Mandalay, Braves to update Wilmington on ballpark
We’ll know more about a proposed Wilmington (N.C.) ballpark when Mandalay Baseball Properties and the Atlanta Braves update city officials on funding and site plans. Progress on the new ballpark has been fairly swift, with National Sports Services commissioned to scout out potential ballpark sites and identify possible revenue streams. Mandalay officials say they can […]
Chicago politics at play: Tunney vs. the Cubs
They play rough in Chicago politics, as Tom Ricketts is finding out: Wrigley Field reno opponent Ald. Tom Tunney has received over $171,000 in campaign contribution from those opposing ballpark expansions. That’s a lot of money, even by big-city standards. The money is from the likes of Cubby Bear Lounge owner George Loukas (who also has […]
Upper deck of PNC Field coming down this week
We expect lots of reports on the progress of the PNC Field renovations: this week the upper deck of the home of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees (Class AAA; International League) is coming down. It won’t be dramatic: because the lower deck will remain intact, as well as the home clubhouse and the playing field, crews can’t […]
Toreros end Cunningham era; new ballpark set for next season
The end of an era for the University of San Diego Toreros at Cunningham Stadium, as the team plays its final games there before the place is renovated for the 2013 season. Renovation is an understatement: pretty much the entire facility will be rebuilt to the tune of $13 million as part of a $30-million […]
Adios, Metrodome
The decision last week to build a new stadium for the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings had one bittersweet side effect: the Metrodome will be torn down to make way for the new facility. The decision really wasn’t hard: though other downtown Minneapolis sites were under consideration to house the new 65,000-seat football stadium (including a site […]
Winners and losers in the 2012 MLB attendance stats
MLB attendance is up 4.2 percent this season over last, but there are some surprising laggards at the box office this season — though it doesn’t seem to matter whether a team wins or loses. The convention wisdom on the MLB level is that it matters at the box office whether a team is winning […]
Gastonia unveils new logo
The Gastonia Grizzlies (summer collegiate; Coastal Plain League) unveiled a new logo for the 2012 season. The team colors of gold and black remains the same; what’s changed is the actual logo. “I think your logo is your identity,” managing partner Jesse Cole said. “I think the identity we had the first seven years is […]
NAL lays out game plan for 2012
After a hectic week, officials with the independent North American League laid out a 2012 game plan, with the Sonoma County Grapes a road team and the Hawaii Stars playing in Hilo. Forced into finding two new teams to ensure a four-team Northern Division for the upcoming season after the departure of the Yuma Panthers […]
The Week That Was: May 13
New indy leagues and affiliated ballparks, updates to Dodger Stadium and Wrigley Field, and the fate of the Portland market all made headlines this week at Ballpark Digest. Here are the most popular stories of the past week on Ballpark Digest, as measured by page views: Five potential ballpark sites under discussion in Wilmington Dodger […]
St. Paul officials confident in scoring state aid for Saints ballpark
A day after the Minnesota Legislature wrapped up its 2012 session with dramatic funding of a Minnesota Vikings stadium, it appears the St. Paul Saints (independent; American Association) may be a winner as well. We wrote several days ago about the Saints project being shut out of any direct funding in the legislative bonding bill […]
Smock first commissioner of AWBL
The folks at the American West Baseball League are moving fast, naming Sean Smock as the independent circuit’s first commissioner. Smock is a veteran of the Golden Baseball League, one of the predecessors to the North American League and where the AWBL owners have roots. Smock first worked for the Tucson Sidewinders (Class AAA; Pacific […]
Groundbreaking scheduled for new Cubs spring facility
The groundbreaking for a new Chicago Cubs spring-training facility in Mesa, Arizona has been scheduled for July 11. The Cubs will share the new facility with the Arizona State baseball team. The new facility is slated to open on Dec. 1, 2013, in plenty of time for the 2014 college season. It will seat 15,000 (12,000 fixed […]
Mustangs: Let’s turn up the volume at Phil Welch Stadium
The challenge for the St. Joseph Mustangs (summer collegiate; MINK League) this summer: continue winning while pumping up the attendance at Phil Welch Stadium. The Mustangs are owned by Rick Muntean, a name that should be familiar to many in minor-league circles: he’s worked in affiliated and indy ball since 1983. He’s now living the […]