Another clear sign of spring: Major League Baseball teams are preparing to ship gear and equipment to Florida and Arizona, as the annual rite of Truck Day approaches. Sister site Spring Training Online has all the details, but there are two thing to note. First, the Tampa Bay Rays are already prepped to ship equipment, […]
Tag Archives | 2014
Weather delays work on new SIU ballpark
The cold weather has slowed construction on the new $3.4 million ballpark at Southern Illinois University, with work delayed everywhere but the actual field installation. SIU went with synthetic turf on the field — one of those inclusive installations that includes home plate — and that installation was done last fall, so in theory the […]
MCU Park, Brooklyn Cyclones to host ’14 NY-Penn All-Star Game
The 10th Annual New York-Penn League All-Star Game will be held Aug. 19 at MCU Park, home of the Brooklyn Cyclones. MCU Park, which hosted the first-ever New York-Penn League All-Star Game in 2005, will once again welcome the best the league has to offer. “We are excited that the NYPL All-Star Game is coming back […]
Topping-out ceremony held in El Paso
A big milestone was marked today by the El Paso Chihuahuas (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League): a topping-out ceremony was held at the construction site of the new downtown ballpark. Traditionally, a topping-out ceremony is held when the final piece of structural steel is put in place on new construction. From KFOX14: “I think it […]
Lookouts to host 2014 Southern League All-Star Game
We’ll be there: the Chattanooga Lookouts are hosting the 38th annual 2014 Southern League All-Star Game at AT&T Field on Tuesday, June 17. This is the first time the Lookouts have hosted the event since 2004. This year’s midsummer classic is just the centerpiece of a two day event that also includes the Home Run […]
Gems to remain under Civic Center ownership — for now
The Quincy Civic Center Authority will retain ownership of the Quincy Gems (summer collegiate; Prospect League) and field a team in 2014 while continuing to find a new owner for the team. The team lost $23,178 in 2012 and $91,000 in 2013, leading the Quincy Civic Center Authority to put the team on the market. With […]
Final days of Knights Stadium
We’ll have more on the Metrodome today, but tis the season for ballparks to close: today is the last day of operations at Knights Stadium, home of the Charlotte Knights (Class AAA; International League). Dan Rajkowski, Scott Brown and crew are closing the doors on the tenure of the Knights in suburban Fort Mill, S.C., […]
New Hamptons team will buck tradition: No nickname
The new Hamptons team in the startup Independent Professional Baseball League will be unique: it won’t have a nickname, in the manner of professional soccer teams here and abroad. Hamptons Professional Baseball Club is the name of the team, according to team president Dan Malley. As you can see by the logo, he’s taking a […]
New for 2014: Yakima Valley Pippins
With a nod to the area’s baseball history combined with plenty of community input, we have the name of the newest team in the summer-collegiate West Coast League: the Yakima Valley Pippins. The Pippins brand features vibrant colors that reflect those found in the sunshine, majestic mountains, and rolling farmlands of the Yakima Valley. The […]
Richmond ballpark vote now set for February
Any decision on a new Richmond Flying Squirrels (Class AA; Eastern League) ballpark will come in February or even March, as City Council members say they need more time for research and deliberation. It doesn’t appear that the delay is an attempt to kill the project — which, as we all know, happens all the […]
Rays unveil 2014 Tropicana Field upgrades
As promised, the Tampa Bay Rays unveiled some serious 2014 upgrades to Tropicana Field today, featuring 360-degree fan access and a new open center-field patio. The 360-degree pedestrian circulation will around the lower seating bowl at Tropicana Field. The improved circulation will provide easier access to and from ballpark gates, concessions and activity areas throughout […]
Rays to unveil Tropicana Field upgrades
The Tampa Bay Rays are unveiling several 2014 improvements to Tropicana Field today, including a 360-degree concourse and an open area in center field. From ABC Action News: According to details learned by ABC Action News, the Rays plans involve a path allowing fans to walk around the entire stadium without having to go through […]
More upgrades proposed for Modern Woodmen Park
More upgrades at Modern Woodmen Park have been pitched to Davenport politicos by Quad Cities River Bandits (Low Class A; Midwest League) ownership. If you’ve been to a River Bandits game recently, you know the team has been working on a amusement-park-style addition to the ballpark past the left-field ballpark boundary. The improvements, as part […]