MLB Commissioner Bud Selig is still concerned about the Tampa Bay Rays ballpark situation and plans to meet with team leadership as soon as they’re willing to talk about possible solutions. “We will have very meaningful discussions. Whenever they’re ready, I’m ready,” Selig told the St. Petersburg Times. “They know what they need, and they […]
Archive | Major-League Baseball
Oakland pitches new waterfront site for new A’s ballpark
Despite a total lack of interest from Oakland Athletics owner Lew Wolff, Oakland city officials have settled on a Victory Court site for a new waterfront ballpark and plan on pitching its merits to a MLB committee tasked with finding an A’s facility solution. Victory Court is located near Lake Merritt Channel, along the Oakland […]
Pinellas County mulls hotel-tax extension for new Rays ballpark
Money talks when it comes to new ballparks, and Pinellas County may have a strong speaking voice when it comes to a new Tampa Bay Rays ballpark: the new new board of commissioners is considering an extension of the county bed tax to help pay for a new facility — something Hillsborough County cannot offer. […]
College football returns to pro ballparks this weekend
College football, once a staple in pro ballparks during the offseason, is returning to MLB venues in a big way this weekend, as both Wrigley Field and Yankee Stadium are hosting high-profile BCS matches. In New York City, Yankee Stadium is hosting the first of two college football games this season with the high-profile Army-Notre […]
Bob Watson retires
Bob Watson, Major League Baseball’s Vice President of Rules and On-Field Operations, has announced his retirement from baseball at the end of the current year after serving more than 45 years in the game as a player, coach and executive. Watson will continue to assist with MLB’s Urban Youth Academy program and be available for […]
Famous Wrigley Field marquee to go Wildcat Purple
The iconic Wrigley Field marquee will be Wildcat Purple for a week as the Chicago Cubs prepare to host a historic Northwestern-Illinois football game this Saturday. Of course, this being the Cubs, there are some commecial considerations involved. First, the team brought in a paint sponsor — Valspar — to sponsor the Wildcat Purple paint. […]
In memoriam: Dave Niehaus
Dave Niehaus, one of the most recognizable voices in baseball and an original employee of the Seattle Mariners, for whom he called games for 17 years, passed away after a heart atack in his suburban Bellevue home. He was 75. Niehaus was present for every big moment in Mariners history — Randy Johnson and Chris […]
Baltimore, MSA outline 2011 improvements to Orioles Park
The Baltimore Orioles and the Maryland Stadium Authority outlined a second year of enhancements to Oriole Park at Camden Yards, including more renovations on the club level, additional seat replacements and a slightly smaller capacity, creating a more intimate environment. Last off-season, all seats in the lower level from foul pole to foul pole were […]
New at Target Field for 2011: More signage and free WiFi
The Minnesota Twins unveiled a host of improvements to Target Field for the 2011 season, including more signage visible from areas unable to see the main scoreboard, more local foods, free WiFi and more. The biggest change fans will see at Target Field, the 2010 Ballpark Digest Ballpark of the Year, will come in the […]
Selig: “I really believe that Abner Doubleday is the ‘father of baseball’”
Yeah, there’s a lot of glee in the baseball-geek world these days: In a letter to a collector, MLB Commissioner Bud Selig admits he still thinks Abner Doubleday invented the game of baseball, despite reams of evidence to the contrary. Lots of snark has ensued. Selig made his beliefs known in a letter to autograph […]
As Giants win World Series, Athletics ballpark status in limbo
As the San Francisco Giants captured their first World Series trophy in the Bay Area, the Oakland Athletics sat quietly on the sidelines with a ballpark situation in limbo. Will MLB finally resolve the situation this offseason? MLB likes to control the message, and the message in the playoffs always was focused on the Texas […]
In memoriam: Sparky Anderson
Sparky Anderson, the manager of Cincinnati’s Big Red Machine World Series champs and later a Series winner with the Detroit Tigers, passed away today at the age of 76. He had been in poor health and recently hospitalized for dementia. Anderson was the first manager to win World Series with two different teams in two […]
Mets lower ticket prices for 2011
Increased supply meets diminished demand, as the New York Mets lowered prices for many seats at Citi Field for the 2011 season, decreasing costs by an average of 14 percent across the entire ballpark. Within the 14-percent average price decrease, the Mets have made a range of market-based adjustments to Citi Field’s 41,800 seats: Ticket […]