New Rays Stadium Proposal

The Rays are back at it again sorta

 A group of developers proposed a new Rays stadium located in the business park named Carillon in north north St. Pete near the airport. The proposal is on the other side of the highway from my concept, if you need help visualizing. This one would cost roughly $600 million, with the developer putting up $150 million and the Rays believed to be willing to put up another $150 million. The Rays, aren't involved with this particular plan. It's just something a developer has come up with. 

St. Petersburg's City Council held a special two-hour meeting Friday to hear the proposal and hopes to get a new stadium built in St. Petersburg, as opposed to across Tampa Bay in Tampa. The proposal is beautiful, and planning to have around 35,000 seats. Actual businesses will be built into the side of the ballpark. The plan is to have business go on during the day, and then come gametime the parking lots around the stadium to be cleared and be available for parking. On top of that, Disney-style trams will go around making the walk not bad. Plus the renderings are pretty.

Many people want them to build the stadium in downtown Tampa. Thing is, the developers did a study on population and travel time and found that in this location across the bay from Tampa would have the most people within 30 minutes. So all of Tampa, Clearwater, and St. Pete could essentially drive there in a half hour. Sound familiar? But the Rays should take this seriously, the proposal is still in the St Pete city limits, and there is already bars and businesses all around that could host fans before and after games. 

I just hope this gets done coming from a huge fan.

MiLB Ballpark News

Sorry! I've been busy with college, but I'll post some stuff while I'm in the laundry room for all of you.

Today, the Charlotte Knights broke ground on their new stadium set to open in 2014. The team has been trying to move into Charlotte for a while now, but they only recently got a deal and started digging today. The team has been playing in the close by Fort Mill, SC in Knights Stadium since 1990. The stadium was originally built with a large area behind the outfield to maybe bring a major league team to the area. no such thing has happened, so they pulled the trigger and built a new AAA ball park. Now they just need to rebrand!

Read more

 On a similar note, the Birmingham Barons will play in their new downtown stadium starting next year. The team has been playing in Hoover, Alabama(Just south of B-Ham) since 1987, but the Barons themselves have played in Birmingham since 1885. The new stadium will have the skyline behind the 3rd base line, and will be a good stadium in the Southern League.

Read More

What's funny is that both teams are moving downtown, and affiliates to the White Sox.

Permanent Outdoor Hockey!

It was bound to happen eventually. Here is the article from Yahoo

If you're in the crowd of people who believe the idea of playing outdoor hockey games is overdone, you're not going to like what the Williamsport Outlaws of the Federal Hockey League have planned for the 2012-13 season. 

Having just relocated from New Jersey to Williamsport, the Outlaws are currently without a rink and needed somewhere to play their home schedule. While local officials are working out those details, the Outlaws announced on Tuesday that they plan to play their entire 30-game home schedule outside at Historic Bowman Field, home of the Williamsport CrossCutters, a New York-Penn minor league baseball team. 

From WNEP16: 

Williamsport's city council still has to approve the lease with the new hockey team that won the league championship last year in New Jersey. The Outlaws' coach says the team hopes to get about 2,000 fans per game. If you are wondering if there is a chance warm weather or rain and snow could postpone outdoor hockey games. The answer from officials is yes but they said they are prepared to deal with whatever comes late Fall, early Winter. 

From when their season kicks off on Oct. 24 until their final home game on Jan. 21 (Williamsport ends their season with a 15-game road trip), the Outlaws will rent the rink at Bowman Field, which is owned by the city. No word on what happens should the team qualify for the FHL playoffs to defend their title. Public skating will take place when the rink isn't in use by the team, according to WNEP. 

The rink will reportedly cost the Outlaws between $200,000-$225,000 to build and operate, $15,000 to rent the field from the city and between $12,000-$15,000 to fix the infield once the season is over. The team will need to average around 2,000 fans per game in order to make the venture economically feasible. The possibility also exists of renting the rink out to local high school and college teams to help off-set costs. 

Meanwhile, the Crosscutters aren't too happy having to share their facility with another team and have filed a Right to Know request to get all the details of the agreement between the Outlaws and the city.

