The relaunch of the Northern League happened 20 years ago — really! — and the Sioux City Explorers are marking the occasion with a new commemorative logo. Out of the original six teams in the independent circuit, three are still in business in their original markets: the Explorers, the Sioux Falls Pheasants (originally the Canaries) […]
Tag Archives | american association
Shreveport-Bossier Captains moving to Laredo
The Shreveport-Bossier Captains membership in the independent American Association has been bought by the Laredo Lemurs, but baseball is expected back at Fair Grounds Field in the form of a summer-collegiate team next season. “We thank everyone involved with our efforts in Shreveport-Bossier for the last nine years, starting with the fans, along with sponsors, […]
Laredo officially joins American Association
Though there was never talk to the contrary, today the independent American Association officially announced the Laredo Lemurs would be joining the circuit, beginning next season. The Lemurs will be playing in a new 6,000-seat, $18-million ballpark next season. The team is owned by Laredo Baseball Investors, LLC, with Mark Schuster serving as president and chief […]
Bell: Cats will be back in 2012
Despite a move by the American Association to remove the Fort Worth Cats from its 2012 lineup, owner Carl Bell says he’s selling the team to new owners, who would field a team next season. Earlier this week the American Association pulled the team’s membership after Bell failed to provide a $200,000 letter of credit, […]
Fort Worth booted from American Association — for now
Yet another change in the independent American Association lineup: the Fort Worth Cats have had their league membership revoked after failing to put up a required letter of credit for 2012. “We regret having to take this action,” said league commissioner Miles Wolff. “Fort Worth has been a valuable member of the league since we […]
Goldeyes organization of the year in American Association
Nice award for our friends north of the border: the Winnipeg Goldeyes were named organization of the year in the independent American Association for the 2011 season. “This award illustrates the respect the Goldeyes have in the American Association and it’s a privilege to be given this award by the other 13 teams in the […]
2011 Independent Attendance by Average
Another attendance story, and the one that probably means the most for evaluating the health of a team: we list independent teams by average attendance. Here are the attendance figures from the five major independent leagues, as ranked by average. We have a new leader: the Winnipeg Goldeyes are now on top of the heap […]
2011 Independent Attendance by Total
More attendance goodness for you today: here are the 2011 independent-league attendance rankings, listed by total. This past offseason saw a shakeup in the independent-baseball world. The Northern League broke up, with four teams joining the American Association, one joining the North American League, one joining the Frontier League and two teams folding, with those […]
2011 Independent Average Attendance by League
With the independent-baseball regular season wrapping up yesterday, it’s time to parse the attendance numbers for 2011. Here are 2011 independent attendance numbers, listed by league. These numbers are for the top indy league who actually report attendance figures; there are others who do not. This past offseason saw a shakeup in the independent-baseball world. […]
Sox to auction off notorious mascot for charity
Brilliant! The Amarillo Sox (independent; American Association) are auctioning off their arousing, excited mascot on eBay, raising money for local charities. As you’ll recall, the mascot made an immediate impression on the local fans during his June 24 debut. He didn’t last an entire game before being pulled by GM Mark Lee. The auction can […]
Pro ball unlikely at TD Ameritrade Park next year — and maybe beyond
A lawsuit from a spurned potential tenant and the lack of firm interest from other independent leagues will probably keep professional baseball away from Omaha’s TD Ameritrade Park in 2012 and potentially beyond. The lawsuit, detailed in today’s Omaha World-Herald, has the owners of a potential Northern League franchise, the Omaha Flame, suing the Metropolitan […]
Saltdogs’ Utrup named AA exec of the year
Lincoln Saltdogs Vice President and General Manager Tim Utrup was named American Association Executive of the Year, as voted by league managers and media personnel. This is the second time the American Association has issued the award, and Utrup has won it on both occasions (2006). He has now earned top general manager honors three […]
Adamski new Sioux City Explorers president
The Sioux City Explorers (independent; American Association) announced a major upgrade to the team’s front office today with the hiring of Matt Adamski as club president. He joins GM Shane Tritz and Assistant GM Ashley Schoenrock as part of the front-office staff. His focus for the team will be enhancing non-baseball operations revenue and community […]