Charles Schwab Field Omaha (TDAPO)

[Brad]

Hopefully they could incorporate it in to a new Center-field "Battery's Eye" too. Nothing like a beautiful Multi-Million Dollar ballpark and a $5 wall in center field.

[skinzfan23]

Group that runs CWS wants to ramp up saving for new scoreboard, other ballpark work

The organization that runs the College World Series wants to start saving more money for upkeep and upgrades at TD Ameritrade Park, such as buying a new scoreboard.

Diesing said the $2.2 million in the capital reserve fund for the park won’t cover the kind of work that needs to be done. He gave no timeline for the upgrades.
About $500,000 a year goes into the capital reserve fund; Diesing said he was not sure how much more would be needed.

[Brad]

Seems odd they want a new scoreboard. The one at TD still really seems nice.

[Linkin5]

Seems odd they want a new scoreboard. The one at TD still really seems nice.

It makes no sense. Maybe spend that money on trying to find another tenant or using the ballpark more than a month out of the year. This is a complete waste of money.

[Athomsfere]

Seems odd they want a new scoreboard. The one at TD still really seems nice.

It makes no sense. Maybe spend that money on trying to find another tenant or using the ballpark more than a month out of the year. This is a complete waste of money.

More than 1 month out of the year? Doesn't Creighton use the field for their season?

[MTO]

Finding more uses is Omaha's issue the NCAA couldn't care less.

[nebugeater]

Finding more uses is Omaha's issue the NCAA couldn't care less.

Who said it was the NCAA's issue?

[cdub]

Will be interesting to see how much push the NCAA has or uses. So much for 25 years if they can ask for the world every 5!

[BRoss]

I don't think they are wanting to replace the scoreboard right away, they just want the money to be in place for when they need to.

[nebugeater]

I don't think they are wanting to replace the scoreboard right away, they just want the money to be in place for when they need to.

We have a WINNER!!

[Linkin5]

I don't think they are wanting to replace the scoreboard right away, they just want the money to be in place for when they need to.

We have a WINNER!!

How much you wanna bet they will "need to" within the next couple years?

[nebugeater]

I don't think they are wanting to replace the scoreboard right away, they just want the money to be in place for when they need to.

We have a WINNER!!

How much you wanna bet they will "need to" within the next couple years?

5 years out

[Brad]

Getting new sod.

1.

2.

3.

4.

[BRoss]

What's the purpose of this? Was the old field getting worn?

[Brad]

What's the purpose of this? Was the old field getting worn?

I always noticed that you could still see the outline of the stage from the Red Sky how many years later...

[skinzfan23]

What's the purpose of this? Was the old field getting worn?

I always noticed that you could still see the outline of the stage from the Red Sky how many years later...

I was going to mention that same thing, but I wasn't absolutely positive....now that you mentioned it though, it was definitely the case. Either way, the turf looks 10x better than it did at Rosenblatt.

[Brad]

New grass going in today!

[Brad]

I made a video showing the first 10 years of TD Ameritrade Park Omaha

[youtube][/youtube]

[Greg S]

Great video!

Greg

[Omaha Cowboy]

Nice video Brad ...

Ciao..LiO...Peace

[skinzfan23]

CWS Inc. unveils new way to teach visitors about event's history and city of Omaha

An interactive touch screen was unveiled Tuesday morning at the base of the steps leading up to Gate 1, just a few feet away from the picture-friendly “Road to Omaha” sculpture.

The 65-inch video board has more than 1,000 display pages of information about the ballpark and the CWS. Users can access a 360-degree image of the field, view photos and videos of past CWS award winners and championship teams, and examine a landmark-heavy map of the city.

SectorNow, a Lincoln-based company that specializes in touch-screen technology, made a pitch two years ago to produce the video board. The Douglas County Visitor Improvement Fund covered the cost.

The screen incorporates a layer of infrared light to ensure it properly responds to the touch of a finger. It is protected by a weatherproof box, and there are fans inside the mounted case to cool the monitor in the summer.

The hope is that Tuesday’s unveiling will be just the first of many, according to Morrissey. Maybe in a couple of years, she’d like to have helpful video kiosks outside the stadium box office or along 10th Street, where the general admission line forms on CWS game days.

“We took a chance on it,” Morrissey said. “I’m not aware of anything like this around here. So we’re excited.”

[Greg S]

Article on TD sitting empty for a year. Other than a few games this year, it will have really sat empty from the HR derby last year unit CU baseball next year.

Greg

[Omahacritic]

I wonder if our civic “leaders” tried to get any events here. Even if it didn’t work out, did they try or just say “oh well” and walk away.?

[Louie]

I wonder if our civic “leaders” tried to get any events here. Even if it didn’t work out, did they try or just say “oh well” and walk away.?

