Talk of AutoZone Park sale premature: Pontius
Talk of selling AutoZone Park to the city of Memphis was premature, as the Memphis Redbirds Baseball Foundation is exploring several liquidation options, according to treasurer John Pontius. Two weeks ago the news broke that the city was reviewing a proposal to buy the home of the Memphis Redbirds (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League). Pontuis […]
Hillsborough County ready to make run at new Rays ballpark
Tired of the lack of progress on development of a new Tampa Bay Rays ballpark, an influential Hillsborough County commissioner says he’s ready to get the county directly involved in discussions. The Rays have been talking for years with St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster, local business leaders and regional politicians about a replacement for Tropicana […]
Work continues on Suns lease extension
Hagerstown Suns (Low Class A; Sally League) ownership and Hagerstown city officials are closer to finalizing a two-year lease extension for Municipal Stadium as a prelude to new-ballpark talks. Suns owner Bruce Quinn met yesterday with Mayor Robert Bruchey II and the five-member Hagerstown City Council to discuss a lease extension, made necessary after Winchester […]
Orioles a solid draw in Sarasota
Luring the Baltimore Orioles to Sarasota for spring training has been a good investment for tourism officials, as fans are coming down to Florida from the mid-Atlantic region in droves. From the Sarasota Herald Tribune: Inquiries from that area grew 2.2 percent in 2009, 6.4 percent in 2010 and 7.3 percent last year during the […]
Your essential app for 2012: MLB At Bat
Spending a lot of time on a sickbed last week, one thing helped me get through a bad time: MLB At Bat 2012, revamped for the coming season. Relaunched by MLB Advanced Media with a new pricing scheme for the 2012 season, it’s an essential application for any baseball fan. If you used it in […]
Downtown Augusta ballpark back up for discussion
The on-again, off-again downtown ballpark for the Augusta GreenJackets (Low Class A; Sally League) will be up for discussion again, even though the preferred site looks to be taken over by a local college. Mayor Deke Copenhaver and Ripken Baseball have long eyed a 16-acre site once slated to serve as home of the Georgia Golf […]
Saints ballpark funding passes hurdle — kinda
A funding plan for a new St. Paul Saints (independent; American Association) ballpark squeaked by a huge hurdle, with Republican lawmakers including design money as part of their Minnesota legislative bonding proposal. Gov. Mark Dayton had recommended $27 million in state funding for a new downtown St. Paul ballpark in his bonding request to begin […]
Don’t look now, but World Baseball Classic is around the corner
It’s still a year out, but planning is well underway for the 2013 World Baseball Classic — and already there’s grumbling about the process in countries like Canada and Japan. The World Baseball Classic, held every four years during spring training, was designed by Major League Baseball as a showcase and an alternative to the […]
Tebow to the Storm?
Clever: The Lake Elsinore Storm (High Class A; California League) have landed squarely in the news, offering to trade its Rally Cop to the Denver Broncos for the suddenly expendable Tim Tebow. “We’re not sure about Tim’s baseball past,” said Storm Vice President/General Manager Chris Jones, “but we are sure he could bring some of […]
Local group launches season-ticket drive for Ottawa baseball
A local group, Champions for Ottawa Baseball, has launched a season-ticket drive for a Class AA Eastern League team in 2013, invoking the name of the Toronto Blue Jays in the process. The group, which counts Mayor Jim Watson among its members, is asking 2,500 baseball fans to put down $25 on deposit for a […]
Captains unveil whale of a ballpark fish sandwich
The Lake County Captains (Low Class A; Midwest League) unveiled a whale of a sandwich for the 2012 season, as the Moby Dick features five quarter-pound fish filets and six ounces of clam strips, among other ingredients. The Moby Dick features a 15-inch sesame-seed hoagie roll, five quarter-pound fish filets, eight slices of cheese, six […]
Triple-A Baseball National Championship Game logo unveiled
Triple-A Baseball has released a logo to promote the Gildan Triple-A Baseball National Championship Game, to be held this season at Durham Bulls Athletic Park, home of the Durham Bulls. The game is a winner-take-all matchup between the winners of the International League and the Pacific Coast League to determine the champion of Triple-A Baseball. […]
Nats: We want unified spring facility in Fort Myers
The Washington Nationals have a vision of a Fort Myers training base with unified facilities — but it’s questionable whether Lee County has the money to pull off the plan. One of the big reasons why the Boston Red Sox left City of Palms Park in central Fort Myers: the team’s training facility was a […]