reconsider a request to help the Baltimore Orioles overhaul Fort Lauderdale Stadium for spring training and create a recreational park complex. Commissioners are to meet at 4:15 p.m. after earlier this week rejecting a proposal to contribute $150,000 a year for 30 years to the $48-million project. A new proposal is being drafted that is expected to require the team to cover the cost of the project with the help of funds from Broward County and the state. The city would not have to pay for the project, but could be charged a maintenance fee if it chooses to use the recreational fields. Apparently the threat of the Orioles moving spring training to Vero Beach’s Dodgertown and some heavy politicking by Broward County officials caused city reps to rethink their opposition; it sounds like they honestly didn’t think there was a chance the Orioles would consider a move. Welcome to life in the bigs.
Mayor calls ballpark plan opportunity of lifetime
Posted Dec. 22, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Fort Wayne Mayor Graham Richard began trying to sell his proposed $125-million public-private downtown development project Thursday by saying the biggest risk would be not pushing forward. The proposal calls for a new downtown hotel, condominiums, street-level shopping and a city-owned $30 million ballpark for the Fort Wayne Wizards (Low Class A; Midwest League). About half of the project’s initial $125-million cost would be privately financed, and half would come from city dollars. General property taxes will not be used for the project, as the city has worked out a package of money from a downtown taxing district and county economic development income tax revenue. The Wizards ownership, Hardball Capital, will finance the condos and retail as well as part of the ballpark. Early reactions have been positive. If the Wizards move, their current home (Memorial Stadium) could be taken over by Indiana University-Purdue University.
Cactus League parks adding amenities
Posted Dec. 22, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Cactus League baseball is becoming more of a big league experience, with Mesa’s HoHoKam Park adding a $500,000 scoreboard for the 2007 season capable of showing instant replays, the pictures and statistics of players and commercials. But ballpark managers say they are trying to strike a balance between adding the big league amenities demanded by fans without losing the intimacy that makes spring training games attractive. The food offerings at HoHoKam Park are also being upgraded, with concessionaire Ovations is adding the "Salt River Cantina" for Mexican food, the "Black Angus Grill" for hamburgers and bratwurst, "Hot Dog Nation" for a variety of dogs and the Dwight Patterson Grill, "home of the Big Pat Burger," in honor of the late Cactus League founder.
Frontier League looks at Fairmont, W.Va.
Posted Dec. 22, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
A $15-million baseball park that would be used by an independent Frontier League team and Fairmont State University has been proposed for Marion County. Outgoing Marion County Commission President Cody Starcher said the park likely would be built next to the Volcano Island Waterpark and Resort, a recreational-retail complex being developed by three Morgantown businessmen. The City of Fairmont would contribute $4 million, the county commission would pay $2 million, the state would finance $1 million, Fairmont State would contribute $2.5 million, the Vandalia Heritage Foundation would pay $2 million, and the Frontier League team that leases the park would contribute $2.5 million.
More meetings with A’s slated after new year
Posted Dec. 22, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Talks between Fremont officials and Oakland Athletics’ owner Lew Wolff continued last week. The subject of the Dec. 14 discussions included the team’s potential move to Fremont and building the proposed $500-million baseball field as well as co-existing retail and residential development. This week, Councilwoman Anu Natarajan said talks included the timeline and process for the team to possibly come to Fremont. If we were to handicap the chances of the A’s actually moving to Fremont (and not to San Jose) we’d put the odds at 50-50 — at best. A Cisco Stadium would work just as well in downtown San Jose, you know.
Dutchess parks money approved, new contract with Renegades signed
Posted Dec. 22, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Dutchess County Executive William Steinhaus Thursday announced his final approvals of $4.9 million dollars for county park improvements as well as the official signing of the new 10-year-lease agreement between the county and the Hudson Valley Renegades (short season; NY-Penn League) for the use of county owned Dutchess Stadium. The lease agreement includes annual payments of $258,000 by the Renegades, which will also offset the majority of the $1.5 million the county has planned for improvements to the ballpark. The Renegades have called Dutchess Stadium home since 1994.
Ballpark Notes
Posted Dec. 22, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Los Angeles Dodgers announced the on-field coaching staff for the 2007 edition of the Jacksonville Suns (Class AA; Southern League). John Shoemaker will return for his third consecutive season, and fourth overall, as the Suns manager, Danny Darwin returns for his second season as Suns Pitching Coach and Luis Salazar will join the team as hitting coach. Yosuke “Possum” Nakajima will join the Suns as the team’s athletic trainer in 2007….Kevin Dattola is the new Third Base/Hitting Coach of the Somerset Patriots (independent; Atlantic League)….
White Sox to delay Phoenix move?
Posted Dec. 21, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
One idea that seems to be gaining momentum in spring-training circles: rather than buying out of the remainder of their lease with Pima County to train at Tucson Electric Park, the Chicago White Sox will honor the lease — which runs through 2012 — and only then move to a new Glendale complex, slated to open in 2009. The Los Angeles Dodgers and the White Sox have already made commitments to the new complex, located in a southwest suburb of Phoenix, but the White Sox cannot leave Tucson unless they pay off the lease (estimated by Pima County officials to be in excess of $25 million) or find a replacement. Though the ChiSox signed a pretty sweet lease in Glendale — basically receiving all revenue on game days — it won’t be enough to cover a lease-termination payment. Finding a replacement from the Grapefruit League is problematic: even though Fort Lauderdale abruptly cut off a funding request by the Baltimore Orioles to renovate Fort Lauderdale Stadium, that team is not expected to seriously consider an Arizona move: teams must move in pairs, and there doesn’t appear to be a second team willing and able to go west. So the idea of the White Sox honoring their lease and delaying a move makes a whole lot of sense on every level.