What events would they have attracted? It's nigh impossible to plan a large event with the circumstances. Barring an exception that I may be missing?

[Omahacritic]

I wonder if our civic “leaders” tried to get any events here. Even if it didn’t work out, did they try or just say “oh well” and walk away.?

What events would they have attracted? It's nigh impossible to plan a large event with the circumstances. Barring an exception that I may be missing?

One thing I mentioned in April ... try to get some Major League Baseball games here. We knew by May 1 that it was not going to be a normal season. And with the plans they announced now, we see how true that is.

Imagine if someone had suggested getting 3 or 4 teams here, and play a round robin format. Cuts travel somewhat, Omaha is safer than the Major Metro markets. Sell it as bringing MLB to the masses. (Same thing in a handful of other cities).

Hey ... is it dreaming? Yes. Would the pitch have had a 10% chance of success? Probably no. Any harm in asking? None.

But, you can never steal 2nd base if your foot stays on 1st.

[Garrett]

I wonder if our civic “leaders” tried to get any events here. Even if it didn’t work out, did they try or just say “oh well” and walk away.?

What events would they have attracted? It's nigh impossible to plan a large event with the circumstances. Barring an exception that I may be missing?

One thing I mentioned in April ... try to get some Major League Baseball games here. We knew by May 1 that it was not going to be a normal season. And with the plans they announced now, we see how true that is.

Imagine if someone had suggested getting 3 or 4 teams here, and play a round robin format. Cuts travel somewhat, Omaha is safer than the Major Metro markets. Sell it as bringing MLB to the masses. (Same thing in a handful of other cities).

Hey ... is it dreaming? Yes. Would the pitch have had a 10% chance of success? Probably no. Any harm in asking? None.

But, you can never steal 2nd base if your foot stays on 1st.

So you’d have teams, coaches, and whatever support staff travel across the country from these larger markets where the virus is more severe to play in an empty stadium in Omaha... why exactly?

[Brad]

Great video!

Greg

Nice video Brad ...

Ciao..LiO...Peace

Thanks Guys!

[Omahacritic]

I wonder if our civic “leaders” tried to get any events here. Even if it didn’t work out, did they try or just say “oh well” and walk away.?

What events would they have attracted? It's nigh impossible to plan a large event with the circumstances. Barring an exception that I may be missing?

One thing I mentioned in April ... try to get some Major League Baseball games here. We knew by May 1 that it was not going to be a normal season. And with the plans they announced now, we see how true that is.

Imagine if someone had suggested getting 3 or 4 teams here, and play a round robin format. Cuts travel somewhat, Omaha is safer than the Major Metro markets. Sell it as bringing MLB to the masses. (Same thing in a handful of other cities).

Hey ... is it dreaming? Yes. Would the pitch have had a 10% chance of success? Probably no. Any harm in asking? None.

But, you can never steal 2nd base if your foot stays on 1st.

So you’d have teams, coaches, and whatever support staff travel across the country from these larger markets where the virus is more severe to play in an empty stadium in Omaha... why exactly?

But first I’ll reply ... “why exactly? .... RENT

Will stadiums be 100% empty in August and September? Unknown. But if they think they can have fans at NCAA Football, they can have 5000-10000 at a baseball game in a Omaha.

Travel. In a normal season a team flys into a city, plays 3 games and then fly out to another city. 9 or 10 games in 11 days.
In theory, 4 teams could fly into Omaha, play the games without the added travel. Maybe some double headers to shorten the trip.
Why would MLB do it? Marketing. New fans. Fewer hotels should mean less chance of contamination. Fewer flights on planes. Easier for player families. Easier for TV and radio networks. As of right now, Omaha is fewer cases (Per capita) of Virus than most MLB cities.

Just thoughts. Workable? In some ways yes. Does MLB need it? A Sales Person job is to convince them they do need it.

So the question I ask YOU ... exactly, why not?

[TitosBuritoBarn]

So the question I ask YOU ... exactly, why not?

Well, they have their own empty stadiums.

And playing games in markets without teams comes across as a big FU to fans in a team’s home market after they have been waiting half of summer for baseball to start with a drastically shortened season. That is if fans are even allowed to come to games. If they’re not then what’s the point from MLB’s perspective?

[Greg S]

I thought they might try and schedule some of the postponed high school graduations at TD. You could properly space and be outside. Would be a safer alternative.

Greg

[GetUrban]

So the question I ask YOU ... exactly, why not?

Well, they have their own empty stadiums.

And playing games in markets without teams comes across as a big FU to fans in a team’s home market after they have been waiting half of summer for baseball to start with a drastically shortened season. That is if fans are even allowed to come to games. If they’re not then what’s the point from MLB’s perspective?

