Word is that the Los Angeles Dodgers will shift affiliation from Inland Empire to Rancho Cucamonga, invest in the team.

Multiple sources confirm that recent discussions between reps of the independent American Association, Northern League and Frontier League could yield a dramatic realignment of the three independent leagues for the 2011 or 2012 seasons, as old grudges and bitter rivalries are giving way to a new sense of economic reality.

The first Pacific Coast League schedules are being released, and they all show the same thing: Portland. But we know the Beavers won't be playing at PGE Park next season, so the name is just a placeholder, as no decision has been made about the future of the team. But with some increased ballpark talk in the Rose City and no sale of the team yet, it increasingly looks like Merritt Paulson will hang onto the team and park it somewhere for the 2011 season. UPDATE: Yikes! Things appear to have changed again!

Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman says his city is deep into talks regarding a new 45,000-seat ballpark in downtown, adding that an American League team is involved. Two guesses as to what team he's alluding to, but be warned: Goodman's enthusiasm sometimes outpaces reality.

 

The Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies are moving to some pretty swank surroundings in Spring Training 2011, if the renderings released by HKS are any indication. We have lots of renderings of the new Phoenix-area camp set to open next year. We suspect fans of both teams will be thrilled with the results.

With Nolan Ryan now an owner of the Texas Rangers, it's widely expected that the Texas Triple-A affiliation will shift to the Round Rock Express from the Oklahoma City RedHawks. We also pass along some affiliation scuttlebutt.

A new ballpark may not be the only change for the Omaha Royals next season, as the team is soliciting suggestions for a new team name.

The city of Laredo and Ventura Sports, the owner of two independent American Association teams and another on the way, finalized their lease for a new $18 million ballpark set to open in 2012.

The three eastern teams controlled by Ken Young extended their player-development deals with the Baltimore Orioles through 2014.

Baker Field at Bill Taunton Stadium, home of the Willmar Stingers and the Minnesota state amateur baseball tournament, isn’t the showiest or most historic ballpark in summer-collegiate circles, but it’s certainly one of the most pleasant. Ryan Voz and Marc Jerzak, both vets of the circuit with various franchises, took a chance on bringing a team to this small central-Minnesota community, and we’re guessing it’s paid off: crowds have been consistently good, and we got the sense there’s already a lot of local support for their efforts.