Nolan Ryan debating return to Astros front office
Despite assertions he was done with Major League Baseball, Nolan Ryan says he’s intrigued by the possibility of rejoining the Houston Astros front office and working with son Reid Ryan. The elder Ryan met with Astros owner Jim Crane and general manager Jeff Luhnow to discuss a possible return to the Astros and under what […]
Potomac naming-rights deal down to two finalists
Potomac Nationals (High Class A; Carolina League) owner Art Silber says a naming-rights deal for a new ballpark should be finalized in April, with talks centered on two potential buyers. The new ballpark is slated to open in 2016. “We’re really close to the one that puts us over the top, which is the naming […]
Historic Tinker Field to be torn down
Tinker Field, the historic Orlando ballpark where the Washington Senators and Minnesota Twins trained for decades, will be torn down to make way for the Citrus Bowl expansion. The above photo shows the 91-year-old Tinker Field in the 1920s, when the orginal grandstand was built to house Cincinnati Reds spring training. (The Reds trained there […]
New pro ballpark pitched for suburban Milwaukee
A publicly financed new ballpark for an affiliated Midwest League team, an independent Frontier League team or a summer-collegiate Northwoods League team has been pitched for Franklin, a Milwaukee suburb. Mike Zimmerman, owner of The Rock complex, is pitching a 20-acre, $7-$11 million ballpark that would seat between 2,500 and 3,000 fans, according to the […]
Populous lands Atlanta Braves ballpark design deal
Though the contract is not finalized, the Atlanta Braves have chosen Populous to design the team’s new Cobb County ballpark, replacing Turner Field. The design contract is subject to approval from Cobb County, but the Braves did confirm the deal to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “We can confirm we have selected Populous, but we are now […]
MCU Park, Brooklyn Cyclones to host ’14 NY-Penn All-Star Game
The 10th Annual New York-Penn League All-Star Game will be held Aug. 19 at MCU Park, home of the Brooklyn Cyclones. MCU Park, which hosted the first-ever New York-Penn League All-Star Game in 2005, will once again welcome the best the league has to offer. “We are excited that the NYPL All-Star Game is coming back […]
MLB approves new protective caps for pitchers
It’s not quite the helmet some pitchers anticipated, but MLB has officially approved a padded cap from IsoBlox that could help protect pitchers against injuries from nasty line drives back up the middle. The new caps, which will be available for pitchers next month during spring training, are a half-inch thicker in front and an […]
Akron RubberDucks unveil 2014 upgrades to Canal Park
The Akron RubberDucks (Class AA; Eastern League) unveiled major changes to Canal Park today, including details regarding the previously announced new year-round restaurant and information about new picnic and premium areas in left field and right field. The additions cost around $3.5 million, making an investment total of $5.6 million since Ken Babby took ownership […]
Could Toronto Blue Jays bail on Astros spring-training plan?
With the Houston Astros blunted in their first attempt at a Palm Beach Gardens spring-training complex, there’s a question of whether the Toronto Blue Jays will stay committed to the joint venture. The Astros and Blue Jays joined forces on a new Palm Beach County spring-training complex, with the Astros doing most of the heavy […]
San Jose to appeal A’s ballpark ruling
San Jose will appeal a federal court decision denying the city the chance to host a new Oakland Athletics ballpark near the Diridon rail station. San Jose and the A’s had worked on plans for a privately financed ballpark, but Major League Baseball and Commissioner Bud Selig have refused John Fisher and Lew Wolff permission […]
Tanner: College, pro baseball can co-exist in Columbia
Legendary University of South Carolina baseball coach Ray Tanner says pro baseball can co-exist with the Gamecocks, one of the best-drawing teams in the NCAA. Tanner, who led the Gamecocks to two national championships before taking over as athletic director at USC, says there are clear differences between the college game and professional baseball. It’s […]
Topping-out ceremony held in El Paso
A big milestone was marked today by the El Paso Chihuahuas (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League): a topping-out ceremony was held at the construction site of the new downtown ballpark. Traditionally, a topping-out ceremony is held when the final piece of structural steel is put in place on new construction. From KFOX14: “I think it […]
Crane: Astros may extend PDC with OKC
With plans to buy a Triple-A team on hold, Houston Astros owner Jim Crane says it’s very possible his team will extend its player-development deal with the Oklahoma City RedHawks (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League). Crane stressed his goal was to own all or most of the Astros affiliates a la the St. Louis Cardinals; […]