Archives: August 27-September 3, 2003

Manchester Union Leader: Eastern League OKs team move to Manchester, mayor says
Posted September 3, 2003 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Class AA Eastern League has approved the move of the New Haven Ravens to Manchester (N.H.) next season, as well as the team's lease with the city for a new downtown stadium. The approval is subject to Gill Stadium's availability next season. This word comes from the mayor of Manchester; the league has still not officially released the results of its vote. (Thanks to Scott Matthews for the article submission.)

Manchester Union Leader: Manchester baseball vote to be revealed today
Posted September 3, 2003 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Class AA Eastern League voted yesterday on whether to accept Drew Weber's lease with the city of Manchester (N.H.) for a new downtown stadium, but Weber and Manchester do not know the results of the vote. League President Joe McEacharn says he will issue a statement sometime today. In the meantime, the league has prepared two 2004 schedules -- one with Manchester and one with New Haven. (Thanks to Jay Stancil for the article submission.)

AP: Phillies decide to implode Veterans Stadium in February
Posted September 3, 2003 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Veterans Stadium, the much-reviled home of the Philadelphia Phillies for another month before the team moves into a new stadium next season, will be demolished February. The stadium will actually be imploded in order to prevent damage to nearby homes and the Broad Street subway line.

Toronto Sun: More Blue, just Jays in hardcore new logo
Posted September 3, 2003 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
There had been rumors that the Toronto Blue Jays were considering dropping "Blue" from the team's name, but in the end the team decided to drop the "Blue" from the team's new logo, which will be in use in 2004. This is the second logo switch for the Blue Jays in two years. Also dropped: the maple leaf that's been in the logo since the team's inception. More from the Canadian Press. (Thanks to Jay Stancil for the article submissions.)

Chicago Daily Herald: Lisle, university agree on sports project
Posted September 3, 2003 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The city of Lisle and Benedictine University in suburban Chicago have reached an agreement to collaborate on a new sports complex that will include a 750- to 4,000-seat stadium. At this point the two groups have not decided on whether to lease the ballpark to a college wood-bat Northwoods League or independent Frontier League team. The move, though, is largely symbolic until the specific terms are worked out. HOK Sport was hired to draft plans for the complex.

Corpus Christi Caller-Times: Chen disputes bill for stadium work
Posted September 3, 2003 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Nueces County officials are accusing Coastal Bend Aviators (independent; Central Baseball League) owner Horn Chen of not paying $480,000 he agreed to contribute to the costs of a new ballpark. Chen's lawyer says that his client has overpaid for equipment and deserves a credit for $175,000.

Chicago Sun-Times: Fans of every allegiance can squeeze on this train
Posted September 3, 2003 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Carol Slezak takes in a Cubs game at Wrigley Field in the afternoon and then races down to Comiskey Park for a White Sox game at Comiskey Park in the evening. She's joined by a few other Chicago baseball fans on the Red Line (which runs between the two ballparks) and has a chance to talk with them about the differences between White Sox and Cubs fans. (By the way, the Cubs won, the White Sox lost.) More on the historic day in Chicago, when three games (the Cubs played a doubleheader) attracted 95,223 fans. (Thanks to Jay Stancil for the article submissions.)

San Bernardino County Sun: In the name of their city
Posted September 3, 2003 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Here's a call for the Inland Empire 66ers of San Bernardino (Class A; California League) to change their name to something shorter and sweeter. The argument is that San Bernardino -- whose voters coughed up the money for the team's stadium -- gets shortchanged in the team marketing and media coverage. It is definitely an unwieldy name: maybe the San Bernardino 66ers is a better alternative. (Thanks to Jay Stancil for the article submission.)

Portland Press Herald: Dogs were a success
Posted September 3, 2003 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Portland Sea Dogs (Class AA; Eastern League) switched affiliations from the Florida Marlins to the Boston Red Sox in the offseason, and even though the Boston affiliation made a lot more sense in terms of marketing, the team was concerned because the Red Sox traditionally have had a weak farm system. Those fears didn't come to pass: for most of the season the team was highly competitive (on Aug. 1, the Sea Dogs were 59-49) and attendance was on the rise: there were 36 sellouts at Hadlock Park in 2003, with the team attracting 405,021 fans, for a franchise-best 6,231 per-game average. (Thanks to Jay Stancil for the article submission.)

