The battle for a new MLB ballpark in San Jose is spilling over to the minor-league side, as local officials question whether the San Jose Giants (High Class A; California League) are paying enough in rent for Municipal Stadium. The Cal League team, largely owned and managed by parent San Francisco Giants, pays $1,000 monthly […]
Tag Archives | major league baseball
Nine MiLB teams to participate in MLB diversity summit
It’s a good start: Representatives from nine MiLB organizations will join executives from Major League Baseball’s Central Office and all 30 MLB teams at the inaugural MLB Diversity Business Summit in Chicago on July 24. MLB and the Chicago White Sox are co-hosting the event. MiLB teams at the summit: Brooklyn Cyclones (short season A; […]
York County to evaluate future of Knights Stadium
With the Charlotte Knights (Class AAA; International League) slated for a 2014 move to a new Uptown ballpark, York County will begin planning the future of Knights Stadium. York County owns the Fort Mill, S.C. home of the Knights. With no debt left on the facility and lots of land surrounding the facility — remember, […]
Why Peoria loves spring training: $5.2 million
Why the economics of spring training leads cities to strike deals with Major League Baseball clubs: Peoria (Az.) Sports Complex tallied $5.2 million in revenue this past spring. Peoria Stadium is the spring home of the Seattle Mariners and San Diego Padres, so it’s busy virtually every day of spring training. In a report made […]
Omaha Storm Chasers on verge of sale
It’s an open secret the Omaha Storm Chasers (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) have been on the market, but it now appears a sale of the team is imminent. The purchasers, which includes an investment banker already with an ownership stake in a short-season A team, is in the final round of negotiations to buy […]
Spikes: We’re ready to dump Pirates
Tired of fielding losing squads, management of the State College Spikes (short season A; NY-Penn League) say they’re ready to dump their affiliation with the Pittsburgh Pirates. You normally don’t see such frank talk when it comes to player-development contracts and affiliation deals, but Spikes GM Jason Dambach was pretty blunt about his unhappiness with the […]
Target Field lands Big Ten baseball tourney
Target Field, home of the MInnesota Twins, will host the 2013 Big Ten baseball tournament, as the event moves out of Columbus for the first time since 2008. It’s also the first time the event will be played at a Major League Baseball facility. In most of the tournament’s history it was played at the […]
Wolff meets with Knauss, has clear message: A’s not for sale
A meeting between Oakland A’s owner Lew Wolff and Clorox CEO Don Knauss reaffirmed the status quo: Wolff’s focus is on moving the team to a new San Jose ballpark. Knauss was among the Oakland business leaders who raised the possibility of buying the A’s to keep them in the city — a possibility quickly shot […]
New Astros uniforms: Bring back the orange!
The Houston Astros will have new uniforms for 2013, and owner Jim Crane says they’ll be bringing back colors of the past — and given team history, we’re thinking orange. Crane told the Houston Chronicle “some of the colors in the past” would be part of a new design, chosen after months of design and focus-group testing: “We’ve […]
Moyer sets mark, pitching in 50 ballparks
Colorado’s Jamie Moyer, whose debut came in 1986, has now pitched in 50 Major League Baseball ballparks — a record in baseball’s modern era. Rudy Seanez, a well-traveled reliever, has the second-most number: 47 ballparks. The 49-year-old Moyer hit the 50-ballpark mark Monday night after starting for the Rockies at Marlins Park, the new home […]
Giants: Nothing would tempt us to give up Silicon Valley territory
San Francisco Giants ownership made one thing abundantly clear at this week’s MLB owners meetings: they have no intention of ever giving up their territorial rights to Silicon Valley. The background: Oakland A’s owner Lew Wolff wants to build a new downtown San Jose ballpark but is being blocked by the Giants ownership, who retain […]
Selig: Rivalry series may survive interleague play
The two annual rivalry series may survive a scheduling reconfiguration in 2013 because of their popularity with fans, according to MLB Commissioner Bud Selig. Right now there are two three-game rivalry interleague series — Yankees/Mets, Cubs/White Sox, Twins/Brewers, Rays/Marlins, A’s/Giants, Angels/Dodgers, etc. — that are popular in terms of box-office appeal and ratings, particularly in larger cities where […]
Selig: A’s can leave Oakland — but not for San Jose
Speaking at the quarterly owners’ meetings, MLB Commissioner Bud Selig said the A’s were free to move from Oakland under baseball’s relocation process — just not to San Jose. The stalemate between the Oakland Athletics and San Francisco Giants ownership groups remains in place, Selig said; in past months he’s said it’s up for the teams […]