Beach Bums update

June 12, 2005 - Frontier League (FL)
Traverse City Beach Bums News Release


During the last month there were days when it seemed as though we were moving at a snails pace, connecting the dots to get us from point A to point B and on to C. However, in trying to decide which of the two or three photos would best illustrate our progress , I was reminded of just how much we (a collective noun that includes almost 50 hard working people) have accomplished, Mach 1 speed seems much more appropriate.

We've gone from bare dirt and colored lines in the sand where the stadium was to be built -->to standing walls. We've gone from mounds of sand and dirt, with forms where retaining walls were being poured -- to done. The walls extend from the entrance onto the field by the left field foul pole, to outline the field completely. The look? Awesome! The photo below was taken Saturday, June 11th as I stood on the main concourse and looked down the left field line. The wall indenting back is the Beach Bums' dugout. The next step will be the grading, forming and then pouring of the table seating decks and chairs rows.

The first walls for the stadium went up Wednesday morning, June 8th. As of Saturday noon, two thirds of the first floor walls were in place. The round pillars visible above in front of the new construction, will provide support for the second floor private suites. The photo below is a view of the clubhouse and new first floor of the stadium, from the left center outfield berm. Part of the superstructure for our amazing scoreboard stands on the left of the photo.

The berm pictured in the forefront of the photo is part of the outfield lawn seating area. There will be a pathway (in the rear of the seating area) that will allow fans to walk 360 degrees around the park.

Hello Bill Lee

Last Saturday we welcomed Bill Lee, the commissioner (http://www.frontierleague.com/staff.html) of the Frontier League, to 333 Stadium Drive for his first look at Wuerfel Park. Bill was in the midst of a twelve day trip on league business, meeting with cities interested in acquiring a Frontier League team, conducing long distance phone interviews, including one with WTCM's Jack O'Malley, and visiting teams and owners around the league. We hope to see Bill up here often enjoying the hospitality of the Beach Bums and the Traverse City area! The photo above was taken when Jayson Geiser of TV 7&4 stopped out to interview Bill, and then allowed us to show him around the Park. (Thank You Jack O'Malley/WTCM and Jayson Geiser/TV 7&4)

What's Next?

We are excited to announce we have commissioned i am jack's design to create the new Traverse City Beach Bums website. This company specializes in web design and custom programming for small to mid-sized businesses, and have experience designing sites specific to the needs of a minor league baseball team. We invite you to view some of their work at http://www.mudhens.com and http://www.aquasox.com. We are working to have the new site up and running by the end of July.

The most visible changes of our entire project will happen during the next sixty days. The progress on the exterior walls of the stadium will be nothing short of amazing, fans touring Stadium Drive to check the progress, will be able to see daily changes.* The stadium should be completely dried in by mid-August with the connecting walkway between the clubhouse & stadium in place.

The seating decks and chair back seating areas will be done. We are expecting shipment on the chair back seats the third week in August, with the installation to follow immediately. Work on the playing surface will begin in earnest. The sidewalks and patio areas around the clubhouse and stadium will be completed and the landscaping will slowly begin to take shape. Wow!

Thank You's

Aaron Mills and TV 9&10 did an in-depth story on the Traverse City Beach Bums, Wuerfel Park and the Frontier League. Thank you for your interest and support, we greatly appreciate both.

Thank you each and every Beach Bum fan! We now have over the 1080 season ticket requests. If you would like to put your name on the season ticket list you may do so by visiting our website: www.traversecitybeachbums.com.



Frontier League Stories from June 12, 2005


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.

OurSports Central