Shorebirds to Host Salisbury University

 

 

 

SALISBURY, Md. -- The Delmarva Shorebirds, Class-A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, plan to open up their 2017 season with a seven inning exhibition contest against the Salisbury University Sea Gulls baseball team on Tuesday, April 4th at 6:05 PM at Arthur W. Perdue Stadium.

The exhibition game will serve as a great tune up as the Shorebirds get ready to begin their season on April 6th in South Carolina against the Greenville Drive before returning to Arthur W. Perdue Stadium on Thursday, April 13th for their home opener against the Hagerstown Suns. Currently, Salisbury University is 7-5 in their young season.

“We look forward to another great start to the 2017 season. The exhibition game with Salisbury University will be a great experience for the players, staff, and fans,” said Chris Bitters, Shorebirds General Manager.

Salisbury University is a Division III University in Salisbury, Maryland that competes in the Capital Athletic Conference. Salisbury University is well known for the success of it’s athletic programs with 21 Championships in team sports.

Upper Reserved tickets can be purchased for the exhibition game against Salisbury University for $3 online at www.theshorebirds.com/tickets, beginning on March 20th. Upper Reserved tickets will also be available at the Shorebirds Box Office and will be sold for $5.

Shorebirds ticket plans can now be purchased online at theshorebirds.com. For group outing information, contact the Shorebirds at 410-219-3112.

Hickory Crawdads History

 

 I have always been intrigued by the nickname of the Hickory Crawdads, so I contacted Crystal Lin who is Director of Creative Services with the Crawdads. I asked if she could give me a little Crawdads history and how the team came to be known as the Crawdads. Lin gave me a little history lesson, the Hickory Crawdads play at L.P. Fran Stadium, named after the local Pepsi-Cola bottler who partially funded the stadium’s construction. The stadium was built on donated land in 1993 and the first game played at L.P. Frans Stadium took place on April 16, 1993. The Crawdads were originally affiliated with the Chicago White Sox (1993-1998), then the Pittsburgh Pirates (1999-2008), and finally the Texas Rangers (2009-present). The current ownership group consists of Don Beaver, Luther Beaver, and Charles Young. Together they comprise the majority ownership since the team originated and are also the longest-serving ownership group in the South Atlantic League. Upon purchasing a minor league baseball team from Gastonia, NC Don Beaver moved the franchise to his hometown of Hickory, NC. The team nickname was born after Beaver launched a “name the team and mascot” contest. Todd Teague named the team “Hickory Crawdads” with Conrad the Crawdad named mascot, along with his partner Candy the Crawdad.

During their tenure in Hickory, the Crawdads have won three SAL Championships (2002, 2004, and 2015) and have hosted three SAL All-Star Games (1994, 2001 and 2014).

In 2014, the Crawdads in conjunction with the City of Hickory, underwent a $2.5 million renovation, the first major upgrade since its initial construction. Many of the areas that impact fan experience were addressed:

 

    ·   All new "Reserve" flip down seats with cup holders, replacing the     existing grandstand, reserve and box seats

                   ·    New limited "VIP" seating section

   ·    New additional Picnic Pavilion located in the old 1^st base grandstand seats

·    Three new Party Patios

·    Renovated suites

·    Completely renovated Crawdads Café

·    New signage throughout the ballpark

·    New stadium field lights

·    Resurfaced stadium concourse and parking lot

·    Renovated front office

Here are a few of the outstanding former Crawdads: Magglio Ordonez, Jose Bautista, Carlos Lee, and Andrew McCutchen.

 

Kannapolis Intimidators Make Personnel Moves

By Ballpark Digest Editors on March 1, 2017

As they prepare for a future that could include a new downtown ballpark, the Kannapolis Intimidators are making some personnel moves. Mike deMaine has joined the Intimidators as their chief revenue officer, while general manager Randy Long has been promoted to chief operating officer. 

“We are excited to make these moves as we prepare our organization for the highly anticipated move to our downtown ballpark,” stated managing partner, Reese Smith. “Mike brings a wealth of experience in launching venues, driving revenue and building corporate partnerships. He was at the forefront of the development of two of professional baseball’s top venues (Frisco and Greenville) and to have him lead our efforts is an opportunity to improve our organization at the top.”

“Randy has been our top executive for more than a decade, and he has earned the respect and admiration of all those associated with Intimidators baseball,” Smith continued. “His promotion is well-earned, and he will play a vital role in maintaining our family-friendly atmosphere in all day-to-day operations at Intimidators Stadium and carry that same dedication to our customers to the new ballpark.”

