Tornado warning

 

And no, I’m not referring to today’s local meteorological events - next up on our continued team profiles is Worcester.  Hard to believe, but the team was named after a particularly destructive tornado which touched down in Worcester, Massachusetts on June 9, 1953.  Hard to believe because it killed 94 people.  And to think we were worried about the team name here in Ottawa…

Worcester joined the Can-Am League in 2005, winning the league championship right out of the gate with a three game sweep of Les Capitales de Quebec.  Quite a feat, and well deserved for a city that had been without pro baseball for 75 years.  In 2007, they finished with a record of 43-51 but fourth in attendance with an average of 2,267 fans over 53 home games.  The Tornadoes make their home in Hanover Insurance Park at Fitton Field, which is located on the campus of the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester.  The stadium was constructed in just over three months - no small feat, retrofitting a 100 year old facility to seat 3,000 people in a completely open air environment.  Notables who made appearances at Fitton Field include Casey Stengel, Babe Ruth, Ted Williams and Lou Gehrig.

The city population is pegged at just slightly shy of 176,000 and is a little more than 40 miles from Boston.  Competition for the sports entertainment dollar include not just the Red Sox, but the “New England Surge” (an indoor football team) and the “Worcester Sharks“, an AHL hockey team affiliated with San Jose of the NHL. 

The team has local radio coverage of its games (WTAG 580) and appears to have good exposure at “Worcester Love” - a “video guide to Worcester county” (see vid below).

We may have to add Fitton Field to our list of Can-AM parks to visit this summer.  Ottawa visits Worcester in June (13-15) and again in August (22-24).

More later - if time permits.

The Brockton Rox

Time to continue profiling the competition.

The Brockton Rox (or Rocks - their jerseys sport both) began play in the Can-AM League in 2005.  Prior to 2005, Brockton had played for two seasons in the Northeast League, with their 2002 inaugural season in the Northern League.   The Rocks lead the season in attendance last year (169,999 - couldn’t squeeze that last fan in to reach 170K!), which translates to a 3,333 fan average over the 51 games played at Campanelli Stadium (in Brockton, Massachussetts).  Campanelli, constructed in 2002 is the newest stadium in the league and seats 4,750 - a perfect size for Indy or MiLB ball. 

Like Ottawa, Brockton can claim a Saturday Night Live connection: Bill Murray is part owner of the Rocks (there are eight in total).  Of the teams I’ve looked at so far, Brockton looks like one Ottawa will want to emulate - solid attendance, quality baseball and a high “fun factor”.  Local radio carries all of their games and they’ve got an internet broadcast as well - community cable looks after television:

Brockton is a city of just under 100,000 - so to get 3.5 people of every 100 out to a ball game is pretty impressive.  I’ve made the comparison before, but if Ottawa were to draw as well, we should get roughly 35,000 people out to each game - put another way, we need to draw 3 people for every 1000 to keep pace with Brockton.  The comparison is a little skewed (Brockton is a scant 20 miles from Boston, with their regional population of over 4 million - but you get the idea).

Quick, “six degrees of seperation” type factoid - potential Ottawa managerial candidate Ed Nottle managed Dennis “Oil Can” Boyd in Boyd’s return to professional ball in 2005.  Oil Can, as many will recall, was here last summer in the Lynx’s “Salute to the Expos” in July.  Could Ottawa snag “the Can” for a start or two?

In the presence of greatness

Funny thing is, the guys who are truly just that good are never the ones that trumpet their own accomplishments.  Unlike the pretenders who have to ask “Do you know who I am?”, the “accomplished” leave the talking for others.  It’s extremely gratifying - heartening actually, to see a guy who pours his heart and soul into his work begin to receive some of the deserved recognition -  I’m speaking of course about Mr. Neate Sager.  In an interview over on Epic Carnival, Neate was glowingly referred to as “the best Canadian blogger in the business” - and we’re not asking for a recount. 

