The Triple-A PCL Oklahoma City RedHawks today will hold a press conference "to announce RedHawks Field in Bricktown will be renamed after a casino." Team owner Mandalay Sports Entertainment sold the ballpark's naming rights "for an undisclosed sum" to the Newcastle Casino and the new name will be Newcastle Field at Bricktown. The name will mark "the fifth name change for the ballpark since it was built and paid for by city taxpayers" in '98 as part of the original Metropolitan Area Projects ( OKLAHOMAN, 4/4 ).
Meanwhile, the Triple-A Int'l League Charlotte Knights announced that the team has "lined up at least two long-term sponsorships" for a planned downtown ballpark. As part of a lease agreement for county-owned land, the Knights "had to show proof the team had secured two 'founding-level sponsors'" by the end of March. Officials did not reveal the sponsors ( CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 4/4 ).
