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Archives: Dec. 9-15, 2007

Archives: Dec. 9-15, 2007
Marlins funding closer to reality
Posted Dec. 14, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Florida Marlins may finally get the elusive funding for their long-sought retractable-roof ballpark after Miami commissioners approved on Thursday a wide-ranging plan to fund billions of dollars worth of projects in the city. The plan, hammered out between the city and Miami-Dade County, expands the boundaries and extends the life of Miami’s Community Redevelopment Agencies to generate millions of property tax dollars to pay down debt on the Carnival Center for the Performing Arts and fund projects such as the development of a museum park and a traffic tunnel to the Port of Miami. With those dollars going to the performing arts center, about $158 million worth of hotel bed tax dollars will be freed up to pay for a ballpark and possibly a Major League Soccer stadium at the Orange Bowl. The plan calls for $155 million from the Marlins on the front end, $199 million in tourist tax dollars and $50 million from a General Obligation Bond issued by Miami-Dade County, and $121 million from the city. It is amazing to see such a financial plan come together so quickly, though let’s not forget the Marlins front office still has not signed off on the deal, although comments made by team president David Samson certainly were optimistic. But this does represent the best plan ever for a new Marlins ballpark, as it has the greatest chance to be approved — but it’s still not a sure thing.

 

 

Lynx spat puts Can-Am launch on hold
Posted Dec. 14, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Efforts to bring an independent Can-Am Association team to Ottawa’s Lynx Stadium are once again on hold after the league and the owners of the Ottawa Lynx (Class AAA; International League) failed to reach an agreement on the use of concession equipment owned by the Lynx. The Lynx own the equipment and don’t have a problem with the Can-Am team using it, but want to be compensated if the city is going to use it for other events such as concerts. It doesn’t sound like the delay will be too serious, but given the contentious history between the Lynx and the city in recent years, you can understand what’s going on. Meanwhile, Can-Am Association commissioner Miles Wolff continues to put together an ownership group for the franchise; Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels will be part of it.

Cubs, state confirm preliminary Wrigley talks
Posted Dec. 14, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Tribune Co. executives and Illinois Sports Facilities Authority (ISFA) officials confirmed Thursday that they have held preliminary talks about the state possibly buying and operating historic Wrigley Field. Both sides also stressed that a ballpark sale could be financed without additional taxes and that naming rights eventually could be sold to help fund renovations. The deal is being pushed as a way to keep the Cubs at Wrigley Field, but we do think that’s a bluff: the Cubbies would lose an important part of their marketing identity if they moved to a site other than Wrigley Field. But Mayor Richard Daley, whose agreement would be required, questioned why the state would make Wrigley Field a priority when lawmakers cannot find money to stave off major transit-service cuts. And Daley said he would oppose any Chicago tax increase to bankroll a ballpark purchase. So far the Cubs and ISFA officials have done a pretty crappy job in framing the discussion. First, it was stupid not to seek Daley’s input from the beginning: opposition from the popular mayor could indeed sink the proposal. Second, by not pushing the proposal as a historic-preservation measure — "who knows what future owners will do to the shrine known as Wrigley Field?" — the Cubs and ISFA are already giving ammunition to critics who will say this is a bailout for a billionaire owner. It is, and now Sam Zell is going to the central topic. Gotta love Chicago politics. Many fans are not sure the purchase of Wrigley Field is a good idea; lawmakers aren’t thrilled, either.

Aberdeen ballpark profit may rise in ’07, but city’s share stays small
Posted Dec. 14, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Profits from renting Ripken Stadium, the home of the Aberdeen IronBirds (short season; NY-Penn League), on non-game days are expected to go up for 2007, but the city of Aberdeen will still get a smaller share than expected, officials said Thursday. An overlooked line in the city’s contract with Tufton Professional Baseball LLC meant Aberdeen received nearly $50,000 less than it was expecting from renting the ballpark for non-baseball events in 2006, which Tufton and Ripken Baseball spokesman John Maroon said was in part due to lower profits that year. Total revenues from 2007 have yet to be calculated, Maroon said.

