Rodger Brulotte says there’s an investment group willing to bring Major League Baseball back to Montreal. Are they serious, or are Expos fans getting their hopes up unnecessarily? When the Expos left Montreal and Olympic Stadium, there were some pretty bad feelings all around: locals were upset about Jeffry Loria dumping the franchise in MLB’s […]
Archive | News
Judge: Dodgers must accept MLB loan
A Delaware bankruptcy judge held that the Los Angeles Dodgers owner Frank McCourt must negotiate with MLB over the terms of a loan, citing the more favorable terms of the deal. McCourt had arranged $150 million in Debtor-in-Possession (DIP) financing from a JP Morgan hedge fund, Highbridge Capital, under some pretty onerous terms — 10+% interest, […]
Two new suspects arrested in Dodger Stadium beating
Police have arrested two new suspects connected to the beating of San Francisco Giants fan Bryan Stow in the parking lot of Dodger Stadium, while also concluding a previously arrested suspect was not involved. Giovanni Ramirez, who has been held by the Los Angeles Police Department on a parole violation unrelated to the beating, has […]
Rangers to make changes at ballpark in response to tragedy
Despite meeting code, the Texas Rangers will make changes to Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, including raising of the height of all rails in front of seating areas to the highest standard in the country. The current minimum code for railings at the end of a walkway is 42 inches. In front of fixed seats, the […]
MLB: McCourt not acting in best interests of Dodgers
Frank McCourt is pushing for bankruptcy court to approve an onerous hedge-fund financing plan instead of a lower-interest loan from Major League Baseball because he’d personally be on the hook for fees, according to papers filed yesterday. The battle between McCourt and Major league Baseball is getting intense and nasty, as the pair are fighting […]
No, Virginia, no new Dodger Stadium on the horizon
Though some outlets are reporting Major League Baseball looking at a new downtown ballpark for the Los Angeles Dodgers should the franchise be seized, the truth is far more pedestrian — and no, there’s no replacement ballpark on the horizon. SportsByBrooks reported that two sources had reported Major League Baseball had approached facilities giant AEG […]
Astros to AL West: Report
The Houston Astros will be moving to the American League West as Major League Baseball tackles the issue of realignment, according to a report from Fox Sports Arizona. Jack Magruder, a very reliable reporter, is writing that two sources told him the Arizona Diamondbacks would not be asked to move from the National League West […]
Marlins shut down upper deck at Sun Life Stadium
Makes sense when you play in the largest facility in Major League Baseball: The Florida Marlins are shutting down the upper deck at Sun Life Stadium for the rest of the regular season save a few special events. The cost of manning operations in the upper level outweighs the number of fans actually buying tickets […]
Consultant: Ballpark safety needs to be reevaluated
In the wake of Shannon Stone’s tragic fall at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington and a nearly disastrous fall last night during the All-Star Home Run Derby, a safety consultant is calling for higher railings at ballparks across the country. There’s no uniform building code for ballparks; team determine things like railing heights in conjunction with […]
Sheriff Joe calls off chain gang at the All-Star Game
No surprise Sheriff Joe would be elbowing his way into the spotlight during the All-Star Game, but it sounds like cooler heads prevailed over the craziness as Arpaio scrapped plans to have a chain gang picking up trash outside Chase Field Tuesday night. Arpaio, for the uninitiated, is the controversial Maricopa County sheriff whose law-enforcement […]
Prepping Chase Field for the All-Star Game
Chase Field, the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks, has always been an underrated ballpark, in our view. Now fans across the country will be exposed to its many charms during the All-Star Game this week. When it opened in 1998, Chase Field — then Bank One Ballpark — was a fairly subtle facility with a […]
Montreal capable of supporting MLB — if there’s an owner with deep pockets
Montreal is financially healthy enough to support Major League Baseball, according to a study from the Conference Board of Canada, but it would take an owner with deep pockets and a new ballpark for success — and neither are likely to emerge any time soon. Overall, Montreal has emerged as a wealthy international city, with […]
Rangers will keep throwing balls into stands; teams reevaluate safety at ballparks
Despite the death of Shannon Stone at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington as he attempted to snare a ball thrown to the stands, Texas Rangers players will continue the practice; meanwhile, many teams are inspecting ballparks for potential trouble spots. “I’m certainly not going to suggest to our players that we don’t give baseballs away,” Nolan […]