Outdoor hockey will come to Frontier Field, home of the Rochester Red Wings (Class AAA; International League), this December with six games over 10 days. We’ve seen several ballparks host hockey in recent years, including both MiLB and MLB facilities. The model that seems to work best: multiple games tied to an event. That’s the […]
Archive | Minor-League Baseball
Results of Colorado Springs ballpark poll under wraps
A poll to determine citizen views of a proposed downtown Colorado Springs ballpark is under wraps for now, deemed a confidential work product by city officials. The 40-question poll was sent to 40,000 Colorado Springs Sky Sox (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) email-list subscribers and members of the Colorado Springs Regional Business Alliance. Only 2,000 […]
Indianapolis Indians, Pirates extend PDC through 2016
The Indianapolis Indians (Class AAA; International League) and the Pittsburgh Pirates extended their player-development contract (PDC) for two more seasons, through 2016. “The Pirates leadership team of President Frank Coonelly, General Manager Neal Huntington, Assistant General Manager Kyle Stark and Director of Minor League Operations Larry Broadway has provided excellent leadership for the organization,” said […]
Sand Gnats exploring Columbia move?
Columbia (S.C.) Mayor Steve Benjamin wasn’t too subtle in describing a potential baseball partner for his city, leaving little doubt he was talking with Savannah Sand Gnats (Low Class A; Sally League) ownership about a new facility. In a newspaper interview, Benjamin talked about the existing owner also owning a new team in the Midwest […]
Revised GreenJackets ballpark plan up for vote tomorrow
A revised plan for North Augusta financing of a new Augusta GreenJackets (Low Class A; Sally League) ballpark will be considered tomorrow night by the Aiken County school board. The board will be asked to approve a new plan unveiled back in May that calls for a smaller contribution in TIF money as part of […]
Robinson, Reese statue defaced in Brooklyn
A statue of Jackie Robinson and Pee Wee Reese outside MCU Park, home of the Brooklyn Cyclones (short season A; NY-Penn League), was defaced with swastikas and anti-Semitic epithets overnight. Cyclones employees were able to remove most of the spray paint before a scheduled matinee today. From ESPN New York: The statue shows Reese with […]
Shocker: Only one legitimate response to Ottawa baseball RFP
Ottawa officials wanting a bidding war for an Ottawa Stadium lease are probably disappointed that only one bid, from Mandalay Baseball Properties, has been submitted. Ken Grey brings word on the state of bids for the ballpark: A source close to the negotiations says Mandalay Sports Entertainment and Professional Sports Catering have the Minor League […]
RailRiders welcome 11-million fan in team history
A big achievement here: the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (Class AAA; International League) welcomed the 11-millionth fan in team history to PNC Field last night. “Baseball has a long and storied history here in Northeastern Pennsylvania.” said Rob Crain, president and general manager. “From the Red Barons to the RailRiders and even a year where the road […]
Higher interest rates impact El Paso ballpark debt
Higher-than-anticipated interest rates on city-backed bonds is raising the long-term cost of a new El Paso ballpark by $17 million, as the City Council approved the deal yesterday. City officials had anticipated a rate of 5 percent for nontaxable bonds and and 5.75 percent for taxable bonds. That didn’t attract any bond buyers, so the […]
Knights announce return date to Charlotte
The official return of the Charlotte Knights (Class AAA; International League) to Charlotte is set for April 11, 2014, when the team opens BB&T Ballpark. The date was announced at a press conference today. Members of the Charlotte Knights front office staff, along with Frances Crockett, former co-owner and GM of the Charlotte O’s, were […]
Construction begins on new Quad Cities Ferris wheel
Construction of a new Ferris wheel at Modern Woodmen Park, home of the Quad Cities River Bandits (Low Class A; Midwest League), is finally underway after being delayed this spring and summer. Flooding and unseasonably heavy rains this spring and summer forced a delay of construction of a Ferris wheel past the left-field concourse at […]
Fredericksburg, Suns to meet Tuesday about new ballpark financing plan
A revised financing plan for a new Hagerstown Suns (Low Class A; Sally League) ballpark in Fredericksburg (Va.) will discussed Tuesday by owner Bruce Quinn and a local negotiating team. The plan isn’t public, but we do know some things about it. The original plan called for the city to finance a new ballpark, with […]
Mustangs on the block
The Billings Mustangs (rookie; Pioneer League) are on the block, as an unidentified buyer has approached the community ownership group about a purchase. It would be a hard sale, but team president Woody Hahn has been authorized to discuss a potential sale of what’s considered one of the top franchises in the Pioneer League. These […]