Ballpark Notes
Posted Dec. 14, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Fort Worth Cats (independent; American Association) added James Frisbie and Heath Autrey to their 2008 coaching staff. Frisbie, who will serve as pitching coach, was the manager of the Bradenton Juice (independent; South Coast League) in 2007. Autrey was the head coach of the Coppell Copperheads (independent; Texas Collegiate League) in 2007. Autrey, who is the head baseball coach at Red Oak High School, started his coaching career at UT-Pan American….The Chicago Cubs extended its PDCs with all its minor-league affiliates, including the Boise Hawks (short season; Northwest League), the Iowa Cubs (Class AAA; International League) and the Daytona Cubs (High Class A; Florida State League)….The Michigan Baseball Foundation announced that Bob Rocks has joined the organization as the Director of Development, a newly created position. Rocks will work on a volunteer basis developing relationships and awareness for MBF through fundraisers, special events, and other networking functions. He also will be heavily involved in the Foundation’s grant application and award process….

"New" for 2008: The Quad Cities River Bandits
Posted Dec. 13, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
There’s a "new" team name in the Quad Cities: After a four-year absence the River Bandits will once again be the name of professional baseball in the Quad Cities. Fans chose Quad Cities River Bandits (Low Class A; Midwest League) as their favorite, as the name emerged as the fan’s choice in a name-the-team contest, garnering more than 51 percent of the tally with 7,212 total votes. Better than 14,000 fans chimed in during the contest, which saw the name Channel Cats finish second with 30 percent of the vote. The other four options — Talons, Current, River Eagles, and Swing — all received between four and six percent of the total vote.
    To say that things will be different in the Quad Cities next season is an understatement: John O’Donnell Stadium sports a new name (Modern Woodmen Park), a new mascot (the raccoon bandit), the new name and new colors. To say that the new logo is marketable is an understatement.
    "The fans have spoken loud and clear," said Main Street Iowa’s Dave Heller, managing partner of the group that completed their purchase of the club less than two weeks earlier. "This community clearly has strong positive associations with the name River Bandits, and as we look forward to our first season running the club we are glad to embrace that sentiment. Our goal is to return to the days when going to see the River Bandits was one of the most popular things to do in the Quad Cities."
    That means that 2008 will mark the second coming of the River Bandits, which served as the team’s moniker from 1992-2003 before shifting to the Swing of the Quad Cities in conjunction with the unveiling of the renovated John O’Donnell Stadium prior to the 2004 season. The Swing never really caught on; it was probably a better concept than a working moniker.
    The new primary logo features a black-and-gray raccoon donning a bandit hat and wearing a red bandana over his mouth while holding a baseball. Behind the raccoon is an image of Centennial Bridge outlined in gold, sitting above the text, Quad Cities River Bandits. Alternate logos and hats will be unveiled next week and the new uniforms will be unveiled in late January.
    The logo was the work of Francis Santaquilani of FSDesign.
    "The River Bandits new logo will have broad appeal," Santaquilani said. "It captures the spirit of Minor League Baseball as well as the Quad Cities." More from the Quad Cities Times.

 

Clemens, Pettitte, Tejada among players past and present named in Mitchell report
Posted Dec. 13, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, Miguel Tejada, Rondell White, Chuck Knoblauch, David Justice, Mo Vaughn, Kevin Brown, Matt Herges, Eric Gagne, Paul Lo Doca and Barry Bonds are just some of the players cited in a report on an MLB drug-usage report issued today by Sen. George Mitchell’s investigation into drug use by MLB players. In the report, Mitchell rips the players’ union for instructing players not to cooperate with the investigation and noted opposition from union officials on the subject had prevented MLB from instituting a more serious drug-testing program, but also noted that Commissioner Bud Selig and owners weren’t too interested in pushing the issue, either. Much of what is in the report is based on the testimony of Kirk Radomski, but some former players (like the aforementioned Justice) did meet with investigators.

