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Archives: May 26-June 1, 2008

Archives: May 26-June 1, 2008
Wrigley Field to host New Year’s Day game?
Posted May 30, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The NHL is taking a lesson from its TV partners and learning that reruns can be successful. The league and NBC got high marks for their performance on New Year’s Day 2008 when Pittsburgh visited Buffalo at Ralph Wilson Stadium, and so their pair have been in search of another outdoor venue for a hockey game. It was first suggested that Yankee Stadium might be the locale for a 2009 game but operating issues at the soon-to-be-defunct ballpark have apparently put the kibiosh on that idea. The latest rumor has Detroit facing Chicago at Wrigley Field. There seems to be good reason to think this could happen. Chicago Blackhawks president John McDonough used to work for the Cubs and left on good terms. Chicago is an attractive market, and the Red Wings are one of the league’s glamour teams. But there are also plenty of reasons to think this idea won’t work. First of all, there is the matter of keeping Wrigley in good enough condition for a game 2-3 months after the last baseball game is played; let’s face it, weatherizing an older place like Wrigley Field isn’t the easiest of tasks, and to host a game at a ballpark in the midst of winter the basic utilities (like water) must be maintained. (The place hasn’t been used out of baseball season since the Bears left after the 1970 season.) Also, Detroit might have to surrender playing at home on New Year’s Eve, a tradition that dates back to the 1960s. The NHL is scheduled to make an official announcement on the subject next week. UPDATE: As we predicted, this isn’t likely to happen, according to officials involved.

 

An argument in favor of proximity: Texas and Frisco
Posted May 30, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
It seems to be a never-ending source of discussion in the baseball world: whether or not an affiliate minor-league club will work in the shadows of a major-league squad. There are still many in baseball who argue against it, saying that the minor-league team will draw business and dollars away from the major-league team. Still, the evidence seems to be strongly to the contrary, and a good case in point is the relationship between the Texas Rangers and the Frisco RoughRiders (Class AA; Texas League), which is close on many levels, to say the least — Rangers front-office personnel can be often found at Dr Pepper Ballpark, and Rangers owner Tom Hicks has a financial investment in the area surrounding the ballpark. There are other instances where you have a strong minor-league operation in the major-league market — Lowell and the Red Sox, Brooklyn and Staten Island and the New York City teams — so we’re not sure this is a valid argument any longer, though teams like the Detroit Tigers continue to invoke it. More on the finances of the RoughRiders from the Frisco Enterprise Star. On the flip side, the Rangers’ attendance is down this year (though the schedule may have a lot to do with it), so perhaps the arrangement isn’t as successful as everyone assumes.

D-Backs reaping the benefits of successful 2007 season
Posted May 30, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Arizona Diamondbacks are seeing a payoff to their successful 2007 playoff team and a division-leading squad this season: attendance is up 19 percent and concession sales are up almost 30 percent. The jump in concession sales is also attributable to the D-Backs lowering prices for many ballpark staples, including hot dogs and beer — in fact, the team is making a point of offering at least one $4 14-ounce beer at every brew stand.

Should Dunn Tire Park be renamed to honor former mayor?
Posted May 30, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Let’s face it: Dunn Tire Park is not the most inspiring of monikers for a ballpark. Yes, we know why cities and teams sell naming rights, but many feel the home of the Buffalo Bisons (Class AAA; International League) is worthy of a more community-centric name. So it’s no surprise to see some in Buffalo call for a renaming of the place to honor Jimmy Griffin, the former mayor who passed away last Sunday. Griffin was a key player in the decision to build what was then an untried concept — a retro ballpark, a style that reverberates throughout the majors and minors — and worked hard to promote baseball in his area. The Buffalo News suggests a name like Jimmy Griffin Field at Dunn Tire Park: it sounds like a win-win for all involved.

