With 80 percent of the land needed for a new Birmingham Barons (Class AA; Southern League) ballpark already acquired, the city of Birmingham says it’s on the verge of moving ahead with a new downtown facility. The site, across from Railroad Park, will feature a new $50-million ballpark with 8,500 seats, 26 suites (20 sold […]
Archive | Minor-League Baseball
Memorial Stadium / Boise Hawks
It might have been a stunner when opened in 1989, but Memorial Stadium, home of the Boise Hawks (short season A; Northwest League), is now coming dangerously close to being an outdated professional facility, as the team is seeking a new ballpark after concluding it’s not worth renovating the old place. FAST FACTS Year Opened: […]
New Richmond ballpark by 2014?
Though there’s been little public discussion, progress is being made in talks between the Richmond Flying Squirrels (Class AA; Eastern League) and the Richmond Metropolitan Authority over a new ballpark next to The Diamond in the city’s Boulevard district. The area has been the center of baseball in Richmond for decades; Parker Field sat at […]
Suns-GreenJackets game scrapped after light falls on field
Tonight’s Hagerstown Suns-Augusta GreenJackets (Low Class A; Sally League) was cancelled after a light stanchion fell on the field of play when heavy rains and winds whipped through Municipal Stadium. It’s caused the Suns front office to improvise. Down a light, the team will play tomorrow’s game against the Greenville Drive at 3:05 p.m. instead […]
Orange County rejects Yankees farm-team ballpark
Saying she had doubts about promises a relocated Tampa Yankees (High Class A; Florida State League) would draw 3,500 fans a game, Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs rejected a plan to use county land for a proposed ballpark. Armando Gutierrez Jr. and Orlando Baseball Ventures had proposed a $47-million ballpark, Yankees museum on 12 acres […]
Omaha’s Mendoza loses no-hitter two days later
Luis Mendoza, whose no-hitter for the Omaha Storm Chasers (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) was an on-again, off-again thing is now off-again after the PCL office ruled Tyler Greene indeed doubled and did not reach base on an error. The request for league review came from the opposing Memphis Redbirds. On Monday night Mendoza went […]
Storm Chaser throws, loses, regains no-hitter
Unusual game last night in Memphis: Omaha’s Luis Mendoza threw a no-hitter last night against the Redbirds, lost it after a scoring change, then regained the no-hitter after yet another scoring change — but he could lose it again, pending potential league review. Mendoza went all nine innings in a complete-game no-hitter, with the Omaha […]
Thunder on serious roll at the box office
It’s been a good season for the Trenton Thunder (Class AA; Eastern League): the team has sold out six straight games and attracted 48,617 fans ((8,103 per game) to Waterfront Park during that stretch. The six-game sellout streak is the organization’s first since a seven game streak in 2003 when 7,531 fans attended per game […]
Blue Wahoos rework lease for new Pensacola ballpark
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Class AA; Southern League) will be paying more for a new ballpark that meets Class AA standards, as the $13 million ballpark will be ready for a March opening. Quint and Rishy Studer had an agreement for a new waterfront ballpark as owners of the Pensacola Pelicans (independent; American Association), but […]
Minor League Baseball bailing on Vero Beach lease
After losing a million dollars operating Vero Beach Sports Village last year and another half-million this season, Minor League Baseball has found someone else to assume to the lease to the former Dodgertown. MiLB would still have a presence at the facility, but the new leaseholder would be bringing in events beyond the tournaments and […]
Miss Babe Ruth statue returned to Grasshoppers
A statue of Miss Babe Ruth, the iconic Labrador Retriever mascot for the Greensboro Grasshoppers (Low Class A; Sally League), was stolen and subsequently recovered — but it can be yours, as the team is auctioning it away after arranging for a replacement. “Due to the proficient work of the Greensboro and High Point Police […]
Heavy winds take down center-field fence in Augusta
Lake Olmstead Stadium, home of the Augusta GreenJackets (Low Class A; Sally League), sustained damage tonight from a violent thunderstorm tearing through the area — violent enough to take down the center-field fence. Billy Byler, Augusta GreenJackets beat writer for the Augusta Chronicle, was kind enough to send us a link to a Chronicle video of […]
Stone Crabs to host 2012 FSL All-Star Game
The Charlotte Stone Crabs will be hosting the 2012 Florida State League All-Star Game at Charlotte Sports Park, the team announced today. The game is scheduled for Saturday, June 16, 2012. Charlotte Sports Park is one of the better ballparks in the Florida State League. “It is a great honor to be chosen out of […]