We have the opening bid for public funding of a new Chicago White Sox ballpark, as team owner Jerry Reinsdorf will reportedly ask the state of Illinois for $1 billion in hotel taxes and TIF proceeds to build the new facility. (more…)
Tag Archives | chicago
Plans for new Chicago White Sox ballpark unveiled
A new Chicago White Sox ballpark could be part of a dramatic realignment of sporting facilities in the Windy City, as the team mulls a move to The 78 South Loop development near Clark Street and Roosevelt Road. (more…)
Rosemont Approves Ballpark Deal
Pending the approval of the American Association, independent league baseball will be coming to Rosemont. (more…)
Rosemont Moves Forward with New Indy Ballpark
Another potential new market for the independent American Association, as the Chicago suburb of Rosemont is moving forward on a $55-million ballpark project on land offered in 2013 to the Chicago Cubs for a Wrigley Field replacement. (more…)
Baseball Across America: Chicago
Editor’s Note: Mark Cryan, former MiLB general manager and Ballpark Digest contributing editor, embarked on an epic ballpark tour this summer, and he filed regular dispatches from the road. Today’s stop: Wrigley Field and U.S. Cellular Field. (more…)
Cubs, Chicago close to Wrigley Field accord
The Chicago Cubs and the city of Chicago are close to finalizing a $500-million Wrigley Field renovation plan that preserves views for local rooftop owners, adds more video signage and includes a new 300-capacity parking garage. The deal, expected to be finalized for an announcement at Monday’s season opener, gives the Cubs the right to […]
U.S. Cellular withdraws from Chicago, will keep White Sox naming rights
Even though U.S. Cellular is selling its Chicago-area customer contracts to Sprint, the telecom giant will keep its Chicago headquarters and not drop naming rights to U.S. Cellular Field, home of the Chicago White Sox. U.S. Cellular is in the midst of a 20-year, $88-million naming rights deal signed in 2003. Now, companies have been […]
Toole pulls two teams from Midwest Collegiate League
The summer-collegiate Midwest Collegiate League is down by two teams after Jamie Toole pulled his franchises, the Will County CrackerJacks and the Illinois Lincolns, from the circuit effective immediately. Finances and a disagreement over the future of the league were the reasons he pulled the teams, Toole told us via email this morning. It’s been a hard […]
Grasshoppers to attempt world record for most people wearing sunglasses at night
This is a mark that should fall easily: the Greensboro Grasshoppers (Low Class A; Sally League) are asking fans to don sunglasses at tomorrow night’s game in order to set a new world record. The record: the most people wearing sunglasses at night. The current record is 671 people wearing sunglasses at a Chicago nightclub. […]
City, Cubs finalizing terms of Wrigley Field renovations
In a surprising assertion, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel says his city is close to a deal with the Chicago Cubs to help fund renovations to Wrigley Field. Cubs owner Tom Ricketts has repeatedly called for city or state help in renovating the Chicago landmark, which will be 100 years old in 2014. He’s pitched a […]
This year’s big summer concert: Wilco and Andrew Bird
We’ve been bemoaning the lack of any big summer concerts at minor-league ballparks, but we have a good one to report: Wilco and Andrew Bird at Fifth Third Bank Ballpark. Playing the home of the Kane County Cougars (Low Class A; Midwest League) makes sense for the Chicago-based Wilco, which has been on continuous tour […]
Wrigley Field damaged in heavy snowstorms
Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs, was damaged yesterday by heavy snowstorms ripping through the heart of the country, as several tiles from the top of the press box were torn off; streets in the area are shut down for the cleanup. The tiles caused enough of a mess to force city officials to […]
Exploring the roots of spring training in Florida
We’re now in full-blown preparations for spring training. The roots of spring training are still a little cloudy, but we’ve run across a newspaper article documenting Henry M. Flagler‘s efforts to bring spring training in St. Augustine, Florida, in 1890 — complete with an illustration of the ballpark. The article appeared in Frank Leslie’s Illustrated […]