Hagerstown, Fredericksburg preparing dueling ballpark plans
Bruce Quinn and crew have managed to drum up an old-fashioned bidding war for the Hagerstown Suns (Low Class A; Sally League), outlining ballpark wish lists for both Hagerstown, Md., and Fredericksburg, Va. Getting a new ballpark in Hagerstown has been an epic journey for Quinn and his partners: more than a few new-ballpark efforts […]
Gary Carter Stadium officially opens
Montreal is formally honoring former Expos great Gary Carter with a ballpark dedication and a street renaming near Jarry Park. Carter is arguably the greatest former Expo — apologies to Andre Dawson and Vladimir Guerrero — especially when you considered how hard Carter worked on the fine art of community service. He was an Expo […]
$5M donated for renovation of NU’s Rocky Miller Park
When Northwestern University is spending over $10 million on a ballpark, you know there’s a major arms race in college baseball, as the school announced a $5 million gift for Rocky Miller Park renovations. Richard and Roxelyn (Roxy) Pepper have pledged $5 million toward the ballpark renovations, dependent on the school matching the gift. The […]
New for 2014: Diamond League
The long-awaited new independent-baseball league from Frank Boulton and crew, the Diamond League, was announced today, with a game plan focused on developing younger undrafted players. According to league founders Boulton and Michael Pfaff, the Diamond League is being formed to create a platform for the developing professional baseball player. In the past, there were […]
Hops to open new ballpark tonight
It’s the last new-ballpark opening of the 2013 season, as the Hillsboro Hops (short season A; Northwest League) are set to launch Hillsboro Ballpark tonight. It’s been a long journey for the Hops, who have been playing as the Yakima Bears for many years. The Bears ownership worked for years on a new-ballpark solution in […]
Welcome to the Colllege World Series!
The College World Series kicked off this weekend in Omaha, and fans were treated to a sight proving the emphasis of academics in the NCAA. Here’s the tweet from Howie Lindsey showing the misspelling: Check the spelling of COLLEGE on this massive dugout sign. “Great googly moogly” pic.twitter.com/hEAg8H2Omv — Howie Lindsey (@howielindsey) June 15, 2013 […]
Large crowd, lots of sewage in Oakland
The Oakland Athletics drew a decent crowd to O.co Coliseum — some 36,000-plus — and the result was sewage backups in the clubhouses, forcing both teams out and causing thousands of dollars in damage. Now, you’re thinking: hey, the Oakland Raiders regularly draw much larger crowds during the NFL season. But, as anyone else who […]
Fredericksburg ballpark could turn profit for city: study
A new ballpark in Fredericksburg, Va., for the Hagerstown Suns (Low Class A; Sally League) could run a surplus of $274,000 annually under the right conditions, according to a study from Brailsford & Dunlavey. The Suns are discussing a 30-year lease for a new ballpark, paying $3 million for the land acquisition and committing to […]
Beating victim Stow sent home; no more insurance
Despite the need for around-the-clock care, Dodger Stadium beating victim Bryan Stow was sent home from the Centre for Neuro Skills in Bakersfield, Cal., because his insurance coverage ended. As you’ll recall, Giants fan Stow was beaten in the Dodger Stadium parking lot following the season opener in 2011. After being beaten severely, he was […]
TinCaps celebrate Social Media Night with 6,000 Twitter fan handles
Certainly one of the best promotions of the year: The Fort Wayne TinCaps (Low Class A; Midwest League) celebrated Social Media Night at Parkview Field last night with jerseys sporting more than 6,000 Twitter fan handles. “We like to say that Fort Wayne TinCaps baseball is ‘All About You,’” TinCaps Vice President of Marketing Michael […]
Proposed Biloxi ballpark draws opposition; rally set for today
A proposed Biloxi ballpark for a Class AA Southern League team has hit some more opposition, as some councilmen want to see it located elsewhere in the city, and more opponents seek public input. We already once covered the effort by the Steps Coalition to force a referendum on the ballpark-funding issue; leaders of that […]
Proposed Santa Maria pro team raises hackles of youth-baseball advocates
A proposed upgrade of Santa Maria’s Elks Field for an independent Pacific Association team has raised opposition from youth-baseball organizers, who don’t want to lose any spots in an already crowded schedule. Baseball fields are at a premium in Santa Maria, both for its own residents and those of neighboring Santa Barbara, which contracts with […]
Blue Rocks to host 2014 California-Carolina League All-Star Game
The Wilmington Blue Rocks (High Class A; Carolina League) are hosting the California-Carolina League All-Star Game at Frawley Stadium on June 17, 2014. This will be the second time Wilmington has hosted this inter-league All-Star event. “We are excited about the opportunity to host an event of this caliber,” said Blue Rocks general manager Chris […]