Atlantic Coast League looks at former SCL markets
Posted May 30, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
We’re not unconvinced there’s not a market for independent baseball in Southeast, though there certainly are some significant challenges, and the time may not be right. Still, that’s not stopping Michael Harden from making the rounds of former South Coast League cities and pitching them on his concept for the Atlantic Coast League, which he says will be ready for a 2009 unveiling. We’re also not quite sure about his business model, which calls for no names on the field and little between-innings entertainment in favor of pure baseball. He’s also banking on a leaguewide radio deal and envisions centralized league ad sales instead of local deals. He’s not the first one to pitch this model, but so far no one has succeeded, and surely history should teach us something. Here’s an account of Harden’s visit to Aiken, which is probably more of a Coastal Plain League market than a pro market.

Ballpark Notes
Posted May 30, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Vice President Orlando Diaz has been promoted to the position of President of the Dominican Summer League. Diaz, who has been associated with the league for 24 years, will handle all the day-to-day operations of it, as well as other details. The Dominican Summer League is the largest in Minor League Baseball. Nearly every Major League organization is represented in the 37-team rookie league this year. Teams, which consist of young players from the Caribbean, play a 70-game schedule from May until August. Diaz began working with the league when it began as a four-team co-op one stocked by several MLB clubs in 1985. He moved into the league office three years later, after earning an accounting degree from the University of Santo Domingo….One of the coolest things about attending Greensboro Grasshoppers (Low Class A; Sally League) games is seeing Miss Babe Ruth in action. Her new brother, Yogi Berra will be making his first public appearance tonight as the Hoppers take on West Virginia tonight. Fans overwhelmingly selected Yogi Berra in the online voting for what the name of Babe’s brother should be; it trumped JoJo DiMaggio and Hammerin’ Hank Aaron in a landslide. Yogi will be taking in his first professional baseball game, but will have to wait until after the game to make his first public appearance: Following the game and before the post-game fireworks, Babe will introduce her brother Yogi while running the bases….The Quad Cities River Bandits (Low Class A; Midwest League) are offering sno-cones with a twist: they are enhanced with vodka and comes in 11 different fruity flavors. "We made a commitment to upgrading our concessions menu when we took over this team, and this is another element of that process," said owner Dave Heller. "Our fans can come to the ballpark and have a wide variety of high-quality options, more than just staple ballpark foods like hot dogs and nachos." The new stand will celebrate its grand opening by offering half-price sno-cones on Friday. The 11 flavors of vodka to choose from are raspberry, watermelon, vanilla, lime, strawberry, black cherry, green apple, orange, cranberry, citrus, and blueberry. If fans want more than one flavor, they will be able to mix and match their favorite flavors to make the sno-cone of their dreams….The Hagerstown Suns (Low Class A; Sally League) will be retiring the number 50 in honor of league President Emeritus John Henry Moss. The Suns, with Moss in attendance, will retire the number on Friday prior to the game between the Suns and the Delmarva Shorebirds. Before becoming President Emeritus, Moss served as League President from 1959-2007. Along with the number-retiring ceremony, the Suns will be honoring Moss with a bronze plaque to be placed in Municipal Stadium, highlighting his 50 years of service to the South Atlantic League. Moss, who re-organized the Western Carolinas League in 1959 into what would later become the South Atlantic League, will be on hand at Municipal Stadium on Friday in his season-long tour of all 16 SAL ballparks….

State likely to drop bid to buy Wrigley Field
Posted May 28, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The state of Illinois is likely to drop its bid to buy Wrigley Field, according to sources close to the sales process, because there are too many impediments to putting together a deal, including the lack of state money for a purchase. At least one potential ownership group has been told to expect Wrigley Field to be part of the bidding process, which will include the Chicago Cubs and a stake in a local sports cable network. While officials from the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority continue to want to negotiate the issue, they are not likely to reach a solution deemed realistic in the minds of Tribune Co. officials: without a funding plan and without the cooperation of Chicago city officials — who have already warned they would not support a diversion of sales-tax revenue to the ISFA, nor will they support a weakening of the city’s historic-preservation rules to allow extensive renovations of the facility — there simply aren’t any paths out there that would make sense for the ISFA and the Cubs.

