R-Phils land 2012 EL All-Star Game
Flush off an exciting opening of a renovated FirstEnergy Stadium, the Reading Phillies and Eastern League President Joe McEacharn today announced the 2012 Eastern League All-Star Game would be played July 11 in Baseballtown. “It’s an honor and a privilege to be able to host this exciting event right here in Baseballtown,” said R-Phils GM […]
Rainiers unveil renovated Cheney Stadium
Ben Cheney was positioned in his familiar seat, his smiling face watching the proceedings on the field. But everything else about Cheney Stadium was different last night, as the Tacoma Rainiers (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) unveiled a renovated ballpark before a large crowd. You may know the story of Cheney: the Pacific Northwest lumber […]
Salazar mans dugout in Hillcats home opener
Remember the poignant story of Luis Salazar, the Atlanta Braves minor-league coach who lost an eye during spring training after being struck by a foul ball in the dugout? As promised, he returned to his post as manager of the Lynchburg Hillcats (High Class A; Carolina League) last night before an appreciative crowd at Calvin […]
Moorad: Leaving Padres in Tucson a possibility
San Diego Padres owner Jeff Moorad says there’s a good chances the Tucson Padres (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) will end up staying in Tucson if a new ballpark in Escondido doesn’t happen — a proposition that still looks pretty iffy. In town for the T-Pods season opener, Moorad admitted there were numerous hurdles facing […]
Oakland, Tampa Bay on cusp of contraction? Not so fast
Forbes Magazine continues to beat the drum for the possible of contraction of the Oakland A’s and Tampa Bay Rays by 2015, but Mike Ozanian may be proving to be a useful idiot for Major League Baseball, as baseball pulls out a familiar tool to push municipalities for new ballparks. In this video and this […]
FirstEnergy Stadium renovations: thumbs up
After an opening night that saw fans cram FirstEnergy Stadium, home of the Reading Phillies (Class AA; Eastern League), one thing is clear: the ballpark renovations are a hit with the R-Phils fans. Fans were lining up well in advance of the 4 p.m. opening of the gates, eager to see how the $10 million […]
Bull Barch is back!
This makes us very happy: “Bull” Barch is back in baseball as the Voice of the Lake Erie Crushers (independent; Frontier League), as he takes a break from calling Notre Dame College games to replace Tim Calderwood. Andy “Bull” Barch is currently the Assistant Sports Information Director at Notre Dame College and serves as the […]
No arrests at Dodger Stadium with new security system in place
The increased police presence at Dodger Stadium last night certainly paid off when it came to public perception of the proceedings: There were no arrests made during the Dodgers–Cardinals game, a clear contrast to the opening series when a Giants fan was severely beaten in the parking lot. It sounds like the new approach to […]
McAllen Thunder details released
As we surmised last week, the new McAllen Thunder (independent; North American League) will be a semi-travel team for the 2011 season, playing its “home” games out of Edinburg Stadium and run by the owners of the Edinburg Roadrunners. Using the name (and uniforms and caps and marks, we assume) of last year’s Coastal Bend […]
RFQ for Amarillo multipurpose venue released
A Request for Qualifications for the operator of an multiuse ballpark/venue in downtown Amarillo has been released by Wallace Bajjali Development Partners, developer of the facility. You can download the RFQ here. The RFQ is pretty straightforward, asking for potential owners of a professional baseball franchise their qualifications for running the facility, including their background […]
Fat Cats owners may seek affiliated team for Ottawa
The owners of the Ottawa Fat Cats are asking the city of Ottawa for an Ottawa Stadium lease extension in order to give the group time to seek a professional franchise for Canada’s capital, a request that seems to have slowed down the city’s ardor for renovating the ballpark as a multuse facility. There’s no […]
MLB considering instant replay for 2012?
Major League Baseball could implement instant replay for the 2012 season, reports AP, after Commissioner Bud Selig and a group of umpire agreed in spring training on a plan to make it work with minimal impact on the game. There’s been talk of baseball using instant replay for years now, but the fear has always […]
Loons pull out the stops for Mother’s Day
It’s not unusual for a baseball team to throw a Mother’s Day promotion with a free flower or two but the Great Lakes Loons (Low Class A; Midwest League) are pulling out the stops with massage therapy, brunch and more. “Since Mother’s Day falls on a Loons home game this year, we wanted to do […]