New for 2012: Bergen Boulders
Nice promo: the Rockland Boulders (independent; Can-Am League) will be changing their team name to the Bergen Boulders — but just for a day. With Bergen County residents accounting for a good chunk of the team’s fan base — some 9 percent — and a ready sponsor in a local car dealership, the Boulders will […]
The Week That Was: June 24
New-ballpark renderings, new affiliation deals and new life for old ballparks. The most popular stories of the past week on Ballpark Digest, as measured by page views. Life on the bottom indy league: $50 a week ASU-Cubs spat may have unexpected beneficiary: new life for Phoenix Muni West Virginia ballpark renderings released Boulders, we hardly […]
O’Malley group has inside track to land Padres: report
The O’Malley name could be back in Major League Baseball, as a group led by Peter O’Malley is said to have the inside track on landing the San Diego Padres — provided they can meet the asking price. The San Diego News-Tribune’s Bill Center is reporting John Moores has been meeting with the two finalists […]
Diablos casualty of new El Paso ballpark
One side effect of a new ballpark in downtown El Paso: the probable demise of the El Paso Diablos (independent; American Association). Owned by the Tigua tribe, the Diablos play out of city-owned Cohen Stadium. Since buying the team for $500,000 in 2011, the Tigua tribe has spent about $750,000 on ballpark improvements, including a swimming […]
Dragons land 2013 Midwest League All-Star Game
The Dayton Dragons are hosting the 2013 Midwest League All-Star Game, when the best of the Low Class A circuit will gather at Fifth Third Field. The announcement was made jointly today by the Dayton Dragons and Midwest League President George Spelius. It will be the first time the Dragons have hosted the game since […]
West Virginia ballpark renderings released
These renderings are in the conceptual stage and will certainly be changed if a pro team joins in the effort, but here’s what West Virginia University is thinking when it comes to new ballpark. The renderings, prepared by Kevin Turkall of Designstream LLC in Pittsburgh, shows a fairly basic college ballpark with limited suites and no […]
Savannah officials to visit Fort Wayne ballpark
If this doesn’t convince Savannah officials about the need for a new ballpark, nothing will: The City Council will visit Parkview Field, home of the Fort Wayne TinCaps (Low Class A; Midwest League). Hardball Capital, which owns both the TinCaps and the Savannah Sand Gnats (Low Class A; Sally League), has been working on a […]
More affiliation issues: Cedar Rapids reevaluating Angels as parent
It’s the time of the year when Minor League Baseball teams start looking at their upcoming affiliations, and the Low Class A Midwest League may be fertile ground for PDC changes. Eleven teams in the 16-team circuit have player-development contracts expiring at the end of the season. (Though the Dayton/Cincinnati PDC is technically up, the […]
Slow start at the gate for Sioux City Explorers
It’s been a slow start to the season for the Sioux City Explorers (independent; American Association), as only 1,177 fans are showing up nightly at Lewis and Clark Park. That number ranks last in the American Association; it’s also about half of what the second-to-last team, the Sioux Falls Pheasants, are drawing per game (2,200) and […]
More delays for new P-Nationals ballpark
More delays for a new Potomac Nationals (High Class A; Carolina League) ballpark, as owner Art Silber says a 2014 opening is now the most likely outcome. It’s been an interesting year for Silber and crew, as promises to unveil details of a replacement for Pfitzner Stadium have been delayed again and again while the team, […]
Centerpiece of PNC Field renovations: mondo scoreboard
When the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees (Class AAA; International League) return to PNC Field next season, fans will be treated to a seriously upgraded multimedia experience. As part of the renovation — set to be unveiled next season — the SWB Yankees (or whatever the team will be called) new scoreboards will be part of the mix. […]
Downtown ballpark planning moving forward in El Paso
The El Paso City Council is set to discuss a proposed downtown ballpark for the relocating Tucson Padres (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League). A few financing plans for a new El Paso ballpark have been floating around in recent months, ranging from a privately financed facility to one funded from the proceeds of a large […]
Goodbye, SWB Yankees: Name-the-team contest announced
The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees (Class AAA; International League) moniker will be gone as the end of the season, as the team launches a name-the-team contest for 2013. The entry form for the contest can be found here. The contest coincides with a return of the team to a renovated PNC Field for the 2013 season. “In […]