Archives: March 5-11, 2007
Miami backs county on plan for new Marlins park at Orange Bowl
Posted March 9, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Following the lead of Miami-Dade County commissioners, the Miami City Commission voted unanimously Thursday to support a $490 million plan to fund a ballpark for the Florida Marlins somewhere in Miami and expressed support for placing it on the site of the Orange Bowl. Earlier this week, county commissioners raised the idea of a ballpark at the Orange Bowl if the University of Miami moves its football games to Dolphin Stadium. City commissioners said they liked the idea, but approved allowing Miami City Manager Pete Hernandez to negotiate the details of a financing plan without nailing down a specific location. A formal plan is expected by the end of April. There are some variables to this: MLB and the Marlins have not shown much enthusiasm for an Orange Bowl site, and no planning can be done until the University of Miami formally decides to move football games to Dolphin Stadium. Still, it’s amazing how quickly MLB’s preferred downtown site fell out of favor. More from AP.
Contract pushes forward Goodyear training facility
Posted March 9, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Baseball in Goodyear got another push forward today after the City Council approved a contract that taps Goodyear Baseball LLC to manage the design, development and construction of a new spring training complex for the Cleveland Indians. Goodyear-based developer Rose Properties Southwest, based in Goodyear, and sports developer JMI Sports, based in San Diego, make up Goodyear Baseball. The development team will work with the city to build a 10,000-seat spring training stadium for the Cleveland Indians on Estrella Parkway near Yuma Road. The agreement provides a framework of responsibilities for all parties involved in getting the $75-million complex ready by February 2009.
Baseball bends on TV plan, but doubts linger
Posted March 9, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Major League Baseball does not like the terminology, but it appears to have buckled to pressure from devoted fans irate that the Extra Innings package of out-of-market games would be the exclusive property of DirecTV. MLB yesterday announced the anticipated deal, but with a notable, alternately hopeful and suspicious wrinkle: it will give cable operators and Dish Network, DirecTV’s satellite rival, until March 31 to make a final stab at retaining Extra Innings. Whether anyone can match DirecTV’s deal remains to be seen: MLB officials haven’t released the terms of the deal, and cable operators are already crying foul.
Rattlers sell field-naming rights
Posted March 9, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The selling of field-naming rights at Fox Cities Stadium to Time Warner Cable will generate funds for ballpark improvements for the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers (Low Class A; Midwest League). The announcement was made yesterday at the 12-year-old Grand Chute venue. Terms of the 10-year deal, which calls for the ballpark to be known as Time Warner Cable Field at Fox Cities Stadium, could not be released per an agreement between the team and the company.
Spring tradition running down
Posted March 9, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
This is a sad trend in spring training: fewer and fewer pitchers are running along the warning track during spring-training games. In general, pitchers are running less, and when they do some teams — most notably the New York Yankees — forbid them from running during a game. Too bad: there’s a certain informality to spring training that resonates with many fans and players, and one of those informal actions involved pitchers on the training camp. There really aren’t any safety issues — we don’t know of a pitcher ever nailed by a drive to the outfield — so the concerns may be unfounded.
‘A few more pros than cons’
Posted March 9, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
A few hundred people packed into the sanctuary of Good Shepherd United Methodist Church on Thursday night to voice their opinions and concerns about whether Harrison Square, a proposed mixed-used downtown development, is the right answer to revitalizing downtown. The centerpiece of the development: a new ballpark for the Fort Wayne Wizards (Low Class A; Midwest League). Those for the development pointed out the need for downtown revitalization; cons wondered whether it was efficient for the city to build another ballpark. More from the Journal-Gazette.
Reds’ ballpark goes smoke free
Posted March 9, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Cincinnati Reds have decided to prohibit smoking at Great American Ball Park to comply with a statewide ban approved by voters last year. The team previously allowed smoking in seven designated areas on concourses and ramps. By city ordinance, smoking already was prohibited in seating areas. An employee who sees someone smoking will ask the person to stop and hand the violator a card describing the new law, vice president of ballpark operations Declan Mullin said. The new policy also prohibits fans from leaving the ballpark to smoke and then re-entering.
