Can Am League 2011

[OttawaBallFan]

This "trying to get $20 mill" is indeed not faith inspiring. Don't think I'd put much into it however. Not really the best turn of phrase by the author. And you'd think that before starting to build something the financials would be in place, not trying to find investors as the project is underway. So I don't know if that's the case or the author simply did not say things right.

> Who knows, maybe we'll be looking at ten teams in 2012

I was thinking the same thing. Maybe not 2012 but a year or two after that.

[QuebecCapitalesFan]

Originally Posted by BerkshireFan

According to this guy: http://nlfan.yuku.com/topic/3902/t/L...ess-group.html

....Miles Wolff has just sold the Caps. All I can find on google news are articles in french. What's the news, QCFan?

And if so, I'll outrageously speculate that perhaps this means Wolff will start up another successful franchise in the Can-Am like the Caps. Three Rivers anyone?

According to Le Journal de Québec, Miles Wolff did indeed sell the Capitales to a local group, Le Groupe Vertdure, which is a lawn care business in the province of Québec. They have 12 franchises throughout the province, so I assume they are a legitimate company. He will stay on with the team as a consultant, while former manager Michel Laplante becomes the team's president. This will help ensure that players throughout Quebec will eventually have a shot at playing for the team, and maintain a strong marketing plan to the Francophone communities in Quebec.

I think it was a matter to time before Mr. Wolff sold the Caps to local interests. After all, it was Miles himself not only built the Caps and its fan base from the ground up, but he put a team in Québec because he truly believed that the game of baseball will thrive in Québec, and it has, it has thrived there for many many years, even when baseball purists doubted that notion. I, for one, was always a believer in Québec baseball, from the days when I followed the Expos as a kid. And I believe the new group will do a great job in keeping the Caps competitive, on and off the field. This would give Miles more time to seek out new CanAm ventures throughout Québec, and I sure hope to God he does. AMENEZ TROIS-RIVIÈRES!!!

Originally Posted by BerkshireFan

The Rockland Boulders just ain't doing it for me. The name sounds like a brand of waterproof boots out of an LL Bean catalog.

I see I'm not the only one here.

[QuebecCapitalesFan]

Originally Posted by jackalsfan

I think I would rather have Ottawa in than Three Rivers, better stadium, bigger city name (credibility?)

I wish both cities get teams. But surely Ottawa is always the front-runner for a new team, and with good reason. I thought when the Rapids came about, the Ottawa stadium, which seats about 10,000 (OBF am I correct?), would give the team an advantage in attendance, since the season starts when the NHL playoffs go into its final stages, and there's no CFL team there...yet. But it wasn't to be, has something to do with the marketing. But with Miles selling the Caps, and his continued efforts to market a team in Ottawa, I believe it will happen. They deserve a second chance.

I'd love a team in Trois-Rivières as well. Trois-Rivières has a stadium. They just need to fix it up the way Quebec did back in 1999.

[OttawaBallFan]

> Ottawa stadium, which seats about 10,000 (OBF am I correct?)

Yes, 10 332 to be more precise.

Ottawa has the stadium, fairly state-of-the-art (built in 1992). Every visitor I've talked to likes it. There is hunger for baseball, just not enough for a Triple-A team anymore (population with Gatineau is just about one million within a 30 minute drive). The Lynx starting in early April didn't help.

For any team, marketing is key.

Problem with Ottawa is that it's a "big small city". Big enough to have plenty of other entertainment, especially the festivals every weekend during the summer. The museums, the sights. It's a lot of competition for a sports team, unless it's hockey. Most people seem to be natives of somewhere else. There's no big industry that can buy season tickets for promotions. As a government town which probably is responsible for half of the jobs, they can't buy those tickets.

Even with those unique circumstances, I do think Ottawa can support a Can-Am team. The attendance numbers the last few years to me show what can be expected. But again, marketing, marketing, marketing. Nobody except the die-hards will care or be aware if you don't let them know of this great entertainment. Oh, and don't piss the fans off the way the Rapidz did.

[QuebecCapitalesFan]

Originally Posted by OttawaBallFan

> Ottawa stadium, which seats about 10,000 (OBF am I correct?)

Yes, 10 332 to be more precise.

