A development expected to help pay off debt on Camelback Ranch-Glendale is going into foreclosure as the developers enters bankruptcy, while the St. Louis Cardinals are finally ready to go ahead with the long-awaited Ballpark Village. Two tales of the sometimes awkward marriage between ballpark financing and development. First, the good news. The St. Louis […]
Archive | Major-League Baseball
Rangers unveil 2011 ballpark audio/video improvements
The Texas Rangers announced video and audio upgrades to Rangers Ballpark in Arlington for the 2011 season, including a new videoboard on top of the Home Run Porch — a total investment of $13 million. “Our fans will be treated to a new entertainment experience with these video, technology, and audio upgrades,” said Rangers Managing […]
State funding of Wrigley Field renovations dies as Assembly adjourns
Tom Ricketts’ proposal to have the State of Illinois fund $250 million in upgrades to Wrigley Field died yesterday when the General Assembly adjourned out of veto session yesterday — but expect it to return when the 2011 session opens in January. The hope was that the Assembly could consider funding during the veto session, […]
Pinellas County extends hotel tax — but not enough for new Rays ballpark
Things are getting interesting in Tampa Bay: Pinellas County extended a 5 percent hotel tax to 2021 — far short of the time needed to potentially pay off a new Tampa Bay Rays ballpark — while the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce announced ballpark financing would be one of the group’s main priorities in 2011. […]
In memoriam: Ron Santo
Ron Santo, who had a clear passion for the Chicago Cubs both as a player and as a radio broadcaster, passed away last night in Arizona because of complications from bladder cancer. He was 70. Santo had been battling several health issues over the last decade, including a bout of diabetes that led to a […]
Oakland to discuss new ballpark proposal tonight
Despite a continuing lack of interest from Oakland A’s owner Lew Wolff, Oakland officials will be discussing the specifics of a 39,000-seat ballpark near downtown’s Jack London Square at a public meeting of the cty planning commission. The discussion will center on the scope of the project (which for the moment also features 700 condominium […]
First game at Salt River Fields slated for Feb. 26
The first game at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick, the new spring home of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies, will be held Feb. 26, as the facility is unveiled to the public. As you might expect, the Diamondbacks and the Rockies will square off in this first game; the Diamondbacks will be the […]
Did Cards’ sale violate its profit-sharing agreement with the city?
When city taxpayers gave the St. Louis Cardinals tax breaks for building the new Busch Stadium, a provision gave St. Louis a share of any profits arising from any sale of the team. Since then about 13 percent of minority shares have been sold, but the city has seen no revenue from the transactions — […]
Cost of running The Trop for St. Pete: at least $7.3M annually
Besides the $6 million in annual debt service, it costs the city of St. Petersburg at least a million more annually to host the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Explain to us again why the city is so eager to keep the Trop and block the Rays from a new ballpark, because the existing […]
Collins nabs Mets coaching job
Two summers ago Terry Collins was managing the Duluth Huskies (summer collegiate; Northwoods League) — as a midseason replacement, no less. He’s now in line to manage the New York Mets, an amazing comeback by any measure. Collins managed the Huskies for the second half of the 2009 Northwoods League season before joining the Mets […]
Stan the Man turns 90
It was a good week for living legend Stan Musial: on Wednesday it was announced he’d receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and today he turns 90. Happy birthday, Stan. Musial’s been slowed by age — he now gets around in a wheelchair — but the man led an amazing life, rising from working-class roots […]
We’re shocked — shocked! — to see Astros on the market
We were amused to see the MLB.com headline this morning: “McLane reportedly puts Astros on market.” Well, duh: he’s been trying to sell the Houston Astros since 2008, and the only thing different is that he’s hired an investment firm to help out. By our reckoning McLane has had the team on the market for […]
Who needs a full end zone at Wrigley Field, anyway?
Oldtimers remember that the NFL’s Chicago Bears played with an eight-foot-deep end zone at Wrigley Field because of the football-unfriendly dimensions there, and apparently no one did the actual math when placing a football field at the Friendly Confines; as a result the Northwestern/Illinois game will be played with only one end zone. The Big […]