Rockies schedule exhibition in Tulsa
The Colorado Rockies will be making an additional stop during Spring Training 2011: the MLB parent has scheduled an exhibition game against farm team Tulsa Drillers (Class AA; Texas League) at ONEOK Field on March 30. It will be the second-ever appearance for the Rockies in Tulsa, but their first at ONEOK Field. Colorado faced […]
Shocker: Handelsman to return as SwampDogs manager
We’re stunned — just stunned! — to see that Darrell Handelsman is returning to manage the Fayetteville SwampDogs (summer collegiate; Coastal Plain League) in 2011, but the team sent out a press release proclaiming that very fact, just in case there were any doubts. Of course, as an owner of the team and the face […]
Awards gala added to SBC agenda
New this year at the Summer Ball Conference in Madison, Wisconsin: an Awards Gala will recognize achievements by summer-collegiate baseball teams across the country. The six awards, sponsored by Baseball America, will be Highest Percentage Growth in Attendance, Best Promotion, Best Community Project or Activity, Best Ticket Sales Campaign, Best Marketing Campaign, and Best Non-Traditional […]
OC Flyers pitch woo at Fullerton for new ballpark by threatening to leave
It is an interesting new-ballpark bargaining strategy, to be sure: threaten to leave the market before serious negotiations begin. But that’s exactly what the press release sent out by the Orange County Flyers (independent; Golden Baseball League) lays out. The OC Flyers haven’t been the biggest of successes in the indy circuit, though the team […]
P-Nats, Prince William County working on new ballpark plan
After making several runs at a new ballpark in several years, the Potomac Nationals (High Class A; Carolina League) is in discussions with Prince William County on yet another new ballpark plan. Let’s face it: Pfitzner Stadium is one of the worst facilities in minor-league baseball and needs replacing. And although Prince William County is […]
Steamers will return in 2011, despite coming up short in fundraising
Despite coming up short in a fundraising drive to save the team, the Edenton Steamers (summer collegiate; Coastal Plain League) will return in 20111, as the league cuts them some slack on a mandatory letter of credit. The nonprofit Edenton Chowen Community Foundation, which owns and runs the Steamers, originally had a goal of raising […]
Ballpark financial issues hit Reno
A decrease in property values in the area and an assessment that Aces Ballpark is now worth less than half the construction price is forcing Reno to pay $1 million this year in subsidies to its developer, the Reno Aces (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) — and that payment may need to be repeated annually […]
The Week That Was: September 25
Here are the most popular stories on Ballpark Digest for the past week, as measured by page views. It was a week of hope for new ballparks in West Chester, Loudoun County, Birmingham and Escondido; it was also a week where teams made preparations for the 2011 season by finding new or renewed affiliates. Phillies, […]
Suns officially sold
The sale of the Hagerstown Suns (Low Class A; Sally League) has officially been completed, with a group of investors buying the franchise from Mandalay Baseball for a reported $6.7 million. The new ownership group is lead by Bruce Quinn, general manager of Polo Trace Country Club in Delray Beach, Fla. The group also includes […]
Japanese teams in the mix for spring training?
Tucson officials say they’re close to signing some Japanese teams to train this coming spring at Tucson Electric Park, provided Major League Baseball teams are willing to play some exhibition games — and apparently they are. At a press conference yesterday officials with the Pima County Sports and Tourism Authority said they’ve met with the […]
Na Koa Ikaika Maui owners seek new money, will return in 2011: owner
Fresh off an inaugural season that saw 50,343 fans pass through the turnstiles at Maehara Stadium, the Na Koa Ikaika Maui (independent; Golden Baseball League) owners are seeking new investors to help cover the losses sustained in 2010. Running a pro sports team in Hawaii isn’t cheap: travel costs are a killer, even on a […]
Burlington squared: Oakland signs PDCs with Bees, Lake Monsters
The Oakland A’s joined forces with two of the three Burlington minor-league teams today, as the last teams left standing in low A — the Vermont Lake Monsters (short season A; NY-Penn League), playing out of Burlington, Vt., and the Burlington Bees (Low Class A; Midwest League), from Iowa — officially announced player-development deals. “We […]
Cleveland to unveil Snow Days at Progressive Field
It’s the dream of every baseball team to monetize a ballpark in winter months, but the Cleveland Indians are building weeks of promotions and activities into a six-week promotion: Snow Days, featuring ice skating, snow tubing and more. Each day, beginning on Nov. 26, the Indians will blanket Progressive Field with 150 tons of snow, […]