Archives: April 9-15, 2007
Twins unveil ballpark plans
Posted April 12, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Minnesota Twins’ new ballpark design got its public unveiling Thursday. HOK Sport presented their idea for a ballpark to nestled on the west side of downtown Minneapolis. "It’s a ballpark for the ages," said Earl Santee, the HOK executive who is spearheading the architectural effort. "We wanted it to be light, airy and outdoorsy." In other words, welcome to the anti-Metrodome. Twenty-five years years after Minnesotans first walked inside a tight, sterile facility that came in under budget, they got a look at a ballpark that manages to look wide open despite the fact it is encumbered by the smallest land area HOK has ever worked on for a major-league park. "That was part of the challenge and it is an ongoing one," Santee said..
County votes to proceed with Twins land condemnation
Posted April 11, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
A major hurdle to the construction of a new Minnesota Twins ballpark in downtown Minneapolis was cleared yesterday when the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners voted to initiate eminent-domain proceedings against Land Partners II, the group owning a key parcel in the Warehouse District. Hennepin County and Land Partners II have been at odds over the price of the land: Hennepin County has offered $13.35 million, but Land Partners II has held out for more, with the most recent asking price at $21 million. An agreement needs to be reached with Burlington Northern over a rail line going through the site, but that’s not expected to be as contentious. Next up: the two sides will go to court and make a case to a three-judge panel, who will determine the final price of the land. The stalemate between the two sides was broken when the Twins intervened and vowed to cover cost overruns in the land-acquisition process; that agreement has not been put to paper, however, and some Hennepin County officials were leery of proceeding without a written guarantee. That the disagreement end up in court is not really surprising if you know the participants: Hennepin County commissioners are largely liberal DFLers and the leaders of Land Partners II are staunch conservative Republicans, and there’s some history between the two sides. Add to that a combative counsel employed by Land Partners II, and you had a situation where compromise was going to be next to impossible — both sides were responsible for the mess, which could have been avoided if personality conflicts weren’t so heavily involved. The Twins will be unveiling plans for the new ballpark tomorrow at a press conference at the Hennepin County Government Center. More from AP.
O-Royals unveil Rosenblatt Stadium enhancements
Posted April 11, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Fans who attend the Omaha Royals (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) home opener this Friday night at Rosenblatt Stadium will be experiencing a more intimate atmosphere. Seat covers have been installed, covering all of the outfield bleacher seats, as well as the seats on the first base and third base wings of the grandstand. Also, in the middle of the grandstand, the upper rows of Sections F-M will be roped off.
The enhancements will result in a reconfigured Rosenblatt Stadium for most Royals home games, with a seating capacity of 9,441. The stadium seating will be expanded to its full 24-000 seat capacity for the annual July 3rd Omaha World-Herald Independence Day celebration.
Prominent Omaha-based companies will have advertisements displayed on several of the larger seat covers in the outfield bleachers. Besides the advertisements, the seat covers also feature promotional information, pennants from Omaha’s four championship teams (1969, 1970, 1978 and 1990) and the Royals new 2007 logo. That logo includes the team’s “Fun For Everyone” slogan and notes that the 2007 season is being presented by Werner Enterprises, Inc. The presenting sponsorship, announced in February, is the first of its kind in the team’s 39-year history.
The Royals also recently completed installation of a wireless camera system at the ‘Blatt, which will allow for a heightened level of fan interaction on the ballpark’s closed circuit TV system and on the video board in left field. The new system will allow camera operators to roam throughout the stadium.
Additionally, improvements have occurred in concessions. Most food stands at Rosenblatt Stadium will accept credit cards during the upcoming season. Other improvements that fans may notice at Rosenblatt Stadium include: upgraded restrooms, new flags and pennants in the front plaza and an enhanced Royals memorabilia collection in the Stadium View Club.
Bidders are lining up to own Cubs
Posted April 11, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
At least four local bidders, including Thomas Begel, who runs a private equity group, and Thomas Mandler, a lawyer whose group lost out to Tribune in its attempt to acquire the Chicago Cubs in 1981, have declared their candidacies to buy the iconic franchise. Others are quietly assembling investors to buy a team that is virtually certain to sell for well over $500 million and almost certainly more than the $660 million that was paid in 2002 for the Boston Red Sox, the most ever for a major-league team. Jerry Colangelo, the chairman of the Phoenix Suns and the onetime free-spending general partner of the Arizona Diamondbacks, is said to be interested. Mark Cuban, the rambunctious and idiosyncratic Internet billionaire who owns the Dallas Mavericks, said by e-mail that he might be interested in fulfilling the wishes of some Cubs fans for a real hands-on owner. “Maybe,” he wrote, “they have seen me sing ‘Take Me Out to the Ball Game’ there,” which he did in 2002. A local investment banker, John Canning, who is a limited partner in the Milwaukee Brewers, is also said to be considering a bid. We’ve also heard a few names not listed here quietly approaching Tribune Co. to express their interest. Many are predicting whoever buys the Cubs will be forced to make changes to Wrigley Field to squeeze more revenue from the facility should the paid be sold in tandem. More from the New York Sun, which inexplicably places the venerable old facility on Waverly (perhaps he meant Waveland) — everyone knows the address is 1060 W. Addison, the corner of Clark and Addison.