Ottawa has the stadium, fairly state-of-the-art (built in 1992). Every visitor I've talked to likes it. There is hunger for baseball, just not enough for a Triple-A team anymore (population with Gatineau is just about one million within a 30 minute drive). The Lynx starting in early April didn't help.

For any team, marketing is key.

Problem with Ottawa is that it's a "big small city". Big enough to have plenty of other entertainment, especially the festivals every weekend during the summer. The museums, the sights. It's a lot of competition for a sports team, unless it's hockey. Most people seem to be natives of somewhere else. There's no big industry that can buy season tickets for promotions. As a government town which probably is responsible for half of the jobs, they can't buy those tickets.

Even with those unique circumstances, I do think Ottawa can support a Can-Am team. The attendance numbers the last few years to me show what can be expected. But again, marketing, marketing, marketing. Nobody except the die-hards will care or be aware if you don't let them know of this great entertainment. Oh, and don't piss the fans off the way the Rapidz did.

I still think it was the "z" in Rapidz that killed it.

[BerkshireFan]

Originally Posted by QuebecCapitalesFan

I still think it was the "z" in Rapidz that killed it.

You're not kidding. I thought Rox was a dumb name with lame spelling, but I'll take an "x" over a "z" any day. Rapids or Rapides is alright though.

Btw, the best named team in Northeast/Can-Am League history: Yonkers Hoot Owls.

It just doesn't get better than that.

[OttawaBallFan]

Originally Posted by QuebecCapitalesFan

I still think it was the "z" in Rapidz that killed it.

I agree that didn't help and neither did changing the cool blue logo to the red Ottawa script (to match Zip's colors) which looked like a beer league logo. This after Miles Wolff himself pleading them not to do this. But there was more to it than that, mainly how the whole thing was run and I heard of some unprofessional conduct by the owner Hall.

[BerkshireFan]

According to: http://www.berkshireeagle.com/ci_16560176, Brian Daubach has just been hired by the Washington Nationals to manage their Low-A team in Hagerstown, MD.

Daubach did a great job with the Colonials this year. They scrapped like hell, and it was that style of play - all 27 outs matter, make the other guy make a mistake, move the runner over - that won the fans in the stands over. He deserves a shot at the majors and the Nationals are smart to give it to him.

So who's managing next year? Do the Colonials go the former Boston player route like some New England indy teams have done, or do they just get the guy they like best, marketing be damned?

Off the top of my head, John Kennedy, formerly of the North Shore Spirit, sounds pretty good. In four seasons they never finished worse than second place.

[NJ JACKALS FAN]

The article cited in an earlier post indicates that work was about to begin. This stadium is going to be built because the county wants to use it for more than just a minor league team (my wife used to live about 5 minutes from where the stadium will go).

I would not be surprised though, if it is the skyhawks that move to rockland. Last I heard they did not have a lease for this upcoming year. And it wouldn't suprise me if Floyd Hall was looking to unload the skyhawks from his portfolio.

Originally Posted by OttawaBallFan

This "trying to get $20 mill" is indeed not faith inspiring. Don't think I'd put much into it however. Not really the best turn of phrase by the author. And you'd think that before starting to build something the financials would be in place, not trying to find investors as the project is underway. So I don't know if that's the case or the author simply did not say things right.

> Who knows, maybe we'll be looking at ten teams in 2012

I was thinking the same thing. Maybe not 2012 but a year or two after that.

[BerkshireFan]

Originally Posted by NJ JACKALS FAN

I would not be surprised though, if it is the skyhawks that move to rockland. Last I heard they did not have a lease for this upcoming year. And it wouldn't suprise me if Floyd Hall was looking to unload the skyhawks from his portfolio.

If that's right, then that still leaves us with seven teams. Somebody's going dormant or there'll be another Canadian team sooner than expected. The obvious team to go dormant is the Colonials, but the owner has repeatedly said that they want to make a go of it in Pittsfield (of course, what else is he supposed to say?). Also, I drive past the Colonials office every night on the way home from work and it looks as if they just got a shipment of team-branded clothing in. It's all on display on sales racks. Not the sign of team about to close shop.

I hope for the sake of Sussex fans that the Skyhawks aren't the future Boulders.