Money quote:

Blogging ain’t journalism (of course, it’s just my luck I type this before this went up on Deadspin) . On some level, it’s like people shooting the s–t around the bar in response to what’s on one of the TVs mounted overhead; it’s not meant to be taken seriously, which is what that thin-skinned Frank D’Angelo could never understand. Yes, you have to be entertaining, but on some level, you gotta provide some context in the wake of the news, going into depth in a way the papers and TV can’t or won’t, focusing on a couple areas of keen interest. (The genius of KSK is they pull this off while being profane; same for Drunk Jays Fans up here in Canada.) Paraphrasing Bill Hicks, we ought to be aiming to be Bill James with dick jokes. And there’s always the good-natured mockery that we do here at Epic Carnival, of course.

We should be trying to push back against that. We’ve got the KSKs, but I’m not equipped for that… if it means less traffic and more informed readership, so be it. So long as we put a few ideas out there that eventually get to the general audience. Yes, I am definitely blogging sober and thinking too hard.

Of course, I’m happy to see that Neate’s getting noticed, but it’s not without some trepidation.  Like a Lynx fan, watching some young pitcher ripping it up - you enjoy it, but you know that sooner or later the big club’s gonna’ take notice of the talent on the farm.  We hope Neate will hang around long enough to post a bit more on the UOC-Ablog before he’s scooped up.

In a related note, we’re glad to see that the Universal Cynic is back in business.  Best wishes, Erin!

Stringing them along

The Jays have extended their affiliation agreements with their farm clubs in Auburn, N.Y., Lansing and New Hampshire.

No mention of Syracuse. Ooh… by deductive reasoning, that must mean…

Maybe. But not really.

(End sarcasm.) 

More news

Those of you who made an entry in the “Name the team contest” will have already seen this, but for the few of you who didn’t participate, here’s part of what went out:

“Thank you very much for submitting your entry/entries to the “Name The
Team” contest for Ottawa’s new Can-Am League ball club. We had an excellent response with over 1,100 entries and have been going over these names, discussing them and trying to see which would work best for the team.

We were originally scheduled to announce the name in early January, but we  will now be releasing the name in February. There were some great entries and it has been fun trying to finalize one name.”

One more piece of the timetable puzzle falls into place.

Media alert

Can-Am Ottawa’s new GM, Don Charrette, will be on CTV Ottawa - presumably during the 6 PM news hour tonight.  Set the DVD recorders and VCRs.

Front office staff announced

For immediate release:
OTTAWA’S CAN-AM BASEBALL TEAM ANNOUNCES NEW FRONT OFFICE STAFF

In preparation for their Inaugural 2008 season, Ottawa’s Can-AM baseball team is pleased to present their front office staff.

Miles Wolff - PRESIDENT

Miles Wolff, the Can-Am League commissioner, founded the first modern independent league when six cities in the Upper Midwest and Canada began play in the Northern League in 1993. Under his leadership the Northern League grew to 18 teams by 2002. He is currently also commissioner of the American Association, a 10-team independent league. Wolff served as the commissioner of the Northeast League from 2003-2004, and commissioner of the Central League from 2002-2005. Mr. Wolff also owns the Quebec Capitales of the Can-Am League and was instrumental in bringing the League to the Nation’s Capital for the 2008 season.

Don Charrette - GENERAL MANAGER

After a lengthy career in sales and as founder of College Baseball Connect (a service that connects elite high school players with scholarship opportunities in the US) Don joins Ottawa’s latest addition to the Can-Am League as its first General Manager.  He looks forward to a very successful season and the challenges and opportunities ahead.

François Marchand - SALES DIRECTOR

Francois will draw on the sales experience he acquired working as a sales representative for the Ottawa Senators and as the Director of Sales for the Ottawa Lynx in 2007 and as their Marketing and Promotions Assistant in 2006.  Fluently bilingual, Francois is able to deal with clients in either official language.

