Tiger Town renovations scaled back; funding under debate
A renovation plan for Lakeland’s Tiger Town spring-training complex has been scaled back, as city and county officials work to put together a funding plan. The original price tag for renovations to the spring home of the Detroit Tigers, which includes Joker Marchant Stadium, was $50 million, but that number has been trimmed down to […]
Increased spending approved for new El Paso ballpark
A new budget for a Triple-A ballpark in El Paso was approved last night by the City Council, pushing the total cost of the project to $60.8 million, with team owners picking up the additional costs. The original cost of the ballparl was $52.8 million, and the El Paso City Council had already approved issuing […]
Reds, Mustangs marriage hits 40-year anniversary
It’s one of the longest-lasting relationships in pro baseball: the Billings Mustangs (rookie; Pioneer League) have been an affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds since 1974 — and it’s still going strong. In these days, affiliations are a lot more fluid than they once were, and partnerships once assumed solid can turn sour quickly. But in […]
San Jose files suit against MLB in quest for A’s
The city of San Jose filed a federal lawsuit against Major League Baseball today, arguing MLB’s antitrust exemption is improperly keeping the Oakland A’s from building a new ballpark and moving to the city. San Jose Major Chuck Reed had earlier hinted that the city was ready to fight MLB in court to get the […]
Biloxi petition drive falls short; council to study bond rates
A petition drive to force a referendum on city spending on a new Bixoli ballpark has fallen short, with the City Council voting today to move ahead with gather rate information on a potential bond sale. The Steps Coalition, a group seeking to put the question of bonding to voters in a fall election, gathered […]
Brown back as River Bandits GM
A front-office change with the Quad Cities River Bandits (Low Class A; Midwest League): Stefanie Brown is back as GM after taking a leave of absence. Former General Manager Harold Craw is leaving to pursue other opportunities outside the organization. “The River Bandits and Main Street Baseball thank Harold Craw for his great work on […]
Richmond ballpark location may be decided by voters
In a sign the discussion is shifting, a plan is afoot to put the issue of a new Richmond Flying Squirrels (Class AA; Eastern League) ballpark location to voters via referendum. The move is significant: the assumption is that a new ballpark will be built, with the unresolved issue the location of the facility. That’s […]
E-Twins bus involved in crash; no players injured
A bus transporting the Elizabethton Twins (rookie; Appalachian League) from Florida to Tennessee for the home opener was involved in a crash this morning, which killed the driver of the other vehicle. The bus was on the road near Jacksonville when a driver came down I-295, going the wrong way. The bus driver attempted to […]
Player development vs. winning on display in Springfield
The seemingly eternal debate over player development vs. winning was on display last night in Springfield, when a doubleheader determining a first-half title was scrapped after a manager pulled the plug on the game. The Springfield Cardinals (33-35) and Tulsa Drillers (34-34) came into Sunday’s game with the Drillers up one but the Cardinals set […]
Bradenton to host 2014 FSL All-Star Game
The Bradenton Marauders are hosting the 2014 High Class A Florida State League All-Star Game at McKechnie Field. Bradenton, in its fourth season in the FSL, will be hosting its first All-Star Game. The 53rd annual game will pit the top players in the FSL South against the best of the FSL North. “The Marauders […]
Vancouver and the fine art of customer service
The Vancouver Canadians (short season A; Northwest League) have quietly been one of MiLB’s biggest success stories in recent years. The reason why? An emphasis on customer service. We’ve always been fans of Nat Bailey Stadium, the classic ballpark with a classic grandstand design, a scenic locale and lots of history. Rather than railing against […]
Miracle to dazzle crowd with Sager bobbleheads
Here are two of the more colorful giveaways to come down the pike in recent years, as the Fort Myers Miracle (High Class A; Florida State League) are giving away bobbleheads of broadcaster and modern-day boulevardier Craig Sager during an appearance. Sager will be on hand to sign autographs and pose for pictures when the […]
MLB Diversity Business Summit set for this week
It won’t get as much attention from the general baseball media, but this week sees an important event in Major League Baseball: the 2013 MLB Diversity Business Summit in Houston. This year’s event, co-hosted by the Houston Astros, will be held at the Hyatt Regency Houston and the George R. Brown Convention Center on June […]