Archives: Jan. 15-21, 2008
Marlins lease proposal not expected until February
Posted Jan. 18, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
A proposed lease for a new Florida Marlins ballpark probably won’t be reviewed by the Miami-Dade County Commission until February, as negotiations are still ongoing. Miami-Dade County and the city of Miami have already worked out their funding proposal for the new ballpark, to be built on the current site of the Orange Bowl, but the Marlins are still reviewing their proposal financial contribution (over $200 million upfront) and whether or not to seek state aid (most everyone agrees it’s a bad idea). In addition, there’s a whole host of small, technical issues that need to be addressed. The two sides are close; it sounds like making the agenda of the Feb. 5 meeting is doable — at this point, anyway.
In memoriam: David Ramsey
Posted Jan. 18, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
David Ramsey, organist for the Memphis Redbirds (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) for the past 36 seasons, passed away yesterday after a lengthy battle with cancer. He was 68 years old. The legendary organist was also a music teacher and alum of Rhodes College. After graduating in 1961 he began teaching part-time at Rhodes in 1965 before joining the staff full-time in 1975. As the organist for Memphis baseball beginning in 1971 Ramsey saw over 2,000 home games, seven no-hit games, three championship teams and played at two ballparks. He outlasted 15 general managers, 14 radio announcers, 10 club presidents, seven ownership groups and seven major-league affiliates.
"Baseball and life around the ballpark is all about the people we meet, work with and get to know," Redbirds President/GM Dave Chase said. "I first worked with David in 1979, my second season in baseball, at McCarver Stadium with the Chicks. From that time forward David was always quick with a smile and a heartfelt ‘How are you doing.’ I missed him last season and will always remember him when I walk through the press box and see the ballpark organ sitting primed for another game, another season — but without our friend, David."
At the end of every game night Ramsey would end his day by playing "Two bits and a dollar," sometimes leaving the final note hanging for several minutes before finishing the song. On the final day of the season he would leave that final note suspended over a cold off-season and every spring the first thing he did was finish the song he had left out in the cold.
Funeral services will be held Tuesday at Idlewild Presbyterian Church at 3:30 p.m. Visitation will be held Monday from 5-7 p.m. at Memorial Park Funeral Home. A memorial fund has been set up with Rhodes College, First Presbyterian Church and the Memphis Chapter of the American Guild of Organists being the beneficiaries.
P-Nats hire firm to market naming rights
Posted Jan. 18, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Potomac Nationals (High Class A; Carolina League) are sweetening the deal for a new ballpark by entering into an agreement with Front Row Marketing Services to sell naming rights for the proposed facility. Front Row Marketing Services is a subsidiary of the national sports and entertainment firm Comcast-Spectacor. According to Front Row, the eventual naming partner will receive millions of dollars in media exposure each season. The relationship will provide the opportunity for a company to go beyond traditional branding and showcase products and services at the ballpark and throughout the greater Washington, D.C. area.
The Nationals are proposing a new ballpark just north of the team’s current facility, Pfitzner Stadium. The 6,500-seat venue will feature 14 luxury suites, a right field party deck, a play area for children, grass berm seating in left field, and a full-service picnic area overlooking the playing field. The issue is funding: Prince William County is facing a $51-million budget deficit, so any talk of public money is a touchy subject.
Reds ask about Lee County as possible spring-training home
Posted Jan. 18, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
It sounds like a consultant for the Cincinnati Reds is making the rounds and exploring spring-training options around Florida. In this case, Deputy County Manager Bill Hammond was asked about potential spring complex sites in Lee County, which already hosts the Minnesota Twins and the Boston Red Sox. Bonita Springs had once considered a complex and then rejected it; Cape Coral is small, but the mayor’s hot to consider it. We’re a little surprised no one is discussing an expansion of Lee County Sports Complex, where the Twins play games at Hammond Stadium: there are already eight baseball/softball diamonds in the 80-acre complex and plenty of parking.
Gwinnett County back to secret deals
Posted Jan. 18, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
There continues to be some fallout from the rather rash decision by Gwinnett County to go ahead with public funding of a new ballpark for the Richmond Braves (Class AAA; International League), as the Atlanta Journal-Constitution wonders whether the deal is in the best interests of local taxpayers. It’s not, which is why such large public projects need to be vetted with hearing and feedback. Here’s the deal: after two years of the Atlanta Braves and R-Braves declaring there’s no way an affiliated team would be allowed in suburban Atlanta, the opposition ended. During most of this time Gwinnett County was working with a developer who was seeking to build a ballpark as part of a larger development, and it was this developer working with the various independent leagues on a game plan. But when the R-Braves became available, the county swooped in and took control of the project, committing to a $45-million ballpark without a development partner or sources of funding past some general-tax dollars. A hasty decision, to say the least, and one that the commissioners may end up regretting. In discussions for a new Richmond ballpark, the R-Braves front office had never rejected the idea of spending team money on the ballpark, but in this instance Gwinnett County officials apparently never even asked. A great deal for the R-Braves, to be sure.