Frederick News-Post: A typical Keys year
Posted September 3, 2003 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Frederick Keys (Class A; Carolina League) ended up with a 60-75 record -- which has pretty much been par for the course in recent years -- but Harry Grove Stadium was still a draw, although for the first time since 1997 the team didn't draw 300,000 fans, ending up with a season total of 285,048. The horrendous spring weather surely played a role in the decline, although you can't totally discount the team's poor performance on the field. (Thanks to Jay Stancil for the article submission.)

Bangor Daily News: 'Jacks' first season had highs and lows
Posted September 3, 2003 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Bangor Lumberjacks (independent; Northeast League) got off to a bad start when the team was forced to play in Orono's Mahaney Diamond, but the team is looking forward to moving to Husson College's John Winkin Baseball Complex in Bangor next season. The team averaged 1,089 fans a game, good for sixth in the eight-team league, and team officials readily admit that they need to work on improving attendance next season.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer: No M's farm team has more injury woes than California League entry
Posted September 3, 2003 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Maybe it's the name. Players for the Inland Empire 66ers of San Bernardino (Class A; California League) have suffered through a raft of injuries this summer -- losing more than 400 games. The team has played games this year with only nine position players. The injuries occurred under some pretty bizarre circumstances, including two different outfield collisions during batting practice. Even though the 66ers are a high Class A team, they don't have many prospects on the roster this season.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Minor-leaguers agree: Appleton's a nice place to visit, but they don't want to live there
Posted September 3, 2003 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
When the Seattle Mariners signed an affiliation with the Appleton Foxes (Class A; Midwest League), both organizations were in the dumps. But Fox Cities Stadium opened in 1995 and the team changed its name to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, while the Mariners captured the imagination of Seattle baseball fans. Most of this article concerns like in the Midwest League, where long bus rides are the norm and most of the players won't make it to high Class A or Class AA.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Everett shows short-season baseball about more than just the sport
Posted September 3, 2003 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Mark Sperandio was making a good living as an accountant in New York when he was bit by the baseball bug, so he went out and bought the Everett AquaSox (short season; Northwest League). Sperandio is a hands-on operator and runs all aspects of the team with his wife, which is increasingly a rarity in minor-league baseball. In short season, most of the players won't end up in Class AA, much less the major leagues, and they're usually pretty young.

The Oregonian: Season of struggles for Beavers
Posted September 3, 2003 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
It's been a turbulent year for the Portland Beavers (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League). At the end of last season, the team was in financial trouble and worked out a refinancing plan that kept the Beavers in town. Attendance was down this season, as the team averaged 6,270 fans a game (down from 6,779 in 2002), although Thirsty Thursdays were a huge hit and attendance was up in the second half of the season. Just when the team seems to have worked out its problems, word comes that the Beavers may need to leave Portland if the Montreal Expos move to PGE Park (although this seems to be a rather remote possibility). Let's hope 2004 isn't quite as "eventful" for the team and its management. (Thanks to Jay Stancil for the article submission.)

The Village Voice: The Havana stat kings
Posted September 3, 2003 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Geez, they're everywhere. Here's an account of Peña, the Cuban version of SABR, who meet daily at the José Martí statue in Havana's Parque Central to discuss baseball and baseball stats from the United States. Most of the participants are Cuban, but American tourists are welcome -- particularly if they're holding a copy of Baseball America or Sporting News. The Castro regime puts little money into its national baseball team (players share batting gloves), but Cubans still show up the ballpark to watch their heroes.

Star Tribune: Obituary Ronnie Newman, who played organ for Twins
Posted September 3, 2003 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Ronnie Newman, who played organ for the Minnesota Twins between 1977 and 1998, passed away yesterday due to complications from diabetes. Newman, who was 70, played organ at the old Met Stadium in a pit behind home plate (he watched the game through a periscope) and then followed the team into the Metrodome. Newman's signature piece was "Satin Doll," and last night the Twins had a moment of silence to honor him. Newman was a kind and gracious gentleman; in 1987 he willingly spent a lot of time with a young writer from Mpls.St.Paul Magazine to discuss the finer points of entertaining a baseball crowd.

