Four veteran baseball scouts have been named as the 2011 inductees to the Professional Baseball Scouts Hall of Fame (PBSHOF), as the four baseball clubs operated by the Goldklang Group (Charleston RiverDogs, Ft. Myers Miracle, Hudson Valley Renegades and St. Paul Saints) honor the men who discover the players we all know and follow. This […]
Archive | Minor-League Baseball
Frederick: Affiliated team to have advantage in ballpark bidding
An affiliated team will have an advantage in the bidding for Harry Grove Stadium, currently the home of the Frederick Keys (High Class A; Carolina League), according to city officials prepping the bid package. The city has been working on a bid specification since the beginning of the year, and it’s a tightrope: on the […]
Redbirds add club, VIP concessions for season-ticket holders
The Memphis Redbirds (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) are revamping offerings for full– and half-season-ticket holders in 2011, adding a VIP lounge area on the AutoZone Park Club level and a dedicated VIP concession stand on the main concourse. The team is now calling season-ticket holders members of the newly founded AutoZone Park Champions Club. […]
Tides tie ticket promotion to Groundhog’s Day
Nice promotion in the doldrums of winter: the Norfolk Tides (Class AAA; International League) are giving away 25 pairs of tickets if mascot Rip Tide doesn’t see his shadow tomorrow — or ignores it if the sun is in the sky, with the whole shebang televised on a Hampton Roads morning TV show. The weather […]
New for 2011: Northeast Delta Dental Stadium
The home of the New Hampshire Fisher Cats (Class AA; Eastern League) will have a new name, as Merchantsauto.com Stadium will be renamed Northeast Delta Dental Stadium for the coming season and beyond. The change in the naming-rights deal will be announced this afternoon at a press conference. Northeast Delta Dental, a past partner of […]
Frederick to put ballpark lease to bid; Keys on market
City officials in Frederick, Md. are preparing specifications in anticipation of letting the lease to Harry Grove Stadium, home of the Frederick Keys (High Class A; Carolina League), out to bid for 2012 and beyond — inconvenient timing, considering the team is now for sale. City officials say they’re finishing the specs for the ballpark, […]
Ballpark Visit: Harry Grove Stadium / Frederick Keys
When it opened in 1990, Harry Grove Stadium was state of the art when it came to things like suites and an open concourse. Today, despite some TLC from the city and the owners of the Frederick Keys in recent years, Harry Grove Stadium is now just a decent, well-run but low-key ballpark in a […]
Birmingham ballpark situation more complicated than anticipated
The Birmingham City Council has agreed on a funding plan for a new downtown ballpark to house the Birmingham Barons (Class AA; Southern League), but they can’t agree on the location — a situation complicated by balky ballpark-area landowners. Mayor William Bell has been upfront about where he wanted to see a new downtown ballpark: […]
Double-A team exploring move to Baton Rouge area
Once again we have interest from an affiliated team in the Baton Rouge area, as officials in Livingston Parish say they’re in talks with a Double-A team about an entertainment complex and ballpark in the suburban city. In the past reps from the Huntsville Stars (Class AA; Southern League) has been identified as talking with […]
Gates new GM in Bowling Green
Ryan Gates, who built the Lake Erie Crushers (independent; Frontier League) from nothing into a leading indy franchise, is the new general manager of the Bowling Green Hot Rods (Low Class A; Midwest League). He fills a position left open when team President Brad Taylor earned a promotion in December. “This is a great day […]
River Bandits unveil 2011 Midwest League All-Star Game logo
The Quad Cities River Bandits unveiled a logo for the 2011 Midwest League All-Star Game, combining the charm of Davenport’s Modern Woodmen Park and Centennial Bridge with the team’s notable marks. “I think this is a wonderful logo with the way it incorporates so many distinguishing marks of the River Bandits,” said team owner Dave […]
Reds, Bats extend PDC through 2014
The Louisville Bats (Class AAA; International League) will remain the Cincinnati Reds‘ top farm team through 2014, as the two teams extended their Player Development Contract for two additional years. “The Reds are thrilled to have the opportunity to formally extend our relationship with the people operating one of the truly great professional baseball operations […]
Judge dismisses suit challenging ONEOK Field funding
Well, that didn’t take long: Tulsa County Associate Judge Dana Kuehn ended a lawsuit challenging assessments against downtown businesses used to pay for ONEOK Field, the home of the Tulsa Drillers (Class AA; Texas League). True, it was a pretty low threshold to victory: all the city (the defendent in the case, not the Drillers) […]