Archives: July 15-21, 2007
Replacement for Dodgers in Vero may be near
Posted July 19, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
This is a wildly overoptimistic headline given the circumstances. Officials in Indian River County are negotiating with the Cincinnati Reds about potentially replacing the Los Angeles Dodgers as the spring tenant of Dodgertown and Holman Stadium in Vero Beach. For the Reds, the negotiations are a back-up strategy in case Sarasota doesn’t come through with a renovated Ed Smith Stadium — a prudent move, as the whole Sarasota situation is increasingly iffy for all sides. But that doesn’t mean the Reds would automatically move to Vero Beach, which seems to be the assumption of local officials. First, it’s going to take a decent amount of money to renovate Holman Stadium — we’re guessing the Reds won’t find the lack of dugouts and other amenities to be as quaint as the Dodgers did — and make other changes to the Dodgertown grounds. The county will need to come up with virtually all the money, as there’s no state money available for renovations (Vero Beach already had one bite at that apple). We’re guessing the Reds may also reach out to other cities and venue operators, like Disney, to see if they can find a better deal in a larger area. More from TCPalm.com. To no one’s surprise, the Boston Red Sox say they’re not interested in a move to Vero Beach.
Law firms hired in Yankees flap
Posted July 19, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Luzerne County is getting ready for a legal showdown with Lackawanna County over a possible sale of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees (Class AAA; International League). Luzerne County commissioners unanimously voted to hire two law firms to review a Lackawanna County agreement that could let SWB Yankees LLC buy the franchise for $13 million. Luzerne County officials claim the deal is invalid because it ignores Luzerne County’s ownership stake, but it’s not clear what the county wants to see happen: Luzerne County isn’t talking about actually blocking the sale, but rather coming to an agreement where they share in the proceeds. This article was submitted by a reader. To submit a story or item of interest for consideration, send an email to editors@augustpublications.com.
Board wants guarantees on deal
Posted July 19, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The deal isn’t quite as complete as some front offices want to admit. Glendale (Az.) officials are still working to formally swing home a deal for an $80.7 million spring-training complex for the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Chicago White Sox. This week, Arizona Sports & Tourism Authority board members — whose signature on the deal is critical, because the public agency is slated to fund up to two-thirds of the project — said they want a clear guarantee that non-profit groups will be able to rent the facility for a reasonable rate. Glendale has struck a unique deal (by Cactus League standards, anyway) with the Dodgers and the White Sox, who will run the ballpark after the city builds it. This avoids any possible operating losses for the city, but it also gives them much less control over how the complex is used.
After the dust clears, Charles will have a place to cheer
Posted July 19, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Back behind the trees on a winding country road on the edge of Waldorf, a new ballpark for the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs (independent; Atlantic League) is taking shape — and at a furious pace. In the three weeks since Charles County’s commissioners signed a contract to start construction, crews have leveled the site and begun cutting the bowl that promises to become a modern stadium and entertainment complex.
New Citi isn’t fan friendly
Posted July 19, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Henry Goldman has held season tickets to New York Mets games at Shea Stadium for 25 years, but he’s afraid the move into Citi Field will cause the team to eliminate his partial season-ticket plan From the drastically reduced seating capacity — 42,000 as opposed to the current 55,000 — to the apparent elimination of affordable ticket plans like the one Henry Goldman uses, to the hard-sell announcements that issue from the video screens between innings, "informing" fans that only Shea full-season ticket holders will receive priority when it comes time to shell out for seats in the Mets’ new crib, it is clear that Citi Field will be fan-friendly only to New York’s wealthiest fans.
Site is back in a hard place
Posted July 19, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Construction on the new University of South Carolina ballpark has been delayed once again after construction workers found a nice, large vein of granite during excavation of the site. The need to remove the granite will slow things down, but the bigger concern is if construction can happen at the $28 million budget. The bids for construction were due to go out next month. That might change depending on what is reported by the primary architects, Curt Davis and Associates, a Columbia company. The ballpark is being built on a very aggressive schedule, slated to open next spring.
Marlins lag behind other major league teams with home attendance
Posted July 19, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Interest in the Florida Marlins is up, but the team is still having problems attracting fans to Dolphin Stadium. The Marlins’ local TV ratings were up 33 percent this year as of mid-June, according to Nielsen Media Research ratings. Attendance stinks, even though the team has won two World Series titles in its 15 seasons and is now young and competitive. Marlins fans give a variety of reasons for preferring their Barcaloungers over the ballpark: South Florida’s hot, humid and rain-filled summers; the blah, baseball-unfriendly stadium; the cost of tickets, parking and concessions.
