We’re not sure what this says about the level of play, but 65-year-old Bill “Spaceman” Lee threw a complete-game victory and went 1-for-3 in his debut with the San Rafael Pacifics (independent; North American League). Lee took the mound in front of 1,265 fans at Albert Park and pitched a complete game in a 9-4 […]
Tag Archives | major league baseball
Conference Board: Montreal can support MLB
Montreal has the right demographics, corporate presence and economic outlook to support Major League Baseball, according to a report issued today by a leading Canadian think tank. The study from the Conference Board of Canada, penned by Glen Hodgson and Mario Lefebvre, also indicates economic support for three new NHL teams and another NBA team in Vancouver: […]
MLB to test two new instant-replay systems
Major League Baseball will test two new instant-replay systems at Yankee Stadium and Citi Field before the end of the season to determine their viability for 2013 and beyond. Expanding instant replay to include fair/foul calls and clean catches on the playing field is on the agenda; MLB Commissioner Bud Seig says a system that […]
Crane: We’re still evaluating ballpark changes for 2013
It’s been a pretty miserable year for the Houston Astros, but owner Jim Crane says fans should appreciate changes for 2013, including new uniforms and possible ballpark changes. Some of the changes are final; some are not. Uniform changes have been submitted to Major League Baseball for approval — which, barring something extraordinary, should appear […]
Owners approve sale of Padres to Fowler/O’Malley group
No surprise: Major League Baseball today approved the sale of the San Diego Padres to a group led by Ron Fowler and Peter O’Malley, ending John Moores’ tenure as team owner. The vote this morning was seen as a formality by many in baseball; a new owner doesn’t get this far if the skids weren’t […]
Could Giants-A’s battle be settled in court?
Though owners pledge not to sue Major League Baseball when they purchase a team, that’s not stopping plenty of lawyers from closely observing the battle between the San Francisco Giants and Oakland A’s over San Jose. The spectre of a lawsuit from either party has surely been a concern to MLB Commissioner Bud Selig as […]
Waterfront site emerging as potential A’s home
Once written off as an expensive alternative for a ballpark site, the Howard Terminal waterfront site in downtown Oakland is being pushed as a prime location for a new Oakland A’s facility thanks to changing circumstances. What’s different? The site’s owner, the Port of Oakland, has decided the 51-acre terminal isn’t crucial for maritime operations; there’s plenty […]
MLB committee meets with Oakland, San Jose officials about future of A’s
The blue-chip committee appointed by MLB Commissioner Bud Selig was in the Bay Area last week to meet with Oakland and San Jose reps about the status of their ballpark bids and the future of the Oakland Athletics. Oakland A’s owner Lew Wolff wants to move the A’s to a new downtown San Jose ballpark, […]
New Marlins ballpark a failure? Hardly
We’ve seen a raft of articles declaring Marlins Park a failure, but we’re not so sure; the new Miami ballpark has led to a 49 percent increase in per-game attendance from old ballpark to new — the third-best this century. It’s easy to blast the Miami Marlins front office for ineptitude, especially after the trading […]
New Yankee Stadium less intimidating? ESPN thinks so
The old Yankee Stadium was regarded by opposing players as one of the toughest places to compete. Today, it seems, the new Yankee Stadium is less than intimidating. In the old ballpark, fans could affect the outcome of a game, even when they lacked the ability to throw batteries from the right-field seats. Some well-placed […]
Japanese players: We’re ready to skip WBC
Japanese professional baseball players are threatening to boycott the 2013 World Baseball Classic because of a revenue deal giving two-thirds of the proceeds to MLB and players union, and only 13 percent to them. The split is unfair, they say, because the event is popular in Asia and derives a lot of the $18 million […]
MLB All-Star Game tops weekly TV ratings, garners lowest numbers ever
Well, this is a classic case of good news/bad news: the 2012 All-Star Game was the top-rated TV show last week, but still was the worst-rated All-Star Game ever, slightly off last year’s low. Of course, this is a simplification of what actually transpired during the course of the game, and to reduce the numbers […]
MLB preps for interleague play in 2013
Plans are coming into place for Major League Baseball to feature permanent interleague play when the Houston Astros join the American League, leaving MLB with a 15-15 split in the two leagues. Scheduling is the biggest change when it comes to interleague play, and not every fan is going to like the changes, as it […]