The upgrading of Harry & David Field to accommodate summer-collegiate ball is almost complete, as the Medford Rogues (West Coast League) prep for a May 31 ballpark opening. Harry & David Field was built to host youth and Legion baseball, not summer-collegiate ball, so serious upgrades to the ballpark were needed to accommodate the Rogues. […]
Tag Archives | west coast league
Wilson steps down as WCL prez
Ken Wilson has stepped down as president of the summer-collegiate West Coast League, but will remain with the circuit as a consultant through the end of the season. According to a published report. current WCL Vice President Eddie Poplawski will run the league on a daily basis until a successor is announced. Under Wilson, the […]
WCL expands to Yakima for 2014, subject to ballpark lease
The summer-collegiate West Coast League is working on a lease for Yakima County Stadium, beginning in 2014, as a group led by Walla Walla Sweets ownership has been announced. Yakima County Stadium was formerly home to the Yakima Bears (short season A; Northwest League). The team ended operations in Yakima last year after several years […]
Possible WCL expansion to northern Cal led by big names
The effort to bring summer-collegiate West Coast League baseball to Redding and Chico is attracting some big names, including Hall of Fame executive Pat Gillick. Redding’s mayor is Rick Bosetti, a former Toronto Blue Jays outfielder; he’s seeking funding from the Baseball Tomorrow Fund to fix up Tiger Field and expand seating to 1,500. From […]
West Coast League at 11 for 2013
The summer-collegiate West Coast League will be at 11 teams for 2013 after adding Medford (Ore.) and Victoria (B.C.) to the circuit; as expected, Yakima is not in the mix. Adding two pretty good markets in Medford and Victoria is a big accomplishment for the circuit; those are two solid markets in two solid ballparks. […]
New for 2013: Medford Rogues
The newest team in the summer-collegiate West Coast League: the Medford Rogues, playing out of Harry and David Field. The team name was announced yesterday by GM Chuck Heeman. The team’s logo was designed by Keith Flynn of Flynnagain Productions; he’ll also be designing team uniforms and other logos. “It’s a great day for our […]
Front-office changes in Klamath Falls, New Bedford
We have a couple of personnel changes to note: Grant Wilson is the new GM of the Klamath Falls Gems (summer collegiate; West Coast League), while Mike Friar is new GM of the New Bedford Bay Sox (summer collegiate; NECBL). Wilson was formerly GM of the Cowlitz Black Bears in the same circuit. He’s the […]
New for 2013: Victoria HarbourCats
The newest team in the summer-collegiate West Coast League: The Victoria (B.C.) HarbourCats, who will begin play at Royal Athletic Park in 2013. Team ownership unveiled the team name and logo at a ceremony today. “We are excited to introduce the HarbourCats brand to the City of Victoria and to our fans,” said GM Holly […]
Walkers expand baseball holdings to Klamath Falls
Jerry and Lisa Walker, owners of the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes (short season A; Northwest League), are adding to their baseball portfolio with the purchase of the Klamath Falls Gems (summer collegiate; West Coast League). The Gems had been owned by several other WCL owners and local investors. Terms of the purchase were not released. “We are […]
Staff news in Pittsfield, Medford
We have some personnel moves to note: Kevin McGuire is the new GM of the Pittsfield Suns (summer collegiate; Futures League) and Chuck Heeman is GM of the new Medford team in the West Coast League. McGuire (shown to the right) ascends to the role after spending the 2012 season as the Suns’ assistant general manager, […]
Jones GM for new Victoria team
Holly Jones is the first general manager of the new Victoria (B.C) team in the summer-collegiate West Coast League. Jones, a former assistant GM with the Corvallis Knights in the same circuit, brings marketing experience from JetBlue, CAA and the NBA to her new position. She’ll be charged with everything on the business side of the […]
Milwaukie: No thanks to summer-collegiate ball
No surprise: Milwaukie (Ore.) officials decided to walk away from a ballpark deal for a West Coast League team after city officials couldn’t determine the economic impact of such an investment. We predicted this would happen. The reasons are pretty obvious. When a Minor League Baseball team walks into a community, it has a host of […]
Knights name Kerkvliet GM
Bre Kerkvliet is the new general manager of the Corvallis Knights (summer collegiate; West Coast League), the first female GM in that circuit. A Corvallis native and a graduate of Corvallis High School and Oregon State, Kerkvliet was the team’s assistant general manager and director of business development for the past two seasons under team president Dan […]