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The University of Kentucky is nearing completion on its new 50M stadium and practice facility entirely dedicated to its men's baseball program. The stadium will have 2,500 permanent seats with additional grass berms that will enable up to a total 4,000 person capacity. It will replace Cliff Hagan Stadium, which had been home to UK baseball since its opening in 1969. Most of the funding for the new stadium will come from private fundraising, while a $6.5 million five-year loan from UK’s General Fund will cover the rest.
The University of Kentucky is nearing completion on its new 50M stadium and practice facility entirely dedicated to its men's baseball program. The stadium will have 2,500 permanent seats with additional grass berms that will enable up to a total 4,000 person capacity. It will replace Cliff Hagan Stadium, which had been home to UK baseball since its opening in 1969. Most of the funding for the new stadium will come from private fundraising, while a $6.5 million five-year loan from UK’s General Fund will cover the rest.
College sports, even non-revenue producing ones, are a beast, especially in the "Power 5" conferences when you have deep pocket donors and alumni. Not surprised they spent $50 million on a 4,000 seat stadium.
Also outside RI, looks like the New Orleans Baby Cakes are moving to Wichita, once a new $80 million stadium is built there.
So next year Colorado Springs is moving to San Antonio, then in a few years, Pawsox to Worcester and New Orleans to Wichita. I haven't seen this much movement at the AAA level in a long time. AAA is usually the most stable of all the classifications, with maybe a single team moving every 5-8 years or longer, if that.
Also outside RI, looks like the New Orleans Baby Cakes are moving to Wichita, once a new $80 million stadium is built there.
Interesting. The Baby Cakes are owned in part by Low Schwechheimer, the Pawtucket boy who started as an unpaid intern for Ben Mondor and worked his way up to GM, leaving after the current owners took over. Also interesting to note that the move is in part because of their "old" stadium in New Orleans, built in 1997. What was the ROI on Worcester's $101 million in bonds again?
One more thing - Wichita lost its last affiliated team to Springdale, Arkansas ten years ago with the promise of a gleaming new publicly-funded stadium. The team was second to last in attendance in the Texas League this year. What was that ROI again?
Interesting. The Baby Cakes are owned in part by Low Schwechheimer, the Pawtucket boy who started as an unpaid intern for Ben Mondor and worked his way up to GM, leaving after the current owners took over. Also interesting to note that the move is in part because of their "old" stadium in New Orleans, built in 1997. What was the ROI on Worcester's $101 million in bonds again?
Before Lou and his investors bought 50% of the Zephers from Don Beaver in 2015, Jim Crane, owner of the Astros, was seriously considering purchasing the team and moving them to a suburb of Houston. In the end Lou won out, not sure if there were really any "takers" to build Crane a AAA ballpark in the Houston 'burbs.
More than that, the article says Lucchino himself plans on buying the Batavia Muckdogs, moving them to Pawtucket to appease us whiners, and moving the Red Sox Class A player development contract from Lowell to Pawtucket. Hopefully that means McCoy, and not a $75 million handout for a new Class A stadium.
Seems like MiLB is entering a mini-relocation/building boom.
2018
New North Augusta, SC ballpark (Low A)
2019
New Amarillo, TX ballpark (AA)
New Fayetteville. NC ballpark (High A)
New Summerlin, NV (Las Vegas) ballpark (AAA)
2020
New Fredericksburg, VA ballpark (High A)
New Kannapolis, NC ballpark (Low A)
New Madison, AL ballpark (AA)
New Wichita, KS ballpark (AAA) (? or in 2021)
2021
New Worcester, MA ballpark (AAA)
New San Antonio, TX ballpark (AAA) (? sometime in the future)
That's a shame about Lowell and what could happen. There's a bunch of MLB teams that have their short season A affiliate, either in the same market or nearby:
Red Sox - Lowell
Yankees - Staten Island
Mets - Brooklyn
Orioles - Aberdeen
Indians - Mahoning Valley
Mariners - Everett
Wouldn't the Red Sox have to grant a waiver to Lowell to have another MLB team come in and use them as their short season A affiliate?
I can see Lowell maybe move to independent baseball or college wooden bat summer league.
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