July 4, 2011

• Des Moines Register, wrap up prolific homestand with 8-1 victory http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20110703/SPORTS1402/110703016/Iowa-Cubs-wrap-up- prolific-homestand-with-8-1-victory?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Sports

• Knoxville News Sentinel, lifts Smokies past Mudcats, 6-5 http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2011/jul/04/ryan-flaherty-lifts-smokies-past-mudcats-6-5/

• Daytona Beach News-Journal, Jays rally past D-Cubs http://www.news-journalonline.com/sports/baseball/daytona-cubs/2011/07/04/jays-rally-past-d- cubs.html

• Peoria Journal Star, Clinton steals show from Chiefs in 10th http://www.pjstar.com/news/x1722639232/Clinton-steals-show-from-Chiefs-in-10th

• Statesman, More questions than answers on new stadium http://www.idahostatesman.com/2011/07/04/1714336/more-questions-than-answers-on.html

• Idaho Statesman, Hawks fall to Bears on road http://www.idahostatesman.com/2011/07/04/1714356/hawks-fall-to-bears-on-road.html

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Des Moines Register Iowa Cubs wrap up prolific homestand with 8-1 victory By: Randy Peterson

The Iowa Cubs struck gold during their longest homestand of the season — on the field and in the cash register.

Iowa wrapped up a two-week stay at Principal Park on Sunday night with an 8-1 victory against New Orleans before an announced crowd of 12,153.

The Cubs won 10 of 13 games against Memphis, Albuquerque and the Zephyrs, and they wrapped up the finale with the best pitching performance of the season. Jay Jackson pitched 8 1/3 innings, allowing eight hits and striking out three before leaving after New Orleans scored a meaningless in the ninth inning.

He was vying for Iowa’s first complete-game shutout since Sergio Mitre did it against Albuquerque in 2004.

“They were making contact, but they were hitting it to our guys,” said Jackson, who improved his record to 4-7. “Our guys play great defense. I’d say we have the best defense in all the minor leagues.”

Bryan LaHair clobbered his league-leading 23rd homer, a blast well beyond the right-field fence, against Sean West in the seventh. Also in the longball category, Iowa’s Fernando Perez hit his third homer, then robbed Josh Kroeger of an eighth-inning hit — and New Orleans of two runs — with a spectacular two- out catch against the fence.

“That’s what I mean,” Jackson said. “That was a great catch. He’s been doing that all season.”

Newcomer Marwin Gonzalez continued to hit triple-A pitching like a triple-A veteran — which he isn’t. The crafty shortstop had three hits Sunday, and enters tonight’s game at Oklahoma City with a .550 batting average after the first 20 triple-A at-bats of his life.

“Everything I do in baseball I owe to my dad,” said Gonzalez, 22, a legitimate Cubs’ prospect from Venezuela. “He taught me to play baseball when I was 5 years old. He worked with me every day.”

Marwin’s father, Mario, is a scout in the Tampa Bay Rays organization. Marwin’s brother, also Mario, is a scout in the Cubs system.

“I talk to them every day,” Marwin said. “Sometimes more than once a day.”

The prolific homestand unfolded before a total announced attendance of 104,690 for the 13-game, 12- day stay. Sunday’s throng was the second-largest of the season, and one of five above 10,000.

Sunday’s crowd also rewarded Jackson with his second standing ovation in as many years.

“Got one last year, too, and it was on the Fourth of July,” he said. “I love pitching on the Fourth — or around the Fourth. You always like playing when there’s that much energy and enthusiasm in the stands.”

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Knoxville News Sentinel Ryan Flaherty lifts Smokies past Mudcats, 6-5 By: Adam Greene

SEVIERVILLE — For the second night in a row, the ended an extra-inning game in walk-off fashion.

Ryan Flaherty sent a long fly ball bouncing off the center-field fence to bat in the winning run and give Tennessee a 6-5 win over the Carolina Mudcats at Smokies Park on Sunday night.

“These guys are battling,” Smokies manager Brian Harper said. “That was a good series. We won five out of six and they were good games.”

The Smokies (50-31, 7-4 second half) and the Mudcats (27-54, 4-7) played three extra-inning games in this series. Five of Tennessee’s past 11 games have gone to extra innings.

The Smokies again had trouble batting in baserunners, leaving 15 runners stranded Sunday.

Tennessee hits the road tonight to begin a four-game series against the Montgomery Biscuits. The Smokies return to Smokies Park on Friday for a four-game series against the Southern League North- leading Chattanooga Lookouts.