Creative, logical thinking can boost Comerica Park’s capacity
Posted Jan. 18, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Detroit Tigers want to add more seats to Comerica Park based on the current popularity of the team. Lynn Henning discusses all the ways the ballpark can be expanded but shows a lot of frustration with the basic design of the ballpark. Most of what he proposes would add premium seats to the mix — you could add dugout suits and high-end seating in front of the current home-run fence — but in the long run there’s not many places to put in whole new sections of seats.
The real ‘Coop’ is worthy of recognition
Posted Jan. 18, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The argument from columnist Ann Fisher is that Huntington Park, slated to be the new home of the Columbus Clippers (Class AAA; International League), should contain some sort of tribute to Harold Cooper, who was key in bringing baseball to Columbus and for whom Cooper Stadium is named. Cooper grew up near Red Bird Stadium and worked there as a young adult; he was owner of the Columbus Jets when that team moved from Ottawa.
Indians remove Jacobs Field sign from Progressive Field
Posted Jan. 18, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Today marks the end of an era as crews removed the Jacobs Field logo in preparation of the new Progressive Field logo, as the naming-rights deal struck by the Cleveland Indians become all too real. The park had been known as Jacobs Field since it opened in 1994, named when the team had been owned by developer Richard Jacobs. Progressive Insurance purchased naming rights for $58 million.
Thunder, SWB Yankees to square off in exhibition
Posted Jan. 18, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The two top affiliates of the New York Yankees will square off in an April 1 exhibition games, when the Trenton Thunder (Class AA; Eastern League) host the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees (Class AAA; International League). This game will give fans the chance to see the top levels of the Yankees’ minor-league system while reuniting players from last season’s Eastern League Championship Thunder team who have moved on to the AAA level.
In memoriam: John Hale Sr.
Posted Jan. 18, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
John McHale Sr., who played on the Detroit Tigers team that won the 1945 World Series and went on to become baseball executive with the Tigers, Atlanta Braves and Montreal Expos, has died. He was 86. McHale died Thursday morning in a hospice unit near his home in Palm City. He was the original president of the Montreal Expos when they joined the National League. Hale later worked in the commissioner’s office.
In memoriam: Marty Hentin
Posted Jan. 18, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
This is a bit belated, but we had to note the passing of Marty Hentin, who worked for the St. Louis Cardinals 35 years in public relations, marketing and community relations. He was 59. Hendin was a graduate of University City High and the University of Missouri-St. Louis. He went to work for the Cardinals in 1973, and over the years built up a huge collection of Cardinals memorabilia in his Busch Stadium office, which came to be known as "Trinket City."
Mecklenburg County approves new Charlotte ballpark
Posted Jan. 16, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
It’s official: Mecklenburg County officials approved the lease for a new Charlotte Knights (Class AAA; International League) ballpark in Uptown Charlotte. The county undertook a series of land transactions — paying $19 million in the process — to yield almost eight acres for the ballpark site. The county will lease the land to the Knights for $1 annually, while the Knights will build the $35-million, 10,006 capacity ballpark. Knights officials want to see the new ballpark open in 2009, but that may be an overly ambitious plan. You can expect more lawsuits: judges have already thrown out three lawsuits opposing the ballpark project, and both Jerry Reese and Bill Diehl say they’ll follow up with appeals and new lawsuits in an attempt to derail the project. Both say the ballpark violated the 2004 referendum that approved the use of bond money for parks in Charlotte, which prohibited the use of bond proceeds to fund a new ballpark; in addition, Reese says the county should be building a major-league ballpark. The commissioners — and subsequent judges — say no bond proceeds are directly being used for the new Knights ballpark; in fact, along with the approval of the Knights lease the commissioners approved funding of a new park and other urban redevelopment. More from the Charlotte Observer.
New for 2008: the Great Falls Voyagers
Posted Jan. 16, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
We have another space-related nickname in the minor-league world, as the Great Falls White Sox are now the Great Falls Voyagers (rookie; Pioneer League). The new name stems from a 1950 incident at what was then known as Legion Park (now Centene Stadium), when Great Falls Selectrics GM Nick Mariana filmed 16 seconds of what he said were UFOs hovering over Great Falls. Whether or not Mariana captured evidence of alien visitors is hotly debated within UFO circles (the Air Force says there were two F94s in the film; Mariana says the Air Force stole 30 frames showing clear evidence of UFOs), but that doesn’t matter to the Great Falls Baseball Club board members who decided on the name change. This is the first time since the 1963 season Great Falls hasn’t sported the same team name as its parent club, leaving only the Helena Brewers in the Pioneer League to use the same brand as its major-league parent. "The community owns this team — and it has for the past 60 years," said the president of the Baseball Club board, Vinney Purpura. "But it’s been hard to capture that feeling of ownership rooting for the Dodgers, Giants, or White Sox. Now the team will continue to be the Great Falls Voyagers even if our major league affiliation happens to change." More from the Great Falls Tribune.
