It’s coming down to the wire, as the Los Angeles Dodgers and Fox Sports are coming down to the wire on a 20-year media-rights deal that will yield the team between $6 billion and $7 billion. In many ways, it’s not a surprise — we reported on a deal of this size way back in […]
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Bringing back the winning Jays ways in Toronto
Why can’t the Toronto Blue Jays be a titan again? For all of those who’ve forgotten, the Blue Jays built an excellent farm system in the 1980s on their way to fighting for the American League East title. In 1987, they battled the Detroit Tigers right down to the end; in 1988, they were nosed […]
Brewers announce 2013 improvements to Miller Park
The Milwaukee Brewers are making a tradition of offseason changes to Miller Park, and 2013 is no exception, as the team announced two changes to the ballpark for next season. “Every year, we formally survey fans to get a better understanding of their changing tastes and preferences,” said Brewers Chief Operating Officer Rick Schlesinger. “National […]
Study: New Rays ballpark shouldn’t require new taxes
Neither Tampa nor St. Petersburg holds an advantage when it comes to funding a new Tampa Ray Rays ballpark, as a study indicates existing revenue streams in both cities could be tapped without residents facing a tax increase. The Baseball Stadium Finance Caucus, a joint effort of the St. Petersburg and Tampa chambers of commerce, […]
News Corp. negotiating majority share in YES Network
News Corp. is negotiating a deal to buy 66 percent of the YES Network, with the New York Yankees retaining its minority share and the network’s investors selling out to Rupert Murdoch and crew. To say there’s a cozy relationship between MLB and News Corp. via Fox is an understatement: many teams receive a large […]
Braves: No new ballpark in sight, so we’ll fix up Turner Field
Though the notion of a new ballpark was floated in the Atlanta Braves front office, it sounds like team brass is committed to renovating Turner Field and working to improve the 55 acres around the ballpark. If there was no ballpark and the Braves were looking for a new-ballpark location, there’s little chance it would […]
Rangers to host exhibition games at Alamodome
The Texas Rangers will host two exhibition games at the end of spring training at the Alamodome, which brings up a long-time issue in the city: the future of baseball in San Antonio. The stadium, built for football and also serving as a past home of the San Antonio Spurs (NBA), will provide an interesting […]
How much are Wrigley Field naming rights worth?
Let’s say Tom Ricketts and family decide to complete depart from Chicago Cubs history and seek a naming-rights deal for Wrigley Field. How much are naming rights worth? The answer: $15-20 million a year, according our old college classmate David Kaplan at CSNChicago. That sounds about right: the Cubs are a national team with a […]
GM meetings: limiting September callups, instant-replay changes
Two topics are emerging as the most important of the annual MLB GM meetings: limiting September callups and an expansion of instant replay. You wouldn’t think that the number of September callups in uniform would be a big deal, but the topic is important both for MLB GMs looking to evaluate talent and MiLB GMs […]
U.S. Cellular withdraws from Chicago, will keep White Sox naming rights
Even though U.S. Cellular is selling its Chicago-area customer contracts to Sprint, the telecom giant will keep its Chicago headquarters and not drop naming rights to U.S. Cellular Field, home of the Chicago White Sox. U.S. Cellular is in the midst of a 20-year, $88-million naming rights deal signed in 2003. Now, companies have been […]
Funding for Twins spring-training renovations approved
After months of negotiations, Lee County agreed to a $42.5-million renovation of the Minnesota Twins’ spring-training complex that calls for new fan amenities at Hammond Stadium and upgraded training facilities for players. The complex hasn’t seen major changes since 1991, when the Twins moved in after spending most of the team’s history training in Orlando. […]
MLB to players: Don’t take deer antler velvet supplements
Say goodbye to the Steroid Era in baseball; apparently the big fear in the commissioner’s office is that Major League Baseball is about to enter the Deer Antler Velvet Era when it comes to performance-enhancing drugs. To wit: MLB officials have warned players not to consume a diet supplement based on the velvet from deer […]
Matt Hicks new Voice of the Texas Rangers
Matt Hicks sheds the interim tag from his title after the Texas Rangers promote him to be the voice of the franchise for 2013 and beyond, as the team announced its broadcast team for next season. Hicks served as the replacement for Dave Barnett after medical conditions forced him off the air. Play-by-play announcer Steve […]