Potential sale of SWB Yankees approved
Posted April 11, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Lackawanna County’s top politician has a message for those who opposed the Republican majority’s vision for the future of baseball in Northeastern Pennsylvania. "Politicians, move out of the way," Commissioner Chairman Robert C. Cordaro exclaimed Tuesday morning after he and fellow Republican A.J. Munchak approved purchase option and management agreements with the private group that is looking to manage, and ultimately buy, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees (Class AAA; International League). Both agreements must be approved by baseball’s governing bodies, as would a sale, if SWB Yankees LLC — a partnership between the New York Yankees and Mandalay Baseball Properties — decides to exercise its option to purchase the team. More on the deal from the Citizen’s Voice and the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader.
Miami officials offended at Loria’s insistence on downtown ballpark
Posted April 11, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Miami-Dade County Commissioner Natacha Seijas says the Florida Marlins hardly helped themselves over the weekend with their insistence that the team’s ballpark be built downtown on a site designated for the county’s new juvenile-justice center. The team’s comments were a "completely and absolutely offensive" brushback of the county’s children, Seijas said Tuesday during a meeting of the commission’s Governmental Affairs and Operations committee. "The Marlins need to be more respectful when interviewed on TV. They need to be more respectful of the children’s courthouse." Talk about a tin ear for politics: the Orange Bowl site isn’t even available yet and the Marlins front office has managed to offend someone who should be a key ally.
Mayor, Ripken Baseball announce new Augusta ballpark plan
Posted April 11, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Mayor Deke Copenhaver and Bill Ripken of Ripken Baseball family announced that a Downtown Stadium Exploratory Committee will study the feasibility of a 6,000-seat ballpark on the Savannah River between 11th and 13th streets for the Augusta GreenJackets (Low Class A; Sally League). The initial cost of the project is $20 million, with the city picking up part of the cost of the project is approved by voters via referendum. cost are a step closer to landing a new downtown ballpark. The study could be released as soon as August. The panel will visit Durham Bulls Athletic Park, First Horizon Field and West End Field. City officials are already somewhat skeptical of the plan.
Aaron: No celebration if record falls
Posted April 11, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Hank Aaron doesn’t plan to be at the ballpark if and when Barry Bonds breaks his home run record. "Uh-uh. No, no. I’m not going to be around," Aaron was quoted as saying in Tuesday’s editions of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Bonds has 735 homers, 20 short of Aaron’s career record. While Aaron has declined most interview requests in recent months, he spoke with Journal-Constitution columnist Terence Moore. Aaron said he wouldn’t attend if Bonds were within reach of the record when the San Francisco Giants play at Turner Field from Aug. 14-16.
Ogren-Allegiance Park rounding into form as season approaches
Posted April 11, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Work on Ogren-Allegiance Park, the home of the Missoula Osprey (rookie; Pioneer League), is underway and the ballpark should be mostly completed once the season opens in June. For the Osprey, the prospect of playing in a completed ballpark should be a heady experience (both Ogren-Allegiance Park and the team’s former home largely featured temporary buildings and bleachers. A rebuilt press box had no walls or floor on Tuesday, but that will come in time. So will the bathroom fixtures and concession benches, a full grill inside one concession stand and a 100-foot-long aluminum deck that will extend above the decline to the playing field along the right-field line. Between 250 and 300 seats will be added down each side of the park. More grass seating will be planted down the left-field line in an area that’s full of rocks now. The ballpark will seat 3,500 to 4,000 comfortably.
High-rise to replace high fly balls at Al Lang?
Posted April 11, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
With the Tampa Bay Devil Rays slated to move spring-training operations to Charlotte County in 2009, the future of historic Al Lang Field, the team’s current spring home, is in doubt. Primarily a ballpark — its formal name is Al Lang Field at Progress Energy Park — the site has been host for numerous sports and civic events since 1947, including Major League Baseball spring training. There are safeguards to prevent a wholesale revamping of the facility, but the city is looking at revamping its land development regulations, so in theory high rises could be built on the site someday.
Ticket revenue breaks record: Surprise spring training scores
Posted April 11, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Spring-training revenues were way up and attendance nearly shattered Surprise Stadium’s all-time record but city staff members consider 2007 spring training their most challenging to date. Ticket revenues for the 2007 spring-training session pushed the $2 million threshold, according to city documentation. The Texas Rangers brought in about $958,337 in ticket revenue while the Kansas City Royals saw $849,521. Both those numbers were up significantly over 2006 — the Rangers ticket revenues increased 23 percent and the Royals were up 22 percent.
