Pete LaCock to manage Niagara Stars
Published on March 13, 2003 under Canadian Baseball League (CanBL) News Release
Vancouver, B.C. â March 13, 2003 - The Canadian Baseball League is pleased to announce former Chicago Cubs and Kansas City Royals outfielder/first baseman Pete LaCock as the first ever manager of the Niagara Stars.
"We're pleased to welcome Pete to the CBL," said CBL chairman Tony Riviera, "he's a quality individual, a solid veteran baseball person with championship experience at the highest level. He brings a lot to the league and we're confident the Niagara Stars will be in good hands during their inaugural season."
LaCock, 51, played over 700 games in the major leagues from 1972 through 1980, including three American League Championship Series and one World Series with the Royals. In the 1978 ALCS he hit .364 against the New York Yankees. LaCock's best seasons were 1977 and 1978 when he hit .303 and .295 respectively.
"I'm very excited," said LaCock, "managing is something I've always wanted to do. It's really about developing ballplayers. I love the game and this is a fantastic opportunity. I am looking forward to meeting all the fans in the Niagara area and to getting to know everybody in the baseball community there. The CBL will be a great league for Canada, and I am proud to be involved with the inaugural season."
Kolya Malloff named General Manager
The CBL is also pleased to announce Kolya Malloff has been named the Niagara Stars' General Manager. Malloff is well known in the international baseball community. Last year he teamed up with GFI (Grand Forks International) creator, Larry Seminoff to create the 2002 World Baseball Challenge. This impressive event showcased national teams from Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Taiwan, Russia, Samoa, Canada, the United States and Italy along with four competitive North American club teams.
Mr. Malloff is highly regarded by the FCBA (Cuban Baseball Federation) and was invited to be a VIP guest at the recent 2002 Intercontinental Cup. Kolya brings a strong work ethic and exceptional organizational abilities to the Niagara Stars franchise.
"The CBL is something for local sports fans to embrace and enjoy. When you have an organization that is willing to dream big, work hard and reward the local communities, success is just a matter of time," said Malloff. "I look forward to working in the Niagara region. Our management and coaches are focused on providing great baseball for the Starts fans, and on ultimately bringing the Jenkins Cup to Niagara."
About the Canadian Baseball League
The Canadian Baseball League is a new international professional baseball league offering high caliber baseball to cities across Canada beginning in May 2003. The CBL's Commissioner of Baseball is Ferguson Jenkins, Canada's only member of the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. For more information please visit the official website of the Canadian Baseball League at www.canadianbaseballleague.com.
Canadian Baseball League Stories from March 13, 2003
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