Ballpark Visits: Knute Nelson Memorial Field, Alexandria Beetles
Posted September 2, 2003 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The smallest market in the college wood-bat Northwoods League at 10,000 residents, Alexandria (Minn.) may have the most passionate fans in the league as well. The 2003 Alexandria Beetles set a franchise record for attendance, drawing a total of 31,432 fans, or about 1,014 fans a game. In other words, about 1 in 10 Alexandria residents attends every Beetles game -- a pretty remarkable statistic, and one most minor-league operators would be very happy to reach. It's pretty easy to see what brings out Beetles fans to games: the family-friendly atmosphere fostered by team management. For the visiting ballpark fan, a trip to Alex will yield the small-town Minnesota baseball experience at its best.

Washington Post: Expos '04 schedule leaves relocation 'remote'
Posted September 2, 2003 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The 2004 master schedule prepared by MLB and presented to the players union shows the Montreal Expos playing all 81 games in Montreal, making it very unlikely that the team will relocate. The union earlier had said they would not agree to another split season, forcing MLB to commit the team to a single venue. Monterrey, Mexico and San Juan had bid to host all 81 Expos next season, but apparently neither bid was enticing enough for the team to be moved temporarily. The Montreal Gazette's Jack Todd says the Expos are not a cinch to stay, however, and Antonio Munoz, who promoted 22 Expos "home" games this season at San Juan's Hiram Bithorn Stadium, says it was likely his bid to host the entire home schedule in 2004 would be accepted.

Sentinel & Enterprise: Assessment issue may be a problem for ballpark
Posted September 2, 2003 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Developer Chris English was hoping to get a new ballpark in Leominster, Mass., on a fast track, but it looks like development will be slowed down due to difficulties in scheduling an assessment of the property. Because the ballpark site is a capped landfill, it takes an appraiser with specific skills to inspect the site -- and it can take up to 60 days to perform one, so it will be November until the city can approve a lease.

Manchester Union Leader: City baseball lease stacks up well
Posted September 2, 2003 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
The Manchester (N.H.) newspaper compared leases between cities and Class AA Eastern League teams and concludes that the lease between Manchester and Drew Weber for the relocated New Haven Ravens in a new stadium. Weber will pay $750,000 in annual rent; the Binghamton Mets pay $1 in rent, while the Portland Sea Dogs pay $250,000 a year. However, most new Eastern League ballparks were built with state grants, while the Manchester stadium is being financed by the city, and because the stadium is part of a larger riverside development plan that includes retail and a hotel, it may not be comparable to other league leases. Today the Eastern League will meet to discuss the lease and possibly approve it. The Union Leader opines that the lease should be approved by the league. More on the vote from the New Britain Herald. (Thanks to Scott Matthews for the article submissions.)

Charleston Daily Mail: Alley Cats win final outing
Posted September 2, 2003 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Final in this headline means the final game of the season, but it could also mean the final game in Charleston Alley Cats (Class A; Sally League) history, as there are increasing rumblings that owner Tom Dickson is prepared to move the team should a new ballpark not be eminent. Management is how hedging on a commitment to Charleston for next season should a new-stadium groundbreaking not take place this winter, but funding for a new ballpark could be held up again in the courts as West Virginia residents challenge the state-grant program once again. Still, with Dickson moving the Orlando Rays (Class AA; Southern League) to Montgomery this offseason, it may be difficult logistically to find a new home for the Alley Cats as well. (Thanks to Jay Stancil for the article submission.)

Ottawa Sun: Make it official: Cats here in '04
Posted September 2, 2003 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Despite many rumors to the contrary, it seems virtually certain that the Ottawa Lynx (Class AAA; International League) will be back at Lynx Stadium for the 2004 season. Attendance at Lynx games has been disappointing, and the team's staying in Ottawa may be due as much to the lack of a solid alternative. The International League has decided to begin its season a week later next season, which should help out northern teams like the Lynx. (Thanks to Jay Stancil for the article submission.)

Fresno Bee: Watching Oaks grow
Posted September 2, 2003 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Two years ago the Visalia Oaks (Class A; California League) were given up for dead: the team was rumored to be moving elsewhere and their stadium was in bad shape. Today, the Oaks are making a resurgence of sorts: the city invested $800,000 into Recreation Park (allowing for new seating and lighting, as well as a new party deck), and attendance at Oaks games was up 13 percent this year.

Bangor Daily News: Rox manager critical of Mahaney Diamond
Posted September 2, 2003 (feedback) (submit story) (discuss)
Brockton Rox (independent; Northeast League) manager Ed Nottle ripped the playing field at Mahaney Diamond, the home of the Bangor Lumberjacks