Will conservancy group meet June 1 deadline to save Tiger Stadium?
Posted May 28, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
June 1 is one of the most important days in Tiger Stadium history: that’s the deadline for Old Tiger Stadium Conservancy to come up with $369,000 to save a significant portion of the ballpark, as a demolition crew is ready to tear down the grand old ballpark and sell it for scrap. There’s one big problem: the conservancy doesn’t have the money and, barring a miracle, will come up short. One bright spot: U.S. Sen. Carl Levin, a Democrat from Detroit, is working on including renovation fund in the next federal budget. The total cost of renovation the original grandstand of the ballpark is $15 million — chump change for the federal government, but a huge sum for a little nonprofit fueled more by passion and memories than any fiscal game plan. There have been some nibbles — several corporations have said they’d be interested in moving to new office space next to a renovated ballpark, and one established minor-league operator explored bringing a summer-collegiate Northwoods League team to the Corner — but nothing concrete has emerged, and city government has been too distracted by scandal and potential indictments to put together a game plan for Tiger Stadium survival. Indeed, the best chance of the ballpark standing is inertia: some local government officials say there’s no hurry to tear it down anyway.

Hunt poised to snare Marlins ballpark construction contract
Posted May 28, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Yesterday we reported the Florida Marlins are poised to launch a PR blitz regarding their new ballpark, partially to offset the bad publicity expected from an upcoming court challenge to the way the ballpark is being funded. We’re seeing some of that already, as we’ve been told Hunt Construction is poised to land the construction contract for the project. This isn’t a surprise — basically, Hunt has been the only firm to meet the criteria set up by the Marlins — and things progressed to Hunt delivering a detailed bid. Team officials are discussing the final deal with Hunt and could make an announcement this afternoon. Things are still fluid regarding the ballpark design, as we reported yesterday, and we expect the team to announce some interesting changes in the next few weeks.

Confirmed: Angels get 2010 All-Star Game
Posted May 28, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
There was really little suspense surrounding Bud Selig’s announcement today that the 2010 All-Star Game would be played at Angel Stadium: We were among the countless media outlets reporting it, and by the time Selig actually made the announcement it was a foregone conclusion as to what he would say. It is interesting to note that Pravda reported this morning like they had the scoop on what was going on. They didn’t.

Sarasota pitches $70 million ballpark for BoSox; wants exclusive negotiating period
Posted May 28, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
A $70-million, 10,000-seat ballpark and spring-training complex is being dangled before the Boston Red Sox as Sarasota officials attempt to lure the team from Fort Myers. The new facility would be built from scratch (and not utilize the existing spring home of the Cincinnati Reds) and feature five practice fields, major- and minor-league clubhouses, and year-round offices for the Red Sox. The preliminary plan calls for a ballpark with a total capacity of 15,000 or so: 10,000 permanent seats, outfield berm area, and party decks down each line. The whole project would be funded by an increase in the local hotel tax — a step county officials were unwilling to take to keep the Cincinnati Reds in town. In addition, we continue to hear the Red Sox are lining up investors to work with Fenway Ventures on an associated development that would include housing, hotels and retail, as the team envision a year-round destination. (Making room for a permanent home for the Ted Williams Museum, currently existing in scaled-back form at Tropicana Field, would be a nice touch.) The county will now ask the Red Sox for a 90-day exclusive negotiating period — not uncommon these days. We’re not hearing much from Fort Myers or Lee County officials about any attempts to match or exceed this offer; it’s as though they really don’t think the Red Sox will leave, and local officials admit they may not be able to match the Sarasota deal. Roger Drouin, who has been working this story hard, has more details here.