Speaking of Phoenix moves: the Cleveland Indians are pretty excited about a move to a new Goodyear facility. Today the Arizona Sports and Tourism Authority and the Goodyear city council are expected to finalize the lease for a new 10,000-seat ballpark and training complex. JMI Sports, a key player in the multibillion developments surrounding Petco Park in San Diego, is being asked to help plan out the Goodyear development as well.
One issue has emerged with the Glendale spring-training complex: its location next to the Glendale airport, which requires negotiations with the FAA over construction and design issues.
Fort Wayne unveils ballpark plans
Posted Dec. 21, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
A new ballpark for the Fort Wayne Wizards (Low Class A; Midwest League) would anchor a $160 million mixed-use development in downtown Fort Wayne, as plans for Harrison Square were unveiled today. Half the cost of Harrison Square’s $125-million first phase will come from private developers. Hardball Capital, the Atlanta-based owners of the Wizards, tentatively has agreed to provide the $18 million needed to build Phase 1’s commercial and residential components, and will provide $5 million toward construction of the $30 million ballpark. Phase 1, which will include a hotel, 8,000-seat ballpark, 1,000-space parking garage, park, 30,000 square feet of street-level shops and 60 condos.
Commissioners should rethink Orioles plan
Posted Dec. 21, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Miami Herald opinion writers are fairly apoplectic that Fort Lauderdale officials turned down a yearly $500,000 funding request by the Baltimore Orioles that would keep the O’s in the area and bring in $25 million in annual spring-training spending. The irony is Fort Lauderdale would be contributing the least to the deal — the $48 million renovation of Fort Lauderdale Stadium will be paid mainly by the state, Broward County and the Orioles — and arguably Fort Lauderdale businesses benefit the most. There’s a slim chance Fort Lauderdale could revisit the issue before a Dec. 28 state deadline for obtaining the $15 million in funding. Apparently the Orioles have already contacted Vero Beach officials about the availability of Dodgertown once the Dodgers move spring-training operations to Arizona. More from the Baltimore Sun.
Alderman: Frederick could lose Keys team
Posted Dec. 21, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Some officials worry that Frederick may lose the Frederick Keys (High Class A; Carolina League) following the county’s decision earlier this month to rescind $500,000 that had been earmarked for renovations for Harry Grove Stadium. The Frederick Board of County Commissioners unanimously voted Dec. 7 to redirect the money that had been allotted to pay for renovations at the city-owned ballpark and funnel it into public school renovations instead. Ken Young is the new owner of the team, and while he’s certainly raising no public threats about moving the franchise, it’s pretty clear the condition of the ballpark — it needs about $5 million in renovations — must be addressed in the near future.
Pirates disappointed by slots casino decision
Posted Dec. 21, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Pittsburgh Pirates were surprised and troubled by a state gaming panel’s decision Wednesday that allows a gambling casino to be built close to PNC Park, with the team wondering how the slots parlor will affect traffic on game days. Pirates chairman Kevin McClatchy is worried about large crowds of baseball and gambling fans converging simultaneously into a congested area that keeps losing parking spots to development projects. "What I worry about is if it will cause congestion," McClatchy said. "We do well on weekends, with 30,000 fans over here, and if you add 4,000 cars to the mix, it’s a challenge. Will our fans have the ability to get to the ballpark quickly, or will it create congestion that hurts everybody?"
Could new Charlotte ballpark be delayed by lawsuit?
Posted Dec. 21, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
With the Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners moving forward on a complicated land swap that would lead to new urban development and an uptown Charlotte Knights (Class AAA; International League) ballpark, a local developer is still making noise about halting the project with a lawsuit. Jerry Reese, who proposed a $4 billion development elsewhere in the city anchored by a $600-million retractable-roof ballpark for an MLB team, says he’ll take the county to court if they spend any proceeds of a 2004 bond issue on a ballpark — something specifically precluded in the bond agreement. County and Charlotte Center City Partners officials say the land swap is structured in such a way to preclude a breaking of the bond issue, but Reese says he’s determined to kill the Knights ballpark. Even if he does, there’s no guarantee he could pull off a $4 billion development or even attract an MLB team.
Average MLB salary approaches $3 million
Posted Dec. 21, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The next time you complain about that mediocre number-four starter signing a huge contract, keep in mind their salary may not be out of line when compared to their peers. The average 2006 salary for an MLB player was $2,699,292, according to the Major League Baseball Players Association. That’s 9 percent over the average 2005 salary. With several players signing $100-million-plus deals this offseason, you can expect the average salary to be approaching $3 million in two or three years. When you look at these numbers, one thing is clear: if baseball does have financial problems (as baseball officials insist when seeking a better ballpark deal), the problems are of their own doing.
Scottsdale warms up for spring training
Posted Dec. 21, 2006 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Today is the Winter Solstice, which means we’ll be back on the road to spring and summer tomorrow. In Scottsdale, the city is wrapping up a two-year, $23.1-million project to upgrade spring-training facilities for the San Francisco Giants. Scottsdale is refurbishing two practice fields at Indian School Park on the southeast corner of Camelback and Hayden ro