Lori Webb is the new president of the Class AA Southern League — the first woman to be chosen for a league presidency in the history of Minor League Baseball. Her appointment is effective Aug. 1. Webb becomes the sixth president in the Southern League’s modern era. She joins Sam C. Smith (1964-71), Billy Hitchcock (1971-80), […]
Tag Archives | southern league
More weather follies: Tennessee Smokies Tarp-Nami
It’s been a rough year on the weather front for some grounds crews, as the staff of the Tennessee Smokies (Class AA; Southern League) found out when laying down tarp during a storm. It was pretty rough on July 5, when a nasty storm rolled through Smokies Park and East Tennessee. You can see the […]
In memoriam: Peter Bragan Sr.
The bell goes silent: Peter Bragan Sr., owner of the Jacksonville Suns (Class AA; Southern League) and a member of one of baseball’s grand families, passed away on July 7, at the age of 89. The cause of death: heart failure. Bragan Sr. had been hospitalized for other reasons and had missed a birthday celebration […]
Blue Wahoos hit 200,000 fans, 28 sellouts
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Class AA; Southern League) hit two milestones Thursday night, welcoming the 200,000th fan during this season’s 28th sellout at Pensacola Bayfront Stadium. The Wahoos are the first Southern League team to hit the 200,000 milestone this season. “It is a great tribute to our dedicated community that we were the first team […]
Generals attendance up: Jackson loves a winner
One of the biggest surprises in Minor League Baseball this year, the Jackson Generals (Class AA; Southern League) are experiencing a spike in attendance and success on the field. Turnstile attendance at Pringles Park is up by 18 percent over this point last season, according to a press release sent out by the team. “To […]
Barons: We’ll be playing at new ballpark in ’13
It seems a little hurried to us, but Birmingham Barons (Class AA; Southern League) management says they’ll be ready to play at a new downtown ballpark next season. It’s an issue constantly being addressed by GM Jonathan Nelson: whether Regions Field will be open for play next April. The answer is yes. “There’s still an […]
Another run at affiliated ball in Biloxi area
The irrepressible Tim Bennett is back with another proposal for affiliated baseball in the Biloxi area, this time in the neighboring town of Gulfport. He’s floating a proposal for a new ballpark — presumably for a Class AA Southern League team (at one time Bennett was in talks to buy that circuit’s Jackson Generals when the […]
Blue Wahoos: Success means ballpark upgrades
The early success of the Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Class AA; Southern League) means their home, Blue Wahoos Park, will receive some ballpark upgrades in coming weeks. The big item: a new auxiliary scoreboard to be finished by the June 13 homestand. The new board will be installed on the façade of the press box and […]
One benefit of new Birmingham ballpark: driving down open industrial space
Here’s one benefit to a new Birmingham Barons (Class AA; Southern League) ballpark no one saw coming: the downtown industrial real-estate occupancy rate went way up. In fact, the vacancy rate is down to a current 11.9 percent from 16.5 percent in the fourth quarter of 2011, reports the Birmingham Business Journal. Causing the huge […]
After kerfuffle, Birmingham ballpark design team unchanged
After an apparent move to change the lineup of the design team for a new downtown Birmingham Barons (Class AA; Southern League) ballpark, nothing will actually change — for now. No one is really talking about why Mayor William Bell and his staff decided to remove Giattina Aycock Architecture Studio and Hoskins Architecture from the […]
Shadrick leaves RedHawks; Freedman new voice of OKC
J.P. Shadrick, a well-known and respected broadcaster for the Oklahoma City RedHawks (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League), is departing for the NFL; he’ll be replaced by Alex Freedman. Shadrick is the new communications coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars, returning to a city he knows well — he was formerly the voice of the Jacksonville Suns […]
Birmingham mulls changes in ballpark design team
We sense a little Schadenfreude in the air: Birmingham Mayor William Bell is seeking to eliminate two local architects from the design team for a new downtown Birmingham Barons (Class AA; Southern League) ballpark. The Birmingham News is reporting the mayor’s office is working to remove Giattina Aycock Architecture Studio and Hoskins Architecture from the […]
Blue Wahoos a hit in Pensacola
Talk about a strong start: the Pensacola Blue Wahoos (Class AA; Southern League) have sold out seven of the team’s first 10 home games, pacing the Southern League in attendance. A sellout crowd of 5,038 last night at Blue Wahoos Park pushed the season average to 4,823, giving the Blue Wahoos an edge over the […]