At MLB clubhouses across the nation, the same scenario will be played out in the next few days: large trucks bearing lots of equipment will heading to Florida or Arizona, to be broken out for spring training. Yes, friends, it’s Truck Day! At least for the Red Sox, who not only have made Truck Day […]
Tag Archives | 2011
Mariners upgrading concessions: “the anti-fast food”
The Seattle Mariners are upgrading concessions at Safeco Field once again; the team that brought us ballpark sushi and the Ichiroll is bringing in three celebrity chefs to upgrade Bullpen Market food offerings in 2011. Centerplate, the team’s concessionaire, has hired national celebrity chefs Ethan Stowell, Roberto Santibañez and Bill Pustari to oversee new food […]
Phillies go HD with new scoreboard
Philadelphia Phillies fans at Citizens Bank Park will see one huge improvement for the 2011 season: the original left-field scoreboard will be replaced with a snazzy high-definition scoreboard from Daktronics. The Phillies and Daktronics made the announcement today for a new light-emitting diode (LED) HD video display much larger than the former video display at […]
First NAL schedule released
The Lake County Fielders (independent; North American League) have posted a schedule for the 2011 season — and as you might expect, it’s heavy with games against Schaumburg and Rockford. Really heavy. In fact, the schedule has the Fielders taking on the Schaumburg Flyers six times in June, 15 times in July (more than half […]
O’s: Ed Smith Stadium renovations right on schedule
Renovations to Ed Smith Stadium, the spring-training home of the Baltimore Orioles, are proceeding right on schedule and should be done in plenty of time for the team’s March 1 Grapefruit League 2011 debut. For those attending past spring-training games in Sarasota — whether it be when the Chicago White Sox or Cincinnati Reds were […]
SkyHawks to go dark?
A deal for Floyd Hall to sell the Sussex SkyHawks (independent; Can-Am League) has fallen through, and efforts to sell the team continues — but unless a deal can be consummated soon, the team could go dark in 2011 or play as a travel team, putting the indy circuit in a scheduling pinch. It’s a […]
Frontier League unveils ’11 schedule; Oakland County to go dark
The independent Frontier League unveiled a 2011 schedule today that includes the new Joliet team playing out of Silver Cross Field; the big news is the the Oakland County Cruisers will go dark for the season and will not resume operations until a new ballpark is finished. Basicall, the Frontier League will be the same […]
Will we see a ballpark concert tour in 2011?
One reason why 2010 sucked on the financial front for so many baseball teams: there were no large-scale concert tours hitting minor-league ballparks, as the concert scene last year was weak. Will we see a big tour in 2011? In previous years the likes of Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews Band […]
No Japanese teams in Tucson next spring
It may occur down the road, but for 2011 the plan to bring two or more Japanese or Korean pro teams to train at Tuscon Electric Park has fallen short, as organizers run out of time to make a deal. The plan would have had two or more teams training in Tucson; Tucson officials had […]
Winter Meetings set to return to Disney World in 2013
WINTER MEETINGS — The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort, which received high marks from many attendees during this week’s run hosting the Baseball Winter Meetings, will once again be the site of the industry’s annual convention from December 9-12 in 2013. It will mark the third time that the meetings have been held […]
First game at Salt River Fields slated for Feb. 26
The first game at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, the new spring home of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies, will be held Feb. 26, as the facility is unveiled to the public. As you might expect, the Diamondbacks and the Rockies will square off in this first game; the Diamondbacks will be the […]
Cruisers: We’ll be ready to play in new ballpark in 2011
The owners of the Oakland County Cruisers (independent; Frontier League) say they’re ready to close on $13 million in financing for a new Waterford, Mich. ballpark — Diamond at The Summit — and should be ready to play in the facility for the 2011 season. Diamond Heroes of Southeast Michigan, Inc., says it is anticipating […]
Ramapo ballpark moves forward; lawsuit threatened
A proposed new ballpark for the Rockland Boulders in Ramapo, N.Y., is moving forward after its site was transferred to a quasi-public development agency, but opponents of the facility are threatening a lawsuit in an attempt to detail the project. The city had bought the ballpark site in anticipation of building the ballpark using Ramapo-backed […]