I feel like it was going to happen eventually, but the fact that they relocated there without an arena is pretty stupid. I really hope it's cold enough, because this summer has been so hot.

NEWS

So I got back from my Tallahassee-Indiana-New York road trip!

I saw all the stadiums on the FSU campus, so this year expect a bunch of stadium report cards. We drove on through to Indiana to visit family. I wanted to go to a Indianapolis Indians game, but they weren't home when I was there. We flew to New York, where I saw the Mets play at Citi. That ballpark is GREAT. My favorite ballpark so far. We have a report card, so I haven't posted yet! On the 4th of July we went to Coney Island, and were outside the Brooklyn Cyclones stadium where I got a shirt, but didn't see inside.

It's right on the board walk, so it was cool watching the fireworks there.

I also saw MSG up close, and Yankee Stadium from the air! We didn't go by the new Brooklyn arena, and the Islanders play really far away. Also, no New Jersey even though the Giants/Jets/Red Bull play RIGHT there.

So sorry for the lack of posting, I just havent thought of what to do! I want to go to a Rowdies game before I leave for college, so I might. Also the Olympics are this weekend, so I'll post the stadiums soon. My dad and I also are trying to work out going to Raleigh when Florida State plays his NC State in October. I could hook you guys up

Inside the Park Soccer

This weekend was a huge weekend in exhibition soccer! European teams gearing up for the 2012-13 season stormed North America with players trying to earn a spot on the teams they play for. But the thing is, 3 of the games were in some unique places

Toronto FC 1-1 Liverpool FC 

Rogers Centre, Toronto

 The English team came over to play Toronto in the Rogers Centre. Normally, TFC plays at BMO Field. But the team opened up the roof(for most of the game) at the Blue Jays' home park. Over 45,000 people showed up to the game! The Jays went on a New York/Boston Road trip, and will be back Tuesday

AC Roma 4-0 Zagłębie Lubin

Wrigley Field, Chicago

Chicago has large Italian and Polish population, which is why they faced two teams from both countries in the "Friendly at the Confines". AC Roma had American Bobby Bradley in his first game for the Italian club, which whooped the Polish team. They scored in the first minute, too. The broadcast said the attendance was around 22,000. The Cubs are in St. Louis, and will go to Pittsburgh before they come home.

Chelsea FC 1-1 Paris St. Germain

Yankee Stadium, New York

The last match was in the Bronx. 38,000 people saw the European Champions Chelsea play Paris St. Germain that has bought a bunch of players in the offseason. Chelsea scored with less than 10 minutes left. The Yankees are in Oakland and Seattle before they go back.

I watched each of these games, and it was really cool to see in these stadiums. The last two were part of the Herbalife World Football Challenge. Chelsea plays the MLS All-Stars in Philly Wednesday on ESPN 2, right after THIS game at 6:30. Liverpool and Roma will play at Fenway! I'll post pictures after

Stadium Report Cards: Marlins Ballpark

It's been far too long since we've had one of these.

Team: Miami Marlins
Location: Miami, Fl
League: Major League Baseball(NL East)
Built: 2012
Capacity: 37,442
My event: Regular Season Game: Tampa Bay Rays

1. Outdoor Design

I was amazed the first time I saw the park and it wasn’t just how big it was, we were still on I-95 when we could see it, but also how beautiful it looks. The exterior is mostly glass going all around with the retractable roof but it is still beautiful looking. The team store located by the box office could have been a little bigger but it was still nice and included memorabilia from the first game. 8/10

2. Indoor Design

It was very nice inside. The concourses were spacy and even included the bobble head museum which was cool to see. There is not a bad seat in the stadium even if you are in the outfield. Then of course the infamous home run centerpiece was cool to see in person, very colorful. From our seats we could also see the Clevelander in left field by the Marlins bullpen. From what we saw it has everything the actual Clevelander has including dancers and a pool. 8/10

3. Prices

Prices were no major issue. Our seats were on the first base line in the upper level for only $20 each. The view was great. Typical ballpark food prices so it wasn’t too bad. 7/10

4. Food

There were a variety of choices from burgers, pizza and even a small section called “Taste of Miami” which is a unique concept of Miami based cuisine. I didn’t get to try it but a friend of mine felt he overpaid for such a small amount of food. 6/10

