Atlantic League Expansion to The Woodlands Pondered

Houston Press blogger John Royal takes a look at possible expansion of the indy pro Atlantic League in the Houston area, particularly The Woodlands.  Read more here.  Thank to John Cerone for the link.

Boulton’s Diamond League Announced

PRESS RELEASE – The formation of a new professional baseball league to be known as “The Diamond League of Professional Baseball,” was announced today following a league meeting held this morning.

Revived Northern League: New Stadium and ‘Elkhart County Miracle’ Announced

Craig Wallin, who unsuccessfully tried to bring professional baseball to Elkhart County (IN) in 2010, announced on Friday his plans to build a new multi-million dollar stadium and launch the Elkhart County Miracle in 2014 as part of the revived indy pro Northern League.  Wallin said the financing is in place and the project is a “sure thing.”  Dan Evans, commissioner of the circuit, joined Wallin

Pacific Association Targets Santa Maria

Representatives from the indy pro Pacific Association have made a pitch to bring a baseball franchise to Elks Field in Santa Maria (CA).  The Recreation and Parks Commission will hold a public hearing on the matter on Tuesday, June 11 at 4 p.m. at City Hall.  Read more and watch news report here.  View Google street view of Elks Field here.

Talking S.I. Yankees

Staten Island Advance sports reporter Jim Waggoner talks with Single-A Staten Island Yankees (New York-Penn League) President and General Manager Jane Rogers about the team’s bright future.  Read more here.  Thanks to John Cerone for the link.

A Single-A Option for Ottawa?

An Ottawa city committee heard that there is at least one team ready to submit a proposal to bring baseball back to the city, pending $10 million to $30 million in funding for Ottawa Stadium upgrades.  Single-A ball is reportedly a possibility.  Read more here and here.

Worcester Could Join Ranks of New Developmental League

Founder and CEO of the indy pro Atlantic League Frank Boulton said he is interested in bringing professional baseball back to Worcester (MA) as part of a new developmental league he plans to announce in mid-June.  He emphasized that the new league will not be associated with the Atlantic League.  Read more here.  Thanks to John Cerone for the link.

Northwoods League Coming to Kalamazoo

You knew this was eventually going to happen.  The Kalamazoo (MI) City Commission on Monday approved a contract with Kalamazoo Baseball LLC to bring a summer collegiate Northwoods League franchise to Homer Stryker Field in 2014.  The team will pay $35,000 per year to lease the ballpark.  Read more here.

Fredericksburg City Staff Charged With Making Deal Happen

During a closed-session meeting earlier this week, the Fredericksburg (VA) City Council directed city staff to negotiate the terms of a deal to bring a minor league baseball team and multi-purpose stadium to town.  The Single-A Hagerstown Suns (South Atlantic League) are rumored to the target of this endeavor.  Read more here.

Council to Hold Closed-Door Meeting to Discuss Ballpark Proposal

The Fredericksburg (VA) City Council will hold a closed meeting next Tuesday night to discuss a potential deal to build a multi-purpose stadium and bring minor league baseball to the city.  City officials are rumored to be in relocation discussions with the Single-A Hagerstown Suns (South Atlantic League).  Read more here.

Alexandria Aces Open in Front of 552

The Alexandria Aces (United League Baseball) opened in front of a whopping 552 fans on Thursday night at partially condemned Bringhurst Field.  Read more here.  This is not good news for the franchise that was revived as an independent professional club after the summer collegiate version (Texas Collegiate League) went dark when it was clear the city would not fix the stadium before the 2013 season.

Nogales May Try to Give It a Try

Despite the reality that the start-up indy pro American West Baseball League has pulled the plug on its inaugural 2013 season, the Nogales (AZ) Desert Ghosts may move forward anyway, if playing nothing more than a limited exhibition schedule.  Read more here.

Perfect Game League Expands to Saugerties (NY)

The summer collegiate Perfect Game Collegiate Baseball League (PGCBL) is expanding to Saugerties (NY) and will begin play at a newly lighted Cantine Memorial Field starting in 2014.  Saugerties Parks and Recreation Superintendent Greg Chorvas had this to say about negotiating a deal with the PGCBL:

Cummings Resigns, AWBL’s Inaugural Season Postponed Until 2014

PRESS RELEASE – American West Baseball League is announcing today the resignation of CEO Michael Cummings and that the league will go dark for the 2013 season.

Astros Buying Hooks

In addition to bringing Reid Ryan aboard, the Houston Astros have announced that they’ve agreed to a letter of intent with Ryan-Sanders baseball to purchase the Double-A Corpus Christi Hooks (Texas League).  Read more here.

