Cal baseball lives to play another day
After months of fundraising by program supporters, the Cal baseball program escaped elimination after University of California-Berkeley officials decided that $9 million in donations was enough to save the sport. University officials had placed a goal of $10 million for private fundraising. Fundraisers had come close to that figure in recent days, but a reduction […]
Caray to Southern Maryland, Melendez to Yuma
Two personnel moves involving United League Baseball refugees: Josh Caray is the new Voice of the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs (independent; Atlantic League), while Jose Melendez is the new general manager of the Yuma Scorpions (independent; North American League). Caray broadcast San Angelo Colts games last season and also served as the team’s media relations […]
Remembering Memorial Stadium’s tomato patch
It must have been fun covering the Baltimore Orioles in the 1970s: the team had some characters on the payroll, including groundskeeper Pasquale “Pat” Santarone, who managed to cultivate a crop of tomatoes every summer at Memorial Stadium while embroiled in a mostly friendly feud with O’s skipper Earl Weaver over who had the best […]
Valcke: Baseball can work in Ottawa
Despite a poor record of Triple-A and independent baseball succeeding in Canada’s capital, Tom Valcke says that Ottawa Stadium is a gem and should not be renovated as a concert venue — rather, it should be pitched as an MiLB short-season-A home while continuing to host the Ottawa Fat Cats. Valcke is a well-known and well-respected […]
Razorbacks set new attendance mark
It was a big Saturday night for the Arkansas Razorbacks, as the team rallied to defeat SEC archrival LSU, and the school set a Baum Stadium attendance record. The actual attendance of 11,103 and the paid attendance of 11,462 were both Baum Stadium records. The previous attendance records of 11,434 (paid) and 11,014 (actual) were […]
New life for new California ballparks?
New ballparks in California for Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball teams are again economically feasible, as California legislators reject an attempt by Gov. Jerry Brown to divert city and county economic-redevelopment funds to fund basic services. We’re talking three ballparks here: a new Oakland Athletics ballpark either in San Jose or Oakland; a […]
Pirates employee found dead near PNC Park
A Pittsburgh Pirates employee was found dead early Saturday morning — bleeding, face down on the pavement — after working the Friday night PNC Park Bucs game, in what police are calling a suspicious incident. Michael Schacht, 58, had been an usher for the Pirates since 2004. He was found unresponsive and bleeding around a […]
The Week That Was: April 10
The preservation of a historic playing field, franchise shifts and sales in the independent-baseball ranks, a San Francisco ballpark visit, and some bad news from Clark and Addison were the biggest stories this week. A look at the top stories on Ballpark Digest this week, as measured by page views. Giants fan severely beaten in […]
After spring training, the baseball continues
With the departure of MLB and MiLB squads from spring-training complex, most folks assume there’s no baseball in the likes of Peoria Stadium and Tempe Diablo Stadium. But the complexes are still buzzing, as extended spring will keep them busy for months. During discussions of spring training, many fans focus on the main ballpark and […]
Dodgers up security; will it be enough?
Most of us grew up with the image of Dodger Stadium as this bucolic paradise, a wide swath of verdant happiness in what’s become a rough-edged city. But now the rough edges of the city have intruded on the field of dreams, and there are definite issues with drunken, rowdy fans showing up to Los […]
North American League schedule released: McAllen in, Henderson out
As we reported two days ago, it’s in for McAllen, out for Henderson, as the independent North American League announces the release of a 2011 schedule that has far less travel between Texas and the West Coast than originally planned by league officials. The new schedule has four United League Baseball Texas teams — McAllen […]
AT&T Park / San Francisco Giants
The concourses are surprisingly narrow, the traffic outside the ballpark stifling and you’re likely spend part of a game peering at the action through a light mist. Having said that, one thing is clear: watching a San Francisco Giants game at AT&T Park is one of the greatest experiences in Major League Baseball, one that […]
PCL unveils 2011 Hall of Fame class
The Pacific Coast League announced its 2011 inductions to the PCL Hall of Fame: Former San Francisco Seal Joe Marty, former Sacramento Solon/Mission Red/Portland Beaver John Monroe and former Portland Beaver Elmer Smith. Joseph Anton Marty, born on September 1st, 1913 in Sacramento, California, made his professional baseball debut with the PCL’s San Francisco Seals […]