Today’s big news at the Winter Meetings: Minor League Baseball crowned Portland Sea Dogs (Class AA; Eastern League) President Charlie Eshbach the 2013 King of Baseball. The King of Baseball is a long-standing tradition in which Minor League Baseball salutes a veteran from the professional baseball world for long-time dedication and service. Eshbach celebrated his […]
Archive | The Front Office
Personnel moves in Stockton, Yakima
Taylor McCarthy is the new Director of Marketing for the Stockton Ports (High Class A; California League), while Noel Zanchelli is the first Director of Operations for the new Yakima team in the summer-collegiate West Coast League. LLC President Pat Filippone made the announcement about McCarthy. “We are excited for Taylor to join our front […]
Crosley Field replica on tap for The Ripken Experience
Interesting way to develop a youth-baseball complex: the new 90-foot baseball diamond for the 2014 season at The Ripken Experience – Myrtle Beach complex will be a replica of Crosley Field. Crosley Field, of course, was the long-time home of the Cincinnati Reds. “As The Ripken Experience continues to host the top young talent from […]
Personnel moves in West Virginia, Staten Island, Colorado Springs, Holyoke
We have personnel news to report today from the West Virginia Power (Low Class A; Sally League), the Colorado Springs Sky Sox (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League), the Staten Island Yankees (short season A; NY-Penn League) and the Holyoke Blue Sox (summer collegiate; NECBL). In Charleston, Will Bell, Adam Marco and Jordan Pence have been […]
The ultimate Christmas gift: your own $30M backyard ballpark
Well, we know what we want for Christmas: the holiday gift guide from the Robb Report features a custom $30-million stadium that can be converted between baseball, football, soccer or pretty much any sport. The premise from this Populous offer: that with the right amount of money, stadium technology can create pretty much any sporting […]
Prepping for the Winter Meetings
It’s coming up fast: the annual Baseball Winter Meetings and Baseball Trade Show launches next Monday, and we will once again be exhibiting. The trade show runs Monday night through Wednesday at the Swan and Dolphin Resort in Disney World, and we will be there in Booth 1320. No goodies or giveaways: we’re once again […]
Personnel moves in Modesto, Reading, Quad Cities, Greenville and Greeneville
Lots of MiLB personnel news: HWS Baseball promotes three; Eric Jarinko is the new Greenville Drive GM; the Quad Cities River Bandits add two assistant GMs; Tonya Petrunak returns to Reading, and the Greeneville Astros add two sales reps. HWS Baseball, the parent company of the Modesto Nuts (High Class A; California League), Mobile Bay […]
The Week That Was: Nov. 11-16, 2013
A surprise decision on a new Atlanta Braves ballpark, the debut of a Richmond ballpark plan, and the sale of the Memphis Redbirds made headlines. The top stories on Ballpark Digest this past week, as measured by page views. Braves to leave Turner Field, will build new Cobb County ballparkTurner Field to be torn down […]
Graham nabs “Chief” Bender Award
Baltimore Orioles Director of Player Development Brian Graham is the winner of the sixth annual Sheldon “Chief” Bender Award, presented by MiLB to an individual with distinguished service who has been instrumental in player development. Graham has spent 32 years in professional baseball, including the last six with the Orioles. This year was his first […]
Personnel moves in Reading, Potomac
We have some personnel news today from the Reading Fightin Phils (Class AA; Eastern League) and the Potomac Nationals (High Class A; Carolina League). The Fightin Phils have added former interns Jon Nally, Zach Haas and Travis Hart to the team’s full-time staff. “We’re thrilled to add Jon, Zach, and Travis to our full-time staff […]
Mexican League’s Escalante nabs Warren Giles Award
One more nice award to pass on: Mexican League President Plinio Escalante is the winner of the 30th annual Warren Giles Award, which honors outstanding service as a league president. Escalante is the first Mexican League president to win the Giles Award and just the third from a foreign-based league in the award’s history. This […]
AFL’s McGrath named Woman Executive of the Year
Another nice award: Arizona Fall League senior administrator Joan McGrath will be awarded the 37th Rawlings Woman Executive of the Year Award at this year’s Baseball Winter Meetings. As one of the Arizona Fall League’s five original staff members, Joan is the only remaining staff member and her resume boasts 22 seasons of continued service […]
Personnel moves in Tennessee, Reading, Charleston
We have some changes in the front offices of the Tennessee Smokies (Class AA; Southern League), the Reading Fightin Phils (Class AA; Eastern League) and the West Virginia Power (Low Class A; Sally League). First: the Power announced the hiring of Ken Fogel as executive vice president. Fogel most recently served as assistant general manager […]