Ballpark Notes
Posted May 28, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Class AA; Eastern League) announced the promotion of Mike Ramshaw to the position of Vice President of Sales. Ramshaw, 34, is in his second season with the Fisher Cats after coming aboard in the fall of 2006 as the Director of Ticket Sales. Following the 2007 season, Ramshaw was promoted to the title of Executive Director of Sales, incorporating corporate sales with his ticket sales responsibilities.  "Mike’s rapid ascent through our front office speaks to how vital he has been to our development of strong business partnerships in the community," said Fisher Cats owner Art Solomon. "He has done a tremendous job in leading our talented sales staff to new levels of success, and we congratulate him on this well-deserved promotion."…The first 2,500 people entering Chukchansi Park on Saturday, May 31, will receive a Drag Kings Bobble Doll, forever immortalizing the premier infield-dragging dance crew in Minor League Baseball. The crew will be accompanied that night by a special Drag Kings performance to a song chosen by fans of the Fresno Grizzlies (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League)…..The Stockton Ports (High Class A; California League) will host Canadian Tuxedo Appreciation Night at Banner Island Ballpark on Thursday when the Ports take on the High Desert Mavericks at 7:05 p.m. Ports fans and staff alike are encouraged to show their support for the Ports by donning the denim and committing a JOJO (Jean-On-Jean Offense). Urban Dicitonary.com defines the Canadian Tuxedo as "An outfit consisting of a denim jacket and denim jeans.” The Ports would like to utilize their platform and standing within the Stockton community to orchestrate the comeback of the Canadian Tuxedo. Fans who dress up will have the opportunity to be a part of the “Best Dressed” Competition with prizes for the winners. In addition, fans who accessorize their Canadian Tuxedo with flare from the 1980s (i.e. mullets, mustaches, REO Speedwagon T-shirts, etc.) will be awarded cool points and render the judging process biased and favorable toward their cause. Denim themed prizes will be given out at the game, as well as other themed promotions and entertainment. In addition, live music will be provided in a prior to the start of the game….

Pensacola proposes new funding method for waterfront ballpark
Posted May 27, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Pensacola officials are proposing a new funding method for a Community Maritime Park that will include a new ballpark for the Pensacola Pelicans (independent; American Association). The project has been in limbo ever since the Florida Supreme Court held voters must approve project where bonds will be repaid with the proceeds of funds from a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district. The solution: use other city funds to pay for the park and then pledge the TIF funds to fill in those gaps in the budget. At first glance it seems like the city is playing a shell game of sorts, but then again this is a project voters have already approved once. The opening of the new HKS-designed ballpark is now projected for 2010; it’s been held up by the legal issues surrounding the TIF financing but also because of difficulties raising $30 million from the private sector for the $70 million project.

Braman vows fight against new Marlins ballpark; team to retaliate with PR blitz
Posted May 27, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Local car dealer Norm Braman says he’s set and determined to follow through with his lawsuit challenging the way funding is set up for a new Florida Marlins ballpark. The trial is set to go July 1, and neither side shows any sign of letting up. Meanwhile, the Florida Marlins tell us plan to counter some of the inevitable bad publicity from the trial by pushing new-ballpark news the next few months, including a release of the ballpark plans (which will be different than what’s been released to date) and holding special events in the community to muster public support. Still, Braman has a way of winning these cases (just ask the family of Joe Robbie), and surely some of the testimony in the case will be more than a little embarrassing — but probably more for city and county officials than for anyone in the Marlins front office, but only because they don’t embarrass easily.

 

 

Plans emerging for new Chester County ballpark
Posted May 27, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
A committee charged with bringing baseball to Chester County has identified nine possible sites for a new 4,000-5,000-seat ballpark that would also include a new Pennsylvania Baseball Hall of Fame and a Chester County Hall of Fame. The proposed price tag for the facility is $35 million, and as of right now it’s envisioned as the home of an affiliated team (we keep hearing the NY-Penn League in conjunction with the project). We’re talking about something several years down the pike: local officials haven’t yet raised the $100,000 or so needed for a formal site evaluation, much less identifying funding sources for a new ballpark.

 

Rays ballpark plan faces tough scrutiny
Posted May 27, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Tampa Bay Rays are finding some tough questioning as they continue their quest for a new $450-million waterfront ballpark on the Al Lang Field site in downtown St. Petersburg. The issues are many: local politicians say they’re not being presented with a firm funding plan, with the Rays not doing a very good job of massaging public egos. Perhaps. But the big problem, and one that the Rays need to address, is that there’s really no funding plan that can be voted up or down. Given that there are no political leaders stepping up to champion the cause, it’s up to the Rays to present further information about what they want. The next deadline for the Rays: A June 5 St. Petersburg City Council meeting.

Texas League reaches 100-million-fan mark
Posted May 27, 2008 (feedback) (