The future of baseball in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, a ballpark that looks like a volcano, and the potential end to Thirsty Thursday in Illinois. The top stories of the past week on Ballpark Digest, as measured in page views. Sale still pending for SWB Yankees; could team depart? New for 2013: Estadio Sonora Pomeranz joining Padres broadcast […]
Tag Archives | college world series
Coach: Big Ten should play in summer, skip College World Series
In a move that would marginalize Big Ten baseball and drive away gifted ballplayers, U of Minnesota coach John Anderson says his conference should play in the summer and skip the College World Series. The rationale is clear: since Big Ten teams besides the winner of the conference tourney are rarely invited to the NCAA […]
Big Ten tourney up for grabs
The Big Ten baseball tournament is up after this year’s tourney in Columbus, with several ballpark operators already submitting bids — including two in Omaha. The tournament is held in late May, with the winner awarded an automatic NCAA tourney bid. Since moving to a neutral site the tournament has been held in Columbus, with […]
TD Ameritrade Park to host hockey games next winter
TD Ameritrade Park, home of the College World Series, will be hosting at least two college and developmental junior hockey games next winter. At a press conference today, the Omaha Sports Commission and the Metropolitan Entertainment and Convention Authority (MECA) — which runs the ballpark — are expected to announce two high-profile games at the […]
Will Legion move to wood bats?
With three statewide American Legion baseball programs mandating wood bats and several others evaluating a switch, we could see a nationwide shift in the country’s major youth baseball program toward traditional baseball. Rhode Island, Connecticut and Florida Legion programs now mandate wood bats, and several other state programs are evaluating a switch. If enough states […]
Day after botched MLB call, NCAA makes move toward instant replay
Though the two aren’t related, the timing couldn’t be better: a day after umpire Jerry Meals totally butchered a call at that plate that gave an illegitimate win to the Braves, the NCAA is instituting instant replay at the College World Series. By now most baseball fans have seen the blown call that ended a […]
Verdict on TD Ameritrade Park: OK, but not the ‘Blatt
Now that the College World Series is complete — and congrats to South Carolina — it seems like many fans attending festivities at TD Ameritrade Park came to the same conclusion we did: the new ballpark is bland, corporate and lacking when compared to venerable Johnny Rosenbatt Stadium. The Omaha World-Herald — an unabashed supporter […]
Rosenblatt memorabilia auction deemed a success
A sale of memorabilia from Omaha’s Rosenblatt Stadium, the former home of the College World Series and the Omaha Royals (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League), to benefit the Omaha Zoo Foundation’s Infield at the Zoo Legacy Project was deemed a success by organizers. More than 160 on-site bidders attended the June 23 live auction at […]
TD Ameritrade Park / College World Series / Creighton Bluejays
Like many traditionalists, we were dismayed with Omaha officials announced plans to build a new downtown ballpark for the College World Series, abandoning Rosenblatt Stadium in the process. With TD Ameritrade Park now open and hosting a handful of CWS games, it’s easy to see the ballpark’s many strengths – and some high-profile weaknesses. FAST […]
Poppe: New College World Series ballpark just dandy
Dennis Poppe, the NCAA vice president for football and baseball, says TD Ameritrade Park is working out well as the new home of the College World Series. Of course, what else is he gonna say? His statements come at the first week of games at the new $131-million downtown Omaha ballpark. There have been a […]
Rosenblatt Stadium memorabilia going to auction
One of the most storied ballparks in baseball is coming down, but you can own a piece of Omaha’s Rosenblatt Stadium, the former home of the College World Series and the Omaha Royals (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League), as the Omaha Zoo Foundation is launching an auction to sell Rosenblatt Stadium memorabilia. The live auction, […]
NCAA announces host sites for tourney regionals
The South and the Atlantic Coast Conference were the big winners as the NCAA announced the 16 Regional hosts for the 65th annual NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, capped by the College World Series. Here are the cities and the host teams: Atlanta — Georgia Tech (40-19) Austin, Texas — Texas (43-15) Fullerton, Calif. — […]
NCAA debates revamping baseball tourney
The NCAA is looking into an overhaul of the playoffs leading up to the College World Series by expanding the number of first-round host ballparks to 32 from the present 16, though the number of teams in the tourney would remain the same. The rationale behind the move: by increasing the number of host ballparks, […]