We alluded to team sales coming down the pike a few days ago, and this is one of them: Main Street Baseball, which owns the Quad Cities River Bandits (Low Class A; Midwest League), is buying the Billings Mustangs (rookie; Pioneer League). (more…)
Tag Archives | rookie
Yankees replace Mariners in Pulaski
We will indeed have a rookie-level Appalachian League team in Pulaski next season, as the New York Yankees are taking over the affiliation for the former Seattle Mariners farm team. No final name has been chosen, though it’s possible the team will end up as the Pulaski Yankees in proud Appy League tradition. Yankees GM […]
Seattle pulls Appy League team; Calfee Park sold
With the sale of Calfee Park and the Seattle Mariners ending their affiliation with the Pulaski Mariners (rookie; Appalachian League), the immediate future of pro baseball in the city is in doubt. David Hagan and Larry Shelor of the Christiansburg-based Shelor Automotive Group are buying the ballpark for $1 million and plan on spending $2 […]
Ogden, Dodgers extend player-development contract through 2016
In a surprisingly low-key fashion — no press releases, no big announcements — the Ogden Raptors (rookie; Pioneer League) and the Los Angeles Dodgers extended their player development contract (PDC) through 2016. The pair have been affiliated since the 2003 season. Tommy Lasorda, who managed a former Ogden team affiliated with the Dodgers in 1966–68, […]
Northwest League, Pioneer League to square off in 2015 All-Star Game
History in the making: the short-season-A Northwest League will take on the rookie Pioneer League in a 2015 All-Star Game to be held August 4 at Avista Stadium, home of the Spokane Indians. We’ve seen interleague All-Star Games in recent years — like the Triple-A All-Star Game between the International League and the Pacific Coast […]
Helena, Brewers extend player-development contract through 2018
The Helena Brewers (rookie; Pioneer League) and the Milwaukee Brewers extended their player-development contract (PDC) through the 2018 season. It was set to expire this season. “Our affiliation with the Helena Brewers has been very positive and we’re excited to extend our player development contract with the franchise,” said Brewers Vice President-Assistant General Manager Gord […]
A baseball lifer: Matt Ellis
One of the best things about working in the baseball industry: hearing about baseball lifers. Here’s an interview with baseball lifer Matt Ellis, executive VP of the Missoula Osprey (rookie; Pioneer League). The Ellis family moved the team from Lethbridge to Missoula, working for years on a ballpark plan that eventually led to the construction […]
Osprey, D-Backs extend PDC to 2020
The Missoula Osprey (rookie; Pioneer League) and the Arizona Diamondbacks extended their player development contract (PDC) for four more years, through the end of the 2020 season. The current agreement is set to expire at the end of the 2016 season. This affiliation relationship is the second longest current consecutive tenure in the Pioneer League […]
Burlington Athletic Stadium due for upgrades
Burlington Athletic Stadium, home of the Burlington Royals (rookie; Appalachian League), will see some upgrades this season and next. The ballpark is historic: it was originally built in Danville and then transformed piece by piece to Burlington, opening in 1960. It sat unused for many years while Miles Wolff worked to bring in pro baseball; […]
Beer returns to Bluefield’s Bowen Field
The Bluefield Blue Jays (rookie; Appalachian League) are once again selling ballpark beer at Bowen Field, but some residents are unhappy with the decision. Beer is a major revenue source for any Minor League Baseball team, and the decision by the Blue Jays to stop selling it certainly impacted the bottom line. And, even in […]
Pulaski Mariners owners to retire; new owners on the way
The three owners of the Pulaski Mariners (rookie; Appalachian League) are retiring, and a local ownership group wants to keep the team alive in coming years. “We have been committed to providing affordable, family friendly entertainment to the local community at a wonderful baseball facility that has its own history,” said Secretary/Treasurer Wayne Carpenter, one of […]
Personnel news in Great Falls, San Rafael
We have a new general manager for the Great Falls Voyageurs (rookie; Pioneer League), while the San Rafael Pacifics (independent; Pacific Association) added two assistant GMs. Scott Reasoner is the new GM of the Voyageurs, replacing Katie Meyer, who is turning entrepreneur after buying a business in Great Falls. Reasoner had been assistant GM; replacing […]
Puppy pictures propel BPD page views
Geez, if we had known puppy pictures were so popular, we’d run then every day. Thanks to you, Ballpark Digest set a record for monthly page views on Tuesday and generated tons more yesterday. By tons, we mean over 90,000 page views, as Google News prominently linked to the story of the addition of Rookie […]