Laredo officially joins American Association
Though there was never talk to the contrary, today the independent American Association officially announced the Laredo Lemurs would be joining the circuit, beginning next season. The Lemurs will be playing in a new 6,000-seat, $18-million ballpark next season. The team is owned by Laredo Baseball Investors, LLC, with Mark Schuster serving as president and chief […]
Class A ball returning to Columbia?
With a developer looking to include a new ballpark as part of a new Columbia (S.C.) development, several teams have expressed interest in a move to what many consider to be a good market. Here’s the skinny. The State is reporting two High Class A teams have contacted Columbia officials about the market, but we’re […]
Daredevils to sit out 2012
The summer-collegiate Coastal Plain League will be at 14 teams for 2012 after the Outer Banks Daredevils suspended operations, as team owners tire of running the team at a loss. The Daredevils are an original member of the circuit. The team is for sale, by the way. —- Share your news with the baseball community. […]
Demolition planned for Birmingham ballpark site
A demolition plan has been filed for the proposed site of a new Birmingham Barons (Class AA; Southern League) ballpark, with the Birmingham Design Review Committee slated to review on Wednesday. The current plan for the Railroad Park site, according to the Birmingham News, is to leave the current B&A Warehouse nightclub complex intact but […]
Crane cleans Astros house; Wade, Smith let go
New Houston Astros owner Jim Crane didn’t waste any time in launching his makeover of the struggling franchise, firing team president Tal Smith and GM Ed Wade. The moves were far from unexpected: the team has struggled in recent years and Crane signalled an intent to rebuild things via the draft and a youth movement, […]
Fullerton Flyers returning in 2012?
The owners of the Fullerton Flyers (independent; North American League) are negotiating a lease for Cal State-Fullerton’s Goodwin Field for the 2012 season. The team, which played in the original Golden Baseball League, was on hiatus last season while team owner Alan Mintz negotiated a new-ballpark deal at Amerige Park with city officials. There’s no […]
Ehrenreich suing Zion, potential Schaumburg buyers
The threatened lawsuits have been filed, as Rich Ehrenreich has filed two actions: one against the city of Zion for not building a new ballpark and one against investors who failed to consummate a purchase of the now-defunct Schaumburg Flyers (independent; Northern League). Though the two lawsuits are filed by separate corporate entities, the commonality […]
Twins to pitch for 2014 All-Star Game
The Minnesota Twins plan on pitching for the 2014 All-Star Game and will spend more than a million dollars on improvements to Target Field this offseason. The improvements will mostly be on the unglamorous side — improved WiFi, new carpeting, more photos and team displays — but they will include a new broze statue of […]
Pensacola Blue Wahoos unveil logo, look
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Class AA; Southern League) unveiled their logo, look and associated souvenir merchandise tonight, with a tenacious, diving Blue Wahoo the centerpiece of the logo. The team’s cap logo (shown below) shows a Blue Wahoo circling a baseball bat forming the shape of a ‘P’ for Pensacola. The team’s alternate cap features […]
New Blue Jays look: Back to the future
The Toronto Blue Jays unveiled new logos and marks today — a look that directly echoes the team’s original look, complete with funky uniform lettering. The new look is very, very blue, complete with a stylized blue jay very similar to the original 1977 Blue Jays logo. A variation of the team’s funky, futuristic lettering […]
Eastern League just a swirl of intrigue
The current hotbed of intrigue in the baseball world? The Eastern League, where Ottawa’s desire for a team and Richmond’s wishes for a new ballpark are roiling the waters. It appears as though there’s an excellent chance Minor League Baseball is returning to Ottawa for the 2013 season and beyond, as discussions between a potential […]
MLB approves Astros sale to Crane group; team to shift to AL in 2013
MLB formally approved the sale of the Houston Astros to a group led by Houston businessman Jim Crane, as the team preps for a move to the American League in 2013. The sale price for the team was $610 million, according to the Houston Chronicle, some $70 million less than the original sales agreement between […]
Mariners to sport commemorative patch in ’12
The Seattle Mariners are marking their 35th anniversary with a special commemorative patch. Yeah, it doesn’t seem to us like the Mariners have been around so long, but it’s true. A patch with the logo will be worn on the right sleeve of Mariners home and road jerseys during the 2012 season. Other patches the […]