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MWL1 Great Lakes Loons

Great Lakes Loons land in mid-Michigan

August 30, 2006 - Midwest League (MWL1)
Great Lakes Loons News Release


Midland, Michigan -- It's time to get a little loony! Mid-Michigan's new Minor League Baseball team is the Great Lakes Loons. The team name was announced today during The Main Event in downtown Midland.

Thousands of baseball lovers were on hand to hear the announcement and meet team mascot Lou E. Loon, who entered the world of Minor League Baseball with a warm mid-Michigan welcome.

Randy Trudell, Pinconning, and Shawn Zebrak, Midland, were winners of the team naming contest and were on-hand for the announcement. Both received season tickets for the inaugural season and a Loons prize package.

Bill Stavropoulos, president of the Michigan Baseball Foundation, which owns the team, said they chose Great Lakes Loons because the loon is a classic yet unique bird that makes its home along the hundreds of miles of shoreline in Michigan.

"The loon is an interesting bird," Stavropoulos said. "It has distinctive features with its striped neck and red eye. We chose 'Great Lakes' because this is the region's team and we wanted to include a distinctive feature of Michigan in the name."

As for the mascot, Lou E. Loon is a lovable, huggable character and a great spokesbird for Minor League Baseball. Saturday's celebration was part of the fun-filled "Main Event," an end of summer extravaganza in Midland sponsored by the Michigan Baseball Foundation featuring a Battle of the Bands, carnival midway, Taste of the Tri-Cities food festival and free entertainment by Blues guitarist Larry McCray.

Also on Saturday, the Great Lakes Loons announced the launch of the web site, at www.loons.com, and the grand opening of its flagship retail store, the Loon Loft, at Saginaw's Fashion Square Mall. The Loon Loft will open Sunday, August 27. Fans can also buy team merchandise at the team offices in Midland.

For more information, go to www.loons.com. The Michigan Baseball Foundation is a non-profit group formed to own and operate the Great Lakes Loons. For more information, contact Stacey Trapani at 989-859-7719 or via email at satrapani@sbcglobal.net.

Check out the Great Lakes Loons Statistics

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