November 24, 1930
The Uplantic Association’s executives met with players and their agents this month during the Winter Meetings in Tiny Sea. The Winter Meetings were not as busy as in previous years, since the free agent market this offseason is much smaller than in past offseasons that saw massive talent migration from touring clubs. The addition of a second professional league in the NPL has also made for a smaller pool of unemployed ballplayers.
The most talked-about event at the Winter Meetings was a vote between owners over whether the league should allow teams to sell the naming rights of their stadiums to third-party companies. The call to vote comes in the wake of the Board’s denial of Micah Thurman’s plan to rename the Chargers’ ballpark after a Taawa gadget manufacturer.
Bullpen badboy Pedro Pultudos has led the media on a rollercoaster ride over which UA team he will sign with for the 1931 season.
News:
- Chargers owner Micah Thurman announces today that Sapfoot Stadium will be known as Wright Electric Stadium starting in 1931. Wright Electric is a Taawa-based company that mass produces household electronic gadgets. (11/3)
- Salvation brings talented RHP Julian Marquez to their squad in a trade with Northsouth. Marquez returns to Salvation, where he played in 1928. The Guardians receive young 2B Bob White. (11/3)
- The UA Board of Directors announces that it has temporarily blocked the Taawa Chargers’ planned stadium sponsorship deal, pending review by the league. Chargers owner Micah Thurman announced the planned change yesterday. However, he and his staff were unaware that stadium naming must be approved by the league. The timetable for the review of the “Wright Electric Stadium” name is unknown. (11/4)
- The Bears are rumored to be close to a deal with reliever Pedro Pultudos. Pultudos has made numerous contradictory statements to the media about his interest in joining the Bears, along with teasing Deerborn and Salvation as possible destinations. The White Sox front office has denied any contact with Pultudos after his contract with the team ended in 1930. His attempt to play the teams against each other may be working, if the rumors of a Pultudos deal in Platte are to be believed. (11/4)
- The UA Board of Directors has released its conclusion in the matter of the renaming of Sapfoot Stadium in Taawa. They said in a press release: “We have denied the Chargers’ request to sell their stadium’s naming rights as an advertisement for a third-party company. We find that this sort of brazen commercial pursuit denigrates the sanctity of our game. We will, however, leave this matter up to the owners. The UA owners will hold a vote at the Winter Meetings next week. If the owners prefer to sell their ballparks to advertisers, we will allow it. Of course, the Board will still have to approve any naming choices in this event, to ensure that all associations with our product remain wholesome and in line with the UA’s mission statement and code of conduct.” (11/7)
- Uplantic Association Winter Meetings begin today in Tiny Sea City. RP Pedro Pultudos, RP Jeff Tardif, and 3B Peter Feliz remain the top free agents on the market. (11/10)
- RHP Armando Rokodriguez shocks the baseball world by joining the Plains City Reapers in the NPL. He’ll make $2.24 million over the next two seasons. Rokodriguez was an All-Star with the Stags in 1928. (11/11)
- Pedro Pultudos continues to bait the media, moving today from the Bears to the Brothers. He told a reporter for Sports in Print: “Tiny Sea is a real nice place. I liked what they had to say. We’ll see, we will see.” (11/12)
- The Chargers continue to rebuild, shipping veteran RHP Orlando “Mayday” Nunez to the Bears in exchange for 19-year old 3B George Stouffer. Nunez held the UA record for strikeouts in a season with 164 until Platte’s Justin Russell broke the record this year with 167. (11/12)
- The UA owners narrowly vote to restrict the naming of team stadiums and other league entities. Anything deemed by the board to be a “third party advertisement for a company or product, paid or unpaid” will not be allowed to lend its name to a UA stadium, at least for now. Owners also vote to prohibit on-field advertising, and limit stadium advertising to a Board-approved level. Commissioner Jim Windsor said in an official statement: “Our league showed today that it values the sanctity of the game of baseball over making a quick buck. It might seem like an easy choice when there’s money on the table, but over time, the traditions we build today will inform the greatness of this league for generations to come.” Per league rules, the naming rights question will be up for a vote again after the 1933 season. Sapfoot Stadium will keep its name for at least the 1931 season, although rumor has it that the team will purchase the stadium in its entirety from Lowki Sapfoot, who has been leasing the ballpark to the team since its inception in 1924. (11/13)
- The Kings land RHP Alfonso Lopetakaz in a cross-league trade with the Trail Blazers. The rebuilding Blazers receive four prospects in the deal, headlined by 19-year old switch-hitting phenom Michael Pratt. (11/17)
- RHP Gustavo Retoyes jumps back to the UA after a stellar season with the Reapers in the NPL. He joins the Brothers bullpen on a 2-year deal. (11/23)
- RHP Jeff Starks signs a 2-year contract with the Carp after helping the Canaries win the NPL in 1930. (11/23)
Uplantic Sports Today 