The home of the Midland RockHounds (Class AA; Texas League) will have a new name of Security Bank Ballpark come Jan. 1, 2014, once the current naming-rights deal with Citibank expires. The naming-rights deal is pretty major: 25 years, $3.6 million, with the first year costing the bank $120,000. It’s the third name for the […]
Archive | Minor-League Baseball
Proposed Colorado Springs ballpark in trouble?
A tepid response from Colorado Economic Development Commission officials on state funding of a new Colorado Springs Sky Sox (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) ballpark s raising issues about the proposal’s future. As you’ll recall, the city’s requested $82 million in sales-tax incentives from the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade to help […]
Fredericksburg ballpark deal moves forward — slightly
A day after a local investor was brought into the mix, the Fredericksburg (Va.) City Council voted to approve the broad outlines of a Hagerstown Suns (Low Class A; Sally League) ballpark deal — but an attempt to buy the land fell short. The broad outlines of the plan: a group that includes the Sun […]
Key to new Sounds ballpark: Significant contribution from team owners
As the dust settles on the proposal to locate a new Nashville Sounds (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) ballpark in Sulphur Dell, one key is emerging: it will take a serious commitment from team owners to make it work. It’s not that there’s a gap in an financial plan — heck, there’s no financial plan […]
Charlotte set for final games at Knights Stadium
With the team scheduled for an Uptown move in 2014, the Charlotte Knights (Class AAA; International League) are set for one final homestand at Knights Stadium. Now, Knights Stadium has never been one of our favorite facilities, but we expect some tears to be shed at the ballpark’s final days. There’s little doubt the facility […]
Nine innings, nine new car leases from Lake Monsters
Monster promo for the Vermont Lake Monsters (short season A; New York-Penn League): the team is pairing with The Autosaver Group to give away a two-year lease to one of nine brand-new vehicles: Nine Innings of Winning. The promo is slated for Sept. 1. Fans in attendance (18 years or older) will have the opportunity […]
Local investor boosts Fredericksburg ballpark plan
The addition of local businessman Ron Rosner to a group privately financing a new Hagerstown Suns (Low Class A; Sally League) ballpark has earned support from skeptics of the project. Their worry: the Suns would not have the financial wherewithal to go through with the project. The addition of Diamond Nation to the project lent […]
Nashville mayor: No financing plan yet for Sulphur Dell ballpark
Though the Nashville Sounds (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) and the city agree Sulphur Dell is the best place for a new ballpark, there’s no financing plan in place, according to Mayor Karl Dean. Plans for a new Sounds ballpark were all but dead after Sounds owner Frank Ward rejected the idea of a Sulphur […]
Whitecaps to host 2014 Midwest League ASG
Should be worth the drive: The West Michigan Whitecaps and Fifth Third Ballpark are hosting the 2014 Class Midwest League All-Star Game on June 17 — the 50th ASG in league history. This will be the third time the Whitecaps have hosted the game in the team’s 20-year history. The Whitecaps first hosted the game […]
Unusual nuptuals: Pair gets hitched between innings in Sacramento
Ballpark weddings happen all the time, but the Sacramento River Cats (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) built a game promo around a between-innings ceremony. Now. it’s not totally unusual to be married on a game day — a search of the archives yielded a few instances of a couple getting married before the game and […]
TinCaps to give 2-millionth fan chance for $2 million
Amazing promo: The Fort Wayne TinCaps (Low Class A; Midwest League) are going to give the 2-millionth fan in TinCaps history a chance to win $2 million before the end of the 2013 season. “It’s a true testament to the support of this community,” said TinCaps President Mike Nutter. “We had so much fun celebrating […]
Fredericksburg: We have deal to bring in Hagerstown Suns
A day after Hagerstown officials pitched a new downtown ballpark, Fredericksburg (Va.) officials say they have a conceptual deal to bring the Hagerstown Suns (Low Class A; Sally League) to their city. The timing isn’t coincidental: both sides are bringing forward their best offers in what’s perceived as the final stretch to determine the future […]
Nashville: Bring baseball back to Sulphur Dell
Planning for a new Nashville Sounds (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) ballpark has shifted from the riverfront to the old Sulphur Dell site, as Mayor Karl Dean is now pushing a mixed-use development. The Sounds has pursued a riverfront site for years as a replacement for Greer Stadium, though there was always sentimental support of […]