Greg Altringer thought he had things perfectly set up at Wrigley Field by arranging for a marriage proposal on the center-field scoreboard crawl — but the plan went bad when this girlfriend missed it because she was on a beer run. Altringer, of Great Falls, Mont., arranged with the Cubs to run the scoreboard message: […]
Archive | Major-League Baseball
Hillsborough County: Nothing legally bars us from talking new ballpark with Rays
Despite the insistence from St. Petersburg officials that the Tampa Bay Rays are barred from talking new ballpark with anyone else, Hillsborough County legal staff says they can enter talks whenever they want. The legal decision really comes down to some basic contract law: since Hillsborough County (which includes Tampa) isn’t a party to the […]
New Yankee Stadium less intimidating? ESPN thinks so
The old Yankee Stadium was regarded by opposing players as one of the toughest places to compete. Today, it seems, the new Yankee Stadium is less than intimidating. In the old ballpark, fans could affect the outcome of a game, even when they lacked the ability to throw batteries from the right-field seats. Some well-placed […]
AT&T Park, Marlins Park, Phoenix to hold 2013 WBC games
U.S. venues for the 2013 World Baseball Classic were announced today, with the final two rounds set for AT&T Park, home of the San Francisco Giants, with prior rounds scheduled for Miami and Phoenix. The decision to hold the semifinals and final at AT&T Park is logical: the past two classics featured final rounds at […]
Acquiring Ichiro brilliant financial move for Yankees
Acquiring Ichiro Suzuki for the remainder of the 2012 season may have helped the New York Yankees on the field, but the Japanese star should help the team’s bottom line for the rest of the season — unless something goes dramatically wrong. The Wall Street Journal looked at the financial impact of the Ichiro trade, […]
In memoriam: Louise Nippert
Louise Nippert, a part-owner of the Cincinnati Reds since 1966 and widow of Louis Nippert, passed away yesterday. She was 100 years old. The Nipperts joined 12 other Cincinnati investors to purchase the Reds and began a 46-year ownership interest in the club that is the longest in franchise history. The Nipperts received the team’s […]
McKechnie Field upgrades set for 2013
Upgrades to McKechnie Field, spring home of the Pittsburgh Pirates and regular-season home of the Bradenton Marauders (High Class A; Florida State League), are set for next season. The upgrades include the addition of a wraparound concourse, outfield tiki bar, upgraded seating and more. (You can see the full details at our sister site, Spring […]
Success on the field equals the best year ever at box office for Rangers
It’s been an amazing year for the Texas Rangers: besides fighting it out with the New York Yankees for the best record in baseball, the team has already set one attendance record and on pace for another. The Rangers are just a half game behind the Yankees for the best record in baseball (57-38 for […]
Whose ballpark roof is open the most? Seattle
Despite the reputation of Seattle’s climate as being cool and damp, the roof at Safeco Field, home of the Seattle Mariners, is open the most among covered ballparks in Major League Baseball, according to a local meteorologist. The roof at Safeco Field was closed around 19 games a season (making for 23 percent of the […]
Developer: I can build new A’s ballpark with private financing
Hard to say how realistic this is, but a developer says he can build a privately financed ballpark for the Oakland Athletics at the current Coliseum site — provided Lew Wolff wants to keep the team in Oakland, that is. Developer Rick Tripp told the Press-Democrat he can tap into foreign and domestic investors to […]
Diamondbacks: We want more control over future of Chase Field
The Arizona Diamondbacks could gain greater control of Chase Field if the ballpark is transferred from the Maricopa County Stadium District to the city of Phoenix, as the team looks at major renovations down the road. The issue: the ballpark, funded with a special Maricopa County tax that expired in 1997, is controlled by the […]
Japanese players: We’re ready to skip WBC
Japanese professional baseball players are threatening to boycott the 2013 World Baseball Classic because of a revenue deal giving two-thirds of the proceeds to MLB and players union, and only 13 percent to them. The split is unfair, they say, because the event is popular in Asia and derives a lot of the $18 million […]
Reds enjoying great year on field, at box office
A first-place team has good crowds filling Great American Ball Park, home of the Cincinnati Reds, as the team is on pace to come close to setting a franchise record for GABP attendance. At the current pace, the Reds would draw 2,340,576 fans this season, just a little less than the Great American Ball Park record of […]