 

State looks to buy Wrigley Field
Posted Dec. 13, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
City and state officials have had discussions with Chicago Cubs executives about possibly selling historic Wrigley Field to a state government entity that currently owns and operates the White Sox’s home, U.S. Cellular Field. The talks with state and city officials centered on selling the 93-year-old facility to the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority (ISFA), the government unit the Illinois General Assembly created in 1987 for the purpose of building what was then the new Comiskey Park. It’s hard to say how serious these talks are. For the new owners of the Cubs, having someone else own and maintain Wrigley Field would be a plus, as the ISFA traditionally has let the White Sox run U.S. Cellular Field and put together its own deals: it was the White Sox, not the ISFA, that put together the U.S. Cellular naming-rights deal that funded the most recent renovations to the ballpark. Whether there’s political will for the state to buy Wrigley Field and then basically turn it over to a private venture remains to be seen; you can also expect the issue of naming rights to come up as one way to fund the deal.

Batavia New York-Penn team could be out
Posted Dec. 13, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Financial issues could force the sale of the Batavia Muckdogs (short season; NY-Penn League). Buried in debt and facing an ultimatum from minor league baseball’s governing body, the Muckdogs are on the verge of being called out on strikes. They’ve been told they must raise $250,000 by Friday or the league will shut down the franchise. The team has lost between $150,000 and $160,000 over the past two seasons. The chairman of the corporation that oversees operations says a contributor is willing to pay off the debt. However, the Muckdogs have been told they also must establish a quarter-million-dollar escrow account that would serve as a contingency fund should the losses continue to mount. We 

 

Marlins’ ballpark plan gets new life
Posted Dec. 13, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Florida Marlins have had a day to digest a new-ballpark funding proposal put forth by Miami-Dade County officials, and while they’re not committing to it, they’re not rejecting it yet, either. Besides the increased cost of the facility, the biggest change comes on what would be expected of the Marlins: $155 million up front instead of $207 million paid in rent over 20 years. If you’re the Marlins — an organization whose ownership is not dominated by billionaires and has reportedly had cash-flow issues in recent years — the change is not necessarily good, as the original plan basically financed the Marlins’ financial contribution in terms of rent. One thing that may change: the Marlins want a completely climate-controlled facility with a retractable roof a la Chase Field. County officials, meanwhile, say they were intrigued by the proposed Tampa Bay Rays ballpark where a sail-like cloth cover could be used to shield the seating areas from rain and wind. Here’s more on the financing plan; the big bonus for the Fish is that it doesn’t require a public referendum. More on the political issues facing the development.

Proposal for new Warthogs ballpark reveals new wrinkles
Posted Dec. 13, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
A public unveiling of plans for a new downtown Winston-Salem Warthogs (High Class A; Carolina League) ballpark before the city’s Community Appearance Commission generated some positive comments and a few negative ones, mostly centering around a giant advertisement for Primo Water, a bottled-water company Prim started in 2004. The advertisement wasn’t mentioned last summer when Prim asked the Winston-Salem City Council to rezone the land for the ballpark, but the latest designs have a 38-foot-tall long-neck bottle of Primo Water standing on one of the stadium walls. As proposed, the top of the bottle would shoot up about six stories tall.

 

For many, ballpark always will be JOD
Posted Dec. 13, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Columnist Don Doxsie reacts to the plan by the new owners of the Swing of the Quad Cities (Low Class A; Midwest League) to sell naming rights to John O’Donnell Stadium. O’Donnell was a longtime sports editor in the Quad Cities and pushed for the construction of the current ballpark, and the team does plan on honoring his legacy in several ways. But the move to Modern Woodmen Park doesn’t seem to be generating much of an outcry, mainly because Modern Woodmen is another local institution — formed before the ballpark was built, as a matter of fact — that will be involved in promoting the park and the team. Remember: the "new" name of the team will be revealed today. Look to the past, grasshopper.

