Most county-board candidates indicate support for new Rays ballpark in Tampa
Considering Florida’s extreme political climate, a surprising number of candidates for Hillsborough County Board of Commissioners indicated some level of government support for a new Tampa Bay Rays ballpark in Tampa. Party affiliation didn’t seem to be a factor in how candidates responded to queries from 10 News on how they’d approach bringing the Rays […]
Four Hartford ballpark developments submitted to city
Four developers submitted development plans for a new downtown Hartford ballpark for the New Britain Rock Cats (Class AA; Eastern League), but city officials aren’t releasing any details yet. Friday was the deadline for submitting development proposals, as Hartford officials attempt to put together a privately financed development after withdrawing a plan for public funding […]
Compadre Stadium coming down
It’s official: the demolition of Chandler’s Compadre Stadium, the former spring-training home of the Milwaukee Brewers, has begun. The full details are at our Spring Training Online site. We’ve covered the story here before. The ballpark opened in 1986 as spring home of the Brewers, replacing the team’s home in Sun City. It was only […]
Northwoods League sets attendance mark; should hit 1M
Yesterday was a milestone in the development of summer-collegiate baseball when the Northwoods League set an all-time attendance record of 973,950 — but the real milestone should come later this week, when the league hits the 1 million mark. That the league will hit that mark is inevitable — the Northwoods League season runs through […]
New York City: No bonanza from forgoing MLB suites
An attempt to plug a budget gap and placate public perceptions by giving up 12-person luxury suites at the new Yankee Stadium and Citi Field didn’t generate nearly the revenue anticipated by New York City officials. When both ballparks opened, New York City had rights to “landlord suites” in the homes of the Yankee and […]
Available now: Cradle of the Game
We’re now shipping the second edition of Cradle of the Game: Baseball and Ballparks in North Carolina by Mark Cryan and a foreword by Miles Wolff. You can read a full description at the August Publications website, but here’s a summary from Cryan’s intro: Today, crowds continue to gather to see history-rich teams like the […]
Latest controversy with Vikings stadium: bird-friendly glass
Development on a new Minnesota Vikings (NFL) stadium that will also host University of Minnesota baseball has taken an interesting turn: the city wants special bird-friendly glass to be installed, at a cost of $1.1 million. As a replacement for the Metrodome, the new Vikings stadium will feature a baseball configuration and expected to be […]
New Britain plays hardball with Rock Cats over unpaid property taxes
New Britain (CT) Mayor Erin Stewart has drawn a line in the sand for the New Britain Rock Cats (Class AA; Eastern League): pay past-due property taxes on New Britain Stadium or face eviction at the end of the season. Earlier this year the city of Hartford and the Rock Cats announced plans for a […]
Naming rights in play in Aberdeen, Pensacola
Two Minor League Baseball teams — the Aberdeen IronBirds (short season A; NY-Penn League) and the Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Class AA; Southern League) — are shopping naming-rights deal to their ballparks. Of the two, the more surprising move is from the IronBirds, who play at Ripken Stadium, so named for the famous Ripken family that […]
Florence lands 2015 CPL All-Star Game
The Florence RedWolves will host 2015 Coastal Plain League All-Star Game festivities on July 12-13 at Cormell Field at Sparrow Stadium on the campus of Francis Marion University. “It is with great pleasure that we award the 2015 Coastal Plain League All-Star Game to the Florence RedWolves,” said CPL Commissioner Justin Sellers via press release […]
Job Opening: Head Groundskeeper
Our Class-A franchise, located in the Eastern Time Zone, is seeking to fill the position of Head Groundskeeper. The Head Groundskeeper is responsible for repairing and maintaining the stadium’s playing surface and its surrounding components as a safe, first-class baseball field by performing daily turf, dirt and water management; game preparation as well as short […]
Changes on tap in Chattanooga?
Atlanta businessman John Woods has signed a letter of intent to buy the Chattanooga Lookouts (Class AA; Southern League), with Hardball Capital‘s Jason Freier acting as a consultant to the deal. The Lookouts are owned by Frank Burke, Charles Eshbach and the estate of the late Dan Burke. It’s not clear whether the sale of the […]
Vin Scully to return in 2015 as Voice of the Dodgers
Let the rejoicing begin: Vin Scully, who began his broadcast career in 1950 with the Brooklyn Dodgers, will return for his 66th season behind the mic, according to an announcement by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Scully, 86, is still a marvel: if you can, take a minute on mlb.com to check out his deliveries. He’s […]