This coming offseason may be the most important one ever for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees (Class AAA; International League), but we’re thinking new president/GM Rob Crain will be up to the challenge. Crain, tapped earlier this month to lead the franchise, certainly has a lot on his plate. First, he’ll need to oversee the re-opening of […]
Archive | At the Ballpark
The Week That Was: July 22
MiLB history, affiliation shifts, Ebbets Field plans and the return of the Albuquerque Dukes for one night. Here are the most popular stories of the past week on Ballpark Digest, as measured by page views. Pete Rose, hot girlfriend to hit reality TV this fall Webb makes MiLB history: first female league president Could Blue […]
Florida State League announces 2012 Hall of Fame class
Al Lang, Bob Tewksbury, Ken Carson and Sonny Hirsch are among the 13 members of the 2012 Class of Inductees to the Florida State League Hall of Fame, to be honored this November. The 2012 Class is listed below with a short biography. Pitchers Jeff Suppan — Jeff was signed by the Boston Red Sox in […]
Negotiations fail to yield agreement on Wilmington ballpark lease
Talks between Wilmington (N.C.) officials and Mandalay Baseball Properties on a lease for a proposed downtown ballpark have failed to result in a lease agreement, but negotiations will continue. The two sides are discussing a deal for a new ballpark for the relocating Lynchburg Hillcats (High Class A; Carolina League), with the team owned by the Atlanta Braves and the […]
Phoenixville committee to study ballpark feasibility
A study to determine the feasibility of an affiliated short-season or independent team in Phoenixville (Pa.) as part of a larger development of the former Phoenix Steel Co. site will begin shortly. The review, which will be conducted by the Chester County Economic Development Council (CCEDC), will be used by the Phoenixville Baseball Committee to help determine the […]
Cooper Stadium sale expected next week
The sale of Cooper Stadium, the former home of the Columbus Clippers (Class AAA; International League), to a developer seeking to convert it to a racetrack/car complex is expected to close next week. Cooper Stadium, which opened in 1932, has sat empty since the Clippers move to a new downtown ballpark, Huntington Park, in 2009. […]
Kuhn rejoins Miracle front office
John Kuhn, whose baseball travels included gigs in Kalamazoo, Sioux Falls and Pittsfield, has rejoined the team where he began his front-office career, the Fort Myers Miracle (High Class A; Florida State League). He’s the team’s new Senior Director of Business Development. Kuhn is an original member of the Miracle front office from 1992-95. “It’s […]
Phoenixville: We have team interested in new ballpark
Officials in Phoenixville (Pa.) say they’ve had discussions with a professional baseball team about placing a team at a new ballpark in the Chester County community if funds for a new ballpark can be raised. It’s not a new idea: we covered it a year ago when a steering committee of 20 Phoenixville and Chester County […]
Pete Rose, hot girlfriend to hit reality TV this fall
This surely won’t be creepy: a new reality show starring all-time hits leader Pete Rose will follow him and his thirtysomething fiancee — a former Playboy model, to boot — as they attempt to figure out that crazy little thing called love. There are a host of issues to be covered in TLC’s Pete Rose […]
MLB All-Star Game tops weekly TV ratings, garners lowest numbers ever
Well, this is a classic case of good news/bad news: the 2012 All-Star Game was the top-rated TV show last week, but still was the worst-rated All-Star Game ever, slightly off last year’s low. Of course, this is a simplification of what actually transpired during the course of the game, and to reduce the numbers […]
Helping fans cope with the hot weather
Another day in one of the hottest summers on record poses a challenge to baseball teams of all sorts: how to keep fans hydrated and happy during a steamy night at the ballpark. It’s all about the water. For teams that installed water features like misters and pools before now, the hot summer weather and […]
Rip Tide: ATVs and the perils of mascotdom
It could have been a lot worse, but in the end no one was hurt when Rip Tide, mascot for the Norfolk Tides (Class AAA; International League), took a nasty spill on an ATV during Sunday’s game against Lehigh Valley. After wiping out, Rip Tide tried to get the ATV running again, to no avail. […]
“Business is better now than when Tiger Stadium was around”
If only Tiger Stadium could have been saved, it would have been part of a renaissance of the Corktown area of Detroit, where gentrification is in full force. When the Detroit Tigers moved to Comerica Park and abandoned Tiger Stadium, the future of Corktown was written off by many in the greater Detroit area. Without […]