Las Vegas 51s Sold, New Stadium on Deck

The Summerlin Las Vegas Baseball Club LLC, a joint venture of the Howard Hughes Corp. and Play Ball Owners Group, announced Monday that they have completed the purchase of the Triple-A Las Vegas 51s (Pacific Coast league) and plan to move the club from downtown to a new stadium to be built in the Las Vegas suburb of Summerlin.  Read more here.  View press release here.

Foxes Leave Circuit Founded by Team Owner

The summer collegiate Fort Collins Foxes have left the Mountain Collegiate Baseball League because of philosophical differences over recent expansion.  The team will now play an independent schedule.  Foxes owner and general manager Kurt Colicchio founded the circuit in 2004.  Read more here.

Newspaper: Silver Knights a Valuable Community Asset Worth Supporting

In an editorial, the Nashua (NH) Telegraph newspaper refers to the successful summer collegiate Nashua Silver Knights (Futures League) as a treasured community asset worth supporting.  While we appreciate the accolades and encouraging message to area residents, we absolutely love and subscribe to the following statement by Knights General Manager Tim Baumann, who places

Embark Holdings New CEO Issues Letter to Shareholders, Sun Rays Prepare for Inaugural Season

To provide a little additional clarity on the past and current relationship between Embark Holdings, Inc. and the start-up indy pro American West Baseball League, we are posting below a recent letter to Embark shareholders from the company’s new CEO Daniel Amato.  Meanwhile, the newly launched  Las Cruces (NM) Sun Rays are confidently preparing

West Coast League Expands to Yakima

PRESS RELEASE – The West Coast League will expand in 2014 as Pacific Baseball Ventures, LLC (PBV), the ownership group of the Walla Walla Sweets, announced today that they have been awarded a West Coast League membership in Yakima, Washington. The soon-to-be-named Yakima team will begin WCL play in time for the 2014 season. The Sweets will continue to play in Walla

Dubois County Bombers: New Ownership, New League

Slipping under our radar over the past few months, the summer collegiate Dubois County Bombers have quietly moved from the Prospect League to the Ohio Valley League under new ownership.  Like the indy pro Frontier League after the 2002 season, the Prospect League has unfortunately lost a nifty little ballpark — League Stadium — which was built as a set for the movie A League of

Talking Lawsuit in San Jose

As the four-year impasse drags on over the proposed move by the Oakland A’s to a new ballpark in downtown San Jose, frustrated business leaders eager to tap an anticipated fan spending windfall have begun exploring the idea of suing Major League Baseball and the San Francisco Giants for holding it up.  Read more here.  Thanks to Joe Mock for the link.

Roadrunners Finally Release 2013 Schedule, Maddock Leaves Cats

We don’t typically talk about schedules, but the fact that the indy pro Edinburg Roadrunners are the first United League Baseball team out of the gate with a schedule with a mere month before the season begins is worthy of mention.  According to the schedule, the ULB’s lineup will include the Forth Worth Cats, McAllen Thunder, Rio Grande Valley WhiteWings, San Angelo Colts, and repatriated

AWBL Makes Pitch in Bisbee, Cummings Out at Embark Holdings

Sean Smock, commissioner of the developing indy pro American West Baseball League and former general manager of the former Triple-A Tucson Sidewinders (Pacific Coast League) and indy pro Tucson Toros (Golden Baseball League), pitched the idea last Thursday to make historic Warren Ballpark the home of the new Bisbee (AZ) Copper Kings.  Bisbee would join the Fullerton (CA) Flyers, the Las Cruces (NM)

Atlantic League Coming to Fort Worth?

Opening Day Partners chairman Peter Kirk has confirmed his ownership group is in talks with Fort Worth about putting an indy pro Atlantic League franchise at LaGrave Field, the current home of the indy pro Fort Worth Cats (United League).  Kirk classified the ballpark as half-finished by Atlantic League standards and would need to be upgraded to make it work.  Read more here.  Thanks to Karl for the link.

Suns Send Relocation Overtures to Fredericksburg

As Fredericksburg (VA) explores building a new baseball stadium and hosting a team, the Single-A Hagarstown Suns (South Atlantic League) have expressed an interest in being at the discussion table if invited.  Read more here.

Ottawa Mayor to Meet with Blue Jays, Eastern League

Ottawa Mayor Mayor Jim Watson is heading to Toronto to talk baseball with Toronto Blue Jays officials on Friday hoping to secure a new professional baseball team and a Blue Jays affiliation for the capital city.  Watson also plans to meet with officials from the Double-A Eastern League.  Read more here and here.  Thanks to John Cerone for the links.

