Moorad closes on Beavers sale, Tucson lease
Yesterday was a big day for Jeff Moorad and his purchase of the Portland Beavers (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League): He closed on a purchase of the franchise and a lease for Tucson’s KinKo Stadium was finalized, clearing the way for the 2011 season. The new team, the Tucson Padres, will play at the former […]
Tampa Sports Authority declines to participate in Rays ballpark talks — for now
The Tampa Stadium Authority, involved in both Raymond James Stadium and St. Pete Times Forum, is declining once again to be a part of any Tampa Bay Rays ballpark planning — for now. The reason: any overt discussions of a new ballpark could be seen as tampering with the Rays’ current lease at Tropicana Field […]
Opponents of Ramapo ballpark to file suit
Opponents of a proposed Can-Am League ballpark in Ramapo, N.Y. have informed interested parties — potential lenders, title-insurance companies and the city — that they intend to file suit opposing the funding plan for the new facility currently being pursued by the town’s economic-development agency. The group, Preserve Ramapo, argued that the transfer of 61 […]
Wilson Tobs sold
The Wilson Tobs (summer collegiate; Coastal Plain League) have been sold to Richard Holland and Greg Suire, the owners of the Thomasville HiToms in the same circuit; James Wolfe is the new GM of the team. All familiar names, to be sure. Wolfe was formerly the general manager of the Forest City Owls (summer collegiate; […]
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 […]
What’s up in Kalamazoo?
The offices of the Kalamazoo Kings (independent; Frontier League) have been closed in recent weeks, and the local newspaper is questioning whether the team will be back in business next season despite being present in the league’s 2011 schedule. From the Kalamazoo Gazette: The fate of the Kings has yet to be answered definitively — […]
NAL at 12 teams, tentatively; no schedule yet
The new independent North American League — made up of former Golden Baseball League, Northern League and United Baseball League teams — now sits at 12 teams, as franchises looking toward the 2011 season are still waiting on a schedule. The current lineup, we’re told, consists of a Midwest Division (Lake County Fielders, Rockford RiverHawks, […]
Carolina League to expand in 2012? Probably not
Carolina League President John Hopkins says he wants to see his league expand by two teams for the 2012 season to accommodate a return of the circuit to Kinston — statements that will probably be well-received in that city as the K-Tribe embarks on a lame-duck season, but we’re not sure his sentiments are shared […]
New for 2011: Tucson Padres
Things certainly are being thrown together in Tucson for the 2011 season, as the former Portland Beavers will be playing as the Tucson Padres (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) at Kino Stadium after negotiations to place the team in Hi Corbett Field fell through. The name selection was made without the selection of the promised […]
JetHawks see green in green energy
The Lancaster JetHawks (High Class A; California League) are expected to save some green — to the tune of $48K — this coming season after the installation of solar panels on a ballpark carport will supply 98 percent of Clear Channel Stadium‘s electricity needs on a typical game night. The installation is part of a […]
The Week That Was: Dec. 19
It was a week for dramatic franchise and league shifts, the collapse of the Metrodome roof and its impact on the baseball world, and new naming-rights deals emerging. The most popular stories of the past week on Ballpark Digest, as measured by page views. Carolina to Pensacola, Kinston to Zebulon in 2012 Frontier League unveils […]
Chamber to take up Rays ballpark cause
The Tampa Chamber of Commerce is grabbing a larger role in the debate over a new Tampa Bay Rays ballpark, launching a study to determine possible private funding of a ballpark but steering clear of specific locations. The avoidance of locations is being done with the hopes of including St. Petersburg and Pinellas County in […]
Poll: Voters oppose public funding of Wrigley Field renovations
Despite the immense popularity of the Chicago Cubs, more than half the Chicago voters polled by the Chicago Tribune and WGN oppose public funding of renovations to Wrigley Field. The Cubs proposed earlier this year for the Illinois Sports Facilities Authority to borrow $250 million for Wrigley Field renovations, with the bonds repaid by growth […]