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Meet the Southwest Michigan Devil Rays

December 20, 2004 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Southwest Michigan Devil Rays News Release


BATTLE CREEK, Mich. – Fun Entertainment, LLC announced today that they have purchased the Battle Creek Baseball Club of the Midwest League from Riverside Baseball, LLC. Fun Entertainment will rename the team the Southwest Michigan Devil Rays and will be the Class A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2005.

Bill Shea is the majority owner of Fun Entertainment and he sees the Devil Rays as a unique opportunity.

“We are just delighted about the purchase,” Shea said. “We are very excited about the opportunity to revitalize baseball in Southwest Michigan it is a wonderful baseball community and we intend to bring a level of excitement that’s been missing.”

Alan Stein, president and COO of Fun Entertainment, will oversee the operation of the Devil Rays. Stein’s baseball reputation is built on injecting excitement into the baseball experience and he stresses that – above all else – the game will be fun for the fans.

“We are determined to change the perception of baseball in this community through hard work and a commitment to our fans,” Stein said. “We know that there are great baseball fans in Southwest Michigan and they deserve to have a product that’s entertaining, inexpensive and something that they can be proud of.”

Martie Cordaro joins the Southwest Michigan Devil Rays staff this season as general manager. Cordaro, a six-year veteran of Minor League Baseball, worked previously with the Birmingham Barons and the West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx of the Southern League.

“Bill and Alan have committed to our staff all the necessary resources to be successful,” Cordaro said. “Our goal is to create memories for kids, both young and old, for many years to come.”

Brian Cheever comes on board as business manager, overseeing all business operations in addition to stadium operations and concessions. Cheever spent the last two seasons working for Fun Entertainment. He previously served as assistant general manager of the West Tennessee Diamond Jaxx of the Southern League.

The Southwest Michigan Devil Rays team logo and colors will be announced at a press event at a later date. The Devil Rays will open the season on April 7 at C.O. Brown Stadium against rival West Michigan. For information on tickets, please contact the Devil Rays front office at 269-660-2287.

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The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

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