Glad to see the Chicago White Sox keeping the tradition alive, as the team announced Lori Moreland will succeed Nancy Faust as the U.S. Cellular Field organist for the 2011 season — extending that human touch at the ballpark. “Over the past decade, the in-game experience has evolved with the use of digital scoreboards, video […]
Archive | Major-League Baseball
Earthquake/tsunami impacting Japanese pro baseball season
To play or not to play: that’s the issue facing players and owners in Nippon Professional Baseball, who are debating whether the season should start on schedule and under what circumstances, as rolling blackouts and homeless people are still big issues days after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. Two issues are at play: whether […]
Busch Stadium to host Midwest League game
Add Busch Stadium to the list of Major League Baseball ballparks hosting Minor League Baseball games this season, as the St. Louis Cardinals’ Midwest League affiliate — the Quad Cities River Bandits — will host the Kane County Cougars, the newest Kansas City Royals affiliate. The game is tentatively scheduled for May 26. We’re seeing […]
Nats go public with desire for new spring-training facility
It’s not exactly been a secret in baseball circles — indeed, we’ve written about it more than once, based on inside sources — but over the weekend the Washington Nationals went public with their desire for a new spring-training facility. Nationals owner Mark Lerner confirmed to the Washington Post that the team was indeed looking […]
Thorn: It’s stories that matter, not stats
John Thorn, the new historian for Major League Baseball, seems to have changed his approach to baseball and baseball history: instead of stressing stats as a way to reference baseball, he’s now arguing for a focus on the great stories associated with the game. As regular readers of this site know, we much prefer discussions […]
Report: Greenberg out as Rangers CEO
In an abrupt move, Chuck Greenberg is reportedly out as managing general partner of the Texas Rangers and CEO of the team’s holding company, according to the Dallas Morning News. The announcement could come as soon as today. Greenberg, a longtime minor-league owner and operator — his teams include the State College Spikes (short season; […]
Twins clear-cut Target Field
Batters at Target Field won’t be able to see the forest or the trees, as the Minnesota Twins took down 14 spruce trees that comprised the ballpark’s batter’s eye last season after complaints from batters. The 14 trees weren’t fed to the choppers: they were dug out and transported to Bergen’s Greenhouse in Forest Lake, […]
Digital Domain Park / New York Mets / St. Lucie Mets
The trend in spring-training facilities is to locate new ballparks in the midst of megadevelopments that could be located anywhere. While these new ballparks have the amenities fans expect, they’re generic in nature. Maybe we’re a little too nostalgic, but we want the spring-training experience when we head to Florida: we want the palm trees, […]
Surprise Stadium / Kansas City Royals / Texas Rangers
It’s a little off the beaten track, but Billy Parker Field at Surprise Stadium, the spring home of the Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals, is a top-notch place to see a spring-training ballgame: The sightlines are gorgeous, the concourses are wide, and the ballpark design is striking. FAST FACTS Capacity: 10,714Architect: PopulousYear Opened: 2003Dimensions: […]
Selig shoots down Fox loan to Dodgers
Seeking working capital, Frank McCourt negotiated a $200-million loan from Fox Sports, using the Los Angeles Dodgers’ broadcast deal as collateral — a risky deal that was ultimately shot down by Commissioner Bud Selig. More money woes from the MLB world. The deal was simple: Fox would lend the Dodgers $200 million. If the loan […]
Mets’ financial woes worse than thought
The New York Mets required a cash infusion of $25 million from MLB lines of credit last November after the team faced a cash-flow crisis and had tapped out its other sources of capital, leaving many to wonder how long Fred Wilpon and Saul Katz can keep control of the ailing franchise. That the Mets […]
Rangers announce further upgrades to Arlington home
We know the Texas Rangers are upgrading the scoreboards and videoboards at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington for the 2011 season, but yesterday Managing Partner and CEO Chuck Greenberg outlined additional changes to the ballpark. We’ve already reported on the biggest changes — the audio/video upgrades — here, but more changes are in store, for a […]
Wolff seeking upgrades to Phoenix Muni
Oakland Athletics owner Lew Wolff has been discussing with the city upgrades to Phoenix Municipal Stadium that would cost $30 million or so — “chump change” for what’s being spent on spring-training facilities in the area. That Phoenix Municipal Stadium needs some spiffing up is probably true: the latest upgrades nicely added a level of […]