5. Staff

Staff was very friendly and talkative. I wanted to get a picture of the aquarium tanks behind home plate and the staff there allowed me to do so. I couldn’t get too close but still that was very kind of them. 8/10

6. Cleanliness

Being a new park I did not expect cleanliness to be a problem. 9/10

7. Parking

Parking was expensive if you parked in the ballpark lots. We parked in a lady’s yard for only $10 and we were right across the street from the park. 7/10

8. Atmosphere

The atmosphere was not very good. 60% full and half of the fans were Rays fans. I can’t be too harsh for this particular night was the same night the Miami Heat played the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the East Finals so most of Miami was at that game or outside American Airlines Arena. Those who were there did cheer their team on though so I give them credit 6/10

9. Playing Surface

 

The grounds crew did a good job keeping the surface of the infield neat. Nothing majorly special otherwise. You can see some of it in this picture of the home run sculpture 8/10

10. Scoreboard

Nice scoreboard but kept malfunctioning. It was off for a good four innings before power was restored. Nice and clear when it was working. 7/10

So overall that is a 74, knocked down by atmosphere. I still want to go to a game there, and it will be one of the best in the majors for a long time.

Stadium prints

Some very cool prints with MLB parks and the roads surrounding. You can see them here, just sign up. They were on sale, when normally they're 40 dollars.

Unrealized Ballpark Concepts

I found a website with an extensive gallery of failed ballpark proposals. It's REALLY cool to see what could've happened, but didn't. In the 60s, Boston was planning a domed stadium. Could you imagine? But I recommend looking at all of these.

http://www.stadiumpage.com/concepts/index.html

Stadium Report Card: Charlotte Sports Park

It's been far too long since we've had one of these.

Team: Charlotte StoneCrabs(Tampa Bay Rays Spring Training)
Location: Port Charlotte
League: Florida State League(Grapefruit League
Built: 1987(Renovated 2009)
Capacity: 7,000
My event: Spring Training Game, vs Boston Red Sox

1. Outdoor Design

I thought it was pretty bland. Along the stands, it just had an overhang with the cement look. But to be honest, it looked pretty good. I didn't know till just now that they renovated the park, and not rebuilt. Worth noting. 6/10

2. Indoor Design

The inside was pretty nice. It was simple in the stands, then a nice press box building behind the plate. The outfield had a deck running the entire length of the outfield, and there were berms in the left field corner. They had a party deck thing overlooking right field, too. 8/10

3. Prices
Pretty average, I thought. Spring training tickets were 22 dollars, but that was sitting in the actual stands. The food prices were cheaper than at the Trop, so that was nice. 7/10

4. Food
I had my favorite meal the Rays do, the chicken finger basket. They had kettle corn, pizza by the slice, tropical smoothies, and root beer floats. 8/10

5. Staff
I didn't have any problems with them! The guys behind the counter at concessions were helpful, and the lady who i bought my StoneCrabs cap from was nice 7/10

6. Cleanliness
Really clean! It was a new park, and they wanted it to look nice. 8/10

7. Parking
The only parking lot was packed when we got there. My sister, and I walked a mile down the road to get there. There was so much traffic, and only one exit to a main road. 4/10

8. Atmosphere
Sure, it was very Pro-RedSox, but what are you gonna do? They sold out the park, and it was a good atmosphere 8/10

9. Playing Surface

 

The field crew kept the infield really really nice. I did notice that the pattern from the infield didn't go to the outfield, and it didn't really even have a pattern. 7/10

10. Scoreboard

 

The scoreboard wasn't anything special. It was basically the same as the one in Dunedin. The only actual video board was one that showed player stats in right center. 4/10

67, which sounds about right. It surprised me to be honest. I didn't know what to expect, and I was pleasantly surprised. Sure it could be improved upon, but it was a great place to watch a game.

First Look: Marlins Ballpark

Here is about 100 pictures of the Marlins Ballpark for you guys!

http://www.stadiumpage.com/construction/MarlinsPark_201200302.html

I think it looks REALLY good. I have some friends going there when the Rays are in town, but unfortunately they play the same weekend I graduate. So I'll get them to do a report card for you all.