Mike Kusciewicz - DIRECTOR OF PLAYER OPERATIONS

As a member of Team Canada, a former Olympian and former player with six different major league organizations, Mike brings a wealth of experience to our team.  Drafted by the Colorado Rockies in 1994, Mike was named the 2006 Ottawa Baseball Player of the Year and most recently played for Team Canada at the 2007 World Cup of Baseball.

Lorraine Charrette - BUSINESS ADMINISTRATOR

Lorraine was the first employee of the new Can-Am team and is happy to continue her employment in the baseball world which began with the Ottawa Lynx. Overseeing the financial and administration end of the operation, Lorraine looks forward to an exciting season.

Josh Teuscher - HEAD GROUNDSKEEPER AND STADIUM OPERATIONS

Josh returns for his second year as Head Groundskeeper, tending to the turf and basepaths at the Stadium.  Prior to coming to Ottawa he was assistant grounds keeper at Wrigley Field for the Chicago Cubs.  Josh played college baseball at Paine College in Georgia - his Little League days were played locally in Petawawa.

Richard Poulin - SALES REPRESENTATIVE

Richard brings a wealth of sales experience to the newest Can-AM team.  Richard was the Regional Sales Manager for two local radio stations, has 15 years of experience in real estate management and 10 years working with the Telemedia Broadcast Network.  Fluently bilingual, his list of credentials also include working as a National Executive Representative, representing the Montreal Expos, Quebec Nordiques and Toronto Blue Jays. 

Please direct any questions concerning this release to Carl Kiiffner by reply email.

2008 will mark the inaugural season for Ottawa ’s CAN-AM baseball team.   Ottawa the league’s second Canadian team, will host 47 home dates, welcoming teams from Atlantic City , Nashua , Quebec City, Brockton , Sussex , Worcester and New Jersey.

FYI stands “forgot your intelligence”

Just to piggyback on Mr. Kiiffner’s post about the numbskulled Citizen editorial that followed their numbskulled article about the Jays moving a Triple-A team here: One really has to wonder if there is some ulterior motive here among the powers-that-be to undermine Miles Wolff and everyone else’s efforts to build a following for our new team.That almost has to be it, right? Someone or someones, possibly including those among the unelected legislators down at 10 Laurier Ave., must want to plant this seed with the meek and gullible in hope it will hurt Wolff’s efforts to build a following for the new ballclub.  It almost has to be. The Citizen couldn’t really be that dumb on its own that their op-ed people could not understand something as rudimentary as the fact the Blue Jays do not own their Triple-A team? Or that there’s a perfectly good Triple-A market in Buffalo available for the Jays to move into for the 2009 season?FYI, again, for the people who apparently didn’t listen the first time: There is already a way to “properly use” the ballpark in 2008. It’s the Can-Am League. No one expects cheerleading from the media, but coverage should be fair. Stretching the truth for a s non-story and following it up with an editorial that skips over facts an 11-year-old baseball nut would understand, that’s not fair … more on this is over at Out of Left Field.

Clueless - UPDATED

You would think that the editor would have the sense to call up someone colleagues like Darren Desaulniers or Don Campbell to discuss this first. 

Let’s play ball

The Ottawa Citizen

Monday, January 21, 2008

Opportunities to get a Triple-A baseball franchise don’t come along very often so the City of Ottawa should jump immediately on this one.

Mayor Larry O’Brien is a great salesman, after all he convinced Ottawans to elect him despite having never held political office, so it is time for him to show what he can do. It is possible the Toronto Blue Jays will be without a Triple-A affiliate at the end of next season as Syracuse, the home of its present farm team, is considering adopting the New York Mets.The Jays are our local major league team and have incredible marketing muscle and resources. We have one of the best minor-league baseball parks around and a professional sports market. People watch the Jays here and a similar synergy with the Expos in the early ’90s produced an International League attendance record.The Ottawa Lynx were never sold very well to Ottawa’s business community or the public. The Jays know how to market baseball and have fan identification for their players and brand in this market. A Jays farm team in Ottawa would boost the major-league club’s TV ratings in Ottawa and provide a source of revenue for the Jays if the team were owned outright by Toronto. That would give the Jays an interest in marketing the team here. As well, moving players between Toronto and Ottawa is very easy with superb air links.The mayor should be on the phone today with the Jays arranging a meeting between him, the baseball club, some councillors and city staff to explore this option. This kind of opportunity occurs but once or twice in a lifetime. Let’s not lose a chance to properly use the $15-million taxpayer-owned ballpark on Coventry Road.

