Archives: Sept. 24-30, 2008
Pride sold; will return as American Defenders; Duquette part of indy ownership group
Posted Sept. 30, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The sale of the Nashua Pride (independent; Can-Am Association) is complete, as the league approved the purchase of the team to a group that includes former Red Sox GM Dan Duquette, retired U.S. Navy Lt. Commander Terry Allvord, and Nokona executives Buddy Lewis and Jerry O’Connor. The team will return as the American Defenders of New Hampshire (try throwing that moniker on a cap!) after the sale from John Stabile closes on Oct. 15. The group has some ambitious plans for Holman Stadium with a new lease in place, including the scheduling of at least four concerts annually. It’s been difficult for baseball to succeed in Holman Stadium in recent years; attendance has been lower than anyone would like, even though hometown hero Stabile gave it a pretty good ride.
Godfrey steps down as Blue Jays prez
Posted Sept. 30, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Paul Godfrey stepped down yesterday as president of the Toronto Blue Jays, taking the heat for the team’s inability to make the playoffs the last seven seasons. Godfrey was the man in the middle: he sold owner Ted Rogers on the need to invest both on the baseball side (team payroll went up sharply under his watch) and on the operations side (Rogers Centre has been improved greatly in recent years after C$75 million in investments). And the team’s performance improved in recent years, with the Blue Jays finishing 86-76 this season. Fans may be a little more impatient after seeing the low-budget Tampa Bay Rays win the division, shattering the notion that it takes a huge payroll to compete against the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox in the American League East. Before he resigned, he made sure to leave GM J.P. Ricciardi and manager Cito Gaston in place — but given owner Ted Rogers’ absence at the press conference where Godfrey announced his departure, we’re guessing both will be on short leashes next summer. More from the National Post.
Rapidz owners throw in the towel after lease issues arise
Posted Sept. 30, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The owners of the Ottawa Rapidz (independent; Can-Am Association) informed league owners at meetings yesterday that they would not be fielding a team in 2009 after failing to come to terms with a lease for Ottawa Stadium. The issue: Ottawa covets the land where the ballpark is located and informed Rapidz owners rent would increase from the current $108,000 per season to more than $1 million annually after the 2009 season. Faced with this issue, the Rapidz owners decided to throw in the towel and declare bankruptcy rather than incur certain losses in a certain lame-duck season. When informing the Ottawa City Council of the decision to cease operations, co-owner Rob Hall said the team owed $1.4 million to 150 creditors, including $10,415 to the city for water. More than half of the debt was more an accounting issue than anything: the team "owes" $728,000 to the ultimate owner of the franchise, Momentous.ca Corp.
Final sale price for Cubs will hinge on evaluation of Wrigley Field
Posted Sept. 29, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The final sale price for the Chicago Cubs, a stake in a local cable sports channel and Wrigley Field will depend on how the worth of Wrigley Field is calculated. On the one hand, it’s hard to imagine either the Cubs or Wrigley Field having a full value if one or the other were excluded from the equation. On the other hand, Wrigley Field is what it is: an antiquated ballpark with limited revenue opportunities — that is, limited under the current layout. Though the Wrigley Field footprint is small, there are ways to add revenue-enhancing features like clubs and a better suite arrangement, but those sorts of this cost money, and the Tribune Co. has refused to put any money into Wrigley Field in the last two-plus decades. So that presents limited options for the potential buyers of the package — and may ultimately depress the asking price. More from the Chicago Tribune.
SI Yankees already looking at naming-rights sale for 2010
Posted Sept. 29, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Staten Island Yankees are planning their naming-rights strategies for 2010, as the current naming-rights deal for Richmond County Bank Ballpark at St. George expire after the 2009 season. Generally this is the right time to be entering into a sale of naming rights, but given the uncertainty in the financial markets, it may not be a good time for the SI Yankees to succeed.
Surly crowd closes down Shea Stadium
Posted Sept. 29, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
At the end of the day, no Mets fan was truly happy about how the Amazins’ run at Shea Stadium ended. The feeble loss to the Florida Marlins booted the Mets out of the playoffs, and in the process the Mets set another record on the futility side of the ledger: no other team has missed the playoffs with a home loss on the final day of the season, and the Mets have managed to do it two years in a row. Somehow, that ending seems just about right for the Mets, whose history to date has been marked by such oddities. From the team’s beginnings under Casey Stengel at the Polo Grounds to the 1986 World Champions, there’s always been something a little off-kilter about the Mets; even the 1986 World Series win came against a team even more cursed than New York. And you can understand why Mets fans were so surly after the game that they booed Mr. Met: to be so close to the playoffs two years running has got to be a frustrating experience. More from the New York Times. As the MLB season winds down — it will either end today or tomorrow, depending on the outcome of a makeup game today — most fans said goodbye and starting thinking about next season. Despite a miserable year for the San Diego Padres, almost 30,000 fans showed up to Petco Park for the season finale.