DeMaine joins the Intimidators following eight years with the Greenville Drive, helping the club open West End Field in 2006 as the team’s general manager. His tenure with the Drive included partnering with the Fluor Corporation on venue naming rights, building Fluor Field as one of the top venues in professional baseball, and developing the ballpark into a key piece of the Downtown Greenville business community. Prior to joining the Drive, deMaine served as assistant GM and VP of operations with the Frisco RoughRiders, helping to open Dr Pepper 7UP Ballpark in 2003. DeMaine’s career in sports includes starting with the Charlotte Checkers and Ericsson Stadium (now Bank of America Stadium) with the Carolina Panthers.

“This opportunity is unique, to be involved with a dynamic project that will transform Downtown Kannapolis is tremendous. I’m looking forward to creating something special with the Intimidators over the next few seasons that we carry over into the launch of the new ballpark,” stated deMaine

Long, who is entering his 21st season with the team and 12th as the team’s top executive, will continue to oversee the team’s day-to-day operations while deMaine will supervise and enhance the team’s revenue streams. Long joined the club in 1997 and has served in virtually every position within the organization on his way to ascending to the general manager role following the 2005 season. Under Long, the Intimidators have enjoyed a strong relationship with Chicago White Sox, the club’s Major League affiliate since 2001. He oversaw the team’s naming rights partnership with Carolinas HealthCare System (then Carolinas Medical CenterNorthEast) that began in 2012 and has been instrumental in the vision for the Intimidators role as part of the revitalization of Downtown Kannapolis.

 

Future Firflies

 

 

As the second season of baseball approaches the Columbia Fireflies should be in good shape if Mets No. 8 prospect Thomas Szapucki is on the opening day roster. The 20-year-old left-hander is coming off a terrific 2016 season in which he had a 1.38 ERA and opposing teams batted .145 against Szapucki, he also had 86 strikeouts in 52 innings between Rookie Kingsport and Class A (Short Season) Brooklyn. Even if Szapucki does not open the season in Columbia at some point he will be pitching in Columbia. There is also a possibility that Justin Dunn the 19th-overall pick in 2016 could start the season in Columbia, however the fourth-ranked Met prospect could jump Columbia and move to St. Lucie (Class A Advanced) in April.  

 

Asheville Tourists

Salvador Justo could be back in Asheville playing with the Asheville Tourists in 2017.

Ranked as 30th best prospect.
  

Team: Asheville Tourists (A) ETA to MLB: 2019 Position: RHP Age: 22 DOB: 10/14/1994 Bats: R Throws: R Height: 6' 5" Weight: 210 lb. Drafted: Mar. 12, 2013 - COL 

                      

Scouting: Justo recorded a 5.45 ERA in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League in his first two pro seasons and walked more batters than he struck out in his U.S. debut in 2015. He didn't arrive in full-season ball with any fanfare this year, but he has raised his profile significantly after pitching well at low Class A Asheville and displaying one of the best fastballs in the Rockies system. Justo's fastball hit 99 mph in his first game with Asheville and has soared as high as 101 while usually sitting at 95-97. His hard slider is an intriguing second pitch that will require some more polish, and he also has a changeup that won't get much use because he's destined to be a short reliever. He's still learning to harness his stuff and has yet to find the strike zone with regularity, but Justo's live right arm will buy him plenty of development time. He doesn't miss a lot of bats yet because opponents sit on his fastball. If he can sharpen his slider and his control, he could develop into a late-inning option.
 

2016
SAL

Team	W	L	ERA	G	GS	SV	IP	H	HR	BB	K	AVG	WHIP	GO/AO
ASH	3	1	2.14	38	0	2	46.1	36	3	21	34	.225	1.23	0.85
Minors	3	1	2.14	38	0	2	46.1	36	3	21	34	.225	1.23

GreenJackets New Stadium

Batting Around: GreenJackets on the move

Giants' Class A affiliate on cusp of new ballpark in North Augusta, S.C.

By Benjamin Hill / MiLB.com

 

 

A computer rendering of North Augusta's proposed waterfront ballpark, which would serve as the GreenJackets' new home.

 

This year will not see any new Minor League ballparks, save for the delayed opening of Hartford's Dunkin' Donuts Park. But 2018 could be a different story, thanks to a recent development in North Augusta, South Carolina.

As reported in the Augusta Chronicle, the North Augusta City Council has given final approval to the Project Jackson Master Development Agreement (MDA). The centerpiece of this long-gestating $200 million initiative is a $40 million stadium for the Augusta GreenJackets, who currently play on the other side of the Savannah River, in Georgia.