The Ottawa Blue Jays. It has a nice ring to it.

© The Ottawa Citizen 2008

This will not come to pass - for various reasons, but chiefly due to the fact that TORONTO DOESN’T OWN THE SYRACUSE CHIEFS!  I thought that the idea had been sufficiently shot down recently, but I guess the editor doesn’t read blogs.  Emailer Joe sums up the situation:

They are a community owned team. If the Blue Jays want their Triple A affiliate in Ottawa, someone would have to buy a AAA franchise and move it to Ottawa, then the Blue Jays would have to sign a PDA with them. Or the Blue Jays could buy a team themselves I suppose and move them to Ottawa.The Richmond Braves situation is different in that they are owned by the Atlanta Braves. They can do whatever they like with the team. Moving it is apparently what they’re going to do after many failed attempts at a new ballpark.The Chiefs are looking to switch affiliations, to the Mets from the Jays, not move to Ottawa. They have been a community owned team since 1961. The Blue Jays do not own them.Good Lord.  This is an obstacle which the fledgling Can-AM team didnt’ need.  And I’m sure that the Lynx and Kyle Bostwick will be flattered when they hear that “(t)he Ottawa Lynx were never sold very well to Ottawa’s business community or the public”!

Gotta go - if only to resume banging my head against the wall.

(Cross posted to the Can-AM and “full disclosure” blogs.)

*** UPDATE ***

*** UPDATE ***

Sorry - I forgot to include acknowledgements for tipping me off to the editorial.  Tip of the hat (or “hat tip”, HT) to Jean-Pierre Allard and Pete Toms for alerting me to the story.

Thanks to Neate for posting up over on the Can-AM blog as well.  (He posts up on the issue over at Out of Left Field as well.)

“Where winning matters”

Came across this interesting publication (c/o the Can-AM League’s website) a few days ago - The Independent Minor Leagues - Where winning matters.  Last year’s Philadelphia Phillies were rated the most Independent friendly team - an honor that not all phans were particularly happy with.  It would seem that an Indy League player is somewhat of a second class baseball citizen in the minds of many MLB fans.  Notable FLPs from 2007 who spent some time in the Indy leagues included Gary Burnham, Brian Mazone, and Kane Davis among others.

I will probably find myself in the minority, but I’m not terribly concerned about the quality of baseball that we’ll have here in 2008.  I attribute my laissez-faire attitude to three factors.  First off, as most readers of the UOLB know, I’m not a terribly sophisticated baseball fan.  I’m at the Stadium for the experience - hotdogs, warm summer nights, “take me out with the crowd I don’t care if I ever get back” fun.  Secondly, after our near-miss here, I’m grateful that we have pro-baseball at all - believe me, you’ll hear nary a discouraging word around this here blog as it concerns the team.  Too many people worked too hard and risked too much to have the fruits of their labor complained about. 

And finally, I think people can learn to adjust their expectations and will appreciate the game that’s in front of them.  Having watched enough Little League and winter practice, I know I can.  I still marvel at how good some of the 10 and 11 year old kids are with the ball. 

I do appreciate that the Can-AM League isn’t Little League, and that a certain skill level is expected, if not demanded.  But i’ll leave those worries for the GM and team management.  I expect that I’ll be busy enough, scarfing down a ‘dog, chasing after the kids, or just relaxing in my own reserved seat, watching the fireworks light up the night sky.

“Well, we think, we think if the fans give us a shot they’ll like it, it’ll be fun.”

                                                                      [Miles Wolff, Madeley in the Morning, January 17]