Nice award for Lew and Darrell Handelsman and crew: The summer-collegiate Fayetteville SwampDogs have been named 2011 Coastal Plain League Organization of the Year for the second time in franchise history. As Director of Operations, Darrell Handelsman always proclaims, “each night we try to host a party at J.P. Riddle Stadium that fans will remember forever.” […]
Tag Archives | summer collegiate
AppleSox, Wenatchee Valley College extend ballpark lease
The Wenatchee AppleSox (summer collegiate; West Coast League) and Wenatchee Valley College extended the team’s lease at Paul Thomas Sr. Field, the team’s home since 2000, for the next four seasons, through the 2015 season. “I appreciate [Wenatchee Valley College president] Jim Richardson and athletic director Greg Franz for working hard to create an agreement […]
Seventy-five years of baseball at McBride Stadium
Keeping ballparks like Richmond’s McBride Stadium is why we love the summer-collegiate leagues: a ballpark once hosting the likes of Bob Feller and Satchel Paige is still a valuable community resource. In the past, once pro ball left an old ballpark, a community had to make some pretty serious choices about maintaining a facility that […]
Coastal Plain League welcomes 5-millionth fan
The summer-collegiate Coastal Plain League drew its 5-millionth fan to league ballparks last night and will hold a drawing to crown an honorary “Five Millionth Fan” from recent game attendees. “This is a great achievement for the Coastal Plain League and its member clubs – both past and current,” said CPL Assistant Commissioner Justin Sellers. […]
Green Man hits Duck Pond; bailed out by Yellow Man
Yeah, we’re pretty sure this is staged — but, to be honest, we don’t care, either. Here’s a humorous clip from last night’s Madison Mallards (summer collegiate; Northwoods League) game, where a Green Man charged the field and artfully eluded his captors. You know the meme: the guy in the green Lycra comes from Fox’s […]
Will Legion move to wood bats?
With three statewide American Legion baseball programs mandating wood bats and several others evaluating a switch, we could see a nationwide shift in the country’s major youth baseball program toward traditional baseball. Rhode Island, Connecticut and Florida Legion programs now mandate wood bats, and several other state programs are evaluating a switch. If enough states […]
Future of Mustangs to be decided next month
The future of the Martinsville Mustangs (summer collegiate; Coastal Plain League) will be decided early next month, as the City Council will review finances and decide if progress is being made on the team’s operating deficit. The city-owned team has been running a deficit while playing at Hooker Field. Tired of subsidizing the team to […]
CPL shoots for 5-millionth fan
Nice way to mark a milestone: Today the summer-collegiate Coastal Plain League launches a Five Millionth Fan contest in all league ballparks, as the circuit will collect registration cards from fans nightly to crown a winner. Once the CPL reaches five million fans, the league office will collect all registration cards from that night’s games […]
Futures League adds Wachusett to lineup for 2012
We have a new franchise in the summer-collegiate Futures Collegiate Baseball League, as commissioner Chris Hall announced that the addition of the Wachusett Dirt Dawgs as the league’s fifth franchise, playing out of Leominster, Mass. Owning the team: local businessman John Morrison, president of a privately held polymer lens manufacturer, Fosta-Tek Optics. “My family and […]
McBride Stadium damaged by heavy winds
McBride Stadium, the home of the Richmond RiverRats (summer collegiate; Prospect League) and a historic WPA-era ballpark, suffered severe roof damage last night right after a game. The area was hit with 75-mph winds and tore roofs off several buildings as well as uprooting trees and small concession buildings in the area. At the ballpark, […]
Midwest Collegiate League adds Kankakee for 2012
The summer-collegiate Midwest Collegiate League is adding a Kankakee (Ill.) team for the 2012 season, as the team will be playing at the Kankakee Community College ballpark. “The Kankakee, Illinois market offers the Midwest Collegiate League an ideal location, which is easily accessible from the I-57 Interstate Highway,” said Midwest Collegiate League Commissioner Don Popravak. […]
Summer-collegiate grad Johnson to lead Nats
A new career route emerges, as Davey Johnson becomes the second summer-collegiate manager to snare a Major League Baseball job this season, as he goes from a FCSL gig in 2009 to heading the Washington Nationals as of Monday. Johnson joins Terry Collins as former summer-collegiate managers to go to the bigs. Terry Collins, who […]
Cocoa Expo poised for return to business
Cocoa Expo, the former spring-training home of the Houston Colt .45s/Astros and regular-season home of the Cocoa Astros (High Class A; Florida State League), could reopen after a new owner rescues it from bankruptcy. The facility, which in recent years has served as a youth-baseball facility and eyed as the potential home of a summer-collegiate […]