No surprise: Major League Baseball today approved the sale of the San Diego Padres to a group led by Ron Fowler and Peter O’Malley, ending John Moores’ tenure as team owner. The vote this morning was seen as a formality by many in baseball; a new owner doesn’t get this far if the skids weren’t […]
Archive | Major-League Baseball
Election loss could impact future of Twins, Nats in Fort Myers
The defeat of Ray Judah, a big supporter of spring training in Fort Myers, could impact the future of Minnesota Twins and Washington Nationals spring training in Lee County. Judah was running for reelection on the Lee County Board of Commissioners, but came in third in Tuesday’s Republican primary behind a candidate who strongly criticized […]
MLB owners expected to approve Padres sale tomorrow
Unless something goes dramatically wrong overnight, 29 MLB owners are expected to approve the sale of the San Diego Padres to a group led by Peter O’Malley and Ron Fowler tomorrow. The MLB owners are meeting in Denver. Today the MLB Finance Committee and Executive Council heard a presentation from the proposed new ownership group, and […]
Cards’ Ballpark Village plan to receive state scrutiny next week
The $100-million Ballpark Village project pushed by the St. Louis Cardinals will be discussed by the Missouri Development Finance Board next week. The Cardinals are seeking $17 million in state and local tax credits for the project, which is set to feature a St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum, a live music venue and […]
Still generating cash: the Montreal Expos
Never let it be said we passed on a good opportunity to display a Montreal Expos logo: despite the demise of the team many years ago, the ‘Spos logo is still a big seller. It’s not necessarily baseball fans who keep the Expos logo and colors on the tops of some best-seller lists, but rather […]
Twins shift broadcasting to team-affiliated station
As many predicted, the Minnesota Twins are shifting team broadcasts from ESPN 1500 to FM 96.3 K-TWIN, a radio station also owned by the Pohlad family, beginning with the 2013 season. The agreement calls for FM 96.3 K-TWIN, part of Northern Lights Broadcasting, to broadcast all regular and post-season games and at least 25 spring-training games. […]
In memoriam: Johnny Pesky
He was an integral part of the Boston lineup, hitting over .300 as a member of the Red Sox and serving the team faithfully after retirement. Johnny Pesky passed away yesterday at the age of 92. His baseball career spanned over 60 years, beginning in Portland where he broke in . And even though he […]
Will Padres sale affect San Diego development?
John Moores did a lot more than just own the San Diego Padres: his leadership led both to Petco Park and an impressive economic renaissance of the ballpark area. Will he continue those efforts now that he’s selling the team? When it comes to tangible economic development relating to ballpark development, there’s no better success […]
A’s ballpark situation to be informally discussed at next owners’ meetings: report
This is way less important than positioned: the Oakland Athletics ballpark situation will be an informal topic of conversation at the next MLB owners’ meetings, according to a newspaper report. Why this is not news: from what we’ve been told there are plenty of informal topics of conversation when MLB owners get together. Those informal topics […]
Youth: I didn’t mean to haze players with laser pointer
A youth arrested for allegedly using a laser pointer to distract players during a Cards-Giants game at Busch Stadium says he really meant to point it at nearby buildings, not at the playing field. Eric Bogard, 17, was arrested in a Busch Stadium luxury box after Cardinals manager Mike Matheny and a police officer fingered […]
Parking huge issue for proposed Rays ballpark site
A proposed Tampa Bay Rays ballpark site in St. Petersburg’s Carillon Business Park may have one fatal flaw: the total lack of parking in the mostly developed 432-acre complex. On the plus side, the site sits near an exit from the Howard Frankland Bridge, the almost-five-mile bridge connecting St. Pete and Tampa and could provide a nice view […]
Hamtramck Stadium receives historic designation
Hamtramck Stadium in Detroit, once home to the Detroit Stars of the Negro National League, has received designation on the National Register of Historic Places. Built by businessman John Roesink in 1930 as the home of the Stars, the ballpark still exists but isn’t used for baseball. However, the original grandstand (enhanced in 1940 with WPA […]
Could Giants-A’s battle be settled in court?
Though owners pledge not to sue Major League Baseball when they purchase a team, that’s not stopping plenty of lawyers from closely observing the battle between the San Francisco Giants and Oakland A’s over San Jose. The spectre of a lawsuit from either party has surely been a concern to MLB Commissioner Bud Selig as […]