The Evansville Otters (independent; Frontier League) are celebrating their 25th season in 2019, providing the opportunity to reflect on the club’s staying power at Bosse Field.
Prior to the 1995 season, the Lancaster (OH) Scouts relocated to Evansville, IN to set up shop at the historic Bosse Field. Having originally opened in 1915, Bosse Field had a long history with professional baseball before 1995, but the Otters marked the facility’s first full-time pro-baseball tenant since the Evansville Triplets (Class AAA; American Association) relocated to Nashville following the 1984 campaign.
There was some initial skepticism as to whether the independent-league Otters could succeed in an aging ballpark with a long history of affiliated Minor League Baseball, but the club has ultimately stood the test of time and compiled a longer run at Bosse Field than any of its other previous professional baseball tenants. From Frontier League commissioner Bill Lee‘s perspective, there are multiple reasons for the Otters’ success. That includes the Bussing family’s ownership of the team, as well as the support the Otters have received from the Evansville community. More from the Evansville Courier & Press:
Today, the Otters are the Frontier League’s longest-running team and have lasted longer than any professional baseball club at Bosse Field before them, including the Triplets.
In 2014, the Otters became the first Frontier League team to reach 800 wins….
Lee credited the team’s longevity to Bussing’s stewardship, as well as support from the Evansville community.
“It’s absolutely wonderful,” Lee said of the club’s 25th anniversary. “Obviously Evansville is the senior team in the league, and it demonstrates the commitment the Bussing family has made. It’s second-to-none. I’m so happy they are a part of our league and so happy about being with them. I can’t say enough good things about the community and the continued participation of the fans and sponsors, the employees and everyone involved. The media. Everyone there has been tremendous over the years to the Otters and the Frontier League.”
The Frontier League’s 2019 season begins on May 9, with the Otters playing their home opener on May 10 against the Southern Illinois Miners.