Condiments twist and shout at Power Park
Posted July 19, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The hot-dog and condiment costumes that are donned during seventh-inning dugout dances at Appalachian Power Park, home of the West Virginia Power (Low Class A; Sally League) are not the most graceful, but they’re a crowd-pleasing hit. Each game, a trio dressed in hot dog, mustard and ketchup costumes climbs to the top of a dugout for a not-too-synchronized dance. As if that’s not appealing enough, they then throw out free hot dogs to fans.
Baseball’s future in Bisbee hangs in limbo
Posted July 19, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
There were quite a few opinions about Thursday’s cancellation of both the week-long Copper Tournament next week and the championship series of the summer-collegiate Centennial Baseball League on Aug. 4-5. Some came from Bisbee Copper Kings team president Tom Mosier. He said that no one besides Bisbee paid its fee to participate in the tournament. Team co-owners Tom and Ginger Mosier said there will be a new league next season, with the Arizona Diamondjaxx, a Tucson-area team and several other teams yet to be officially involved with the league. Warren Ballpark will be 100 years old in 2009; it would be great to see baseball there.
Rosenblatt demolition among Omaha ballpark suggestions
Posted July 18, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The city of Omaha has hired DLR Group to research plans for a new ballpark north of downtown, and to offer ideas to repair Rosenblatt Stadium, the current home of the College World Series and the Omaha Royals (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League). One option involves tearing Rosenblatt Stadium and retaining just the scoreboard and the surrounding parking while instituting a plan with removable seating, leaving the O-Royals to play in an 8,000-seat ballpark expandable to 30,000 for the College World Series. For the north-downtown study, architects are looking at as many as three locations. One would put the ballpark in a six-block area and the two others would offer amenities that tie in better with the College World Series.
Braves reject affiliated ball in Gwinnett; county to move ahead with ballpark
Posted July 18, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Atlanta Braves have rejected the idea of locating an affiliated club in suburban Gwinnett County, but that apparently isn’t stopping local officials from pursuing a new ballpark. A consulting firm has concluded that Gwinnett provides "one of the strongest markets in the country to support a minor-league baseball team." The report shows that building and operating the ballpark could create hundreds of jobs, generate up to $7 million in consumer spending every year and generate as much as $12 million in tax revenue over a 30-year period. The report also puts the price tag for building a ballpark between $25 million and $30 million and should have 5,500 permanent seats, grass seating for up 1,500 people, at least 16 private suites, 300 club seats and 2,300 parking spaces in walking distance of the ballpark. If you’re connected to the independent South Coast League, you’re drooling over a new ballpark in a rapidly growing, affluent suburb of Atlanta.
Hartman among Wichita baseball bidders
Posted July 18, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Groups from the independent Northern League, United League Baseball and American Association made bids on a lease for Lawrence-Dumont Stadium and management of the National Baseball Congress. Wink Hartman was announced Tuesday as the managing general partner of a group of local investors working with the Northern League on the lease, which would begin next season after the Wichita Wranglers move to Springdale, Ark. Hartman’s group was one of at least three that submitted proposals to the city of Wichita last week. Hartman owns the Wichita Wild, an professional indoor football team. The city of Wichita will make a decision on the proposals in the coming weeks.
Kelley pitches Bowling Green ballpark plan to skeptics
Posted July 18, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
A deeply skeptical crowd peppered businessman Rick Kelley with questions about a redevelopment plan for downtown Bowling Green that includes a new ballpark for a Low Class A team. A local restaurant owner and chairman of Play Ball! ’05, Kelley is pushing for approval of a plan to fuel a wide variety of projects with $100 million in bonds and private investment, to be repaid from future tax revenues within a specified district. Investor Art Solomon, owner of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Class AA; Eastern League), has committed to buying a Class A team (we hear it’s a Sally League team) to play in Bowling Green for at least 20 years, with local investors given first option to buy it after that. The residents didn’t seem placated by the pitch; they wondered what would happen if the TIF didn’t yield adequate revenues to fund all the projects.
Buzz building for Allentown’s new ballpark
Posted July 18, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The management of the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Class AAA; International League) held another media day to show off construction of their new ballpark, on schedule to open next season. It’s still a construction site, so there’s not necessarily a lot to see (we’re hoping to be out there in August). The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote up an account of their visit, which is big news for Phillies fans: having their Triple-A affiliate so close will be a big selling point for both teams. Business seems to be going well: GM Kurt Landes reported that about 2,000 season tickets already had been sold and that only a few of the 20 luxury suites remained available. More from the Allentown Morning Call.
