All across Major League Baseball this season, bobbleheads and garden gnomes will be utilized as giveaways to attract fans to the ballpark. This week in Promotions Watch, we look at the wide range of those items on the docket, ranging from bobbleheads that celebrate memorable moments to gnomes of players and managers. (more…)
There may be no one associated with the Chicago White Sox more than Ken “Hawk” Harrelson—which made the announcement that the White Sox had hired Jason Benetti to call home games alongside Steve Stone such a surprise. Benetti mulled over his hiring, hand-sanitizer ingredients, and his favorite ballparks in an interview with Jesse Goldberg-Strassler. (more…)
We have personnel news today from the Chicago White Sox, Lowell Spinners (short season A; NY-Penn League), Wisconsin Rapids Rafters and Madison Mallards (summer collegiate; Northwoods League). (more…)
The Birmingham Barons (Class AA; Southern League) and parent Chicago White Sox have extended their player-development contract (PDC) through the 2020 season. (more…)
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…)
The Chicago White Sox are embarking on another makeover of U.S. Cellular Field for 2016, and the first step is the installation of new outfield videoboards, as well as upgrades to the existing main scoreboard. (more…)
Many Minor League Baseball teams are offering fans the opportunity to take in a game before Opening Day on April 9 by including preseason exhibition games in their schedules. Headlined by five games that pit Minor League teams against their Major League parent clubs, these contests are discussed in this week’s Promotions Watch. (more…)
Between now and New Year’s Eve we’ll run down the top ten stories covered on Ballpark Digest in 2014, determined by page views. At #2: an amazing film from the 1919 World Series. (more…)
Following the inspirational story of Jackie Robinson West winning the U.S. Little League championship, the city of Chicago — aided by Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs contributions — is putting $6.5 million in youth baseball and softball fields. We covered the topic of baseball in Chicago a couple times this summer, noting the emphasis […]
With Jackie Robinson West winning their first game in the Little League World Series, the issue of black baseball players is again part of the public debate — and, finally, in a good way. It’s no secret that the number of blacks playing baseball is low: when the 2014 season started, only 8.3 percent of […]
Ever wonder what Redland Field and Comiskey Park looked like in the 1919 Reds/White Sox World Series? This recently uncovered footage shows both ballparks. Yes, that World Series: the infamous “Black Sox” World Series, where Eddie Cicotte and his gang of cohorts were accused of throwing the Series in a fix arranged by gambler Arnold […]
Limited posting today, as we’re headed to Chicago for the grand opening of Curtis Granderson Stadium, followed by a U.S. Cellular Field trip tonight and the annual trek to Wrigley Field tomorrow. We’ll have a full writeup tomorrow about the grand opening of Curtis Granderson Stadium, a keenly anticipated new home of the University of […]
As expected, the City Council approved a new BB&T Ballpark lease for the Winston-Salem Dash (High Class A; Carolina League), which will pay off a short-term loan and bring in a new ownership group led by the Chicago White Sox. The new lease, approved unanimously, for the potential new owners of the Dash to invest […]
