Archives: Oct. 15-21, 2007
Fish $4M in debt, Katz says
Posted Oct. 19, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Winnipeg Goldeyes (independent; Northern League) made a profit last year but are about $4 million in debt, majority owner Sam Katz said, responding to criticism about a sworn statement claiming the ball club can’t afford to repay the Crocus Investment Fund’s receiver. After four days of getting publicly hammered over his assertion the baseball franchise is not financially capable of paying interest of $434,000 in Crocus loans, Katz went on the offensive, claiming Winnipeg media are deliberately confusing the public about a complex legal issue. "It was pretty sad and pathetic when I heard people try to make the Winnipeg Goldeyes baseball club the scapegoat for the millions lost by Crocus shareholders," said Katz, rejecting the notion the ball club has compounded the financial woes of investors in the disastrous fund, which was placed in receivership in 2005. Katz said the Winnipeg Goldeyes turned a profit last year, but declined to name a dollar figure, stating the team’s shareholders are well aware of the amount. It’s too soon to say whether the team is in the black or red in 2007, he added. But thanks to the club’s ballpark lease and purchases of new equipment such as a $1-million scoreboard, the team remains $4 million in debt. Perhaps we were wrong when we advised Katz to make some public statements about what was going on; this probably won’t help him, and expressing a little sympathy for the 34,000 Manitobans who lost their investment in the Crocus Fund wouldn’t hurt, either.
Portland: Choose baseball or soccer for PGE Park
Posted Oct. 19, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
If the owners of the Portland Beavers (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) want move forward with Major League Soccer, then the baseball team will need to look for a new home, according to MLS President Mark Abbott. The mantra at MLS is that new teams must have soccer-specific facilities, and MLS soccer would mean changes to PGE Park. Soccer is a big sport in Portland: the Portland Timbers (also owned by the Beavers) are a solid draw, and most observers assume MLS would be a solid draw. It’s not clear whether Abbott’s declaration will actually change things: Portland isn’t considered a front-runner to land an MLS franchise in 2009 expansion. Still, the fact it reached the stage where Abbott is comfortable making such an assertion means scenarios for a new ballpark certainly have been discussed.
Whataparty! Hooks to add $250K deck
Posted Oct. 19, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
When the Corpus Christi Hooks (Class AA; Texas League) start their 2008 season, fans will notice a new addition near the first-base line of Whataburger Field that can be rented for private parties. The $250,000 party deck is made possible through a fund set aside for maintenance of Whataburger Field. Before the field was built, the $250,000 sat in a city fund for economic development. Once the field was completed, the city of Corpus Christi became its owner. The Hooks will repay the $250,000 through supplemental lease payments.
Memories, not ballpark, hold the magic for fans
Posted Oct. 19, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
As the city of Detroit debates the future of Tiger Stadium, a Baltimore writer shares his thoughts on the role of ballparks past and present. In the case of Baltimore, Memorial Stadium was torn down after the Orioles moved, with the demolition placed in the ocean and the site used for a senior community, a popular YMCA and Babe Ruth Plaza.
SAL pays tribute to Moss
Posted Oct. 19, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
We’ve been working hard on a book covering the ballparks of North Carolina (let us know if you want more details; a formal announcement will come next week), so we’ve become quite familiar with the history of the South Atlantic League, whose roots can be tracked back to the 1940s when it was the Western Carolina League, later merging with the Tar Heel League and taking on the present moniker some years later. John Henry Moss has been around the league since 1948, when he was elected president of the Western Carolina League, and he was honored for his 50 years of service at a league luncheon in Asheville yesterday.
Warthogs plan festive ceremony for ballpark
Posted Oct. 19, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Winston-Salem Warthogs (High Class A; Carolina League) announced plans yesterday to formally break ground on the team’s $22.6 million downtown baseball stadium on Oct. 30. The public is invited to the ceremony, which will be from 5 to 7:30 p.m. and include food, live music and fireworks. Ryan Manuel, the general manager of the Warthogs, said he hopes to draw 1,000 people to the groundbreaking, but could draw more based on a special guest whose name he declined to reveal. Manuel did say that the guest was a national figure who would "speak on behalf of Warthogs baseball." The 5,500-seat ballpark is on track to open in April 2009.
In memoriam: Billy Berroa
Posted Oct. 19, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Billy Berroa, New York Mets Spanish Broadcaster on Radio WADO 1280 AM, passed away Wednesday in his native country of the Dominican Republic following a long illness. He was 79. Berroa, who was in his second tour as an announcer for Mets Spanish broadcasts, began announcing Major League Baseball games in 1963. In 2007, Berroa, along with fellow WADO announcer and Mets Hispanic Broadcast Coordinator Juan Alicea, had been scheduled to broadcast 25 television simulcasts on Cablevision’s Spanish language tier. Unfortunately, early in the year an illness forced him to return to his home in Santo Domingo to be with his wife. Recognized as one of the most important Spanish voices in both broadcasting and the Mets organization, Berroa was inducted into the Dominican Republic’s Sports Hall of Fame on October 17, 1998.