Gwinnett County uses Frisco as economic model for new ballpark
Posted Sept. 29, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Holy Grail of economic development in the baseball world these days involves a ballpark anchoring some extensive development. Look at the new ballparks opening next season — especially Reno and Gwinnett County — and you can see some pretty hefty bets placed on the ability of ballparks to generate a ton of traffic that will benefit adjoining businesses. In the case of the Gwinnett Braves (Class AAA; International League), Gwinnett County is placing a very large bet that the G-Braves will bring at least 400,000 fans per season to the ballpark, and these fans will want to spend lots of money at adjacent businesses, thus raising the tide for all boats in the water. When it works, it works very well: the model is Frisco, where a ballpark for the Frisco RoughRiders (Class AA; Texas League) anchors a successful development. Whether this development would have happened without the ballpark is debatable — Tom Hicks and crew had most of the pieces in place before the construction of the ballpark began — and some portions of the development never happened. But, in general, most view Frisco as an economic success –and it seems a little biased to suggest that a development like a new ballpark doesn’t add something to a community. More from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
DBAP finds unique use as counseling center for homeless
Posted Sept. 26, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
It seems every team owner and GM is concerned these days with scheduling events in ballparks on off days, but the lesson here is that not every event need bring in revenue to be considered a success. The Durham Bulls (Class AAA; International League) opened the doors to Durham Bulls Athletic Park to an event, Project Homeless Contact, designed to bring social services and the homeless together. Because of its downtown location, Durham Bulls Athletic Park was the perfect place to hold the event, with over 400 homeless people receiving counseling on a variety of services meant to bring them to a higher level of stability, including job counseling and housing assistance. You probably can’t do this during the season, but for a single event the ballpark worked beautifully — and showed us all the power of thinking outside the box in providing worthwhile community service. More from the Duke Chronicle.
Winnipeg City Council approves tax forgiveness for ballpark parking lot
Posted Sept. 26, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Any time a city council votes to forgive $233,000 in back taxes to a nonprofit formerly run by the mayor it’s news and probably worthy of a deeper explanation, so we’re a little distressed to see Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz — still the owner of the Winnipeg Goldeyes (independent; Northern League) — go after city council members who opposed the tax forgiveness. There is a deeper controversy brewing: whether Katz personally benefited from the tax forgiveness, as six council members have asked the provincial government to take a look (a request that has already been denied).
Lost in the shuffle: the final days of Shea Stadium
Posted Sept. 26, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
With the New York Yankees and the closing of Yankee Stadium II sucking up most of the available media oxygen this month, lost in the shuffle has been the final days of Shea Stadium, as the New York Mets close it down this weekend. (In the midst of a pennant race, to boot!) We always found Shea Stadium to be the more interesting of the two ballparks, to be honest: while the 1974-1975 rebuilding of Yankee Stadium left us with a fairly standard horseshoe ballpark lacking the charm of the original, Shea Stadium was firmly a relic of its era, those days in the early 1960s when futurism was the key concept in the United States and everyone raced to reflect the Space Age. With a circular design that worked better as abstract sculpture than working ballpark, Shea Stadium may have been a terrible place to watch a ballgame, but a great place to be reminded of the 1964 World’s Fair and a very unique time in our nation’s history. Here’s a little eye candy for the day. The first is a promotional shot of the 1964 World’s Fair showing the Unisphere in all its glory, with Shea Stadium in the top-left corner. Below is the front page to the booklet given away during the 1964 dedication ceremonies. More from the Christian Science Monitor and The New York Times.
Defenders, Giants renew affiliation
Posted Sept. 25, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Connecticut Defenders (Class AA; Eastern League) and the San Francisco Giants extended their PDC through the 2010, bringing an end to the affiliate shuffle on the Class AA level this season, as the Cincinnati Reds will end up with the Carolina Mudcats (Class AA; Carolina League). "The Giants organization and our minor-league players and coaches appreciate the hard work of the Connecticut front office staff and the support city leaders and fans in Connecticut," said Giants director of player personnel Bobby Evans. "We have a lot of young talent ready to be tested at the AA level and look forward to the 2009 season in Norwich."
Trenton, Yankees commit to six more years
Posted Sept. 24, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Here’s a commitment. The New York Yankees and the Trenton Thunder (Class AA; Eastern League) agreed to extend their PDC for six more years, through the 2014 season.
"When the Yankees came to Mercer County six years ago, both the Thunder organization and Mercer County promised Brian Cashman and the Yankees that they would never want to leave Trenton," said Thunder President and Owner Joe Finley. "I think the Yankees commitment to stay at Mercer County Waterfront Park for an additional six years demonstrates that the Thunder and Mercer County have delivered on their promise. We look forward to providing the best setting for player development in all of Minor League Baseball for as long as this great game is being played."
"Extending our PDC with Trenton was a no-brainer," said Yankees General Manager Brian Cashman. "The Yankees won’t settle for anything less than the best, and the Thunder is by far the best Double-A franchise in baseball."
