In just the team’s second season, Ottawa Champions (Independent; Can-Am League) executive Miles Wolff is becoming a fixture at the ballpark and in the Ottawa community.
Wolff, the longtime baseball executive who also serves as the Can-Am League’s commissioner, oversaw the establishment of the Champions last season at Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton Park (formerly Lynx Stadium). While Wolff is not alone is running the Champions—David Gourlay serves as president and minority owner—his influence helped lead the Champions to a successful inaugural season, as the team averaged more than 2,200 fans per-game and finished third in attendance in the eight-team circuit.
From the looks of it, Wolff sees room for the Champions to grow, and he has become a regular at the ballpark. More from the Ottawa Citizen:
He and Michelle have moved up to their Ottawa home for the rest of the summer, and by many accounts, the couple have made many friends around their regular seats behind home plate.
Champs president and minority owner David Gourlay says Wolff is a very hands-on owner, except on game day.
“If I go down to talk to him during a game, I barely get a response. He waves me straight off, tells me to deal with it.”
Wolff says the crowds at the park, while still not near his 3,000-plus targets, are engaged and involved and he’s sure things will build.
The story of the Champions has been one of the more interesting developments over the last few seasons. At a time where Ottawa city officials were heavily targeting affiliated baseball, Wolff and the Can-Am League managed to work out a 10-year lease that began last season. The Champions started out with a bang, drawing more than 3,800 fans to their first game despite blustery weather conditions.
Early indications point to another strong season in Ottawa. The Champions have averaged 2,981 fans through their first four games, and attracted a total of 3,081 for yesterday’s contest.