Coca-Cola hits home run for Valley baseball fans
Posted March 9, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Major League Baseball does not like the terminology, but it appears to have buckled to pressure from devoted fans irate that the Extra Innings package of out-of-market games would be the exclusive property of DirecTV. MLB yesterday announced the anticipated deal, but with a notable, alternately hopeful and suspicious wrinkle: it will give cable operators and Dish Network, DirecTV’s satellite rival, until March 31 to make a final stab at retaining Extra Innings. Whether anyone can match DirecTV’s deal remains to be seen: MLB officials haven’t released the terms of the deal, and cable operators are already crying foul.
Coyotes to host Mexican-American Classic
Posted March 9, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Edinburg Coyotes (independent; United League Baseball) announced in partnership with Texas Valley Baseball LLC that they will be hosting a two-day Mexican American Classic Baseball Event at Edinburg Baseball Stadium. The two competing teams will consist of an American team made up of current professional baseball players and the Vaqueros Laguna (Class AAA; Mexican Baseball League from Torreon, Mexico.
The games will take place this weekend, March 10-11. The game on Saturday, March 10, will begin at 6:00 p.m. The game on Sunday, March 11, will be at 2:00 p.m.
The entire current roster of the Vaqueros Laguna will participate in the two-game classic. The American roster will consist of current and former professional baseball players from the independent leagues of the United States and the Mexican League. Edinburg Coyotes pitchers Bric Steed and Julio Castro will participate for the American squad.
Ballpark Notes
Posted March 9, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The summer-collegiate Northwoods League named long-time Alexandria Beetles play-by-play announcer Curt Carstensen as its new Director of Operations. Carstensen spent the last five summers calling Beetles games and the last three as the team’s director of media relations. His five-year tenure as lead broadcaster in Alexandria had been the longest active streak in the league. He initially broke into the NWL as the official scorer for the Brainerd Mighty Gulls in 2000. Former Director of Operations Rick Lindau became the general manager of the expansion Battle Creek Bombers in January allowing for the opening.
Possible fix for Twins ballpark impasse arises
Posted March 8, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
A possible, but fairly minor fix is under consideration: building a parking ramp next to a proposed new Minnesota Twins ballpark that would over time generate more revenue for land acquisition. As you’ll recall, Hennepin County is at odds with landowners over the price of a key parcel of land on the potential site of a new Minnesota Twins ballpark in Minneapolis’s Warehouse District. The idea is to build a parking ramp with some sort of development on top, with the proceeds used to close that funding gap. Now, the idea isn’t remotely new — indeed, the Twins once included condo development as part of the ballpark’s master plan, a development that mightily irked the dissident landowners who hope to develop property around the ballpark — and it doesn’t sound like Land Partners III, the group holding out, was actually consulted about this. The Star Tribune may be overselling the potential impact of this "development." The basic disagreement is that Hennepin County wants to pay $13.35 million for the land, and the landowners want $21 million or so (although this number is always a little fuzzy). The more likely option for progress is if the Minnesota Twins offer to fund the difference, and they’ve made a preliminary offer to the landowners. More from MPR, but take this report with a huge grain of salt.
Metro concerned about progress of Nashville ballpark deal
Posted March 8, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Elected officials in Nashville is concerned about "the apparent lack of progress" by the Nashville Sounds (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) and their development partner toward meeting a key deadline in a ballpark building deal, a city attorney has told the team and developer. Larry Thrailkill, a private attorney hired by Metro, told the Sounds and Struever Bros. Eccles & Rouse in a letter last week that “much is to be done and the time is short. The Sounds and Struever have to secure financing commitments and work out other details so they can finalize a deal by April 16 on the city-owned, riverfront land where they hope to build the ballpark and a mixed-use development. To get approvals for any amendments to the deal from the Metro Council and various city agencies and boards, the Sounds and Struever Bros. need to start making those requests this week, Thrailkill wrote. More from Nashville City Paper.
Time running out for Tiger Stadium
Posted March 8, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Plans to save even a small portion of Tiger Stadium as a museum, memorial or community center appear to be in jeopardy. Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick’s plans, announced last June, to replace nearly all of the stadium with a ring of residential and retail development remain on track. The city intends to sell seats and other memorabilia this spring and start demolishing most of the stadium this summer or fall, if the City Council approves. Efforts to save the dugouts, perhaps the locker rooms, some seats, one entrance and a portion of the structure as a museum, community center or gateway for the Corktown neighborhood are running up against the hard realities of real-estate development.
