Craft brewer lands Pirates naming-rights deal
Nice addition to PNC Park: local craft brewer Rivertowne Brewing Company has purchased naming rights to the Pirates’ Hall of Fame Club, with brews available there on tap. “The Pirates continually strive to use local vendors at PNC Park when possible and this is another great example of the success the team has had in […]
Boise adopts new look for 2013
The Boise Hawks (short season A; Northwest League) unveiled updated uniforms for the 2013 season, adding a “scratch mark” to their existing colors and uniform designs. The team unveiled the new look today at a Boise event. New home uniforms. New road uniforms. New alternate uniforms. —- Share your news with the baseball community. Send […]
Big night for Astros; big year ahead
The rebranded Houston Astros made a successful American League debut last night, but bigger news lies ahead — including a new spring-training location as well as the MiLB team that could be destined for the Houston suburbs. The Houston Chronicle is incorrectly reporting that the Oklahoma City RedHawks (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) are Crane’s […]
P-Nats, Carolina League, Army launch pilot program to hire vets at ballpark
Interesting idea, and a natural one for a D.C.-area team: the High Class A Carolina League and the Potomac Nationals are joining the U.S. Army in launching a pilot program focused on hiring U.S. Army soldiers transitioning to civilian careers, veterans and their families, for the 2013 season. This initiative has stemmed directly from a […]
IronPigs extend fun to restrooms with urinal gaming
Talk about a captive audience: the Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Class AAA; International League) are installing a revolutionary Urinal Gaming System at Coca-Cola Park, allowing fans to interact with the world’s only truly hands-free urinal game controller. The p-controlled video game systems will be featured within all men’s restrooms at Coca-Cola Park and are exclusively presented […]
Good day for the Curve: trifecta of hits
It was a good day for the Altoona Curve (Class AA; Eastern League) yesterday: an attendance record was set as the Curve prevailed against parent Pittsburgh, the team’s PDC was extended, and the ballpark will host an All-Star Game. First: the exhibition game against the Pittsburgh Pirates yesterday drew 10,116 fans, a record attendance at […]
Goodbye Pheasants, welcome back Canaries
One of the more ill-conceived name changes in baseball has been reversed, as the Sioux Falls Canaries (independent; American Association) are back and the Pheasants are gone. Canaries has been a traditional name of pro baseball teams in Sioux Falls (that and Packers), and dropping the Canaries name was assumed to have hurt the team […]
Peninsula to host 2013 Coastal Plain League ASG
The Peninsula Pilots will host the 2013 Coastal Plain League All-Star Game at War Memorial Stadium in Hampton, the first-ever league ASG in Virginia. “We are tremendously excited that our summer classic – the 2013 All-Star Game – will be hosted by the Peninsula Pilots and the City of Hampton,” said CPL commissioner Justin Sellers. […]
Crain guarantees good weather for RailRiders season opener
Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (Class AAA; International League) President/GM Rob Crain is making a bold prediction: he’s guaranteeing 60-degree weather on the April 4 season opener. He’s a brave soul: the long-term Moosic forecast for April 4 calls for a high of 48 degrees, with a chance of rain. “I guarantee that on Opening Day April 4 […]
NY-Penn League announces franchise move to Morgantown
The short-season-A New York-Penn League announced plans to place a team in a new Morgantown (W.Va.) ballpark to be shared with the West Virginia Mountaineers, beginning with the 2015 season. The new ballpark is expected to break ground in 2014 with a New York-Penn League club potentially playing its first game at the new facility […]
New Winter Park ballpark scrapped — for now
The lack of a firm financing plan is forcing Rollins College and the Brevard County Manatees (High Class A; Florida State League) to put on hold plans for a new ballpark in the Ravaudage development in Winter Park. The plan would have seen the Manatees and Rollins College share a new ballpark, with the developer […]
Cromartie: We’re launching feasibility study on return of MLB to Montreal
Former Expo Warren Cromartie has assembled a professional team to determine the feasibility of a return of Major League Baseball to Montreal. The feasibility and survey study will be undertaken by Cromartie’s group, Montreal Baseball Project, as well as Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal (BTMM), Ernst & Young and BCF LLP. “I am pleased to […]
Financing approved for Ferris wheel in Quad Cities
We should see a new Ferris wheel at Modern Woodmen Park, home of the Quad Cities River Bandits (Low Class A; Midwest League), this season after the team announced a financing deal for the project. THE National Bank, headquartered in Bettendorf, Iowa, and Main Street Amusements, LLC – the new company that will oversee amusement […]