Hillsboro Mayor Jerry Willey says his city has received approval from the Yakima Bears and the Northwest League on a term sheet for a new ballpark, paving the way for final approval June 26. The Bears and the Northwest League have not confirmed Willey’s statement, made today during an online chat sponsored by The Oregonian. If […]
Tag Archives | minor league baseball
Nine MiLB teams to participate in MLB diversity summit
It’s a good start: Representatives from nine MiLB organizations will join executives from Major League Baseball’s Central Office and all 30 MLB teams at the inaugural MLB Diversity Business Summit in Chicago on July 24. MLB and the Chicago White Sox are co-hosting the event. MiLB teams at the summit: Brooklyn Cyclones (short season A; […]
The Week That Was: June 10
The return of affiliated ball to Portland, affiliation issues, Dodger Stadium and the launch of the summer-collegiate season were among the most popular stories on Ballpark Digest last week, as measured by page views. By the way, Ballpark Digest hit a milestone yesterday: the 5,000th article in site history was posted. Spikes: We’re ready to […]
Omaha Storm Chasers on verge of sale
It’s an open secret the Omaha Storm Chasers (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) have been on the market, but it now appears a sale of the team is imminent. The purchasers, which includes an investment banker already with an ownership stake in a short-season A team, is in the final round of negotiations to buy […]
MiLB attendance remains strong in May 2012
The good year for Minor League Baseball attendance continues, as a total of 13,939,583 fans at ballparks through May represents a 6.3 percent increase over 2011. In total, the 136 clubs in 11 full-season leagues attracted 824,448 more fans than they did through May last year. “I am encouraged by our clubs’ attendance figures, not only in […]
Shanahan: Blowfish negotiating move to Lexington County
The Columbia Blowfish (summer collegiate; Coastal Plain League) are negotiating for a new ballpark in suburban Lexington County, keeping the team in the greater Columbia market. We’re talking about a modest facility: between 3,500 and 4,500 seats, with a berm that could accommodate more, for a total capacity of 5,000. But it would keep the Blowfish […]
Spikes: We’re ready to dump Pirates
Tired of fielding losing squads, management of the State College Spikes (short season A; NY-Penn League) say they’re ready to dump their affiliation with the Pittsburgh Pirates. You normally don’t see such frank talk when it comes to player-development contracts and affiliation deals, but Spikes GM Jason Dambach was pretty blunt about his unhappiness with the […]
For Wildcats, move to Hi Corbett Field pays off
As the University of Arizona prepares to host an NCAA Regional, one thing is clear: the move to Hi Corbett Field this season has paid off handsomely for the Wildcats program. The Wildcats have always been a power in college baseball, but Sancet Stadium — a nice little ballpark literally in the shadows of the […]
MiLB national merchandising program generated $52M in 2011
Minor League Baseball last year generated $52.2 million in sales of licensed merchandise, the third largest since the national merchandising program began in 1991, representing a 2.2 percent increase compared to 2010. “Minor League Baseball merchandise continues to remain extremely popular with our millions of fans, thanks to the efforts of our clubs and licensees,” […]
Self-serving promotion: The Minor Leagues Report
Here’s today’s self-serving promotion: check out The Minor League Report, where three outstanding Minor League Baseball broadcasters completely outclass Ballpark Digest publisher Kevin Reichard. Here’s a link to the podcast. It’s also available on iTunes. The Minor League Report is put together by three of the best broadcasters in Minor League Baseball: Trenton’s Jay Burnham […]
Grasshoppers evaluating purchase of NewBridge Bank Park
The Greensboro Grasshoppers (Low Class A; Sally League) ownership is evaluating whether to exercise an option to buy their home, NewBridge Bank Park. When the ballpark was built in 2005 for $22.6 million, the Grasshoppers negotiated an option to buy the facility down the road from the Joseph M. Bryan Foundation. Getting the new ballpark built […]
Ballpark services for the truly lazy: Paying someone to wait in line for you
Forget about having food delivered to your seats: at AT&T Park you can pay someone to wait in line for you and fetch items so you don’t miss a pitch. Now, we all know that several MLB and MiLB teams in conjunction with Aramark have implemented or are rolling out ordering service via smartphone, where you […]
The Week That Was: May 13
New indy leagues and affiliated ballparks, updates to Dodger Stadium and Wrigley Field, and the fate of the Portland market all made headlines this week at Ballpark Digest. Here are the most popular stories of the past week on Ballpark Digest, as measured by page views: Five potential ballpark sites under discussion in Wilmington Dodger […]