UO leaning toward new on-campus ballpark: report
Posted Jan. 16, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The University of Oregon is leaning toward a new campus ballpark next to Autzen Stadium, as the Ducks prepare to compete in NCAA baseball again, beginning with the 2009 season. City officials and reps from the Eugene Emeralds (short season; Northwest League) have discussed plans to have Ems share a ballpark with the Duck, either a new facility or a renovated Civic Stadium. But the school prefers to build new on campus, apparently, and is preparing an application for the city. The preliminary plan calls for a 5,000-seat ballpark in the northeast corner of the Autzen lot, with the third-base line paralleling Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
After Braves lease, what happens in Richmond?
Posted Jan. 16, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
With the Richmond Braves (Class AAA; International League) committing to a move to suburban Atlanta in 2009, the next question is what happens to the Richmond market. The last time there was a similar open market at least four operators vied to do business in Greenville., S.C. At the end of process the folks at MiLB made the right decision about granting the market to the then-Capital City Bombers (Low Class A; Sally League), who came through with a spectacular and popular new ballpark. We’re quoted pretty heavily in this story and this one. No one is yet saying whether they’ll be pursuing a move — technically, Richmond is still the territory of the R-Braves — but folks in baseball backed up our initial analysis of the teams and leagues here. Good for potential players: MiLB President Pat O’Conner says he’ll be instituting a more orderly process. That may not be good enough for some disgruntled fans in Richmond, who are realizing that once you lose Triple-A ball there’s not much chance of getting it back. There are many reasons why the Braves decided on the move: doing business in suburban Atlanta should be much more profitable than staying in Richmond, something we’ve been harping on for the last year. Moves like the one made by Richmond tends to affect more things than most people realize; here’s a look at how it could affect the Myrtle Beach Pelicans (High Class A; Carolina League). In Gwinnett County, officials are finding it costs a little more to build a new ballpark for a Class-AAA than for an indy operation: they now estimate the price tag at $45 million. The R-Braves, meanwhile, will be paying $250,000 annually plus $1 per ticket sold, with that rate going up after five years, but much or all of that could offset by a naming-rights deal, which calls for the R-Braves to receive $350,000 annually. The only other revenue the county will see from the deal is a split of parking fees; otherwise the R-Braves get every penny of revenue from the ballpark and up to 10 additional events annually.
Sarasota to woo Reds
Posted Jan. 16, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Pat Calhoon, the facility manager for Ed Smith Stadium, says he’ll attempt to persuade Sarasota to fund improvements to the ballpark in an attempt to keep the Cincinnati Reds from moving spring operations to another Florida city or Arizona. The new plan would cost $41 million, with the city contributing about $7 million and the county about $18 million. The Reds and a state grant would cover the rest of the costs. Last fall voters narrowly defeated a referendum on funding ballpark improvements, and it’s not clear the city or the county has the money (or the will) to perform all the necessary upgrades, which would include compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Former Reds COO John Allen is in Arizona today to meet with Goodyear officials about the possibility of sharing a new spring-training complex with the Cleveland Indians. More from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Renovations at Miller Park should be ready by Opening Day
Posted Jan. 16, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Milwaukee Brewers are tackling three larger renovation projects at Miller Park, but they all should be completed before the season opener. The former .300 Club is being converted to a sponsored club for season-ticket holders, complete with new entrance, new bar, new furniture and new decor. A new 8,000-square-foot kids’ area down the right-field line area will feature numerous free activities, including a batting cage, pitching cage, a replica Bernie Brewer slide and clubhouse, and an interactive game with replicas of the Famous Racing Sausages. Finally, there’s a new retail store behind home plate.
Miami mayor swings for the fences with ballpark plan
Posted Jan. 16, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Miami Mayor Manny Diaz is bucking the trend in big-league ballparks when he says a new Florida Marlins ballpark at the Orange Bowl site will help revitalize the run-down Little Havana area. You didn’t see officials with the Twins, Rays, Yankees or Mets argue their new ballparks would lead to an economic boom; instead, they argued new ballparks were quality-of-life enhancers. While there are some cities where new ballparks have certain yielded a major economic impact — Denver and San Diego immediately come to mind — there are certainly areas where the ballparks did not. And the current Miami plan doesn’t include an entertainment district used as a selling point by Diaz. The Little Havana area is already pretty congested and hard to get to during rush hour; the challenge for the city and Marlins officials will be find ways to bring people in and keep them there.
Dust Devils get approval to sell naming rights to Tri-Cities Stadium
Posted Jan. 16, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Pasco City C