Professional golfer and San Diego native Phil Mickelson is passing on an investment in the San Diego Padres, saying he doesn’t have the time to make a serious commitment to the new ownership group. Mickelson was included as potentially being part of the new Padres owners when the sale of the team from John Moores […]
Archive | Major-League Baseball
Citi Field revenues down again in 2012
For the third straight year revenues were down at Citi Field, as New York Mets ownership struggles to find the right mix between ticket and concession prices. Newsday obtained the team’s revenue statement via FOIA; the statement is a requirement of the bonding deal that funded ballpark construction. In 2012 ballpark revenue for the Mets […]
Spring training brings $632 million to Phoenix economy: studies
Spring training in Phoenix pumps $632 million into the local economy year-round, according to studies released by the Cactus League Baseball Association and Elliott D. Pollack & Co. From the Arizona Republic: The study found that 56 percent of the 1.7 million fans attending games this past spring were out-of-state visitors and the median stay in […]
Delaware North, Rangers extend ballpark concessions deal
Delaware North Companies Sportservice will continue to be the concessionaire at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, extending a partnership with the Texas Rangers that began when the ballpark opened in 1994. The previous contract had two years remaining. “The Rangers have been a terrific partner right from the start,” said Sportservice President Rick Abramson. “The organization […]
Rays ballpark proposal at Carillon Business Park withdrawn by developer
Developer Darryl LeClair threw a monkey wrench into planning for a Tampa Bay Rays ballpark by taking a proposal at St. Pete’s Carillon Business Park off the table. Indeed, it’s only been a few months since LeClair unveiled renderings of a unique ballpark to be located in northern St. Petersburg, a facility set amongst Mediterranean […]
Tom Hicks era in Texas finally done
The last bit of business involving Tom Hicks and the Texas Rangers was finally put to bed after the two sides agreed to a settlement of a dispute involving ownership of parking lots next to Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. Hicks owned the Rangers between 1998 and 2010, an era that saw some big spending (the […]
Lee County commissioner: Nats unlikely to move to Fort Myers
Efforts to bring the Washington Nationals to Fort Myers will likely end in failure, says a Lee County commissioner, because the county has no money to fix up City of Palms Park. County officials have been wooing the Nationals for several months, a time that includes an exclusive negotiating period for the two sides. The […]
Report: Dodgers, Fox close to $7B cable-rights deal
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 […]
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 […]
News Corp. buys 49 percent of YES Network; has option to buy more
News Corp. has closed on an agreement to buy 49 percent of YES Network from the New York Yankees and the team’s equity partners, with the option to increase that stake to 80 percent in coming years. News Corp. and its Fox Sports subsidiaries are already extensive rightsholders in baseball, both for national broadcasts on […]
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, […]
Seattle unveils plan for biggest HD scoreboard in MLB ballparks
Safeco Field will have the largest high-definition video-display system in all of baseball and among the largest in all of sports, as the Seattle Mariners prepare a serious ballpark upgrade for the 2013 season. The new video screen replaces the scoreboard that was built in 1999, the inaugural season of Safeco Field. Measuring 56.7-feet high […]