An already intimate ballpark would be even more cramped if the Chicago Cubs receive approval to move in the brick backstop at Wrigley Field and add an extra row of seats behind home plate. Not quite sure it’s a big deal either way. Right now it’s a reported 60.5 feet from home plate to the […]
Archive | News
Athletics propose five-year lease extension for Coliseum
With no resolution on a new San Jose ballpark plan, the Oakland Athletics are working on a five-year lease extension to stay at Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. Interestingly, MLB officials are negotiating the deal on behalf of the Athletics. We’re assuming things are pretty bad in terms of the Coliseum management and the A’s if MLB […]
Will Nationals cash in on playoff appearance?
With the team’s first appearance in the playoffs, experts say the Washington Nationals may be able to cash in with a naming-rights deal for Nationals Park. The Nationals can sell naming rights to the ballpark, but so far a deal has proven to be elusive. In some ways a deal has been a victim of […]
Mariners to move in the fences for 2013
The Seattle Mariners are changing the dimensions at Safeco Field for the 2013 season, moving in portions of the outfield wall in the power alleys. These changes will be the first to the field dimensions since the ballpark opened in 1999. “Our goal was to create an environment that is fair for both hitters and pitchers,” […]
New MLB TV contracts finalized: $1.5B annually
We have a final tally on the new TV contracts signed between Major League Baseball and broadcast partners ESPN, Fox Sports and TBS: an average of $1.5 billion annually, or $12.4 billion over eight years. The deal between ESPN and MLB was made public earlier — $700 million annually, totaling $5.6 billion over eight years— […]
Ballpark nanny: Wash your hands!
Talk about obsessive: a dentist, his wife and a crew of germaphobes visited 26 MLB ballparks to tally how well fans washed their hands in the restrooms — and hung out there to research the hard numbers. In general, washing your hands is a good idea when there’s the chance to pass around something nasty, […]
Rangers set team attendance record
Nice attendance record for the Texas Rangers: With a crowd of 48,089 in Sunday night’s game, the team finished the 2012 home season with a final attendance of 3,460,280 in 81 dates at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. The Rangers’ previous club records were a total attendance of 2,946,969 in 2011 and an average of 40,374 […]
LeClair unveils intriguing ballpark plan for Rays
Darryl LeClair laid out an intriguing new-ballpark strategy for the Tampa Bay Rays at the St. Pete Carillon Park, with office buildings and apartments forming the ballpark’s exterior. It’s a bold attempt to lay out a new ballpark on an extremely small footprint — 12 acres or so — with a very limited amount of […]
Metro to extend Nationals Park service during playoffs
Thanks to sponsorship from Living Social, Metro train service to Nationals Park will be extended when the Washington Nationals host playoff games. Because of commercials and other breaks, playoff games tend to go long. During the regular service the last train at the Navy Yard station leaves at 11:20 p.m. — a time that’s usually late […]
Greenberg to get second chance with Marlins
Adam Greenberg, whose baseball career was derailed when he was beaned in his only MLB plate appearance, will get a second chance as the Miami Marlins sign him to a one-day contract, with the intent of playing him Tuesday. Greenberg’s MLB career consisted of a single pitch: he was struck in the head in June […]
Hamilton calls last game; will return for a single sign-off
Milo Hamilton, one of the great broadcasters in baseball, called his last game for the Houston Astros last night, culminating a 67-year career in baseball. The 85-year-old Hamilton has been behind the Astros mike for the last 28 years, the last stint in a career that began broadcasting minor-league games in the Quad Cities and included stops […]
Jamie McCourt: I want chunk of Dodger proceeds
Jamie McCourt is back in court, arguing that Frank McCourt’s sale of the Los Angeles Dodgers for $2 billion after a valuation of $300 million in divorce proceedings represented fraud — and she wants her share. Jamie McCourt’s lawyers are seeking to overturn the divorce settlement that saw her walk away with $131 million, with […]
Developer set to introduce Rays ballpark plan Friday
Developer Darryl LeClair is set to unveil his new-ballpark plan for the Tampa Bays Rays Friday at a special St. Petersburg City Council meeting, and it’s safe to say no one has a clue about what he’ll propose. LeClair has briefed city and council officials about the outlines of his plan, but it doesn’t sound like […]