SAL1 Lake County Captains

Captains to Play in Classic Park

Published on April 11, 2005 under South Atlantic League (SAL1)
Lake County Captains News Release


(Eastlake, OH)—After just two seasons, the home of the Lake County Captains has become a "Classic."

The Captains and Classic Automotive Group have announced a landmark, 15-year partnership that includes naming-rights to the 7,200-seat stadium, formerly known as Eastlake Ballpark. Beginning with the team's home opener on Monday, April 11th, the facility will be known as Classic Park.

"The Carfagna/Murphy families are proud to partner with Jim Brown and the Classic Auto Group to appropriately name the SAL-award-winning Eastlake Ballpark "Classic Park," said Captains Chairman Peter Carfagna. "The Lake County Captains look forward to providing many years of affordable family fun at Classic Park. We will also work closely with Jim Brown and the city of Eastlake to continue to revitalize Vine Street and its surrounding neighborhoods by bringing concerts, the Captains Charities 5K race, and the other non-baseball events to Classic Park."

Classic's naming-rights sponsorship represents a key step forward in the overall financing plan of the stadium project. Stadium construction began in February 2002, and the stadium hosted its first Captains game on April 10, 2003.

The Classic Auto Group, based in Northeast Ohio, is ranked among the top auto dealerships in the nation. Founded in 1979 by company President James A. Brown, Classic began as a single Chevrolet dealership in Mentor. Since then, Classic has grown to include 24 franchises sold at 15 locations. Manufacturer's nameplates include Chevrolet, Ford, Mercury, Toyota, Scion, Lexus, BMW, MINI, Mazda, Volkswagon, Cadillac, Buick, Pontiac, GMC, Jeep, Chrysler, Dodge, Honda, and Nissan.

"We're thrilled at the opportunity to increase our involvement with the Captains and this beautiful facility," said Brown. "The ballpark is one of the best things that has ever happened in the community, and we're proud to play such a big role with it. The decision to build Classic Park several years ago was a very courageous step by our local officials for the betterment of the entire community. While there have been

challenges with respect to some of the financing surrounding it, Classic Automotive and our 900 employees are proud to be doing our part to ensure the continuation of affordable family entertainment for many years to come."

For more information on the Classic Auto Group visit them on the web at www.driveclassic.com.

Since beginning play in Lake County in 2003, the Captains have attracted over 850,000 fans to Classic Park. Sometime during this season, the team will attract its 1,000,000th fan. The Captains are the Class-A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians. The Captains will play at home through Sunday afternoon. For ticket information, call (440) 954-WINS.

Check out the Lake County Captains Statistics

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South Atlantic League Stories from April 11, 2005


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