City staff in Champaign (Ill.) has been instructed to move forward with a study of the potential of minor-league baseball, but stopped short of authorizing any money toward the task. A report issued by the Illinois Business Consulting group, a student-run organization operating under the University of Illinois College of Business, concluded that the area could support professional baseball […]
Tag Archives | minor league baseball
NWL’s Bob Richmond announces retirement
Bob Richmond is retiring as president of the short-season-A Northwest League at the end of the calendar year, according to the league directors. For 30 years, Richmond has overseen the growth of the Northwest League as it developed into one of Minor League Baseball’s most diverse and profitable entities. “For 30 years, I have been […]
Will pro baseball return to Columbia?
From yesterday’s Ballpark Digest newsletter: with the Columbia Blowfish (summer collegiate; Coastal Plain League) season over and Cap City Stadium sold, the future of baseball there is in serious flux. UPDATED! By all measures, Columbia (S.C.) should be a pretty good market for Minor League Baseball: the city has a population of 129,272 and sits in the middle […]
MilB attendance still up in 2012
Despite taking a hit on the weather front and losing 100 games to weather, Minor League Baseball announced today that its 176 clubs in 15 leagues drew 9,221,023 fans in July, bringing the season total to 31,567,709. “It is encouraging that our attendance remains ahead of last year, despite losing more than 100 games to […]
Durham to Bulls: Continue management of DAP
The Durham Bulls (Class AAA; International League) may extend their management of Durham Athletic Park, as the city seeks to work out a long-term plan for the historic facility. The future of the former home of the Bulls has been in question since Minor League Baseball walked away from a deal to manage the ballpark […]
Milwaukie: Efforts to bring Northwest League team to new ballpark are done
The inability of the short-season Northwest League to commit a team to a new ballpark has led Milwaukie (Ore.) officials to drop work on funding for such a new facility. The league and the city were facing a July 31 deadline for a team. Last week the league informed the city that a team commitment […]
The Week That Was: July 22
MiLB history, affiliation shifts, Ebbets Field plans and the return of the Albuquerque Dukes for one night. Here are the most popular stories of the past week on Ballpark Digest, as measured by page views. Pete Rose, hot girlfriend to hit reality TV this fall Webb makes MiLB history: first female league president Could Blue […]
Webb makes MiLB history: first female league president
Lori Webb is the new president of the Class AA Southern League — the first woman to be chosen for a league presidency in the history of Minor League Baseball. Her appointment is effective Aug. 1. Webb becomes the sixth president in the Southern League’s modern era. She joins Sam C. Smith (1964-71), Billy Hitchcock (1971-80), […]
Blue Jays looking east for new Triple-A farm team?
It’s the time of year when MLB teams are reevaluating their MiLB affiliates, and the Toronto Blue Jays will probably explore a deal with the Buffalo Bisons (Class AAA; International League) — which could ultimately profit both teams. The Bisons are currently affiliated with the New York Mets, an arrangement wholeheartedly embraced by the Bisons […]
Aces to play what-if, taking field as Ghost Riders
The Reno Aces (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) will take the field as the Reno Ghost Riders as the franchise promotes a past finalist for the team name. It’s an interesting trend in Minor League Baseball: teams revisiting their branding exercises and summoning a contender for a promotion. Earlier this season the Northwest Arkansas Naturals […]
MiLB attendance up again in June 2012
Minor League Baseball continued a strong 2012 on the attendance front after attracting 8,407,103 fans last month, bringing the industry’s season total to 22,346,686 through June — up 4.2 percent from June 2011. The 176 clubs in 15 leagues attracted 901,800 more fans than they did through June last year. “Our attendance remained strong through […]
Generals attendance up: Jackson loves a winner
One of the biggest surprises in Minor League Baseball this year, the Jackson Generals (Class AA; Southern League) are experiencing a spike in attendance and success on the field. Turnstile attendance at Pringles Park is up by 18 percent over this point last season, according to a press release sent out by the team. “To […]
More affiliation issues: Cedar Rapids reevaluating Angels as parent
It’s the time of the year when Minor League Baseball teams start looking at their upcoming affiliations, and the Low Class A Midwest League may be fertile ground for PDC changes. Eleven teams in the 16-team circuit have player-development contracts expiring at the end of the season. (Though the Dayton/Cincinnati PDC is technically up, the […]