More changes in baseball front offices: John Kuhn takes over in River City, six new staffers for the Hagerstown Suns, Nancy Friday is in charge of group sales in Wisconsin Rapids, Bobby Baseball returns to Trenton, and the Ultimate Baseball League hires a new public-relations director.
At T.R. Hughes Ballpark, John Kuhn is now team president, replacing Tony Funderburg. He’s an indy-ball veteran, most recently service as president/GM of the Sioux Falls Canaries (independent; American Association) from September 2004 to December 2009. Before that he spent time in the front offices of the St. Paul Saints, Joliet JackHammers, London Werewolves and Kalamazoo Kodiaks. “John is quite simply one of the best in the game,” said Saints president Mike Veeck. “He and Steve Malliet will have some fun.”
“We feel very fortunate to bring on board a person of John’s qualifications and experience,” Rascals owner Steve Malliet said. “We’re excited to have him on board.”
“The River City Rascals have been a great franchise since they started and I am very excited to be working at beautiful T.R. Hughes Ballpark with General Manager Chris Franklin and the rest of the staff,” Kuhn said. “I look forward to meeting thousands of baseball-mad fans in the area.”
In Wisconsin Rapids, local native Mary Friday is the new director of group sales for the Wisconsin Rapids Rafters (summer collegiate; Northwoods League). Friday spent the 2010 season as a marketing intern for the Northwoods League expansion franchise.
“Last summer was a great experience for me and I am excited to be back with the Rafters,” said Friday. “I am looking forward to the upcoming season.”
Friday is a 2010 graduate from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, receiving her bachelor’s degree in marketing. She graduated from Lincoln High School in 2006 and was a member of the South Wood County Hockey Association. Friday currently resides in Wisconsin Rapids.
The Hagerstown Suns (Low Class A; Sally League) announced the addition of six new front-office employees.
Sara Grasmon and Rechelle Bischoff will head the Suns marketing campaign. Grasmon studied public relations and journalism at Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn., and has spent the last two seasons in media relations with the Kansas City T-Bones (independent; American Association) Bischoff attended The University of Findlay in Findlay, Ohio, where she earned a degree in digital media before working as a morning radio show co-host for a station in Findlay.
Tony Iovieno will be responsible for stadium operations and food and beverage. He has a government and international relations degree from Clark University in Worcester, Mass., and has five years of experience in event operations with the Boston Red Sox.
Josh Mastin, Ben Scheffel and Chris Vierling will lead the sales department for the Suns. Mastin attended SUNY in Courtland, N.Y., and earned a degree in sport management. He interned with the Auburn Doubledays and Batavia Muckdogs (both short season A; NY-Penn League) before moving to Hagerstown. Scheffel studied sport management and communications at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio. He interned with the Jupiter Hammerheads and Palm Beach Cardinals at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Fla. Vierling earned a degree in entertainment management from Missouri State University in Springfield, Mo., and interned with the Springfield Wolf Pack and Missouri State soccer team.
The start-up Ultimate Baseball League has a new director of public and media relations: J. Ameer Rasheed, who will also work for the Northern Kentucky River Monsters.
Before taking the post with the River Monsters, Rasheed spent the last six years working in college athletics as a Sports Information Director.
“I am honored the Andrew (Haines) has the faith in my abilities to help foster relationships between the league, its organizations and the media,” said Rasheed.
He will also serve in the same capacity for the Ultimate Indoor Football League (UIFL) and one its organizations, the Northern Kentucky River Monsters.
He is a 2000 graduate of Wilmington College, where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Sports Administration and Communications. The majority of his work experience is based in journalism after working with the Wilmington News Journal, Middletown Journal, CincySportsZone and BearcatInsider.com.
The Trenton Thunder (Class AA; Eastern League) have re-signed official internet video spokesperson Bobby Baseball to serve in a similar capacity for the 2011 season. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Harold Craw, who has been a member of the Charleston RiverDogs (Low Class A; Sally League) sales staff since joining the club in 2003, has been promoted to Assistant General Manager, according to general manager Dave Echols.
Formerly the club’s Director of Sales and Operations, Craw was recognized by the South Atlantic League as the 2008 Sales Executive of the Year in addition to receiving the SAL Community Relations Director of the Year for 2009.
“Harold is a vital part of the RiverDogs’ overall sales success story,” said Echols. “He has certainly earned this promotion as he works hard and gets things done. The results he continually posts warrants this promotion.”
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