Ballpark Notes
Posted Oct. 19, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
For a second consecutive year, the Springfield Cardinals have been named Texas League Organization of the Year. "We are very honored to have the wonderful support of Cardinals fans throughout Southwest Missouri," said Vice President/General Manager Matt Gifford. "It’s humbling for our staff to receive this award in back-to-back years, but the fans should definitely get a lot of the credit." "Every member of our staff gives their all throughout the season, so it’s very rewarding to see all their hard work be acknowledged." Despite five home games being lost to rain, the Cardinals drew over 480,000 total fans and averaged 7,078 fans per game in 2007, the second-highest total in all of Double-A….The Sioux Falls Canaries (independent; American Association) and manager Steve Shirley have come to terms on a new contract which will keep Steve as the team’s skipper and player procurement director through the 2009 season. "Steve did a tremendous job for us in 2007," said Canaries General Manager Matt Hansen. "We feel it is important to secure Steve as our manager, as we look to build on our winning season and provide our great fans with a consistent winner on the field." Shirley managed the Canaries to a 53-43 season in 2007. The season was the Canaries second winningest season in club history, and featured the team’s best half, as the Birds went 31-17 in the first half….Daniel Blank is the new head groundskeeper at Dunn Tire Park, the home of the Buffalo Bisons (Class AAA; International League). Blank will replace Kari Allen, who resigned at the end of the 2007 season to take a position at Benedictine University. Blank, 33, spent last season as the head groundskeeper at Regions Park for the Birmingham Barons (Class AA; Southern League)….
Ballpark already bringing business to Reno
Posted Oct. 18, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
It will be more than a year until a new downtown ballpark opens in Reno for the relocated Tucson Sidewinders (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League), but some locals say its presence is bringing new investment to the city. Businessmen from San Francisco and Los Angeles just purchased the old Club Underground on Fourth Street, and there’s talk of a coffee shop into one of the empty buildings across the street. While Fourth Street has never had a very good reputation, the baseball park may change that. Of course, it will take more than a few land transactions to turn around what’s become a depressed downtown, but the early signs are encouraging.
Katz says he tried to settle debt
Posted Oct. 18, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Winnipeg Mayor and Winnipeg Goldeyes (independent; Northern League) owner Sam Katz says he tried repeatedly to sit down with the court-appointed receiver for the Crocus Investment Fund to discuss a settlement on outstanding interest payments but was refused at every turn. Katz said despite allegations he has refused to make good on the Goldeyes’ debt to Crocus, numerous attempts were made to meet with Russ Holmes of Deloitte and Touche to work out a settlement. Even with this admission — and note Katz didn’t try to settle the balance until after the fund failed — Katz faces two problems as the public uproar continues over unpaid loans to a failed Manitoba investment fund. The legal issues are real — a class-action lawsuit will prominently feature the $1.3 million in unpaid loans and interest incurred by the Goldeyes — but the political issues are now becoming more prominent. In addition, some Manitoba politicians are asking why the Goldeyes needed the loans in the first place if the team was as successful as owners claimed. With an amazingly favorable lease — $1 a year in rent and $400,000 coming back in rebates from the city — and what appears to be solid revenues, questions abound. It’s also brought attention to Katz’s personal finances, as outlined in his divorce papers. Now, we’re not too thrilled with the public rifling through divorce papers, but the local newspapers did hold off until his personal finances became an issue with the Goldeyes loans.
Easy answer hard to find for ballpark
Posted Oct. 18, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Everyone assumed that the University of Oregon would be building a ballpark for its reinstated baseball program, but it sounds like officials there would rather play at a renovated Civic Stadium, which would be shared with the Eugene Emeralds (short season; Northwest League). The issue is money: the athletic department will be stretching its finances to build a new arena, and it may be much cheaper to renovate Civic Stadium. The local school district, which owns the ballpark, clearly wants to sell it, but school-board officials say they’ll accept less than top dollar for the right deal. Civic is placed on the National Register of Historic Places, which causes some to wonder whether it can be modernized, but that designation was not designed to prevent modernization and can be worked around.
