Rochester Red Wings turn profit in 2013
The Rochester Red Wings (Class AAA; International League) turned a profit in 2013 — albeit a small one — despite a rainy spring and covering losses incurred by the Batavia Muckdogs (short season A; NY-Penn League). The profit may have been small — just $3,000 — but it comes in the face of $173,000 lost […]
Braves may ask for state aid on new ballpark
Though Cobb County’s contribution to a new Atlanta Braves ballpark is capped, more public money in the form of state grants may be part of the final financial equation. The exact extent of any state aid is not yet known and will depend on exactly what form the final ballpark and development design takes. Basically, […]
Search on for new Palm Beach County site for ‘Stros/Jays spring complex
With a Palm Beach Gardens location for a new Houston Astros/Toronto Blue Jays spring-training complex off the table, the search is on for a new site within Palm Beach County. The issues: questions about the appropriateness of a regional park as the future home of the complex (which would be near two schools and require […]
Could MLB really return to Montreal sooner than later?
Many baseball insiders assume MLB will return to Montreal, but some — like agent Scott Boras — are pushing for an earlier return if the Tampa Bay Rays cannot solve their ballpark issues. Boras was pretty clear about Montreal serving as a better home to the Rays, as reported by Paul Sullivan of the Chicago […]
Other groups making plays for A’s, new waterfront ballpark?
We may have new players in the ongoing Oakland Athletics ballpark drama: three potential new ownership groups, including one that includes Golden State Warriors owners, are interested in buying the team and building a waterfront ballpark. We already knew that Clorox chairman and CEO Don Knauss and former Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream boss T. Gary […]
Proposed for 2014: the Schaumburg Zombies
Professional baseball teams are always looking for a new way to reach fans, and the Schaumburg Boomers (independent; Frontier League) have come upon a unique marketing tool: a Kickstarter campaign to finance and promote a Schaumburg Zombies night at Boomers Stadium. You can view the Kickstarter campaign here. The premise of Kickstarter is simple: supporters […]
Risk versus reward in home-plate collisions
It’s still a hot topic: the decision by Major League Baseball to eliminate home-plate collisions, protecting both catchers and baserunners. Jesse Goldberg-Strassler looks at how the change will affect the game. In Orlando last week, Major League Baseball announced an end to collisions at home plate. The exact details have not been announced yet, but […]
New Hamptons team will buck tradition: No nickname
The new Hamptons team in the startup Independent Professional Baseball League will be unique: it won’t have a nickname, in the manner of professional soccer teams here and abroad. Hamptons Professional Baseball Club is the name of the team, according to team president Dan Malley. As you can see by the logo, he’s taking a […]
New for 2014: Yakima Valley Pippins
With a nod to the area’s baseball history combined with plenty of community input, we have the name of the newest team in the summer-collegiate West Coast League: the Yakima Valley Pippins. The Pippins brand features vibrant colors that reflect those found in the sunshine, majestic mountains, and rolling farmlands of the Yakima Valley. The […]
Park today, park forever in Worcester
A cemetery is sponsoring free parking at Worcester Bravehearts (summer collegiate; Futures League) games with a simple message: “Please consider WCMP for your final parking spot.” Worcester County Memorial Park has agreed to pay the parking fees at Hanover Insurance Park at Fitton Field parking garage. Located just a few hundred feet from the main […]
Ted Turner: Preserve Turner Field as green space
There’s no chance it will happen, but Ted Turner wants to see the Turner Field site preserved as green space after it is demolished in 2017. Interestingly enough, Turner’s first reaction wasn’t to keep the ballpark and former Olympic stadium intact; rather, his inclination was to come down against retail development in favor of green […]
Joplin to negotiate ballpark lease with Diablos owners
The Joplin City Council voted to move ahead with lease negotiations for Joe Becker Stadium with the owners of the former El Paso Diablos (independent; American Association). The Diablos shut down operations in El Paso’s Cohen Stadium at the end of the 2013 season due to the impending move of the El Paso Chihuahuas (Class […]
Decision on Civic Stadium: Commerce vs. community
At the end of the day, the fate of Eugene’s Civic Stadium will come down to a simple decision: commerce versus community. There are four bids for the former home to Pacific Coast League and Northwest League ball in the form of Eugene Emeralds franchises. Two, from Fred Meyer ($5 million and the Y ($4.5 […]