With the prospects of pro baseball returning to Ottawa dimming daily, Mayor Jim Watson is heading to Toronto to meet with Blue Jays officials about their interest in putting a team in Canada’s capital. Watson has led an effort to bring a team to Ottawa Stadium and brokered a deal with Beacon Sports on a […]
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Ottawa less than a done deal?
A sharp-eyed reader pointed us to a newspaper column by Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson that seems to suggest plans to bring a Class AA Eastern League team to Ottawa may not be as firm as previously thought. From the Ottawa Citizen: We are also working with the private sector to revitalize an important asset in […]
Eastern League to Ottawa in 2014, says city
Beacon Sports has brokered a deal to bring a Class AA Eastern League team to Ottawa Stadium for the 2014 season, according to a release sent out by the city. The release: Today, Mayor Jim Watson announced that the City of Ottawa has reached an agreement in principle with Beacon Sports Capital Partners for a […]
Will affiliated ball return to Ottawa?
Ottawa would seem to be a great market for affiliated baseball, but issues with the ballpark — and the fairly high cost of bringing it up to modern standards — may end up killing any relocation efforts. More than one MiLB owner directly told us they’d passed on a plan to move an Eastern League […]
Beacon makes it official: No Ottawa EL team in 2013
Ottawa officials and Beacon Sports confirmed what we reported earlier this week: there will be no Class AA Eastern League team moving to Ottawa Stadium in 2013. The pair finally acknowledged what baseball insiders have known for weeks: that no one was seriously interested in buying the Binghamton Mets (Class AA; Eastern League) and moving […]
Fisher Cats, Blue Jays extend PDC
As expected, the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Class AA; Eastern League) and Toronto Blue Jays extended their PDC through 2014, as hopes of a Jays Double-A team in Ottawa fade to black. Toronto has been New Hampshire’s Major League parent club since the Fisher Cats began play in Manchester in 2004. “We are very pleased […]
Local group launches season-ticket drive for Ottawa baseball
A local group, Champions for Ottawa Baseball, has launched a season-ticket drive for a Class AA Eastern League team in 2013, invoking the name of the Toronto Blue Jays in the process. The group, which counts Mayor Jim Watson among its members, is asking 2,500 baseball fans to put down $25 on deposit for a […]
Ottawa committee approves $5.7M in ballpark improvements
We’re another step closer to affiliated ball returning to Ottawa, as a city finance committee today approved $5.7 million in spending on renovations to Ottawa Stadium for the 2013 season. The full Ottawa City Council is expected to approve the spending plan next Wednesday. Beacon Sports, a Boston-based finance firm, has been negotiating with the […]
It’s official: Eastern League to Ottawa in 2013
The reports were true: Conditional upon various baseball approvals, we should see the move of a Class AA Eastern League team to Ottawa Stadium for the 2013 season. Boston-based Beacon Sports has been negotiating a 10-year lease for Ottawa Stadium, the former home of the Ottawa Lynx (Class AAA; International League). The ballpark would be […]
Report: Eastern League team to Ottawa in 2013
An as-yet-unnamed Eastern League team will be moving to Ottawa Stadium for the 2013 season if a memorandum of understanding is completed, according to the Ottawa Citizen. The team, to be owned by Boston-based Beacon Sports, will play at a refurbished Ottawa Stadium. The city will pay for $6 million in ballpark updates, with the […]
Eastern League just a swirl of intrigue
The current hotbed of intrigue in the baseball world? The Eastern League, where Ottawa’s desire for a team and Richmond’s wishes for a new ballpark are roiling the waters. It appears as though there’s an excellent chance Minor League Baseball is returning to Ottawa for the 2013 season and beyond, as discussions between a potential […]