What can’t a new ballpark do? The Birmingham Barons (Class AA; Southern League) have sold out Opening Day for the first time in more than 20 years, as fans are flocking to Regions Field. The team previously played at Regions Park, a rather spacious (10,000+ capacity) venue that was always a challenge to fill. Not […]
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Barons: We’ll be playing at new ballpark in ’13
It seems a little hurried to us, but Birmingham Barons (Class AA; Southern League) management says they’ll be ready to play at a new downtown ballpark next season. It’s an issue constantly being addressed by GM Jonathan Nelson: whether Regions Field will be open for play next April. The answer is yes. “There’s still an […]
SEC tourney live and streaming
There’s some awfully good baseball being played at the annual SEC baseball tournament, and ESPN is streaming game coverage via the SEC website. The tourney, from Hoover’s Regions Park, is annually one of the better showcases for college talent anywhere: the SEC is pretty clearly the best conference in college baseball and its schools attracts […]
One benefit of new Birmingham ballpark: driving down open industrial space
Here’s one benefit to a new Birmingham Barons (Class AA; Southern League) ballpark no one saw coming: the downtown industrial real-estate occupancy rate went way up. In fact, the vacancy rate is down to a current 11.9 percent from 16.5 percent in the fourth quarter of 2011, reports the Birmingham Business Journal. Causing the huge […]
Birmingham mulls changes in ballpark design team
We sense a little Schadenfreude in the air: Birmingham Mayor William Bell is seeking to eliminate two local architects from the design team for a new downtown Birmingham Barons (Class AA; Southern League) ballpark. The Birmingham News is reporting the mayor’s office is working to remove Giattina Aycock Architecture Studio and Hoskins Architecture from the […]
Birmingham: Design of new ballpark still evolving
Though final demolition plans for a new Birmingham Barons (Class AA; Southern League) ballpark site are now set, the final design of Regions Field won’t be presented for approval until April. This means the pretty renderings we’ve been showing from HKS are conceptual at this point. But that’s OK: readers of this site seem to […]
New for 2013: Regions Field
Regions Bank will keep its naming-rights deal with the Birmingham Barons (Class AA; Southern League), as the team’s new downtown ballpark will be known as Regions Field when it opens in 2013. The Barons had a naming-rights/branding deal with Regions Bank at their current home, Regions Park in suburban Hoover. That relationship will continue at […]
American Association: We’d be interested in Hoover team
Commissioner Miles Wolff says the independent American Association is interested in placing a team at Regions Park, set to be vacated in 2013 by the Birmingham Barons (Class AA; Southern League). The Barons are set to move to a new downtown ballpark for the 2013 season, assuming construction goes smoothly. That would leave Regions Park, […]
Birmingham: We’re close to finalizing Barons ballpark plans
With 80 percent of the land needed for a new Birmingham Barons (Class AA; Southern League) ballpark already acquired, the city of Birmingham says it’s on the verge of moving ahead with a new downtown facility. The site, across from Railroad Park, will feature a new $50-million ballpark with 8,500 seats, 26 suites (20 sold […]
Birmingham reviewing alternate ballpark sites
Though Mayor William Bell says a proposed downtown Birmingham ballpark site is still in Railroad Park, city officials will begin reviewing other potential ballpark sites, including some city-owned parcels that could bring down the cost of the project. One such parcel is land near the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex. Indeed, city officials have already asked […]
Boston Pops to expand ballpark tour in 2011
Fresh off a successful appearance at Pawtucket’s McCoy Stadium last summer, the Boston Pops is embarking on a 10-city Minor League Ballparks tour this summer, stretching from Birmingham, Alabama, to Buffalo, New York, August 16-30. On the bill with the Pops: singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins. The tour program features music inspired by three of this country’s favorite […]
Birmingham ballpark situation more complicated than anticipated
The Birmingham City Council has agreed on a funding plan for a new downtown ballpark to house the Birmingham Barons (Class AA; Southern League), but they can’t agree on the location — a situation complicated by balky ballpark-area landowners. Mayor William Bell has been upfront about where he wanted to see a new downtown ballpark: […]
SEC tourney site selection goes down to the wire
Southeastern Conference officials are close to recommending a site — or sites, as it ends up — for the annual baseball tournament in coming years, and so far it seems like Hoover has a slight advantage in landing the event once again. The annual SEC baseball tournament has become a big event, with crowds of […]