Now, I have some stuff planned. I'll try to do 3 spring training ballpark report cards this month. I'm going to Port Charlotte for the Rays in two weeks, and our friend Neil will be in Ft. Myers, and do the Twins and BoSox' park. Should be cool.

JetBlue Park

So the Red Sox opened up their new Spring Training facility in Ft. Myers, Florida today with the reporting of pitchers and catchers. It has a mix of new design, and a giant Fenway-esque monster. Seen below.

Here is a link to a video that takes you on a tour!
http://www.nesn.com/2012/02/tom-caron-tours-jetblue-park-gains-insight-on-what-makes-red-sox-new-spring-training-facility-specia.html

So in blog news, I've been busy, but I'll try to post some stories I see. I also might have a report card for the Citrus Bowl for you all.

A look at Marlins Ballpark

Here we go! It's shaping up down there in Miami. The first home game is Opening Day, with the Cards in town for a 1 game series.

Future Report Cards

Last week, I was accepted into Florida State University, so naturally, the best part will be posting stadium report cards for you all. Here are just the major facilities that will soon have a post about them.

Doak Campbell Stadium

 Dick Howser Stadium

 Donald L. Tucker Center(Basketball)

Wrigley Field Triangle Building

A proposed idea for the triangle lot adjacent to Wrigley Field along the 3rd base grandstand - a thesis project developed with the University of Notre Dame School of Architecture. Really dig the ideas, renderings, floor plans, and elevations for this Triangle Building to enhance the Wrigley Field experience.

 The main idea is to liven up the Wrigley experience, since the stadium is starting to ware down. It features a lot of things such as a Cubs Museum, Pro Shop, and a deck at the very top that connects.

It's a proposal, but it looks VERY nice.

Read more about the project here, and look at more views here.

Report Card-less Venues

I'm up in Greensboro, NC visiting family for the holidays. My dad and I were driving around downtown and I wanted to go by the Greensboro Coliseum, because I'm a stadium nerd. He last lived up here in 1975, when he was at NC State, so he hasn't been to some newer stadiums. I asked him, "Have you ever been to a game there?" He told me he would go to basketball and hockey games when he lived here, and it sat about 8,000. Then I remembered, I've been to a game there! Obviously, it was a long ass time ago, so I can't remember much, but here are some stadiums that I haven't been since I've been really into stadiums.

Greensboro Coliseum- Greensboro Prowlers-Roanoke Steam 

 Victory Field x2- Indianapolis Indians- Rochester/Toledo

 Germain Arena- College Hockey Tournament/ BC-Cornell

Homestead-Miami Speedway- 2003 Ford 400

Daytona International Speedway x2- Daytona 500 qualifying, Pepsi 400 qualifying

 Capital City Stadium- Columbia Blowfish-Some team

I wish I could remember these enough to report! But those are the ones I've been to. I went to Wrigley one time, after 5th grade, but I didn't think I'd post it here because Bmac did a report card for us. 

Keeping Stadium Neighborhoods Alive in the Off-Season

There’s only one thing more depressing come October than the end of baseball season: the sight of an empty ballpark. All those vacant seats, the hot-dog concessions closed, the field empty, and the gates padlocked until the following spring. It’s a bitter scene for baseball lovers.

But it’s an economic conundrum for cities, too.

 Progressive Field in Cleveland may have come up with the best solution yet to the empty ballpark. Last year for the first time, the team converted the field into a vast winter playground. The Indians laid an ice track around the field for skaters and built a snow-tubing hill from the bleachers onto the outfield. “Snow Days” drew to downtown Cleveland last winter about 50,000 people who otherwise would have been bundled up at home. And because Progressive Field sits nestled in the city’s downtown (when it was constructed in the early 1990s, planners intentionally spurned surface parking lots), the event fed into the surrounding entertainment district and restaurants.

  Here's the article.

Extreme Sun Life Stadium Makover

So the Marlins are officially out of this stadium for good. After their entire history in a football stadium that just happens to fit baseball there, the Marlins will move to their new stadium. Everyone down there is excited, which makes me jealous, but it's still nice to look at.