S.I. Yanks add tickets to meet demand
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Robust ticket sales for the All-You-Can-Eat Pinstripe Plan from the Staten Island Yankees (short season; NY-Penn League) have led the team to open additional seating for the promotion at the Richmond County Savings Bank Ballpark at St. George. The move was prompted by the sale of more than 2,000 Pinstripe Plan tickets in a single month. The plan comprises three different sets of five Baby Bombers games, with ticket holders getting unlimited hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches soda and water at dedicated concession stands.
Spring training always a money-losing business
Posted March 8, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The argument is that because the Toronto Blue Jays lose about $1.5 million during spring training, every MLB team loses money during spring training. That’s simply not the case. Some in MLB would have you believe everything to do with baseball is unprofitable (indeed, crying poverty is usually the first instinct when MLBers discuss business), but in recent years spring training has turned from red to black on the ledger books as teams take advantage of favorable leases on new facilities, the capturing of new revenue sources and greater demand for tickets. Add to that the lack of salaries (contracts don’t kick in until the beginning of the season), and you have the recipe for a profitable month for most teams.
Ballpark cuisine as American as baseball
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Here’s a look at the food offerings at Space Coast Stadium this spring for Washington Nationals matches. Most of the concession items are standard (although the turkey legs are still fairly unique), but concessionaire Ovations has upped the quality with grilled hot dogs and themed evenings featuring local cuisine. Also, six portable food locations were added to the ballpark this year to supplement the four fixed stands they’ve always had.
The ballpark, the market & the nickname
Posted March 8, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Owners Joe Finley and Craig Stein talk about progress being made on the new ballpark for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Class AAA; International League). As you’ll recall, yesterday the team announced a naming rights deal for Coca-Cola Park, slated to open in the 2008 season. This article finds Finley and Stein discuss what’s left to do before opening day. More on the naming-rights deal here. The IronPigs have a natural rivalry with the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees (Class AAA; International League).
Firm to weigh prospects of minor-league baseball to Gwinnett County
Posted March 8, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Convention Sports & Leisure International, a Minneapolis-based company that specializes in providing financial and planning advice for stadium projects, was hired to do a study on the economic prospects of minor-league baseball in Gwinnett County in suburban Atlanta. Heck, we could write that study for free: a sports-happy populace will eagerly embrace minor-league baseball in the fast-growing region, but the biggest hurdle will be obtaining the cooperation of the Atlanta Braves at a time when the front office is distracted by the ongoing purchase of the team. Gwinnett County has its own distinct economy and could support Class AA baseball (West Tenn is still on the market, while we’re hearing some whispers Huntsville may be available as well) easily.l
Downtown Fort Wayne ballpark: pro and con
Posted March 8, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Normally we don’t link to a lot of opinion pieces about ballparks — everyone has an opinion, but many are just a lot of ill-informed noise — but the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette has done a pretty good job in assembling a host of voices pro and con about the proposed new downtown ballpark for the Fort Wayne Wizards (Low Class A; Midwest League). Chuck Surack, the owner of a downtown business and a baseball fan, says the new ballpark will improve the city’s quality of life and help attract new businesses — an attitude endorsed by other local businesspeople. Jim Cook argues the entire Harrison Square development, of which the ballpark is a prime component, will help revitalize downtown Fort Wayne. Other readers agree with the idea of downtown revitalization, but they’d rather see a water park or a soccer stadium built.
Rattlers, General Beer teaming for party deck
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The Wisconsin Timber Battlers (Low Class A; Midwest League) announced Wednesday it is partnering with General Beer Northeast of Little Chute to construct a party deck behind the right-field fence at Fox Cities Stadium. Dubbed the Miller High Life Deck, the addition is expected to hold about 300 people and will be made available for groups of 20 or more at a cost of $20 per person and $16 for children ages 12 and under. Included in the price will be a game ticket, an all-you-can-eat buffet and two complimentary beverages.
Ballpark Notes
Posted March 8, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees (Class AAA; International League) have announced an agreement with WNEP 16 to televise four games in 2007, including one road game. Of the four games, two will be shown over the air on WNEP 16 and two will be carried on Newswatch Anytime, WNEP’s digital channel. WNEP’s broadcast schedule begins on opening night, April 5 vs. Norfolk at 7:00 p.m. on Newswatch Anytime followed by April 14 in Pawtucket at 1:05 p.m. (WNEP 16), May 11 vs. Columbus at 7:00 p.m. (Newswatch Anytime) and July 7 at 7:00 p.m. vs. Ottawa (WNEP 16). In addition, WNEP 16 will produce a half-hour special to air Wednesday, April 4th at 7:30 p.m