It wasn’t the most glamorous venue in the major leagues, nor the most stylish. But the Polo Grounds — the former home of the New York Giants and, briefly, the New York Yankees and New York Mets — will receive its due this weekend, as the San Francisco Giants and Willie Mays will bring the […]
Tag Archives | mlb
Could Cards, Marlins leave Treasure Coast?
The lease at Roger Dean Stadium for the St. Louis Cardinals and Florida Marlins expires in 2017, but before committing to an extension the teams want protection that they’re not the last two teams left standing on the Treasure Coast for spring training. Roger Dean Stadium is surely the center of the busiest ballpark complex […]
D-Backs spiffing up Chase Field for 2011
The Arizona Diamondbacks are making further improvements to Chase Field for a 2011 season that will see Phoenix hosting the MLB All-Star Game. For starters: the team has repainted the retractable roof, likely to be closed during the All-Star Game and much of the season. Second, the team is installing new high-def two large new […]
Metrodome roof collapses in dramatic fashion
The roof literally fell in at the HHH Metrodome, the former home of the Minnesota Twins and the current home of the Minnesota Golden Gophers baseball team, forcing the NFL to move the Vikings/Giants game to Detroit’s Ford Field. The roof tore in several places under the weight of two or more feet of snow; […]
The Week That Was: Dec. 12
Lots of news generated the past week as the baseball world gathered at the annual Winter Meetings and Baseball Trade Show in Orlando: chatter about a new Oakland A’s ballpark, a final stretch for a new Escondido ballpark, and the potential move of the Southern League into Pensacola. The most popular stories on Ballpark Digest […]
No Japanese teams in Tucson next spring
It may occur down the road, but for 2011 the plan to bring two or more Japanese or Korean pro teams to train at Tuscon Electric Park has fallen short, as organizers run out of time to make a deal. The plan would have had two or more teams training in Tucson; Tucson officials had […]
Oakland may be in better financial shape to host new A’s ballpark
WINTER MEETINGS — Because Oakland’s redevelopment agency is in much better financial shape than San Jose‘s, the city may be in better shape to put together a deal for a new Oakland Athletics ballpark — or at least give cover to the MLB committee charged with recommending a location. Though San Jose officials have pooh-poohed […]
Pinellas County extends hotel tax — but not enough for new Rays ballpark
Things are getting interesting in Tampa Bay: Pinellas County extended a 5 percent hotel tax to 2021 — far short of the time needed to potentially pay off a new Tampa Bay Rays ballpark — while the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce announced ballpark financing would be one of the group’s main priorities in 2011. […]
Oakland to discuss new ballpark proposal tonight
Despite a continuing lack of interest from Oakland A’s owner Lew Wolff, Oakland officials will be discussing the specifics of a 39,000-seat ballpark near downtown’s Jack London Square at a public meeting of the cty planning commission. The discussion will center on the scope of the project (which for the moment also features 700 condominium […]
Did Cards’ sale violate its profit-sharing agreement with the city?
When city taxpayers gave the St. Louis Cardinals tax breaks for building the new Busch Stadium, a provision gave St. Louis a share of any profits arising from any sale of the team. Since then about 13 percent of minority shares have been sold, but the city has seen no revenue from the transactions — […]
Selig still “concerned” about Rays ballpark situation
MLB Commissioner Bud Selig is still concerned about the Tampa Bay Rays ballpark situation and plans to meet with team leadership as soon as they’re willing to talk about possible solutions. “We will have very meaningful discussions. Whenever they’re ready, I’m ready,” Selig told the St. Petersburg Times. “They know what they need, and they […]
Oakland pitches new waterfront site for new A’s ballpark
Despite a total lack of interest from Oakland Athletics owner Lew Wolff, Oakland city officials have settled on a Victory Court site for a new waterfront ballpark and plan on pitching its merits to a MLB committee tasked with finding an A’s facility solution. Victory Court is located near Lake Merritt Channel, along the Oakland […]
As Giants win World Series, Athletics ballpark status in limbo
As the San Francisco Giants captured their first World Series trophy in the Bay Area, the Oakland Athletics sat quietly on the sidelines with a ballpark situation in limbo. Will MLB finally resolve the situation this offseason? MLB likes to control the message, and the message in the playoffs always was focused on the Texas […]