New ownership for the Visalia Rawhide (High A; California League) is on tap, as First Pitch Entertainment, LLC is set to purchase the team from longtime ownership group Top of the Third, Inc. (more…)
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Visalia Rawhide Sale Close to Final
A sale of the Visalia Rawhide (High A; California League) is almost final, as Top of the Third is nearing an agreement to sell to First Pitch Entertainment. (more…)
Visalia Rawhide on the Market
The Visalia Rawhide (High A; California League) are on the market, as team owner Top of the Third announced today that the ballclub is for sale. (more…)
Personnel news: Baarns to Storm Chasers
We have a new position for Donny Baarns, as the veteran broadcaster is leaving the Visalia Rawhide (High A; California League) and joining Mark Nasser in the Omaha Storm Chasers (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) broadcast booth. (more…)
New road uniforms for Visalia Rawhide
The Visalia Rawhide (High Class A; California League) officially released new away uniforms for 2015 and beyond, as the team will wear “Visalia” on their chests for the first time since 2008. (more…)
Front-office changes in Visalia, Mobile, Sugar Land
We have a slew of hirings to announce in the baseball world, including new general managers in Visalia and Mobile and new staffers in Sugar Land. Heath Bennett is the new GM of the Mobile BayBears (Class AA; Southern League), coming to the team from a stint as Director of Sales and then Senior Director of […]
2012 Broadcaster of the Year: Donny Baarns
We continue our 2012 Ballpark Digest Awards with the announcement of the Broadcaster of the Year Award: Donny Baarns, the Voice of the Visalia Rawhide (High Class A; California League). This was the most difficult category to judge this season: there is an abundance of riches in broadcast booths, and the increasingly complex roles taken […]
New owners formally take control of Padres
The new owners of the San Diego Padres are now in control of the franchise, but the final lineup still needs to be written, as golfer Phil Mickelson’s name is glaringly absent. The Padres’ new ownership group includes Ron Fowler as control person, Peter O’Malley’s sons, Kevin and Brian O’Malley, and his nephews, Peter and […]
Four straight years of attendance happiness for Visalia
Amazing what TLC will do for a baseball franchise: the Visalia Rawhide (High Class A; California League) should see the fourth straight year of record attendance after a successful 2012 season. Baseball in Visalia was an endangered species until owner Tom Seidler successfully launched a renovation of Recreation Park and a rebranding of the franchise. […]
Owners approve sale of Padres to Fowler/O’Malley group
No surprise: Major League Baseball today approved the sale of the San Diego Padres to a group led by Ron Fowler and Peter O’Malley, ending John Moores’ tenure as team owner. The vote this morning was seen as a formality by many in baseball; a new owner doesn’t get this far if the skids weren’t […]
MLB owners expected to approve Padres sale tomorrow
Unless something goes dramatically wrong overnight, 29 MLB owners are expected to approve the sale of the San Diego Padres to a group led by Peter O’Malley and Ron Fowler tomorrow. The MLB owners are meeting in Denver. Today the MLB Finance Committee and Executive Council heard a presentation from the proposed new ownership group, and […]
O’Malley group reaches agreement to buy Padres
A group led by Peter O’Malley and family, as well as pro golfer Phil Mickelson, has reach an agreement to buy the San Diego Padres from John Moores and other minority investors. The sale price has not been formally announced, but it’s been pegged at around $800 million, though that number may actually be lower because […]
O’Malley group has inside track to land Padres: report
The O’Malley name could be back in Major League Baseball, as a group led by Peter O’Malley is said to have the inside track on landing the San Diego Padres — provided they can meet the asking price. The San Diego News-Tribune’s Bill Center is reporting John Moores has been meeting with the two finalists […]