The GreenJackets' stadium accounts for more than half of the estimated $72 million the city plans to spend on Project Jackson; as reported by local TV station WJBF, that figure also includes two parking decks, a conference center and improvements to the project's Riverfront Park location. The remaining cost of Project Jackson -- which is expected to include a hotel, apartments, office buildings, a senior living facility, restaurants and shops -- will be funded privately. 

"We've been at this, as you know, for more than four years," GreenJackets president Jeff Eiseman told WJBF. "This is a huge, momentous moment for the Augusta GreenJackets, and I'm thrilled."

The council's final approval, confirmed in a 6-1 vote, came Jan. 30 following a third reading of the Project Jackson MDA. A groundbreaking ceremony has yet to be scheduled, but the timeline calls for the ballpark to open for the 2018 campaign.

The GreenJackets -- Class A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants -- play in Lake Olmstead Stadium, which opened in 1995. Along with Kannapolis' Intimidators Stadium, it is the third-oldest ballpark in the South Atlantic League. As reported in a previous edition of this column, Kannapolis is aiming to break ground in July on a new ballpark that would open in 2019.

Texas League intrigue

A recurring topic of conversation -- around Minor League Baseball and in this column -- revolves around what city would replace San Antonio in the Double-A Texas League should the city build a Triple-A stadium. As reported previously, the city of Amarillo is one locale that would love to host the relocated San Antonio Missions (or another affiliated team, should one be available).

There is competition, however. On Feb. 7, EverythingLubbock.com reported that David Nelson, owner of Lubbock, Texas-based South Paw Sports and Entertainment, was working on a Minor League Baseball feasibility study. The following day, MyHighPlains.com provided more information on the feasibility study, adding that a "stadium in Lubbock could be ready for potential teams in 2020."

The third potential suitor is Wichita, Kansas, which -- per the Wichita Eagle  -- is considering building a new downtown stadium in the hopes it would attract an affiliated team.

"[Mayor Jeff Longwell] is involved in two conversations with affiliated baseball," city council member Pete Meitzner told the Eagle. "Affiliation is the goal."

Wichita is no stranger to the Texas League. The Wichita Wranglers played at now-83-year-old Lawrence-Dumont Stadium through the 2007 campaign before relocating to Springdale, Arkansas, in 2008 and becoming the Northwest Arkansas Naturals.

Malden ponders

A 6,000-seat Minor League stadium could be built in Malden, Massachusetts, as early as 2019. Alexander Bok, the developer spearheading the project, provided an update to the Malden city council on Feb. 7.

"We are now in the process of securing [an affiliated] team and aiming to break ground later this year," Bok said, as reported on the website WickedLocal.com .

The stadium project, which calls for $60 million in private funding and $20 million in state funds, still faces significant roadblocks, including the purchase of parcels of land owned by three privately held businesses. Additionally, any affiliated team playing in the area would have to be approved by the Boston Red Sox, who have territorial rights.

At the council meeting, Wok said he'd provide his next project update on April 11.

What's next for Pawtucket?

McCoy Stadium, longtime home of the Pawtucket Red Sox, was the subject of a $105,000 feasibility study paid for jointly by the team, city and state of Rhode Island. The study, commissioned in the wake of a failed effort by new ownership to move the team to neighboring Providence, concluded it would cost $68 million to renovate the facility and $78 million to build a new stadium at the same location.

The above scenario is, in a word, unfeasible. In the wake of the study's Jan. 26 release, the Providence Journal reported that it was "more or less a death knell for professional baseball at McCoy Stadium beyond 2020 -- the final year of the PawSox's current lease at McCoy."

What's next? The Journal mentioned that the "PawSox have commenced a search for other suitable sites in Pawtucket" and that they will prioritize "areas connected to the downtown, visible from the highway and accessible through public transit."

The PawSox are co-owned by former Red Sox president and CEO Larry Lucchino. Current Red Sox president Sam Kennedy also presides over Fenway Sports Management, which is a limited partner in the PawSox ownership group.

At a PawSox-hosted event, Kennedy stated his preference for a new PawSox stadium with dimensions replicating those at Fenway Park. He also said the PawSox are a "stand-alone" entity and, as such, the Red Sox would play no role in funding a stadium.

Benjamin Hill is a reporter for MiLB.com and writes Ben's Biz Blog. Follow Ben on Twitter @bensbiz. This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.

Sights from 2016 SAL