One of the central areas of contention between MLB and MiLB in discussions of a new Professional Baseball Agreement has been facility upgrades—a topic that’s been confusing for all involved. (more…)
Author Archive | Kevin Reichard
MLB Raising MiLB Salaries for 2021
Major League Baseball is raising salaries for Minor League Baseball players for the 2021 season and beyond at every level of ball, including Rookie and Short Season A teams. (more…)
Goodbye Steve Cohen, Hello… Alex Rodriguez?
The drama over future ownership of the New York Mets continues, with billionaire hedge fund manager Steve Cohen withdrawing his ownership bid–and Alex Rodriguez reportedly considering a purchase of the team from the Wilpon family. (more…)
Tampa, Hillsborough County Officials Work to Lure Rays
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, Hillsborough County officials and Tampa Bay Rays owner Stu Sternberg were optimistic about a joint Montreal / Tampa Bay Rays franchise come 2028 after a 2 1/2-hour meeting today. (more…)
WooSox Exceeding Sponsorship Goals a Year Before Launch
A year before the team launches at Polar Park, the Worcester Red Sox (Class AAA; International League) have capped the number of founding partners at 21–three times the number the owners were hoping to sell. (more…)
MLB, MiLB Continue War of Words; More Meetings Scheduled
The war of words between Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball over the proposed contraction of 42 MiLB teams continues, with another meeting scheduled for later this month—a war highlighted with the unexpected emergence of the Batavia Muckdogs as a contraction issue. (more…)
Planning for Spring Training 2020? Here Are Some Important Dates to Consider
Now that the NFL season is done after an exciting Super Bowl game, it’s time to turn our attention to the next big event on the sporting calendar: spring training. Here are the dates to focus on this month and next. (more…)
An Early Look at Toyota Field
The 2020 season approaches. If you thought 2019 was a great year for new and renovated ballparks—and it was—you’ll be excited about what’s on hand for 2020. We begin our preview of 2020 facilities with some photos of Toyota Field, opening as the home of the Rocket City Trash Pandas (Class AA; Southern League). (more…)
Giants Upgrading Spring-Training Facilities
The last decade saw plenty of changes in the 10 Cactus League ballparks and training camps, ranging from Salt River Fields and Sloan Park openings to extensive renovations at Peoria Stadium and American Family Fields of Phoenix. But that pace slows down in 2020, with the San Francisco Giants unveiling changes this spring. (more…)
New Renderings Released for New Beloit Snappers Ballpark
New renderings of a proposed new Beloit Snappers (Low A; Midwest League) ballpark have been released by Hendricks Commercial Properties and potential team owner Quint Studer, as the city predicts a groundbreaking this spring. (more…)
First Exterior Signage Installed at Globe Life Field
Today marked another milestone in the construction of Globe Life Field, opening in March as the new home of the Texas Rangers: Installation of the first exterior Globe Life Field sign. (more…)
Mayors Join Battle Against MLB’s MiLB Contraction Plan
The battle against MLB’s plans to contract 42 MiLB franchises sees a new set of participants with the establishment of a task force made up of 30-plus U.S. mayors, many of whom from cities not in danger of losing their minor-league teams. (more…)
ABS Technology To Be Used in Spring Training on Limited Basis
Automated ball-strike (ABS) technology–referred to popularly as robo-umps–will be implemented during spring training 2020 for nine games on an evaluative basis, but the ABS technology won’t be used for any actual game calls. (more…)