Fate of Memorial Stadium up in the air
Posted April 11, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
If a new downtown ballpark is built for the Fort Wayne Wizards (Low Class A; Midwest League), the future of the team’s current home, Memorial Stadium, is in serious doubt. Some want to see it maintained as the home of Indiana University-Purdue University, but the university can’t afford it and there’s not a lot of appetite toward devoting millions in an endowment to cover expenses. There’s nothing structurally wrong with Memorial Stadium, but it could be argued the facility is economically decrepit — and that may seal its doom. More from the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel. Meanwhile, The Harrison Square project – if it were built – would directly create almost 500 jobs and nearly $70 million in household earnings over a decade, according to report released by Fort Wayne city officials.
Snow follows Indians, but they can play
Posted April 11, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Even if Milwaukee gets blanketed with the predicted 10 inches of snow overnight, Cleveland Indians manager Eric Wedge will wake up knowing that his team still can play baseball on Wednesday. And given the events of the past week, he’s pretty sure of one thing. "We brought it with us," Wedge said. After sitting through a weekend’s worth of snow in Cleveland without playing a game that counted, the Indians finally got to play a home opener of sorts, beating the Los Angeles Angels 7-6 Tuesday night under the retractable roof at Milwaukee’s Miller Park — some 450 miles away from Jacobs Field. An announced crowd of 19,031 — which included Indians superfan John Adams and his trademark drum — was on hand.
Northern League perfect fit for city: Griffith
Posted April 11, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Like everything else, it all comes down to location, location, location. And to Clark Griffith’s thinking, Saskatoon is perfect for an expansion team for the independent Northern Baseball. Little obstacles — such as who might be willing to put up the $1 million US in expansion fees, or who would have a few hundred thousand to finance the team through a 96-game season, or even how you can get fans to sit in a badly outdated ballpark — can all be overcome, Griffith said Tuesday as he surveyed the city to see what it has to offer. Griffith openly admits nobody has knocked down his door to get on board, which is why he flew into Saskatoon late Monday and spent Tuesday meeting with Saskatoon Chamber of Commerce officials and Mayor Don Atchison, as well as touring the city.
Brooks Robinson to join ownership of Southern Maryland/Keystone Baseball
Posted April 11, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Maryland/Keystone Baseball announced plans for a press conference later this week to announce that Baltimore Orioles legend Brooks Robinson has joined the ownership group, and we assume it’s part of a restructuring that will combine the two entities. Maryland Baseball and Keystone Baseball own the Lancaster Barnstormers, the York Revolution (independent; Atlantic League), the Camden RiverSharks and the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs (all independent; Atlantic League).
South Coast League looking to produce documentary on Peanuts
Posted April 11, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The South Coast League, in cooperation with John Fitzgerald — producer/director of “The Emerald Diamond,” a documentary about the Irish National Baseball Team, are teaming up to bring fans an inside look into the hearts, minds, and lives of the players, coaches, and staff of a minor-league baseball team. "Playing for Peanuts" is a proposed reality TV show concept that will follow the first season of the South Georgia Peanuts, a member of the newly formed South Coast League. Besides embracing the daily struggles of a grueling 90-game baseball schedule, “Playing for Peanuts” will delve into the personal challenges that players, coaches, and staffs encounter throughout the year. The production is currently seeking investment capital to finance the first four episodes of a ten-episode season. Shooting is set to begin on May 1, with ten episodes planned for the 2007 season.
College Baseball Foundation announces 11 2007 inductees
Posted April 11, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The College Baseball Foundation announced the names of the eleven collegiate baseball legends joining four veteran candidates in the 2007 Induction Class into the new College Baseball Hall of Fame in Lubbock, Texas. The announcement comes after the conclusion of an intensive voting process that began with nominations in January and three elimination ballots.
The Class of 2007 includes legendary coaches Jim Brock of Arizona State, Chuck “Bobo” Brayton of Washington State, Bibb Falk of Texas, Jerry Kindall of Arizona and Dick Siebert of Minnesota, in addition to standout former players Jim Abbott of Michigan, Pete Incaviglia of Oklahoma State, Fred Lynn of USC, John Olerud of Washington State, Phil Stephenson of Wichita State and Derek Tatsuno of Hawai’i.
Winkin has eye on NECBL team
Posted April 11, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Summer baseball has two strikes against it in Bangor over the last decade, but a group of well-known boys of summer are teaming up to make a strong pitch to bring it back. Husson College baseball coach John Winkin has joined former major league All-Star Mike Bordick, baseball entrepreneur and former UMaine player and assistant coach Mike Coutts, and Penobscot County commissioner and Bangor lawyer Peter Baldacci to bring a New England Collegiate Baseball League and begin play in the summer of 2008. The Winkin complex was formerly home to the Bangor Lumberjax (independent; Can-Am Association).
Thompson: It’s Ebbets Field…in name only
Posted April 11, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
At the old Ebbets Field site, crime, poverty and apathy continue the destruction that a wrecking ball began nearly 50 years ago. On a quiet day, you can imagine the cheers and the baseball fans moving toward the Sullivan Place rotunda in Brooklyn, suits and ties, fedoras and pocket squares, fathers holding sons’ hands, generations winding down to familiar s