So much for the elusive big-box retailer Detroit officials were hoping to lure: a new plan for the old Tiger Stadium site calls for the playing field to remain intact after being sold to a float manufacturer for under $900,000. The proposed plan calls for the city to sell the site to the nonprofit Parade […]
Tag Archives | summer collegiate
Visiting Edenton’s Hicks Field
Used as a pro, spring-training and summer-collegiate ballpark, Hicks Field in Edenton, N.C., has quite the interesting history — a history that dates back to 1723, when the site was first used for sporting events as a racetrack. Funded with WPA money, the ballpark has been maintained through the years and is now home to […]
Toole pulls two teams from Midwest Collegiate League
The summer-collegiate Midwest Collegiate League is down by two teams after Jamie Toole pulled his franchises, the Will County CrackerJacks and the Illinois Lincolns, from the circuit effective immediately. Finances and a disagreement over the future of the league were the reasons he pulled the teams, Toole told us via email this morning. It’s been a hard […]
“Business is better now than when Tiger Stadium was around”
If only Tiger Stadium could have been saved, it would have been part of a renaissance of the Corktown area of Detroit, where gentrification is in full force. When the Detroit Tigers moved to Comerica Park and abandoned Tiger Stadium, the future of Corktown was written off by many in the greater Detroit area. Without […]
Experience establishes Silver Knights in Nashua market
The Nashua Silver Knights (summer collegiate; Futures Collegiate Baseball League) are seeing an uptick at the box office this season, as a second season at historic Holman Stadium is reassuring fans the team is there to stay. Baseball has had a bumpy history at Holman Stadium in recent years; indy baseball failed to gain a […]
SwampDogs giving away cars left and right
An insured promotion where the Fayetteville SwampDogs (summer collegiate; Coastal Plain League) and a local dealer give away a new car if a player steals home has resulted in two free autos for fans this season. The promotion, “Steal of a Lifetime,” is sponsored by a local car dealership, Stewart Nissan, and has run for […]
Mallards to welcome two-millionth fan in team history tonight
The Madison Mallards (summer collegiate; Northwoods League) will welcome their two-millionth fan in team history tonight, as a big crowd should be there to mark the milestone and wish team president Vern Stenman a happy birthday. The 137th fan to walk through the Warner Park gates tonight will be the Mallards’ two-millionth fan and win a […]
Saints, Huskies ballparks pitched for Minnesota state funds
Proposals for a new St. Paul Saints ballpark and renovations to Wade Stadium, home of the Duluth Huskies, have been submitted to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development. DEED has $47.5 million to spend on capital improvements across the state as a result of the bonding bill passed by the Minnesota Legislature in the […]
Silver Hawks, Pioneers set attendance marks
The South Bend Silver Hawks (Low Class A; Midwest League) and Elmira Pioneers (summer collegiate; Perfect Game League) hit important attendance milestones this week. In South Bend, the Silver Hawks have already attracted more fans this season to Covaleski Stadium than in all of 2011. After Monday night, the Silver Hawks have drawn 115,137 fans […]
Medford takes initial steps toward WCL team
A summer-collegiate West Coast League team could set up shop in uncompleted Harry & David Field if Medford (Ore.) city officials agree to a lease. Reps from the league, the potential ownership group (Consolidated Sports Holdings International, led by Gary Gelinas, an experienced minor-league-hockey operator) and the Medford Youth Baseball Society announced the plan yesterday. Harry & David Field […]
No baseball this summer in Shreveport
After the loss of independent baseball and a failed effort at summer-collegiate ball, Shreveport’s Fair Grounds Field sits empty this summer, its future far from assured. When it opened in 1986, Fair Grounds Field was seen as a shining star in the Minor League Baseball pantheon, outfitted with the kinds of amenities you usually found […]
WCL expands to Victoria for 2013
It’s official: Baseball returns to Victoria’s Royal Athletic Park in 2013, as the summer-collegiate West Coast League signs a three-year lease for the historic facility. We reported on negotiations for this move last fall. John McLean and Dwight Willet will own the team after coming to a lease agreement. Pro ball was played at Royal […]
Handelsman still recovering, prepping for return home
Though there’s no deadline for leaving the hospital, Darrell Handelsman — burned in a ballpark fire — is looking forward to a trip home and an eventual return to J.P. Riddle Stadium. As you’ll recall, Fayetteville SwampDogs (summer collegiate; Coastal Plain League) co-owner/GM/coach Handelsman, SwampDogs operations manager Mark Wilderman and intern Jonathan Wilson-Daughtner were hospitalized after a May 24 propane explosion […]