Results of polling on a new Wilmington (N.C.) ballpark for an Atlanta Braves farm team won’t be released to the public by the Wilmington Chamber of Commerce. The stated reason: the polling was done to refine a message urging voters to approve a property-tax hike ($50 annually on a house worth $200,000) to pay for […]
Tag Archives | carolina league
Frederick looking at naming-rights deal for Harry Grove Stadium
The city of Frederick is looking at working with a Rockvile (Md.) firm on a naming-rights deal for Harry Grove Stadium, home of the Frederick Keys (High Class A; Carolina League). If approved, Team Services LLC will be awarded ta $53,000 contract to market the naming rights to the field; the name of the ballpark […]
Mandalay, Wilmington, Braves agree to ballpark lease
The city of Wilmington (N.C.), Mandalay Baseball Properties and the Atlanta Braves agreed on a lease for a proposed waterfront ballpark — if voters agree to fund it via property-tax hike in the November elections. That’s a big if, of course, and we’re hearing that polling in the field has the referendum going down, but […]
No Wilmington ballpark deal — yet
Negotiations between the city of Wilmington (N.C.) and Mandalay Baseball Properties for a new Class A Carolina League ballpark continue, with a deal expected by Sept. 18. It’s taken far longer to reach a deal than city officials anticipated, but it sounds like the delays were due more to logistics than anything else: with three […]
Ginning up ballpark opposition
There’s always some level of opposition to a new ballpark; NIMBY folks usually aren’t hard to find. But sometimes the media goes out of its way to find them, as we’re seeing in Prince William County and El Paso. Take, for example, this report from the Examiner. The headline holds lot of promise: “New stadium […]
Second ballpark site emerges in Wilmington
Wilmington (N.C.) officials are exploring a second waterfront site for a new Class A Carolina League ballpark — one that would lower the cost to taxpayers. The city had pretty much settled on an 8.5-acre site near PPD owned by developer Chuck Schoninger, which should cost around $6 million. But the availability of an 8-acre site […]
Mudcats owners: We’re happy with move to Carolina League
The move to the Carolina League hasn’t impacted the Carolina Mudcats, according to team officials: attendance may be down, but weather played a large part in the decline. In 2010 Mudcats owner Steve Bryant sold his Class AA Southern League franchise to Quint and Rishy Studer, who moved the franchise to Pensacola and purchased the Kinston […]
Nasty ballpark fight emerging in Wilmington
Expect lots of outside money, as opponents and proponents of a publicly funded ballpark in Wilmington (N.C.) prepare to spend lots of money to sway voters to their side in the November elections. We’ve already seen Americans for Prosperity, the right-wing anti-government advocacy group founded by the Koch brothers, spend $20,000 on an effort to […]
Sky Sox, Keys hit attendance marks
The Colorado Springs Sky Sox (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) and the Frederick Keys (High Class A; Carolina League) both hit attendance milestones over the weekend. On Sunday, the Sky Sox welcomed 10-year-old Granger Kinne of Divide, CO through the front gates of Security Service Field as the six-millionth fan to attend a regular season […]
New Hanover County won’t assist new Wilmington ballpark — yet
Perhaps waiting to see if there’s political support for a new downtown Wilmington (N.C.) ballpark, New Hanover County commissioners decided to wait on any financial backing for the project — for now. The hotly contested issue will be before voters this fall, as the city and Mandalay Baseball Properties are negotiating a deal to bring […]
No lease, but ballpark funding will go before Wilmington voters
It’s official: Wilmington (N.C.) voters will be asked this fall to approve $37 million in bonding for a new waterfront ballpark for an Atlanta Braves farm team, despite the lack of a lease between the parties. We had reported that Wilmington and Mandalay Baseball Properties had failed to reach agreement on a lease for a […]
Wilmington, Mandalay delay ballpark decision
Unable to reach a final accord, the city of Wilmington (N.C.) and Mandalay Baseball Properties will put off signing a memorandum of understanding on a new ballpark — but the bond issue will still be on the fall ballot. The two sides have been negotiating for weeks on the parameters of a ballpark deal. And […]
Durham to Bulls: Continue management of DAP
The Durham Bulls (Class AAA; International League) may extend their management of Durham Athletic Park, as the city seeks to work out a long-term plan for the historic facility. The future of the former home of the Bulls has been in question since Minor League Baseball walked away from a deal to manage the ballpark […]