With so many places scaling back reopening now in early July with the resurgence of new cases nationwide, it seems even more unlikely now. I wouldn’t be surprised if Omaha started seeing a greater resurgence soon too, with the recent lifting of restrictions in Nebraska.

[Linkin5]

There is no way the MLB was going to move games to Omaha, come on now.

[Omahacritic]

So the question I ask YOU ... exactly, why not?

Well, they have their own empty stadiums.

And playing games in markets without teams comes across as a big FU to fans in a team’s home market after they have been waiting half of summer for baseball to start with a drastically shortened season. That is if fans are even allowed to come to games. If they’re not then what’s the point from MLB’s perspective?

No, I asked you why you wouldn’t try. I could think of a 1000 reasons MLB might say no. But there might have been one reason they said yes.

[Omahacritic]

There is no way the MLB was going to move games to Omaha, come on now.

Like I said, you can’t steal 2nd Base with your foot stuck on 1St Base.

The real question ... what to lose more than a few man hours of work? When you are sitting on an asset that is decaying from disuse, the job of a City Leader is to pull out the stops and try to make something happen. Big things don’t happen when a leader says it can’t happen.

And sometimes, because you tried, something better happens.

[Linkin5]

There is no way the MLB was going to move games to Omaha, come on now.

Like I said, you can’t steal 2nd Base with your foot stuck on 1St Base.

The real question ... what to lose more than a few man hours of work? When you are sitting on an asset that is decaying from disuse, the job of a City Leader is to pull out the stops and try to make something happen. Big things don’t happen when a leader says it can’t happen.

And sometimes, because you tried, something better happens.

Maybe they did throw it out there and were turned down, the world may never know.

Although, I would go back to a previous point of “why would they offer hosting MLB games?” Why would Omaha want to have people flying in all throughout the country during the pandemic? Why would Omaha want to host an event in TD Ameritrade with limited to no fans? Running the facility most likely would have cost more than any admissions, and the MLB sure as he!l would not have paid to play here.

I think we can all agree that the ballpark needs to find more uses, but you are really missing the mark by criticizing MECA or the city for not trying to offer up the stadium in this situation.

[Greg S]

There is no way the MLB was going to move games to Omaha, come on now.

I would assume MLB has at least explored back up plans as some states are dramatically climbing in cases and hospitalizations. You would also need to be prepared if local governments step in and say no to games if things decline.

Greg

[Omahacritic]

There is no way the MLB was going to move games to Omaha, come on now.

Like I said, you can’t steal 2nd Base with your foot stuck on 1St Base.

The real question ... what to lose more than a few man hours of work? When you are sitting on an asset that is decaying from disuse, the job of a City Leader is to pull out the stops and try to make something happen. Big things don’t happen when a leader says it can’t happen.

And sometimes, because you tried, something better happens.

So ... what is your idea?
Maybe they did throw it out there and were turned down, the world may never know.

Although, I would go back to a previous point of “why would they offer hosting MLB games?” Why would Omaha want to have people flying in all throughout the country during the pandemic? Why would Omaha want to host an event in TD Ameritrade with limited to no fans? Running the facility most likely would have cost more than any admissions, and the MLB sure as he!l would not have paid to play here.

I think we can all agree that the ballpark needs to find more uses, but you are really missing the mark by criticizing MECA or the city for not trying to offer up the stadium in this situation.

If you never ask, the answer is always no.

What does Omaha get?
TOT (Tax on hotel rooms, restaurant, rental cars and so on.)
Jobs (and income tax) ... 5 hotels would get the occupancy, if even for a few days. Maybe not full occupancy, but 50% is better than 30%. Plus the trickle down spending.
Television exposure...
Relationships... most the Owners of the Teams are business people. With businesses that might want to expand, or even move offices or plants someday.
Fans in the stands ... we don’t know the fan restrictions at this point. But it’s fair to say they will be no more limited here than in the Major cities. 5000 fans in the stands? Possible.
MLB ... they might need a back-up plan anyway.

Originally, I thought it up as a one time Spring Training location for a handful of teams. Sure beats Phoenix this time of year. And, easier to do.

What was there for Omaha to lose?

[nebugeater]

So with Canada saying that Toronto cannot play their home games at home with the crossing the boarder frequency they need a "Home". Can I assume that MECA and Omaha are going all out to bright the games here?

[Omahacritic]

Had they been proactive in April and May it might have become the easy fallback plan for MLB.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

[zippy]

So with Canada saying that Toronto cannot play their home games at home with the crossing the boarder frequency they need a "Home". Can I assume that MECA and Omaha are going all out to bright the games here?

And we're already used to cheering for Bluejays!