The Philadelphia Phillies are improving the team’s green profile at Citizens Bank Park, buying Renewable Energy Credits and matching 100 percent of their electricity usage with wind and solar generation. That energy buy from Pennsylvania Electricity includes a slice from a new solar generation project under development in Lancaster County by Pennsylvania-based renewable energy supplier, […]
Archive | Major-League Baseball
Wedge: Forget I said anything about the Safeco Field fences
After discussing the possibility of bringing in the fences at Safeco Field, Mariners manager Eric Wedge wants to walk back from talk about ballpark disadvantages after his team tanks at the plate. There’s a real danger in bringing up perceived deficiencies in a ballpark: if you begin talking about a new ballpark, the issues with […]
Tigers, Lakeland to map out future of Tiger Town
With the Detroit Tigers’ spring-training lease up in 2016, Lakeland is spending $50,000 to map out the future of Tiger Town and Joker Marchant Stadium. The study, to be performed by HKS (the same firm overseeing the 2001 renovation of Joker Marchant), will address the parts of the complex that need updating to meet current […]
Phillie Phanatic, Phillies in court over mascot hijinks
The Philadelphia Phillies and the Phillie Phanatic are in court as a local woman claims injuries after the popular mascot tossed her into a hotel swimming pool during a wedding reception. Suzanne Peirce says she was attending her sister’s wedding at the Golden Inn on the Jersey Shore in 2010 when the Phanatic engaged in […]
New turf, new series for Rangers
For the third year in a row, the Texas Rangers are installing new turf at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington in the midst of the regular season. It’s fairly unusual for an established team to make making such drastic turf changes once play has started, but apparently the high temps under the hot Texas sun require […]
Twins present spring-training wish list to Lee County
Player dorms, more seats at Hammond Stadium and infrastructure improvements are on the Minnesota Twins’ wish list for the team’s Lee County spring-training complex. Opening in 1991, Hammond Stadium and the Lee County Sports Complex are showing their age; once the complex was the state of the art for spring training but now come up […]
Ralph Nader: Too damn many ads on baseball broadcasts
Ralph Nader — whose slide from visionary to curmudgeon happened rather quickly — sent a letter to the New York Yankees complaining about the high level of advertising in team broadcasts. Nader and his charmingly misnamed League of Fans — on the verge of a Subway Series, no less — sent a letter to Randy […]
Why Peoria loves spring training: $5.2 million
Why the economics of spring training leads cities to strike deals with Major League Baseball clubs: Peoria (Az.) Sports Complex tallied $5.2 million in revenue this past spring. Peoria Stadium is the spring home of the Seattle Mariners and San Diego Padres, so it’s busy virtually every day of spring training. In a report made […]
Lasorda hospitalized after heart attack
Former Los Angeles Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda is hospitalized in New York after suffering what the team called a “mild” heart attack while attending the 2012 amateur draft. The 84-year-old Hall of Famer is recovering in stable condition at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center. Doctors inserted a stent to correct a blocked artery in Lasorda’s […]
Print wars: STL, NYC newspapers spar over Santana no-hitter
Nothing more entertaining than an old-fashioned newspaper war, as St. Louis and New York City dailies fight over the legitimacy of Johan Santana’s no-hitter Friday night. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch started the kerfuffle by publishing a rather provocative headline in Saturday’s sports section, appending an asterisk to the headline (shown here). The explanation: a missed […]
Kasten: Dodger Stadium renovations could hit nine figures
Saying the renovations could end up costing hundreds of millions, Stan Kasten outlined some of the physical improvements new owners have planned for Dodger Stadium. While Dodger Stadium is a crown jewel of Major League Baseball ballparks — now the third oldest, after Fenway Park and Wrigley Field — it’s also been steadily neglected since it was […]
Comedian Maher buys chunk of Mets
Calling it a “great investment,” comedian/political satirist Bill Maher has purchased a minority share of the New York Mets. “First of all, I think it’s a great investment,” Maher said in a statement. “People sometimes forget that there’s only one National League franchise in New York City and they’re not making anymore. I’m a Met […]
Mickelson joins potential Padres ownership group
Golfer and San Diego native/resident Phil Mickelson has joined Peter O’Malley’s group in their pursuit of the San Diego Padres ownership. Mickelson, second only to Tiger Woods in career earnings since 2004, earned about $61 million last year between tournament wins, appearances and sponsorships, per Sports Illustrated. So he brings some serious backing to the […]