Talk of bringing a Pacific Coast League team to Boise is a bad idea, says Boise Hawks (short season A; Northwest League) President/GM Todd Rahr: the market is limited, there’s little corporate support and the airport sucks. But hey, otherwise it’s a great place to do business! Rahr is walking a tightrope, of course; while […]
Archive | Minor-League Baseball
No, Canada
Prospects for Minor League Baseball returning to Ottawa and Montreal have dimmed in recent weeks, as a lack of funding for new and improved facilities is proving to be an impediment to any franchise shifts. With the rebound of the Canadian dollar, MiLB teams moving into Canada has been seen by many owners as a […]
Ballpark building on hold in Winston-Salem
A mixed-use building planned as part of BB&T Ballpark, home of the Winston-Salem Dash (High Class A; Carolina League), is on hold after a developer failed to secure financing and withdrew from the project. Lindbrook Development Services withdrew from building the six-story, 100,000-square-foot structure, which would have contained a ground-floor restaurant and Class A office […]
Another new effort for Wilmington minor-league baseball?
Former Atlanta Braves manager Bobby Cox has reached out to city officials in Wilmington, N.C. and discussed what it would take to build a new ballpark in the Port City. Cox, now an assistant to Braves GM Frank Wren, has a tie to Wilmington: his granddaughter attends UNC-Wilmington. The meeting, as reported by the StarNews, […]
Sounds: We prefer East Bank for new-ballpark site
Nashville Sounds (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) ownership has settled on the city’s East Bank area as the site of a new ballpark, a week after a consultant identified three possible facility locations. Populous identified three potential sites for a ballpark: the East Bank of the Cumberland River, Sulphur Dell located near Germantown and the […]
O’Conner, San Diego make news in slow Winter Meetings
During an unusually slow Winter Meetings, two events made headlines: Pat O’Conner was re-elected unanimously as Minor League Baseball president and San Diego was awarded the 2014 event. We’re talking slow in terms of activity among owners: normally there’s plenty of chatter about teams on the market and potential buyers, but this year the talk […]
Buy a holiday present, help out a good cause
Looking to buy something for that special baseball person in your life, while contributing to a worthy cause? Check out the Eastern League online auction, now in its final five days. The auction of items donated by Class AA Eastern League teams is slated to end early next week, so it’s not too late to […]
Nashville ballpark sites narrowed to three
Some progress on a new ballpark for the Nashville Sounds (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League), as the city released a site evaluation study with three potential locations: the East Bank of the Cumberland River, Sulphur Dell located near Germantown and the North Gulch area north of Charlotte Avenue. UPDATED! The study by Populous describes the […]
Marauders unveil new alternate logo
The Bradenton Marauders (High Class A; Florida State League) unveiled a scary new alternate logo, designed by Dan Simon. “Going in to our third season and still building our own Marauder tradition, we thought this new alternate logo would be a great way to incorporate the history behind the Pirates logo with the new brand […]
Plan B for Bears: Work on Yakima ballpark plan
With the defeat of a new-ballpark in Clark County yesterday, the Yakima Bears (short season; Northwest League) ownership say they will work on a ballpark solution in Yakima. Yesterday the Clark County Board of Commissioners voted down a 5 percent admissions tax that would have partially funded a new ballpark for the Bears in suburban […]
Baby Blue Jays unveil new logo, unis
The Bluefield Blue Jays (rookie; Appalachian League) unveiled a new logo and new uniforms to match the new look of parent Toronto Blue Jays. The logo was introduced by General Manager Chris Maxwell at a press conference held at the Bluefield Chamber of Commerce. New uniforms and cap design were unveiled as well. “We are […]
Admissions tax voted down in Clark County; no new ballpark for now
A 5 percent admissions tax to partially fund a new ballpark for the relocating Yakima Bears (short season A; Northwest League) was voted down today by Clark County Commissioners on a 2-1 vote. Passage of the tax on admissions to entertainment and sports venues was never assured, with one solid vote for and one solid […]
Clark County ballpark vote slated for today
A vote on a proposed 5 percent admissions tax to help fund a new ballpark for the Yakima Bears (short season A; Northwest League) is expected today — but no one is predicting the outcome. The proposal calls for a 5 percent tax on entertainment (movies, county fair, golf courses, concerts, etc.) admission fees in […]