Ballpark plans must overcome traffic problems
Posted Oct. 18, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
One of the reasons why the Miami Dolphins moved from the Orange Bowl was a problem with traffic on game day — a problem that exists to this day. If a new MLB ballpark is built on the Orange Bowl site that problem will need to be solved, and HNTB recommends a $12 million transportation plan. A plan to tear down the Orange Bowl to make room for a new Florida Marlins ballpark received a boost this week when a committee tentative recommended diverting $50 million in Orange Bowl renovation funds to the ballpark, but it’s still a very unsettled deal. For starters, there still are no final numbers on what it will take to actually build a new ballpark: previous cost estimates assumed a downtown site and don’t include any site prep work (tearing down the Orange Bowl) or additional land HNTB says is needed for expanded parking. Second, the Marlins have been silent about the new deal, and it’s dangerous to assume the Fish will make the same financial commitment to an Orange Bowl ballpark as they tentatively promised for a downtown project ($45 million, $162 million in rent); we’re guessing they will argue the new plan will yield less in revenues for the team. (Indeed, we’ve been told by someone close to the situation that another run at the Florida Legislature for additional funding is highly likely, but that could change.) This isn’t close to being a done deal.
Group buys land for new ballpark
Posted Oct. 18, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
More on the plan to bring an independent Frontier League team to Waterford Township in Michigan. The deal isn’t as final as earlier reported indicated: the investment group exercised a $40,000 purchase option on the property with the current site ownership group on Oct. 5 and has now turned to evaluating the site to make sure it’s suitable for a proposed $9-million, 3,900-seat ballpark. Chances are pretty good the project will proceed, however. Construction of the ballpark — tentatively entitled Diamond at the Summit while naming rights deals are being discussed — could start in June. If everything go as planned, construction will likely take no longer than 11 months, and that the park could be open as early as mid- to late-April 2009. It will sport artificial turf to allow for events throughout the year.
World Series tickets only sold online
Posted Oct. 18, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Colorado Rockies have abandoned their plans to sell World Series tickets in person by a lottery system, opting instead for online purchases only. The team announced the new plan on Wednesday, saying online sales would be more fair. It could be tough going, though, for fans without Internet access. Tickets originally were to go on sale at Coors Field and Rockies’ Dugout Stores in the Denver area at 10 a.m. MDT Monday, as well as online.
Shreveport Sports renew lease for Fair Grounds Field
Posted Oct. 18, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Shreveport Sports (independent; American Association) officials announced on Tuesday that the organization agreed to a five-year lease option and remain at Fair Grounds Field through the 2012 season. The team’s original lease for Fair Grounds Field expired at the end of the 2007 season with two five-year options available. The team also holds an option for another five-year period following this current agreement. The Sports will serve as host for several upcoming events, including the Louisiana High School State Athletic Association Class 4A state baseball championships in 2008 and 2009, along with plans for concerts and other events.
Nonprofit submits plans for saving part of Tiger Stadium
Posted Oct. 18, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Old Tiger Stadium Conservancy has submitted its proposal to save a portion of the ballpark as the city moves forward with demolition plans for other parts of the aging structure. Demolition bids for most of the stadium will go out in about two weeks and could be approved in November with actual dismantling the following month, Brian Holdwick said Wednesday. The Conservancy wants to keep about 3,000 seats from dugout to dugout and the entire infield. The $10 million to $12 million project could be developed into a museum commemorating the city’s sports history.
Still the Swing, at least for now
Posted Oct. 18, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
For now, the name of the Swing of the Quad Cities (Low Class A; Midwest League) will remain the same. The Midwest League club planned to announce the winner of its Your Team, Your Name contest in early October, but the selection of the club’s new nickname won’t be announced until the sale of the franchise is complete. The Midwest League and MiLB have signed off on the deal; all that remains is MLB approval, which has been pretty slow in the last six months.
Board approves settlement between O’s, Stadium Authority
Posted Oct. 18, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Board of Public Works this morning approved a settlement between the Orioles and Maryland Stadium Authority, which clears the way for new audio and visual systems at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Officials from both sides say they plan to have the new systems in place by Opening Day 2008, but acknowledge it will be a tight schedule. Under the agreement, the stadium authority would contribute $3.75 million to pay for an expanded, high-definition screen and scoreboard. The authority would also drop disputed claims for $1.5 million in past rent owed by the Orioles, according to a 23-page settlement document.
MLBPA loses appeal of fantasy-stats case
Posted Oct. 17, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
A federal appeals court upheld a lower court ruling Tuesday that lets a fantasy baseball company use players’ names and statistics without paying a licensing fee. In a 2-1 decision, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel ruled that CBC Distribution and Marketing Inc. doesn’t have to pay the players, even though it profits by using their names and statistics. The Major League Baseball Players Association had argued that companies like CBC are essentially stealing money from players, who charge big fees to endorse things like tennis shoes and soft drinks. The ruling could have a broad impact on the fantasy league industry, which generates more than $1.5 billion annually from millions of participants. The surprise is that the appeal actually garnered the support of a single judge (though, in fairness, he didn’t actually oppose the decision — he merely held that CBC should have fulfilled a licensing deal with MLB Advanced Media): there’s a wide range of case law stating that facts cannot be copyrighted; only their presentation. (Feist Publications v. Rural Telephone Company held that basic facts cannot be copyrighted, while