Vi Ripken, the mother of Bill Ripken and Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr., was kidnapped yesterday and released today, sans ransom note or any clue as to exactly why she was targeted. The 74-year-old Vi, married to the late Cal Ripken Sr. until his death in 1999, spent a day in her car after a […]
Archive | The Front Office
Organizers to make another run for baseball in 2020 Olympics
International organizing groups for baseball and softball are joining forces to bring the two sports back to the Olympic Games in 2020. Baseball and softball were dropped from the Olympics after the 2008 games in Beijing. The relatively high expense of a venue and the lack of any big-name stars on the field were the […]
In memoriam: Bob Blum
Former Las Vegas 51s (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) broadcaster and front-office member Bob Blum has passed away. He was 91. Blum worked for the 51s — the Las Vegas Stars at the beginning of his tenure — for almost 30 years, and was the team’s broadcaster from 1985 to 2005 and 2008 to 2010. “Blumer […]
Boston Rob ready for Yankee challenges
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
The Week That Was: July 15
Tampa Bay attendance woes, MLB TV contracts, a new El Paso ballpark and spring training made news this week. The most popular stories of the past seven days on Ballpark Digest, as measured by page views. Selig: Rays attendance is “inexcusable” NBC vying for piece of MLB media-rights pie? El Paso: Let’s sell Cohen Stadium […]
Window on the past: When the PCL shot for the majors
A recently discovered newsreel shows the state of the post-war Pacific Coast League in 1946, as the eight-team circuit prepped for a move to a major league with legends like Casey Stengel and Lefty O’Doul in the dugouts. After the end of World War II, the minor leagues — which shut down as part of […]