Atlanta businessman John Woods has signed a letter of intent to buy the Chattanooga Lookouts (Class AA; Southern League), with Hardball Capital‘s Jason Freier acting as a consultant to the deal. The Lookouts are owned by Frank Burke, Charles Eshbach and the estate of the late Dan Burke. It’s not clear whether the sale of the […]
Tag Archives | hardball capital
Savannah to Columbia? Relo paperwork filed
Hardball Capital has filed a relocation application with Minor League Baseball to move the Savannah Sand Gnats (Low Class A; Sally League) to Columbia (S.C.), according to a report from a local TV station, but that doesn’t mean Savannah is losing affiliated ball. The relocation application was confirmed by a local reporter, who wrote that […]
Columbia approves new ballpark
It went down exactly as Mayor Steve Benjamin promised: the Columbia (S.C.) City Council voted to move forward with a funding plan for a new ballpark on a 4-3 vote. The deal with Hardball Capital’s Jason Freier commits the city to borrowing $29 million for the ballpark construction and infrastructure costs. Hardball Capital will pay […]
Price of new Columbia ballpark project goes up $2M; vote due tonight
Despite the total of city borrowing for a new Columbia (S.C.) ballpark going up by $2 million, the City Council is expected to approve a $31 million borrowing plan tonight. The original price of the ballpark and associated work was $29 million, but that figure was bumped with the addition of a mile-long pedestrian pathway […]
Columbia mayor: We have votes to fund new ballpark
Columbia (S.C.) Mayor Steve Benjamin says the votes are there to pass a new-ballpark funding plan, with final approval expected at Tuesday’s City Council meeting. Veteran MiLB owner and operator Jason Freier has been working with Columbia on the ballpark plan, which calls for $29 million in bonding from the city and a new ballpark […]
New Columbia ballpark receives initial city approval
A new Columbia (S.C.) ballpark won initial approval from the City Council on first reading on a 4-3 margin, with a final vote scheduled for March 18. That the vote was close was not a surpise; opposition to the project had been gaining some momentum in recent day. The financing plan: Hardball Capital, led by […]
Columbia ballpark proposal up for vote today
A proposal for a new Columbia (S.C.) ballpark for a team owned by Hardball Capital’s Jason Freier is up for a vote today by the City Council, as the veteran MiLB operator ups his financial commitment to the project. What’s new: Hardball Capital would pay the city up to $516,000 annually if the proposed Bull […]
Freier: We’re still pursuing new Savannah ballpark
Despite all the talk recently about Jason Freier’s pursuit of a new Columbia (S.C.) ballpark, he’s still working on a plan for a new Savannah Sand Gnats (Low Class A; Sally League) facility. The assumption by many — including Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin — is that the Sand Gnats would be ending up in South […]
Columbia lease negotiations underway; opposition arises
The city of Columbia (S.C.) is negotiating a lease for a new ballpark with Hardball Capital’s Jason Freier, with an opposition group arguing against any public spending on a facility. The lease, which could be ready for City Council approval in two weeks, will cover all aspects of ballpark operations, including non-game events year-round. The […]
Freier to attend Columbia ballpark discussion
Veteran minor-league owner Jason Freier will be on hand tonight for a Columbia (S.C.) City Council discussion about a proposed ballpark development. Freier, whose Hardball Capital owns the Fort Wayne TinCaps (Low Class A; Midwest League) and the Savannah Sand Gnats (Low Class A; Sally League) and was instrumental in the Parkview Field development that […]
This year should determine fate of Sand Gnats
After five years of working on a new-ballpark strategy, it appears 2014 will be a make-or-break year for the future of the Savannah Sand Gnats (Low Class A; Sally League) in the city. Jason Freier of Hardball Capital, owner of the Sand Gnats, has been approaching city leaders for years now, lobbying for a new […]
Sand Gnats exploring Columbia move?
Columbia (S.C.) Mayor Steve Benjamin wasn’t too subtle in describing a potential baseball partner for his city, leaving little doubt he was talking with Savannah Sand Gnats (Low Class A; Sally League) ownership about a new facility. In a newspaper interview, Benjamin talked about the existing owner also owning a new team in the Midwest […]
Augusta ballpark plan unveiled; Eiseman, Schoen to buy GreenJackets
A new plan for an Augusta GreenJackets (Low Class A; Sally League) ballpark was unveiled today, as was confirmation that Ripken Baseball VP Jeff Eiseman and investor Chris Schoen would be buying the team. Agon Sports & Entertainment is technically the buyer of the team; Agon is made up of Eiseman and Schoen. Eiseman has […]