Flaherty’s RBI to win the game was an accident. When the team leader walked to the plate in the bottom of the 10th with runners on first and second, Harper called a bunt. With two tries, Flaherty bunted foul and was forced to swing.

“It was embarrassing that I couldn’t get the bunts down, so I had to myself somehow,” Flaherty said. “They ended up throwing me a fastball and I was able to hit it out there.”

Smokies starter Trey McNutt is still working his way back to full strength after his third stint on the disabled list. In just his third game back, McNutt pitched well for the first four innings, but had a disastrous fifth. McNutt gave up four hits, including a triple and a three-run homer to put Tennessee in the hole, 5-2.

McNutt pitched 5 2⁄3 innings, giving up 10 hits and five runs, all earned, with a walk and six .

“There were some positives tonight,” Harper said. “He (McNutt) had better breaking stuff. He ended up throwing 70 pitches. He hung a breaking ball to (Neftali) Soto for the three-run homer, but it was definitely better than his last two starts.”

The Smokies began chipping away at Carolina’s lead in the bottom of the fifth. Left fielder Rebel Ridling scored on a Matthew Spencer ground-out RBI with the bases loaded to pull within two.

Spencer picked up another RBI in the seventh on a single that scored catcher Steve Clevenger. Nelson Perez, who replaced an ejected , kept the spot in the line up productive with an RBI base hit that put first baseman across the plate to tie the game 5-5.

The Mudcats drew first blood in the second with a sacrifice fly from catcher James Skelton.

A Flaherty RBI single tied the game for the first time in the third. The Smokies took a 2-1 lead in the fourth with a Jackson RBI.

Notebook: Ridling extended his hitting streak to seven games. Ridling was 2-for-5 Sunday night. . . . McNutt has not recorded a win on the mound since April 26. McNutt (1-3) has made 15 pitching appearances this season.

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Daytona Beach News-Journal Jays rally past D-Cubs By: Staff

DUNEDIN -- The Daytona Cubs pounded out 12 singles and took an 8-6 lead with a five-run sixth, but could not hold off the Dunedin Blue Jays in a 9-8 loss Sunday.

Dustin Harrington went 3-for-4 and Jae-Hoon Ha 3-for-5 with two RBIs for the Cubs.

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Peoria Journal Star Clinton steals show from Chiefs in 10th LumberKings notch 3-2 victory to keep Chiefs tied for last in West By: DAVE REYNOLDS

For the 4,541 fans at O’Brien Field on Sunday night, two out of three wasn’t bad.

A pleasant evening in the 70s and a solid fireworks show took the sting out of a 3-2, 10-inning loss to Clinton in the first of a six-game homestand.

The Chiefs led 2-0 after four innings. But the LumberKings scored once in the fifth and seventh before winning it extras.

For the visitors in the 10th, Mike McGee doubled with one out, moved to third on Carlos Ramirez’s single and scored on Mickey Wiswall’s sacrifice fly.

“We had opportunities to execute offensively and we didn’t,” said Chiefs manager Casey Kopitzke. “First and third, nobody out (in the fifth) and first and second, nobody out (in the sixth, coming up empty both times). It comes down to execution offensively and defensively.”

The key blunder on defense was a two-out throwing error by third baseman Brandon May on a routine grounder in the seventh. The runner, Anthony Phillips, would score on a Carlton Tanabe single.

The Chiefs scored both runs in the third inning. Anthony Giansanti and May led off the frame with walks and Arismendy Alcantara dropped down a bunt single to load the bases.

One out later, Rubi Silva drove in one with a fielder’s choice groundout and Rohan followed with an RBI single.

Peoria dropped to 3-7 and is tied for last place in the second half of the ’s Western Division.

“We try not to think about the first half,” said Chiefs infielder/outfielder Greg Rohan. “This is kind of a new birth for us and we’re off to a little slow start. If we get our pitching and hitting going together, we can get the second half going.”

The Chiefs received a strong start by left-hander Graham Hicks, who yielded just one hit in five innings, leaving with a 2-1 lead.

After pitching four scoreless innings, Hicks ran into trouble in the fifth, walking two before McGee singled home Jetsy Extrano.

When Rohan misplayed the hit, Tanabe tried to score, but Rohan threw him out at the plate.

That ended the night for Hicks, who is working his way back from a shoulder irritation that landed him on the disabled list in May.

“I’m feeling good, feeling strong,” Hicks said. “ I need to build up my stamina back to where it was. But I did pretty good tonight.”

