New for 2011: Whitaker Bank Ballpark
Goodbye Applebee’s Park, hello Whitaker Bank Ballpark, as the home of the Lexington Legends (Low Class A; Sally League) has a new naming-rights partner in Whitaker Bank Corporation. “The opportunity to be the naming rights sponsor for the Legends was one that we could not pass up,” said Elmer K. Whitaker, CEO of Whitaker Bank. […]
The Week That Was: Jan. 23
Construction news, indy-ball intrigue, and potential changes in spring-training locations. It was an eventful week in baseball. Here are the most popular stories on Ballpark Digest the past week, as measured by page views. Barton Malow, Linbeck land design/build contract for new Sugar Land ballpark Could Cards, Marlins leave Treasure Coast? For lease: Billy Hebert […]
Taxes becoming huge issue for Skylands Park
Back taxes on Skylands Park, the former home of the New Jersey Cardinals (short season A; NY-Penn League) and Sussex SkyHawks (independent; Can-Am League), are a big problem for ballpark owners, who face a rough road in the near future and prepare for a year without baseball. There’s a reason you don’t see too many […]
State government could kill Escondido T-Pods ballpark
A proposal by Gov. Jerry Brown to kill California‘s redevelopment agencies could also end up killing a proposed new ballpark for the Tucson Padres (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) in Escondido, as the state grapples with a crippling financial crisis and casting for ways to close a budget deficit. The proposal would close all 425 […]
Flyers sale postponed; team loses business license
The sale of the Schaumburg Flyers (independent; North American League) has been pushed back a month, but the asset is diminishing daily: the team’s business license from the state of Illinois has been revoked because of nonpayment of taxes. The decision to postpone a scheduled Jan. 20 hearing to evict the team from Alexian Field […]
Aeros unveil another extreme eat for ’11: “Nice 2 Meat You” Burger
The Akron Aeros (Class AA; Eastern League) announced plans for the team’s newest extreme-food item: the “Nice 2 Meat You” Burger, a 1¼ lb. hamburger stuffed with a half-pound hot dog and a quarter-pound of bacon, cheese and onions. Mmm. Earlier in the offseason the Aeros announced the Three Dog Night: a hot dog stuffed […]
Cards unveil latest plans for Ballpark Village
It’s not quite as large as originally proposed, but the fact that the St. Louis Cardinals are actually moving ahead with a Ballpark Village development adjoining Busch Stadium when financial times are bad and the credit markets tight says a lot about the ownership’s perseverance. Here’s the current plan. The plan, as presented by reps […]
Barons announce front-office additions
The Birmingham Barons (Class AA; Southern League) announced four staff additions and four interns for the 2011 season, as the front office preps for another season at Regions Park. Andrew Cornutt becomes the Barons’ new Corporate Event Planner after working for the NBA’s Orlando Magic as a Ticket Sales Representative since 2008. The University of […]
Pro baseball returning to Thurman Munson Stadium
Canton’s Thurman Munson Stadium, the former home of the Canton-Akron Indians (Class AA; Eastern League) and two independent Frontier League teams, may once again see pro baseball in the form of the startup Ultimate Baseball League. The ballpark, which opened in 1989, has been used for amateur baseball since the demise of the Canton Coyotes; […]
Will baseball return to Augusta? Probably, if the price is right
The demise of the Sussex SkyHawks (independent; Can-Am League) doesn’t mean professional baseball won’t return to Skylands Park in the near future — but there needs to be some changes regarding the landlord’s financial expectations. Pro baseball has been a mixed bag in Augusta, N.J.: the original New Jersey Cardinals (short season A; NY-Penn League) […]
Beware folks peddling simple solutions to complex problems
Ken Rosenthal and Scott Boras say the solution to the financial issues faced by the Oakland A’s is simple: MLB should just let the team move to San Jose. But, alas, the solution isn’t all that simple, and the issue is considerably more complex than just appeasing Lew Wolff: it goes to the very financial […]
Storm unveil Wacky Weenie Wednesday
The Lake Elsinore Storm (High Class A; California League) have announced one of the first noteworthy promotions of the 2011 season: Wacky Weenie Wednesday, where everyone attending a Wednesday game will receive free hot dogs. Not surprisingly, the promotion is presented by hot-dog vendor Farmer John. “We felt like this would give fans the chance […]
Tijuana out, Henderson in for NAL 2011
With teams receiving the go-ahead to officially release schedules this afternoon, we have a new lineup for the 2011 independent North American League: the Tijuana Ambassadors are out, the Henderson Roadrunners are in. That, of course, gives the league two Roadrunners franchises. Adding Henderson, a Las Vegas suburb, isn’t a surprise: Las Vegas was present […]