Knights owners reevaluating new ballpark
Posted Sept. 24, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Faced with a credit crunch and a skyrocketing price tag, the owners of the Charlotte Knights (Class AAA; International League) are reevaluating a downtown ballpark project and whether it makes financial sense for the team. The plan, as it stands right now, calls for Mecklenburg County to contribute land in the city’s Uptown area for a new ballpark, which the Knights would privately finance construction. Now, to say there’s a credit crunch in the U.S. market is an understatement, and the problems certainly extend to the baseball world, as we’ve heard from several owners. So it’s not surprising the Knights ownership may be looking at calling off the whole thing or, possibly, approaching Mecklenburg County for funding — which has little chance of happening, if our reading of local politics is any indication. The team broke even at Knights Stadium in 2007 and should show a slight profit this year, but there’s far more money to be made at a new facility. Development of the new ballpark must happen within the next 90 days if a 2010 opening is to happen, but we’re not optimistic about the team raising $62 million in that timeframe. More from the Charlotte Observer.
New for 2009: The Reno Aces
Posted Sept. 24, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The new Reno team will be the Reno Aces (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League), as the team owners announced the name last night at a public event. Gotta say we’re not very impressed: Aces is a generic name (there are and have been multiple Aces teams in minor-league baseball, so the trademark possibilities are limited), and given the chance to come forward with a new and exciting moniker, the owners chose a very safe identity. (Yes, we know an ace can refer both to a card and the lead pitcher, but surely some other gambling term would have sufficed.) The former Tucson Sidewinders (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) are slated to begin play at a new ballpark next spring; construction is proceeding apace, though it’s likely the Aces will begin the season with a long road trip. The New York Times looks at the ballpark.
Oakland County ballpark delayed a year; Terlecky to lead organization
Posted Sept. 24, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
A proposed ballpark in Oakland County, Mich., will be delayed by a year, with the owners now shooting for a 2010 opening. The plan is to build on land at a current mall site, and negotiations to acquire the land ended only last month. Opening next season would have been a stretch, to be sure, and construction over the winter just wasn’t an option. So the decision was made to approach Waterford Township and seek an extension of the zoning variance making the ballpark possible. The ballpark will be occupied by the Oakland County Cruisers (independent; Frontier League).
However, that doesn’t mean the organization is sitting still. Bill Terlecky, a baseball veteran who most recently was GM of the Gary-SouthShore RailCats (independent; Northern League), is the new president and GM of the Midwest Sliders, the 2008 Frontier League travel team slated to move to Oakland County. The team won’t be a travel team in 2009; look for an announcement next week regarding a temporary home for the squad until a ballpark is completed.
City Council asks for look at Winnipeg ballpark land leaseholder
Posted Sept. 24, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Winnipeg City Council is looking into extending a lease for land used for parking next to Canwest Park, the home of the Winnipeg Goldeyes (independent; Northern League), but they want to see the books of the nonprofit seeking $233,000 in tax relief as part of the lease. Here’s the deal. Riverside Park Management, a not-for-profit formerly headed by Goldeyes owner and current Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz, has a lease for the land and pays $1 per year plus property taxes. In return, the Goldeyes corporate entity — also owned by Katz, among others — pays Riverside $21,000 per game in rent (as of 2005), or over $1 million. Riverside Park Management is asking for $233,000 in tax forgiveness, and city officials want to know where the rent money from the Goldeyes went. There may be less here than meets the eye, but we’re guessing an entity seeking $233,000 in tax relief — especially one formerly headed by the current mayor — will need to be a little more transparent with its books. More from the CBC.
Sarasota and Red Sox to begin formal negotiations Friday; Lee County pitches four new training sites
Posted Sept. 24, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
TThe Boston Red Sox and Sarasota county and city officials will begin formal negotiations over the funding and design of a new spring-training ballpark and training complex, with the first sitdown meeting slated for 9 a.m. Friday. The two sides have been trading proposals for the last month and spent a rather engaging evening in a suite at Tropicana Field recently when the Red Sox visited the Tampa Bay Rays. There’s already broad agreement on the scope of the project: a 9,999-seat ballpark with berm seating, luxury boxes and parking.
Meanwhile, Lee County officials say they’ve identified four sites that could accommodate a new Red Sox training facility, though it’s not clear there’s any appetite from a developer to actually build a training complex. More details from Spring Training Online.
Spring training to be extended a week to accommodate World Baseball Classic
Posted Sept. 24, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Spring training in 2009 will run Feb. 14 through the end of March, with games beginning around Feb. 25. The long-than-usual schedule is to allow players to participate in a drawn-out World Baseball Classic, slated to run March 5-March 23. Under a normal schedule, spring training — in terms of the players reporting — would begin Feb. 20. It is a complicated thing, to be sure: MLB players on the WBC rosters of China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, as well as pitchers and catchers, will report on Feb. 14. All players will report by Feb. 17. No games will be added to the spring schedule, however; it does mean more open dates during March. Remember, Spring Training Online is your best source for spring-training information.
Volstead redux: Daley asks Wrigleyville bars to stop selling beer after seventh inning
Posted Sept. 24, 2008 (feedback) (submit story) (