New Chief Daniel Berlind (0-2) took the loss, yielding three hits and a run in three innings of relief work.

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Idaho Statesman More questions than answers on new Boise Hawks stadium A city of Boise study indicates a need for a new Hawks facility, but the location and financing remain problems BY: BRIAN MURPHY

A city of Boise study indicates a need for a new Hawks facility, but the location and financing remain problems

It’s the biggest night of the season for the Boise Hawks and , their home for the past 22 years. The Fourth of July game and, mostly, the post-game fireworks traditionally attract the largest crowd of the season for the short-season baseball franchise.

But the Hawks, as has been the case for several years, are hoping for a more important event this year — the day the team can announce plans for a new stadium, possibly in Downtown Boise.

This year, the city of Boise commissioned a $20,000 analysis of the market viability of a multipurpose stadium. The 53-page report suggested that a new stadium would increase attendance at Hawks games from the current average of 2,800 to roughly 4,000 and it could host a variety of other sporting and community events.

The Hawks paid for their own study in 2010 and reached similar conclusions about the potential benefits and uses of a sports and entertainment complex in the Treasure Valley.

“The Hawks are a very important part of the Boise Valley and the Boise community. We want to do whatever we can to assure that they’re here for a long time,” said John Brunelle, the city’s economic development director.

“But we have to balance that against the other important needs in the community. We feel we’re doing our part by exploring.”

It’s really a five-step process, one that gets bogged down when the more difficult questions arise:

1. DO THE HAWKS NEED A NEW STADIUM?

Memorial Stadium was built in 1989 for a paltry $2 million in private money. At 22 years old, the stadium — like the minor league players who occupy it throughout the summer — should be entering its prime. Instead, the ballpark is outdated, in need of major upgrades and insufficient for the needs of a minor league team, Hawks general manager Todd Rahr said.

“Maintaining it gets more expensive each year,” he said.

It is estimated the Hawks will lose $3 million over the next 10 years without a new ballpark — and that represents the bare minimum of stadium upkeep.

On opening night, 21 chairs were broken. During last season, 60 chairs had to be replaced. The stadium lacks elevators and is not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The scoreboard does not feature video or the speed of the pitch, basic amenities that add to the ballpark experience. Much of the first-base bleachers are baked by the sun at night, making it an uncomfortable place to sit and forcing the Hawks to charge less for those seats.

“This place needs a face-lift,” said Oneri Fleita, the ’ vice president of player personnel, who was in town last week.

And that’s just the problems the fans can see. The Cubs have a long list of concerns they want addressed with their Boise affiliate.

The cramped clubhouse does not have enough space for upwards of 40 players, coaches and roving instructors. Nor are the two toilets and two urinals adequate. There is no room for film study, pre-game meals or relaxing for ballplayers who arrive at the park as early as 1 p.m. There is one batting cage, a tiny training room and an undersized dugout. There aren’t enough laundry facilities for on-site service.

Cubs owner Tom Ricketts is scheduled to visit Aug. 15 to inspect the facilities, part of his tour of the organization’s minor league parks.

“He’s made it known from Day One since he bought the club that he’s going to devote plenty of resources to scouting and player development and give us all the tools necessary to do our jobs and develop players and he’s going to provide the best facilities and expects the best facilities to allow the players to develop to accomplish one thing — and that’s win a World Series,” Fleita said.

Fleita praised the Boise fan base and its unique host-family system of housing players, and he said the Cubs, who have a contract with the Hawks through the 2012 season, don’t want to leave.

“No one is asking for the Taj Mahal, but look at the right-field wall,” Fleita said, pointing to the decaying corner. “That’s an accident waiting for a place to happen.”

If the Cubs were to leave, Boise is guaranteed a franchise in its current . But any major-league team would raise the same objections as the Cubs.

2. CAN THE AREA SUPPORT A FACILITY?

The numbers don’t stack up for a baseball-only facility that is used 38 times a year by the Hawks, who begin to play in June and end in September. So the Hawks and Boise examined multi-use facilities — venues that could host a variety of events to maximize usage.

“We think it’s irresponsible to come out and ask a municipality to build a facility used 38 times a year,” said Tim Hopkins of Boise-based Crimson Business Development, who has worked with the Hawks on the stadium issue. “We want to be a catalyst to assist the city. We’ll pay our fair share. But we need a new stadium.”

Among the potential uses of a new stadium in the Boise study: youth, high school and professional sporting events, including minor league soccer; concerts, corporate events and community celebrations; and a wintertime outdoor ice rink for public skating and hockey activities. The Hawks would be the primary tenant.

