FULL WEDNESDAY: Buzz at The Birdcage — Patrick Lalley on stadium future as Canaries keep hitting and winning big / Is it Caitlin Clark or bust for WNBA viewing?
Bad news for those who were hoping for a new downtown baseball stadium in Sioux Falls: It isn't happening. Public sentiment and political forces in the city drove the Canaries owners' movement for that away, as the city-purchased "Riverline District," for now, is set to be occupied by a new convention center (with plenty of financial and political obstacles to overcome first). Good news, though, for Canaries fans and baseball lovers: The current 61-year-old city baseball stadium on the Events Center campus took another step toward preservation and restoration last week when it became public that Mayor Paul TenHaken set aside $11 million for improvements to The Birdcage over the next five years in his Capital Improvement Plan. Things like new field lighting, bathroom remodels, and sorely-needed visiting locker room and umpire room renovations are part of that plan. The bigger picture — The Canaries and The Birdcage are a priority, at least to the current mayor, who will leave the actual execution of the plan to a new mayor and city council members once he is out of office in 2026. In a world where the future is uncertain for minor league baseball nationally, there is still a place for it in Sioux Falls. In an hour-long conversation, Happy Hour host and Canaries promoter/entertainer John Gaskins chats with Sioux Falls Live editor and political reporter Patrick Lalley — a lifelong Sioux Falls resident — about The Birdcage, the Canaries' recent three-year surge in on-field performance and ownership-funded ballpark improvements, the club and the sport's club's place in the community, and the last 30 years of sports facility politics in the ever-growing city. First, a new arena. Then, a new baseball park. Build it downtown and they will come? We'll never know. So, how did we wind up back at The Birdcage for the Canaries, and is it both the best spot for them and the best thing to occupy that space? Before that... Perhaps you're familiar with the "Sports Illustrated jinx" from a past era, when your favorite team likely lost the next game after it appeared on the cover of the once-revered magazine. More modernly, you're likely familiar with the "Madden jinx" — dawn the cover of the video game and you'll get hurt or your team will tank shortly thereafter. But when it comes to Happy Hour, at least on Tuesday, it is a reverse affect: The "Happy Hour Hike." Or Happy Hour Buzz, or whatever. There was plenty of buzz at The Birdcage again, as the Sioux Falls Canaries spiked their league-best home record to 15-7 with a 4-2 win over the Lincoln Saltdogs. The offensive propeller was Augustana's all-time best hitter and Tuesday's Happy Hour guest Jordan Barth, who went 3-for-4 and was a triple short of the cycle, with a 2-run homer that tied the game at 2-2 in the fourth inning. The Canaries are still by far the American Association of Professional Baseball's leaders in scoring and home runs and also hold the lead in hits, doubles, triples, RBIs, and total bases. Barth's former Augie teammate Tanner Brown held down the pitching fort with 7 strong innings (5 hits, 4 strikeouts) to boost his record to 4-2, while USF alumnus Josh Rehwaldt — the league's most-feared and best all-around slugger (.383, 14 HR, 45 RBI) — collected another hit. Gaskins re-emphasizes why now is a better time than ever to stop watching the miserable Minnesota Twins — who had another historically putrid game at the plate — and catch the buzz at The Birdcage. Plus, some words about the latest example of the "Caitlin Clark Effect." If she doesn't play, do we not watch or care about the WNBA? Mostly, yes. And the reasons go well beyond the WNBA or even Caitlin Clark, at least in Gaskins' case.
USA