Bull City Summer (x3)

The NC Museum of Art has announced its schedule for the Bull City Summer photography exhibition. It opens February 23rd and runs through August 31st. Read the NCMA news release.

Collaboration is a significant aspect of this project, and Raleigh’s Contemporary Art Museum will feature additional photography and video. That premier is May 15th. 

Additionally, some of the work will be on display at American Tobacco in Durham May-July. 

Ten photographers participated in the season-long BCS project, chronicling our 2013 season. That’s why it takes three venues to accommodate the full exhibition. 

The NCMA included this photograph from the exhibition with its news release...

Alec Soth, Center Field #2. Durham Bulls Athletic Park, 2013, archival 

pigment print, 40 x 50 in. (Courtesy of the artist, © 2013 Alec Soth)

It’s a portrait of Wil Myers in the outfield. A sports photographer would probably focus on the slugger at the plate, but Alec Soth was fascinated with the outfield - the expanse of turf, the solitary role of the outfielder.

Wil has received a ton of attention as the Rays’ top prospect and 2013 American League Rookie of the Year. Now he’s a still life in an art exhibition!

ACC Baseball Update

Team Durham made its presentation on Friday to the selection committee at ACC HQ in Greensboro. We're going after the ACC Baseball Championships full throttle. Host cities will be chosen for 2015-18 this spring. 

We want the ACC tournament back in the Bull City. (see November post) As a matter of fact, we've offered to become the permanent home…just like Birmingham has hosted the SEC since 1998…or Omaha's "ownership" of the NCAA baseball tourney.

Here are two of my favorite slides from the presentation. Casey Steinbacher, CEO of the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce, made these powerful points about our community...

Team Durham

A tip of the ball cap…to Hill Carrow of Sports & Properties and the Triangle Sports Commission. They have been instrumental in the preparation of Durham's bid.

Risk/Reward

A busload of folks from downtown Richmond visited Durham on Wednesday. They are debating a new ballpark for the Richmond Squirrels, and the group came here for a first hand view of Durham's renaissance - a revival that began with the 1995 opening of the Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

While every city has a unique personality, these ballpark projects have one thing in common. They are always controversial. 

“It was a risk,” Durham Mayor Bill Bell admitted to the Richmond visitors. “And I can tell you, everything you do is a risk. If you’re not prepared to do risk, you might as well get out of this business.” 

Durham's risk resulted in a high return: the Bulls moved up to Triple-A, the American Tobacco campus, the Durham Performing Arts Center and the unfolding revival of downtown. 

Media clips from the visit: Richmond Times-Dispatch | WWBT TV

A Tribute to Jerry Mach

When Capitol Broadcasting Co. purchased the Durham Bulls in 1991 we unknowingly acquired an asset that would become priceless to our patrons and staff. That asset was a “ballpark assistant” named Jerry Mach.

He passed away last week just a few days before his 83^rd birthday. The tributes on Facebook have been heartfelt from former employees and myriad interns who worked with Jerry over 2.5 decades. He was an eminently likeable man. Obituary.

With roots in the Bronx - and part-time stints with the Mets and Yankees - Jerry retired to Cary and took a seasonal job with the Bulls. His love of people, baseball and his un-southern accent made him a personality in our box office and at the main gate.

To his wife Joan and the family, we share your loss.