Boise’s study suggested 96 events at the stadium would draw 227,500 people. The Hawks’ study said the park could host as many as 166 events in a year.

Both studies indicated there is a need for such a facility, but Boise State’s Dona Larsen Park, located near the corner of Broadway Avenue and Warm Spring Avenue, could complicate factors. Dona Larsen Park, which is expected to open in fall 2013, is intended to host Boise State track and field events, high school football games and could “compete with the proposed multi-use stadium for certain high school and amateur sporting events,” according to the Boise study.

The study says that since both facilities would have a primary tenant — Boise State for Dona Larsen Park, the Hawks for a new facility — “both facilities have the potential to be successful even if they split a portion of the demand for other events.”

3. WHERE TO BUILD?

Memorial Stadium is on Glenwood Street in Garden City, adjacent to Les Bois Park and the Expo Idaho grounds. The Hawks own the structure and have a lease on the land with Ada County through 2039 for $1 per year.

Boise and Meridian have expressed interest in housing the team. Meridian considered its own study last year but balked after the Hawks refused to enter into an exclusive agreement with the city.

“We would love to see the stadium in Meridian. But we do not have the financing capacity to take on this project,” said Ashley Ford, the project manager for the Meridian Development Corporation. “We’re very supportive of the Hawks. We’ll find ways to help partner with them in ways that we can and have the authority to do so. But until they secure a site, it’s a lot of hearsay at this point.”

In a downtown urban model, a new ballpark requires at least 8 acres of land, Hopkins said. In a strictly suburban model, it would require 23 acres, he said. Boise has identified 15 locations that satisfy the land requirement, including at least two locations around 30th Street near the Greenbelt, but no site work has been done.

4. HOW MUCH WOULD IT COST?

The Boise study showed that the average Class A short-season ballpark built since 2000 “had a total project cost of $26.7 million.” The Hawks’ study pinned the number at $23.7 million.

The cost could vary depending on where the stadium was constructed and what work — land acquisition, demolition, utilities, infrastructure — was needed.

“Until you know where it’s going, it’s difficult to ascertain how much it’s going to cost,” Hopkins said. “It looks like $20 million is a number that makes some sense.”

Renovating Memorial Stadium into a multi-use facility could cost as much as $13 million, Hopkins said. A new stadium, in theory, would be expandable to someday lure a Class AAA — the highest level of the minor leagues — franchise to the Valley.

5. WHO WOULD PAY?

Here is where the new ballpark plan gets really complicated.

The Cubs are unlikely to get too heavily involved financially. They don’t own the club — it’s owned by a Houston group headed by Neil Leibman — and there are always cities looking to add . But the Cubs promise to lend their support anyway they can.

“We love Boise. We love the people here. They’ve been great to us,” Fleita said.

Brunelle said Boise, which seems the most interested at this point, has learned its lesson from other cities’ stadium deals, where financing decisions came back to haunt them.

“We can’t really get too far on this quickly because we know that the mayor is demanding iron-clad financing structure so no taxpayer dollars are at risk,” Brunelle said.

Having done the $20,000 study, Boise is tapped out, Brunelle said. It is not in a position to do further studies, including site studies, without help.

Hopkins said no one is discussing additional property taxes, sales tax or general obligation bonds to fund stadium construction. And without local-option taxing authority, municipalities have few alternatives. There is some urban renewal money available if it’s built in the right place, Hopkins said. He said the operation of the facility could pay for up to 70 percent of the debt service, but that still leaves 30 percent.

So barring a private citizen or business electing to build and finance the place, the new facility is in the same place it’s been for several years — stranded.

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Idaho Statesman Hawks fall to Bears on road By: Staff

Tyler Bream’s RBI double in the eighth inning lifted the to a 2-1 victory over Boise on Sunday night in Yakima, Wash.

Pin-Chieh Chen gave the Hawks (9-8) an early lead, driving in Travis Garcia in the third inning with a base hit. But Yakima (6-11) tied the game in the sixth on Jimmy Comerota’s RBI single.

Yao-Lin Wang was solid on the mound for Boise, allowing just one run and seven hits in five-plus innings.

Bears starting Teo Gutierrez pitched seven innings, allowing a run on four hits while striking out seven. Reliver Mike Blake earned the win. Bryce Shafer took the loss.

The teams return to Boise for a three-game series at Memorial Stadium starting at 7:35 p.m. today.