Today’s ballpark of the past is SPAR Stadium, former home to pro ball in Shreveport, built in 1935 and still a working ballpark thanks to the efforts of the good folks at Galilee Baptist Church. The ballpark was the predecessor to Fair Grounds Field in Shreveport, home to various Southern Association and Texas League teams. […]
Archive | At the Ballpark
Reviving Devereux Meadows
The old Devereux Meadows ballpark site in Raleigh, N.C., home to the Raleigh Capitals and the Raleigh-Durham Triangles (Carolina League), could be revived as a city park. The former home to minor-league baseball in Raleigh — where Carl Yastrzemski, Greg Luzinski and Cliff Johnson targeted a left-field fence some 315 feet out (the same as […]
The Week That Was: April 1
No April Fools here: attendance expectations in Wilmington, indy-team comings and goings, and the sale of the Los Angeles Dodgers are this week’s top stories on Ballpark Digest, as measured by page views. What should Wilmington expect for new-ballpark attendance? Diamond Sports walks away from North American League management Wild Things to bring new team […]
H-Sens on roll entering 2012 season
Good news for Harrisburg Senators (Class AA; Eastern League) management: For the first time ever, the H-Sens have surpassed 100,000 tickets sold prior to the home opener. The Senators reached the milestone earlier this week, two weeks prior to the April 12 home opener. This is the third season in the new and improved Metro […]
Winchester ballpark back on city agenda
A new ballpark for the Hagerstown Suns (Low Class A; Sally League) in Winchester, Va., is alive after city officials meet in executive session with Bruce Quinn to discuss alternative sites. The move last night by the Winchester City Council was a surprise: the executive session wasn’t on the agenda and certainly not publicized. But […]
What’s on tap for Ballpark Digest
We have some travel and some changes on tap for Ballpark Digest in coming weeks, as we prep for the upcoming baseball season. We’ve been working on changes to Ballpark Digest and will be implementing them sometime over the next month, probably over the course of a weekend. Most of the changes are under the […]
Work continues on Suns lease extension
Hagerstown Suns (Low Class A; Sally League) ownership and Hagerstown city officials are closer to finalizing a two-year lease extension for Municipal Stadium as a prelude to new-ballpark talks. Suns owner Bruce Quinn met yesterday with Mayor Robert Bruchey II and the five-member Hagerstown City Council to discuss a lease extension, made necessary after Winchester […]
Your essential app for 2012: MLB At Bat
Spending a lot of time on a sickbed last week, one thing helped me get through a bad time: MLB At Bat 2012, revamped for the coming season. Relaunched by MLB Advanced Media with a new pricing scheme for the 2012 season, it’s an essential application for any baseball fan. If you used it in […]
Tebow to the Storm?
Clever: The Lake Elsinore Storm (High Class A; California League) have landed squarely in the news, offering to trade its Rally Cop to the Denver Broncos for the suddenly expendable Tim Tebow. “We’re not sure about Tim’s baseball past,” said Storm Vice President/General Manager Chris Jones, “but we are sure he could bring some of […]
Captains unveil whale of a ballpark fish sandwich
The Lake County Captains (Low Class A; Midwest League) unveiled a whale of a sandwich for the 2012 season, as the Moby Dick features five quarter-pound fish filets and six ounces of clam strips, among other ingredients. The Moby Dick features a 15-inch sesame-seed hoagie roll, five quarter-pound fish filets, eight slices of cheese, six […]
Reds, River Bandits to start off season right: with parades
If we had our way, every baseball team would begin the season with a parade — as is the case in the Quad Cities and Cincinnati, where Opening Day is celebrated with the proper pomp and circumstance. The annual Cincinnati Opening Day Parade will be held April 5 at 1 p.m., with former Red Aaron […]
Video, video: prepping for the season
Videos are increasingly important marketing tools for baseball teams at all levels. Here’s a look at how three teams — Fort Wayne TinCaps, Madison Mallards and Joliet Slammers — are deploying videos as part of their sales arsenal. The Madison Mallards (summer collegiate; Northwoods League) threw up a pretty slick website, 7gamepack.com, to promote the […]
Professional Sports Catering adds Dayton to portfolio
Professional Sports Catering, in conjunction with Mandalay Baseball Properties, announced today that PSC will manage the food and beverage operation at Fifth Third Field, home of the Dayton Dragons (Low Class A; Midwest League). “Dayton is one of the top MiLB franchises in the country,” said Tom Dickson, CEO of PSC. “We are excited about […]