News In The Coop
Published on October 11, 2004 under Frontier League (FL)
Richmond Roosters News Release
The leaves are turning, Major League Baseball is preparing for the 2004 World Series and the Rockford RiverHawks are celebrating their first ever Frontier League Championship. As we turn our attention to the 2005 season, we wanted to remind everyone that season tickets are available now. Just click this link: http://www.richmondroosters.com/content_pages/st2005form.htm Show your support for the team. Its easy. Call the Roosters office at 765-935-7529 and one of our staff will be happy to help you reserve your spot for all the action.
New! You can buy all of the Roosters merchandise including hats, t-shirts, novelties and more on-line with our new secure merchandise system. Do your christmas shopping early by clicking on this link: http://www.richmondroosters.com/cgi-bin/ecom.cgi Check it out!
Q & A with Richmond Roosters VP/General Manager Deanna Beaman
Now that the 2004 season has come to a close, we caught up with Roosters General Manager Deanna Beaman to get her thoughts on the summer:
Q: What will be some of your best memories of the 2004 season?
DB: One of my most memorable moments of the season was spending time with our fans and knowing that we are all celebrating ten years of professional baseball in Richmond. The 10th anniversary logo was displayed throughout the season as a constant reminder of the past years. The Richmond Roosters have come a long way and we look forward to building toward the future of this franchise. Another memory that I have is being able to provide a great atmosphere for friends, families and more to come out on summer nights and enjoy competitive baseball, great food and memorable entertainment. Everything from Rowdy Rooster Bobbleheads to hats to t-shirts to Blues Brothers, Fireworks Shows and more are all part of the ambience of attending a Roosters game. Seeing big smiles on the faces of kids as they get autographs from one of our players, seeing two adults peddling around the bases racing for home plate as though they were kids again and the friendships that are made are all favorites to remember. Finally, the icing on the cake is the number retirement of yet another Roosters Player, Chad Sosebee. It was with great honor that I have been fortunate enough to see Morgan Burkhart, Fran Riordan and now Chad Sosebee retire their jerseys at McBride Stadium. These are all memories that walk away with me as we close the 2004 season.
Q: Did the 2004 season meet your expectations? Why or why not?
DB: The 2004 season certainly had it's high and low points. The Richmond Roosters Organization took notice of an early low attendance mark at home games. We felt it necessary to share with our community the current status of the organization. In order for the Roosters to succeed, we have to have people in the stadium. Our ownership took a leap of faith and publically notified the fans and the general public that in order for this team to succeed, we have to have people in the ballpark. This message was encouraged by Frontier League Officials, Team Officials, City of Richmond Officials, the business community and the fans at a scheduled advisory committee meeting held in August at the ballpark. The Roosters Organization plans to build from this initial meeting with community leaders by having regularly scheduled sessions with this committee over the entire off season. The community responded as the season progressed as attendance started to rise. Doubts of the team's success repeatedly went through the minds of many people. Without hesitation, our ownership made it clear that the 2005 season was in the picture and that we were committed to making every effort necessary to make this team a success. Immediately, we started the 2005 season ticket campaign. By the end of August, we had over sixty new season ticket holders signed up. We have had nothing but positive responses from the community stating that the Richmond Roosters are a great benefit to the community and that the people of the community want the Roosters to stay.
Q: What are some of the areas of the organization that need improvement before the 2005 season?
DB: It is time to step up to the plate! We need the participation of the business community and the general public now more so than ever. We need people to be excited about coming to a game and making the Roosters a part of their summer plans. The Roosters Organization plans to start by building our current season ticket holder database through the positive vibes that we are getting from the community, creative marketing and visiting with people everywhere. Conversely, our staff has the challenging job to provide a variety of entertainment for our fans 48 nights during the summer. The Roosters staff is committed to making the 2005 season an exciting season. New acts, more giveaways, vibrant Rowdy the Rooster and much more are all part of the game plan. The Roosters are committed to being a more visible component in the community through appearances and business relationships.
Q: What message can you give to Roosters fans that want to support the organization?
DB: I would encourage people to plan now to bring their family, friends, co-workers, church groups and more to see a game. As fans leave the ballpark nightly, it is great to see smiling faces and to hear that people enjoyed the game. They enjoy the on-field entertainment, the special events, the giveaways, the convenient ticket plans and our mascot, Rowdy Rooster. I would encourage our fans to spread the word about the Roosters, talk it up, become a Roosters Representative in a positive way. Word of mouth is the best advertising the organization can get. I challenge everyone to "Bring a Friend" when they come to the game. Fun is contagious. Be proud that we have professional baseball in Richmond. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for our community and the people in it.
Perspective from the Roosters Radio Booth
With Scott Leo
The 2004 Frontier League Championship Series has concluded with the Rockford RiverHawks defeating the Evansville Otters to become the 2004 Frontier League Champions. Unfortunately, for the Roosters and nine other teams, the 2004 season is just a memory. It was the tenth season in Roosters franchise history and the second straight without a playoff appearance after the 2001 and 2002 Frontier League Championships. However, there are plenty of good (and bad) things to discuss about the season:
Chad Sosebee
The Roosters said good bye to one of the all-time greats to wear a Richmond uniform at the end of August. Chad Sosebee had his #11 jersey retired just before playing his final game of the season. Sosebee is not eligible to return to the Roosters because of the league's age restrictions. Sosebee went out with a stellar season as he finished with a 12-4 pitching record with 7 saves. He also blasted four homers while playing as an infielder. In his final game, Chad played all nine positions for one inning each.
Who else may not be back for 2005?
Chad Sosebee is the only player that will definitely not return for next year. Matt Schweitzer says that he will most likely not return. Schweitzer and Sosebee were the only remaining members of the two championship teams. Schweitzer became the all-time wins leader in Roosters history by picked up his 19th career victory this year. He was also added to the starting rotation and finished 5-1 as a starter.
Dave Campos says he will most likely end his professional career after seven seasons. The twenty-five year old lefty came to the Roosters in 2004 after pitching a season with the Cook County Cheetahs. Campos, a former member of the Florida Marlins organization, was used in many different roles in 2004.
Who can we look forward to seeing in 2005?
The tough part of being an independent minor league organization is that when guys play well, they may not stay with the team very long. There are several Roosters that are good enough to play at a higher level, but if they don't get that chance quite yet then we should see them in 2005. Here are just a few that were recognized by the league this year:
Kevin White, 2004 Frontier League Rookie of the Year
Mike Reese, 2004 Frontier League All-Star Outfielder
Kevin Brown, 2004 Frontier League All-Star Game MVP
For me it was a great first season with the Roosters. I wish we were still playing baseball and competing for another Frontier League Championship, but even though we're not, it's hard not to be excited about the 2005 season already. The early season struggles by the pitching, specifically the starting pitching, dug the team an early hole in 2004. However, the addition of names like Tony Casoli, Jason Pilkington, Bo Moore, Dustin Kupper, and several others made this team very tough to beat in August. Hopefully, that is a sign of things to come and in September of 2005 we will be discussing a third Frontier League Championship.
Thanks to all the people that participated in the radio broadcasts during the season. Many fans sent e-mails which made the broadcasts fun and interactive. There were several people who came into the radio booth as guests and I believe it made the broadcasts much more enjoyable to our listeners. Thanks again to all of those individuals. See you in 2005!!!
Frontier League Stories from October 11, 2004
- RiverHawks Gain Hart In Trade - Rockford RiverHawks
- News In The Coop - Richmond Roosters
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.