City looks to cut cost of ballpark
Posted July 18, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Billings officials hope to trim more than $500,000 from the cost of a new downtown ballpark for the Billings Mustangs (rookie; Pioneer League) as they try to bring the project into balance. Meanwhile, the city and baseball supporters plan to launch a private fundraising drive to help pay for additional features that aren’t covered in the base bid. Officials also remain hopeful that the city could receive a $500,000 federal appropriation by this fall. Last fall, voters approved a $12.5 million bond issue to pay for the ballpark, which will replace the Mustangs’ long-time home, Cobb Field. The amount of public financing was reduced by $2.11 million because of donations received from individuals and companies.
Today’s video: Swing of the Quad Cities "24" intro
Posted July 18, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Here’s another pregame video from a minor-league team. This is the pregame video from the Swing of the Quad Cities (Low Class A; Midwest League), playing off the popular "24" television series. Keep the videos coming in: We’ve been really pleased with the response to our call for videos: we’ve already heard from several teams and vendors, so we’ll continue bringing them to you. If you want to share your videos with the baseball community, drop us a line at editors@augustpublications.com.
Visalia moves money around for ballpark
Posted July 18, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Visalia city leaders began filling the pot Monday for the Recreation Park ballpark reconstruction, transferring $8.4 million from other budget sources into a building fund. That should give the city a good start on paying for the project. What’s not known is how much the job — complicated by the need to demolish, and then rebuild, the stadium’s grandstand berm — will ultimately cost. Preliminary estimates suggest the work will cost about $12 million. On a 4-1 vote Monday night, Visalia City Council members formally ratified a ballpark funding scheme as they finalized the city’s budget for 2007-08. Most of the cash, $6 million plus interest, is coming from a reserve fund originally established by the city to make extra payments to the state Public Employees’ Retirement System.
Town wants to bring baseball back to Calfee Park in Pulaski
Posted July 18, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Baseball should not be proud of how it treated Pulaski, pulling a rookie-level Appalachian League team after the end of last season when the Toronto Blue Jays decided to pull its support. City officials want to bring an Appy League team back to Calfee Park, one of the nicer facilities in the circuit. The sad thing: Pulaski city officials came through with financial support every time they were asked, and then they lose the ballpark through no fault of their own. Leaving the Appy League at an odd number of teams isn’t a viable long-term strategy, either. Despite the issues, Appalachian League President Lee Landers is having a great summer.
DED recommends $26.8M for Ballpark Village
Posted July 18, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED) recommended Tuesday that the first phase of the Ballpark Village project next to Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals, receive $26.8 million for the first of two funding components, according to Chase Martin of Cordish Co. The Cardinals and Cordish Co. are partners on the Ballpark Village development. Martin is development director for the project. The $387 million first phase of Ballpark Village will include 324,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space, 100,000 square feet of office space and 1,200 parking spaces. Officials from the city of St. Louis and the St. Louis Cardinals are seeking up to $115 million in subsidy for Ballpark Village from the city and state, including tax increment financing (TIF). The state and city subsidy requests total 22 percent of the project’s estimated cost.
Bridgeport takes wraps off big project near ballpark
Posted July 18, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
A development team proposes to build a new hotel, hundreds of housing units and dozens of stores on vacant land around the Ballpark at Harbor Yard, the home of the Bridgeport Bluefish (independent; Atlantic League). Led by the Canyon-Johnson Urban Fund, a multi-billion dollar investment house, the $221 million venture would be built on 11 acres across from and surrounding the Harbor Yard sports/entertainment complex just south of downtown. The development team, selected by the city after a formal bidding competition among national developers, proposes to build a five-screen cinema, 260,000 square feet of retail space, 376 townhouse and apartments, an 11-story, 155-room hotel and more than 2,000 new parking spaces. The developers plan to seek permission from the state Legislature for $24 million in tax incremental financing. This is good news for the Bluefish and Bridgeport baseball fans; one of our complaints during our most recent visit to Ballpark at Harbor Yard was the lack of anything near the ballpark.
Baseball league throws a sweet pitch to the city
Posted July 18, 2007 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The local newspaper expresses initial support of a plan put forward by the independent Golden Baseball League to move Nut Tree Stadium in Vacaville, piece by piece, to Tiger Fi