ULB closes down Alexandria operations
Assistant GM Andrew Aguilar was laid off by the league on Friday, leaving the Aces without any employees.Assistant GM Andrew Aguilar was laid off by independent United League Baseball league on Friday, leaving the Aces without any employees and observers wondering if the league will indeed survive for a 2009 season. Out of the six […]
Bender, Coolbaugh awards to Jim Rantz, Bobby Jones
Minor League Baseball announced two more award winners: the Minnesota Twins’ Jim Rantz and Oklahoma City RedHawks manager Bobby Jones.The inaugural recipients of Minor League Baseball’s annual Sheldon “Chief” Bender and Mike Coolbaugh Awards are Minnesota Twins Director of Minor League Operations Jim Rantz and Oklahoma City RedHawks manager Bobby Jones. The duo will be […]
Frame Park ballpark approval down to the wire
A proposed Northwoods League ballpark for Waukesha’s Frame Park could be approved before the end of the year.Chad Bauer’s quest for a new Waukesha (Wis.) ballpark for a summer-collegiate Northwoods League team could be finalized shortly, as two more approvals are all that’s needed before construction can start. The proposal is for a $2 million […]
Reds break ground for new spring facility
Bigwigs from the Reds and Goodyear will be on hand to commemorate the launch of construction on the team’s new spring home.The Cincinnati Reds and officials from Goodyear, Az., will be on hand today for a ceremonial groundbreaking on the new spring-training facility for the team. The Reds are shifting spring-training operations from Sarasota’s Ed […]
Dodgers raise the bar for spring-training tix
Want to see the Dodgers at their new Arizona spring-training ballpark? The top ticket will run you $125 for a single, premium game.One of the great joys of spring training is the relatively cheapness of the best seats in the ballpark. You need to work pretty hard to spend more than $35 on a prime […]
Cuban charged with insider trading
Potential Cubs buyer Mark Cuban may find himself under a legal cloud after charges filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission.Potential Cubs buyer Mark Cuban may find himself under a legal cloud after charges filed by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The SEC is alleging Cuban dumped shares of Mamma.com after he discovered the firm […]
Welcome to the redesigned Ballpark Digest!
Welcome to the new and (we hope) vastly improved Ballpark Digest! We think you’ll find our new design easier to navigate, while giving us the flexibility and power to do even more for you in the future. The new layout is the result of a lot of hard work from a lot of people. August […]
Wolff: New A’s ballpark first, housing second
The economic slowdown is changing how the Oakland A’s approach a new ballpark.Though Oakland A’s co-owner Lew Wolff says the economic crisis hasn’t affected how his team approaches a new ballpark in Fremont, we can’t help but note the financial structure of the deal has been flipped on its ear. First. Wolff says the ballpark […]
SI Yankees: Preparing for next season
Joe Ricciutti and crew lay in for 2009.Everyone in baseball knows hard work now pays off when the gates open next year. But the offseason marketing of a baseball team is a lot more sophisticated than it was in the past. Witness the changes in how the Staten Island Yankees (short season; NY-Penn League) approach […]
Recession? What recession?
Teams are preparing to throw truckloads of money at free agents like C.C. Sabathia and Manny Ramirez, seemingly oblivious to the financial crisis facing the rest of America.When next season’s free-agent signing period opened on Friday, MLB teams responded like there was no financial crisis plaguing the rest of America: The Yankees offered pitcher C.C. […]
Land acquired for Drillers ballpark site
The seven acres needed for a new Tulsa Drillers ballpark has been acquired by the Tulsa Stadium Trust. The seven acres slated for a new Tulsa Drillers (Class AA; Texas League) ballpark has been acquired by the Tulsa Stadium Trust, clearing the way for construction of a new $60-million facility. The land is worth almost […]
How a ballpark deal went bad in Brownsville
When United League Baseball and a local developer failed to finance a new Brownsville ballpark, the city declined to step in — dooming the project.When United League Baseball first proposed a new Brownsville ballpark in association with developer Richard Hope, the financial arrangement was clear: ULB and Hope would finance the $7.5 million facility and […]
New Sounds owners “a breath of fresh air”
Nashville hearts Frank Ward and crew.Today’s Tennessean newspaper tackles the issue of the future of the Nashville Sounds (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League), as new owners Frank Ward, Steve Posner and Masahiro Honzawa prepare to take the reins of the beleaguered franchise. To say baseball fans have been put through the ringer the last four […]