The Tennessee Smokies (Class AA; Southern League) have a new owner, as Randy Boyd, founder and CEO of Knoxville-based Radio Systems Corporation, has reached an agreement to purchase the team from the current ownership group. The deal has been under discussion since January and an agreement was reached in March, followed by the application and […]
Archive | Minor-League Baseball
Announcers set for Triple-A All-Star Game broadcasts
The broadcast teams for the Triple-A All-Star Game, set for broadcast on the MLB Network, MiLB.com and MiLB.TV on Wednesday, July 17 at 9 p.m. EST, have been announced. The 2013 Dolan Auto Group Triple-A All-Star Game, presented by Reno-Tahoe USA, Gildan, and Harrah’s Reno, will take place at Aces Ballpark in Reno, Nevada, home of the […]
Ottawa baseball deal in final stretch
A deal to bring pro baseball back to Ottawa is close at hand, with Mandalay Baseball Properties poised to own a Class AA Eastern League team and Rogers Communications buying naming rights to Ottawa Stadium. The deal, which was first reported by Ken Grey and confirmed with MiLB team owners, calls for Mandalay to buy […]
IronPigs to brighten fan’s day with funeral giveaway
We’ve seen teams give away tombstones and funerals before, but the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Class AAA; International League) are going the extra six feet by giving away a full funeral to a “lucky” fan. “The best fans in Minor League Baseball deserve the opportunity to win a once-in-a-lifetime giveaway,” said IronPigs General Manager Kurt Landes. […]
Arizona League teams upgrade to spring ballparks
Not quite sure whether this is due to the popularity of games or wanting to give players a more realistic game experience, but four rookie Arizona League teams are playing home games in the big-league parks and not practice fields. The four teams and their homes: The AZL Angels are playing home games at Tempe […]
Storm Chasers set to welcome millionth fan to Werner Park
It’s a great success story: the Omaha Storm Chasers (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) are set to welcome the millionth fan to Werner Park during an upcoming homestand. The Storm Chasers are expected to welcome that millionth fan in the first series of the seven-game homestand, which starts tomorrow night with dreaded rival Iowa Cubs […]
Finalists announced for new El Paso team name
We have the five finalists for the team name of the new El Paso franchise joining the Triple-A Pacific Coast League next season. The five finalists are: Aardvarks Buckaroos Chihuahuas Desert Gators Sun Dogs “It was not easy to determine this list of finalist name ideas from the thousands of names submitted by El Paso […]
Increased spending approved for new El Paso ballpark
A new budget for a Triple-A ballpark in El Paso was approved last night by the City Council, pushing the total cost of the project to $60.8 million, with team owners picking up the additional costs. The original cost of the ballparl was $52.8 million, and the El Paso City Council had already approved issuing […]
Reds, Mustangs marriage hits 40-year anniversary
It’s one of the longest-lasting relationships in pro baseball: the Billings Mustangs (rookie; Pioneer League) have been an affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds since 1974 — and it’s still going strong. In these days, affiliations are a lot more fluid than they once were, and partnerships once assumed solid can turn sour quickly. But in […]
Richmond ballpark location may be decided by voters
In a sign the discussion is shifting, a plan is afoot to put the issue of a new Richmond Flying Squirrels (Class AA; Eastern League) ballpark location to voters via referendum. The move is significant: the assumption is that a new ballpark will be built, with the unresolved issue the location of the facility. That’s […]
E-Twins bus involved in crash; no players injured
A bus transporting the Elizabethton Twins (rookie; Appalachian League) from Florida to Tennessee for the home opener was involved in a crash this morning, which killed the driver of the other vehicle. The bus was on the road near Jacksonville when a driver came down I-295, going the wrong way. The bus driver attempted to […]
Player development vs. winning on display in Springfield
The seemingly eternal debate over player development vs. winning was on display last night in Springfield, when a doubleheader determining a first-half title was scrapped after a manager pulled the plug on the game. The Springfield Cardinals (33-35) and Tulsa Drillers (34-34) came into Sunday’s game with the Drillers up one but the Cardinals set […]
Bradenton to host 2014 FSL All-Star Game
The Bradenton Marauders are hosting the 2014 High Class A Florida State League All-Star Game at McKechnie Field. Bradenton, in its fourth season in the FSL, will be hosting its first All-Star Game. The 53rd annual game will pit the top players in the FSL South against the best of the FSL North. “The Marauders […]