San Diego swings for World Baseball Classic again
Posted Dec. 13, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
After hosting the semifinals and finals of the inaugural World Baseball Classic in 2006, the San Diego Padres are looking to host it again at Petco Park in 2009. Last year’s baseball tournament, which featured 16 international teams, culminated in a Japan victory over Cuba and drew baseball aficionados from all over the globe. Tickets sold to more than 737,000 fans from all 50 states and 16 other countries. The next World Baseball Classic should be better-organized than the inaugural affair, and San Diego should know early next year whether it will be hosting games.

Smokies, Cubs extend PDC through 2012
Posted Dec. 13, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Tennessee Smokies (Class AA; Southern League) announced the signing of a four-year extension of their current player development contract with their parent club, the Chicago Cubs. The Smokies are currently in the second year of their initial two-year agreement with the Cubs. With the extension, the Smokies will serve as the Class AA affiliate of the Cubs through the 2012 season.  Tennessee signed a two-year initial agreement with Chicago last year after a two-year agreement with Arizona Diamondbacks expired. The new agreement with the Cubs marked the fourth MLB affiliation for the Smokies since the opening of Smokies Park in 2000. Prior to the Cubs, the Smokies also served as the Class AA affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays and St. Louis Cardinals, as well as Arizona.

Chiefs, Cubs extend PDC through 2012
Posted Dec. 13, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Peoria Chiefs (Low Class A; Midwest League) and Chicago Cubs have announced a four-year extension to their player development contract that will extend the affiliation through the 2012 season. The current agreement, signed in September 2004, was set to expire after the 2008 Chiefs season. "We are thrilled to extend agreements with our five minor-league affiliates," said Cubs Vice President of Player Personnel Oneri Fleita. "Our minor league clubs are a key contributor to the recent success we have enjoyed at the major league level, and they continue to help develop players who will impact the organization in the future." The Chiefs were affiliated with the Cubs from 1985-1994 as well so this new agreement will give the Cubs and Chiefs a total of 18 years together in partnership at the end of the 2012 season.

Owlz, Angels extend PDC through 2012
Posted Dec. 13, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Orem Owlz (rookie; Pioneer League) Thursday announced an extension of the team’s Player Development Contract with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim through 2012. The announcement was made jointly by the Angels’ Director of Player Development Abe Flores and Aaron Wells, General Manager of the Orem Owlz. The previous agreement was set to expire after the 2010 season. "We are pleased to reach this long-term extension and that the Orem Owlz Baseball Club will be an Angels’ affiliate through the 2012 season," said Flores. "The Angels believe the Orem franchise is the ‘crown jewel’ of the Pioneer League and we value our strong relationship with the Owlz’ ownership, front office and their special group of supportive fans. The Angels look forward to more success in Orem, both on and off the field, in the years to come." As the Angels’ Pioneer League affiliate since 2001, the Owlz, under the direction of manager Tom Kotchman, have won three league titles and six divisional titles, while qualifying for the playoffs every year.

Ballpark Notes
Posted Dec. 13, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Portland Beavers (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) manager Rick Renteria was named first-base coach for the San Diego Padres, it was announced by Padres executive vice president/general manager Kevin Towers. It is the first major league coaching position for Renteria, who was set to return to the Beavers for a second season as the team’s manager prior to his appointment to Padres manager Bud Black’s staff….The independent Northern League is changing its playoff and standings structures. Six teams will compete in a single division, there will be no half-season champs, and the top four teams at the end of the season will make the playoffs. No, this isn’t the drastic change in the Northern League we hinted at in our most recent broadcast; that news should be released in the next few weeks….

New Marlins ballpark funding plan proposed
Posted Dec. 12, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
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