Today sees one of the great traditions in Minor League Baseball, when the Birmingham Barons (Class AA; Southern League) host the Mississippi Braves in the annual Rickwood Classic. This year’s Classic will celebrate the Roaring Twenties, a decade that saw the Barons capture two Southern Association titles and set numerous attendance records at Rickwood Field. […]
Archive | Minor-League Baseball
Hartford: New ballpark already attracting development
Hartford officials say the sale of building sitting vacant for the last six years can be attributed to a new ballpark opening downtown for the New Britain Rock Cats (Class AA; Eastern League). The former bank-processing building, built in 1971 and used last by Bank of America, sits on an entire block near where the […]
Worth the drive: four BoSox World Series trophies on display this Sunday
If you’re a Boston Red Sox fan, you’ll be in heaven at Centennial Field Sunday, when the Vermont Lake Monsters (short season A; NY-Penn League) will have four BoSox World Series trophies on display, including the 1912 trophy. Joining the 1912 trophy on display will be trophies from the 2004, 2007 and 2013 World Series. […]
Tourists to host 2015 South Atlantic League All-Star Game
Another event to note: The Asheville Tourists and McCormick Field are hosting the 2015 South Atlantic League All-Star Game, scheduled for June 23, 2015. “We are extremely excited to have the opportunity to bring one of the premier events in Minor League Baseball to Asheville and to historic McCormick Field,” said Tourists president Brian DeWine. […]
Quakes land 2015 California-Carolina League All-Star Game
Mark it on your calendars: The Rancho Cucamonga Quakes will host the 2015 California-Carolina League All-Star Game at LoanMart Field, marking the third time Rancho Cucamonga has hosted this inter-league event. “We are very excited to have the opportunity to bring the All-Star Game back to Rancho Cucamonga for the first time since 2003,” said […]
Biloxi’s name-the-team contest extended again
Well, this is certainly being milked to good effect: the name-the-team contest for the new Biloxi Southern League team is being extended yet again, for a week. Over 48,000 votes have been cast (an average of 95 votes per hour since the contest began on June 2.), according to team officials. The six finalists — […]
Yes, new Sounds ballpark will have iconic guitar scoreboard
This has actually been in the works for months: First Tennessee Park, opening in 2015 as home of the Nashville Sounds (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) will feature a guitar-shaped scoreboard similar to the one made famous in Greer Stadium. “We listen to our fans. Keeping the beloved guitar-shaped scoreboard is just part of our […]
After offseason fire, Fifth Third Ballpark shines at Midwest League ASG
Tuesday night’s Midwest League All-Star Classic was more than a showcase of baseball talent. It was a celebration of a remarkable effort by the West Michigan Whitecaps to rebuild a ballpark heavily damaged by fire less than six months ago, reports Trey Wilson. As more than 7,000 fans filled the seats of Fifth Third Ballpark, […]
Ripken Stadium unveils orange outfield wall for home opener
This should be a cool look: Ripken Baseball installed a new orange outfield wall at Ripken Stadium, home of the Aberdeen IronBirds (short season A; NY-Penn League), as part of a larger ballpark upgrade. ”We designed the new outfield wall to enhance the fan experience and to create a distinct home field advantage for the […]
River Bandits add another amusement to ballpark: Space Camp
The ballpark amusement area at Modern Woodmen Park — which already includes an awesome Ferris wheel — expanded last night with the addition of a “Space Camp” ride by the Quad Cities River Bandits (Low Class A; Midwest League). “Space Camp” is an electrically-powered four-seat gyroscope manufactured by Amusements International. “Space Camp” will spin its […]
Storm Chasers, CWS both thriving in Omaha
The Omaha Storm Chasers (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) and the College World Series are both doing fine, bucking the conventional wisdom that competition would hurt the pro team. When the then-Omaha Royals and College World Series shared Rosenblatt Stadium, the pro team went on an extended 16-game road trip to allow the collegians use […]
Columbia approves new-ballpark project
As expected, the Columbia (S.C.) City Council approved a development deal for a new Bull Street ballpark, with the team to be supplied by Hardball Capital’s Jason Freier. Freier, who owns the Savannah Sand Gnats (Low Class A; Sally League) and the Fort Wayne TinCaps (Low Class A; Midwest League), is obliged to supply a […]
Grand dame Engel Stadium shines at Southern League gathering
One of the great old ballparks in Minor League Baseball saw action last night, as the Class AA Southern League Home-Run Derby was held at Chattanooga’s Engel Stadium. Engel Stadium, built by Joe Engel for his Chattanooga Lookouts, opened in 1929 and was one of the great ballparks in Minor League Baseball. Engel was a […]