New Park for Braves

The Braves are moving to the suburbs! Or will be in 2017. Reports swimming around the deal reveal a lot of concerns for their new hosts.

Atlantic

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

@AndyGlockner, Sports Illustrated writer

Neil deMause

Jay Jaffe, Sports Illustrated

You get the point.

Also, Atlanta's mayor, Kasim Reed, announced that the city refused to shoulder the $250 million cost of improving Turner Field, and the poor neighborhood will be the site of a large "middle class" development. They've already committed at least $200 million to fund a new football stadium, less than 20% of the estimated cost.


But how will this truly effect the new location, Cobb County? The AP decided to end any debate -  
"For Cobb County, the benefits of the project are clearly worth any risk."

Yankees Fans Unable To Save Old Gate

From NY1

"The Parks Department will not be incorporating the old Yankee Stadium's historic Gate Two into the design of the new Heritage Field.

Some Yankees fans say they want to preserve the old Yankee gate to use as an entrance to Heritage Park, the 10-acre park slated to be built on the site.

Officials say it would cost too much money to restore the gate and build a proper structure for it, and they say some community groups did not want the gate restored at the expense of the public park space."

video report

Miami Vice

Miami-Dade County approved financing for Marlins stadium in Miami’s Little Havana.

The county is on the hook for $342 million in short-term financing, instead of $347 million for the on the $640 million stadium and infrastructure.

The New York Times raises some questions.
"County officials faced yawning budget gaps, potential layoffs and cuts in social services. Yet they forged ahead, anyway, largely dismissing voter opposition and the lessons learned elsewhere that new stadiums sometimes fail to deliver the economic punch promised in forecasts and that the public financing for them can handcuff future generations.

“'Even as the numbers got worse, the mayors viewed it as an unacceptable political defeat, so they continued,' said Dario Moreno, the director of the Metropolitan Center, a public-policy research group."

Do you know the way?

A's owner Lew Wolff

Talk of a new ballpark for the A's, stalled in committee over at MLB, has heated up with a renewed effort by team owner Lew Wolff to move the team to San Jose. The old plan in Fremont died months ago. SJ gov't issued a glowing economic projection, which is viewed with some skepticism by some. Staying in Oakland, with a terrible field and the second-worst attendance in the majors, is not an option. Stay tuned.

A good deal for tickets

Have you seen this on a NY newspaper's website?

Reader Gary Cicio, NYC podiatrist, did the research, and asks us to choose one of the two options to see a Mariners-Yankees game this season, and from the very best seats:

Option 1: Two tickets to Tuesday night, June 30, Mariners at Yanks, cost for just the tickets, $5,000.

Option 2: Two round-trip airline tickets to Seattle, Friday, Aug. 14, return Sunday the 16th, rental car for three days, two-night double occupancy stay in four-star hotel, two top tickets to both the Saturday and Sunday Yanks-Mariners games, two best-restaurant-in-town dinners for two. Total cost, $2,800. Plus-frequent flyer miles.