To date the Wilpons have downplayed their financial ties to Bernie Madoff, characterizing their investments as somewhat limited. It’s now coming out that the relationship was more significant, with the team also investing deferred player payments with Madoff. The New York Times outlines the relationship between the Wilpons and Madoff: When the Mets negotiated their […]
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Mets on tap to host All-Star Game in 2013
Multiple reports have the New York Mets hosting the 2013 All-Star Game at Citi Field — the first time since 1964 that the team has hosting the midseason festivities. Of course, in 1964 the game was held at Shea Stadium. That’s the longest drought for a team hosting the All-Star Game in MLB. No official […]
Bottom-shelf-booze magnate making play for Mets?
Martin J. Silver, whose Long Island-based Star Industries is a prime purveyor of fine spirits like Georgi Vodka and Carnabys Gin, says he’s willing to invest in the New York Mets with the Wilpons, forced to seek a minority investor because of potential financial problems. Silver, an investor in the Wilmington Blue Rocks (High Class […]
Wilpons explore selling minority chunk of Mets
Fred and Jeff Wilpon are looking at selling a minority share of the New York Mets due to financial complications due to their family firm’s investments with Bernie Madoff, as they face a potential clawback lawsuit from the court-appointed bankruptcy trustee. The following statement comes from Fred Wilpon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the […]
Rays go with new turf for ’11 season
The playing surface at Tropicana Field will be upgraded for the 2011 season, as the Tampa Bay Rays announce the impending installation of a American-made, 1.1-million-square-foot AstroTurf field. “The AstroTurf fiber and in-fill systems contain the very latest technology and will provide our players the best playing surface available,” said Rays President Matt Silverman. “Our […]
Mariners upgrading concessions: “the anti-fast food”
The Seattle Mariners are upgrading concessions at Safeco Field once again; the team that brought us ballpark sushi and the Ichiroll is bringing in three celebrity chefs to upgrade Bullpen Market food offerings in 2011. Centerplate, the team’s concessionaire, has hired national celebrity chefs Ethan Stowell, Roberto Santibañez and Bill Pustari to oversee new food […]
Cal budget issues could alter San Jose, Oakland plans for A’s ballpark
A proposal by Gov. Jerry Brown to shut down California‘s 425 redevelopment agencies could have a huge impact on the Oakland Athletics, as both San Jose and Oakland are planning on using redevelopment funds to help pay for a new ballpark. Both cities are planning on using a redevelopment agency as a base for the […]
Cards unveil latest plans for Ballpark Village
It’s not quite as large as originally proposed, but the fact that the St. Louis Cardinals are actually moving ahead with a Ballpark Village development adjoining Busch Stadium when financial times are bad and the credit markets tight says a lot about the ownership’s perseverance. Here’s the current plan. The plan, as presented by reps […]
Beware folks peddling simple solutions to complex problems
Ken Rosenthal and Scott Boras say the solution to the financial issues faced by the Oakland A’s is simple: MLB should just let the team move to San Jose. But, alas, the solution isn’t all that simple, and the issue is considerably more complex than just appeasing Lew Wolff: it goes to the very financial […]
Phillies go HD with new scoreboard
Philadelphia Phillies fans at Citizens Bank Park will see one huge improvement for the 2011 season: the original left-field scoreboard will be replaced with a snazzy high-definition scoreboard from Daktronics. The Phillies and Daktronics made the announcement today for a new light-emitting diode (LED) HD video display much larger than the former video display at […]
Could Cards, Marlins leave Treasure Coast?
The lease at Roger Dean Stadium for the St. Louis Cardinals and Florida Marlins expires in 2017, but before committing to an extension the teams want protection that they’re not the last two teams left standing on the Treasure Coast for spring training. Roger Dean Stadium is surely the center of the busiest ballpark complex […]
Baseball world hit by Arizona shootings
One casualty of yesterday’s tragic shootings of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and others in Tucson: Dallas Green’s granddaughter, Christina-Taylor Green, was shot and killed as she was waiting in line to meet with the congresswoman. Nine-year-old Green was described as an aspiring politician, recently elected to her student council. She was shot at the event and […]
BoSox scrap bullpen renovation plans: no tax credits
The Boston Red Sox scrapped plans to expand the right-field bullpens and bring in the home-run fences at Fenway Park after the Massachusetts Historical Commission determined the changes did not quality for tax breaks for federal historic rehabilitation work. The Red Sox had proposed widening the bullpens by nine feet to improve safety for players […]