In a contest tallying over 19,000 votes, London’s Labatt Park was named Canada’s favorite ballpark by Baseball Canada, beating out Thunder Bay’s Port Arthur Stadium in the finals. Labatt Park, one of the oldest ballparks still in existence, has been home to professional, semipro and independent teams over the years. “Baseball Canada congratulates Labatt Park […]
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Now Hiring: Director of Group Ticket Sales
The Madison Mallards of the Northwoods League are looking for a growing leader to serve as its new Director of Group Ticket Sales. The Mallards hold every national attendance record for summer collegiate baseball averaging 6,278 fans per game in 2011. Located in the vibrant college town of Madison, Wisconsin, the Mallards are looking for […]
Choosing Canada’s favorite ballpark
Baseball Canada is running an interesting contest to choose the country’s favorite ballpark. The finalists: London’s Labatt Park and Thunder Bay’s Port Arthur Stadium. We’re very familiar with Port Arthur Stadium, having attended a slew of Thunder Bay Whiskey Jacks (independent; Northern League) and Thunder Bay Border Cats (summer collegiate; Northwoods League) games over the […]
Schlough interim prez of San Jose Giants
Bill Schlough, a technology specialist with the San Francisco Giants, is the interim president of the San Jose Giants (High Class A; California League) and will split his time between the two teams. Schlough replaces Jim Weyermann, who resigned in July. He’ll serve as president until a permanent replacement is named. Schlough was senior vice […]
Professional Sports Catering adds Laredo to portfolio
Professional Sports Catering is adding a new team to the company’s lineup of customers, as the firm will manage the food and beverage operation at the new home of the Laredo Lemurs (independent; American Association). “We are pleased to partner with the Lemurs,” said Tom Dickson, CEO of PSC. “The new Laredo ballpark is going […]
Missoula closes on purchase of Osprey home
The Missoula City Council is buying Ogren Park at Allegiance Field, the home of the Missoula Osprey (rookie; Pioneer League) for $3.55 million, bailing out the nonprofit Play Ball Missoula and providing a solid base for the ballpark’s future. The city is using $2 million in city redevelopment funds and issuing $1.55 million in new […]
Windy City fetes millionth fan
The Windy City ThunderBolts (independent; Frontier League) honored the millionth fan in team history, Karen Kenny of Tinley Park, with a grand time at Standard Bank Stadium. Kenny was given a crown, sash, flowers, and a plaque, and her group of 14 were treated to free food and drink in te team’s Party Box; she also […]
Obstacles to new ballparks in California: not as bleak as expected
When Gov. Jerry Brown signed a law abolishing California’s redevelopment agencies, many in baseball assumed public financing of ballparks was a thing of the past. Turns out the news may not be so terrible — but the circumstances are still troublesome. Tax-increment financing is a tried-and-true economic-development tool, and it’s occasionally used to build ballparks. […]
The Schaumburg Mallers? Not so fast
The new Schaumburg team in independent baseball still doesn’t have a name, even though there’s been a winner in a name-the-team contest: the Schaumburg Mallers. The contest was a a drawing among all entering a name. Besides winner Steve Larek, an additional 65 winners were selected to receive other prizes, such as a pair of […]
Jammers to honor Jamestown native Lucille Ball
The Jamestown Jammers (short season A; NY-Penn League) will be honoring native Lucille Ball in an unusual way: they’ll don commemorative jerseys tomorrow festooned with images of Ball and ex-hubby Desi Arnaz. We’ve seen lots of commemorative jerseys throughout the years, but none with two pictures on the front. (See for yourself here.) Lucy is […]
ValleyCats hit early attendance mark
Nice milestone for the Tri-City ValleyCats (short season A; NY-Penn League): For the first time since their inaugural season in 2002, the ValleyCats have reached the 100,000-attendance mark before the month of August. Following the game on Sunday, the ‘Cats have drawn a total of 103,076 fans to “The Joe” in 2011. Thus far in […]
Last days to submit nominees for Ballpark Digest Awards
We’re coming up on the deadline for submitting nominees for the 2011 Ballpark Digest Awards, with a deadline of end of business Monday, Aug, 1, fast approaching. As always, we’d love to hear from you about who and what should be honored. The awards are open to all levels of baseball: affiliated, independent, summer-collegiate and […]
Green Man hits Duck Pond; bailed out by Yellow Man
Yeah, we’re pretty sure this is staged — but, to be honest, we don’t care, either. Here’s a humorous clip from last night’s Madison Mallards (summer collegiate; Northwoods League) game, where a Green Man charged the field and artfully eluded his captors. You know the meme: the guy in the green Lycra comes from Fox’s […]