Bismarck (ND) on Deck for Northwoods League

This really isn’t new news, as the summer collegiate Northwoods League has had Bismarck (ND) on its expansion radar for years, but with $1.5 million in renovations approved for Bismarck Municipal Ballpark, things are now heating up.  The catch here will be finding an owner willing to pony up the $1 million franchise fee plus start-up costs.  Municipal Ballpark served as the home of the indy pro

ULB Returns to Alexandria

The indy pro United League Baseball (ULB) has reached an agreement with the city of Alexandria (LA) to place a team at Bringhurst Field starting this season.  The team will play in a partially condemned facility, just as the summer collegiate Alexandria Aces (Texas Collegiate League) did late last year.

Briefing Today on Virgnia Beach Application for Atlantic League Membership (UPDATED!)

A group that wants to bring professional baseball to Virginia Beach (VA) plans to announce Monday the results of its application to join the indy pro Atlantic League as an expansion team.  Read more here. UPDATE: Virginia Beach group granted conditional approval for an ABL expansion franchise.  Read more here.

NYPL to Send Franchise to Morgantown

PRESS RELEASE – The New York-Penn League announced its intention to relocate one of its existing franchises to Morgantown, West Virginia. The Class A Short-Season professional baseball league plays a 76-game season from mid-June through early-September. This abbreviated schedule allows a league franchise to share a brand-new, state-of-the-art facility with the West Virginia

West Coast League Could Be Flexing Its Muscles into Redding, Chico

While it’s not surprising news to us, it appears that expansion into Redding (CA) and Chico (CA) is on the horizon for the summer collegiate West Coast League.  As we have viewed the WCL’s future for some time, this potential move into California is a necessary next step for the league to truly capture the West Coast and solidify its place as one of the top three summer collegiate circuits  in the country.  Read more here.

North County Cannons Sever Ties AWBL, Will Not Play in 2013

PRESS RELEASE – The North County Cannons, a new minor league baseball team, will not be playing this summer.  Team owner and president, Jim Hoynes, confirmed that stadium use negotiations with Cal State San Marcos were concluded without success and every effort to locate an alternate playing location has turned up negative.

Skylands Deal to Close Next Thursday, Patriots Chairman Rejects Idea of ABL2 Feeder Circuit

As real estate investment firm 17 Mile LLC looks to close next Friday on a deal to acquire Skylands Park, Steve Kalafer, chairman of the indy pro Somerset Patriots (Atlantic League), firmly dismissed any notion of an ABL feeder team coming Sussex County.  More broadly, according to the New Jersey Herald, Kalafer issued a statement late Thursday saying “there is no value at this

Bringhurst Safety Concerns Keep Aces on the Bench, ULB Targeting the Market

This is not new news within certain baseball circles, but the summer collegiate Alexandria Aces (Texas Collegiate League) will not play in 2013, as the city has still not resolved the challenge of shutting down historic Bringhurst Field over safety concerns.  Meanwhile, the indy pro United League Baseball is looking at making a return to the market.  Read more here.

Expansion Saratoga Brigade to Push Ballpark Plan

The expansion summer collegiate Saratoga Brigade (New England Collegiate Baseball League) made it official Thursday that they will be playing in Saratoga Springs (NY) starting this season.  Okay, that’s old news.  The bigger news is that the team hopes to present a plan to the city council on March 19 for a full-service baseball stadium at Veteran’s Memorial Park, which would

Astros Triple-A Affiliate Coming to The Woodlands?

Houston Astros owner Jim Crane said Thursday the organization wants to improve its footprint in Texas and is strongly considering moving its top minor league team to The Woodlands (TX).  The community is the current home of the summer collegiate Woodlands Strykers (Texas Collegiate League).  Read more here.

Another Run at Double-A Ball in Ottawa?

The Ottawa newspaper is reporting that Mandalay Baseball Properties and Professional Sports Catering are jointly working with Ottawa mayor Jim Watson’s office on a deal to completely renovate and operate Ottawa Stadium while bringing an existing Double-A Eastern League franchise to the capital city.  Read more here.  Thanks to John Cerone for the link.

AWBL Signs Agreement with Nogales (AZ), Ownership Group Announced

PRESS RELEASE – Embark Holdings, Inc subsidiary American West Baseball League today announced that they have signed an agreement with the City of Nogales and an Ownership Group has agreed to own and operate the team in Nogales, Arizona. The ownership group consists of MLB Players and business professionals. The new team will play at War Memorial Stadium and start this 2013 season.

Rehashing the Fielders: A Player’s Perspective

For those  interested in the failed indy pro Lake County Fielders (Northern League/North American League), a link to an in-depth article by Shannon Proudfoot appearing on SportsNet.com last fall was recently posted on AABFAN.com.  It’s worth a read, even if you paid close attention to the happenings of the Fielders.  Read more here.