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St. Joe Native Becomes First Local Minority Partner

May 3, 2006 - American Association (AA)
St. Joseph Blacksnakes News Release


St. Joseph, MO-St. Joe not only has a figurative ownership in the local Blacksnakes, but a community member now has a financial stake in the franchise.

St. Joe native Linden Black becomes the first local minority partner and member of the Board of Directors in the first-year ballclub. Black was instrumental in bringing professional baseball back to St. Joe for the first time in 54 years. After attending St. Joe's Central High School, he spent three years serving his country in the US Army where he achieved the rank of sergeant. Upon leaving the army, Black attended LaSalle University and received a degree in Business.

Black was a supervisor for 12 years for the former Seitz Foods and has been Plant Manager and General Manager for Express Pet Food Co. for the last 26 years. Very active in the community, Black is past president of both the Southside Sertoma Club and YMCA, is a member of the Downtown Rotary Club and is co-founder of the St. Joseph Saints Baseball Club and served as Chairman of the Board among many other community involvements.

Throughout his life, Black has longed for the days with local professional baseball.

"We had professional baseball here when I was a boy," Black says. "And to have it back at Phil Welch Stadium has been a dream of mine for a long time. The Saints took it as far as they could take it but this another step forward."

Blacksnakes President Mark Schuster knows the impact of having of having Black involved.

"I am so excited to have Linden as a partner with the Blacksnakes. We always felt that having local ownership was important and we could not have found a better person than in Linden," says Schuster. "He was critical to the team coming here and will be a great help moving forward."

Black says, "I believe in the ownership that has brought professional baseball back to St. Joe and that is why my wife and I wanted to be a part of it."

The Blacksnakes season begins on the road Friday, May 12 before opening the home schedule Friday, May 19th, against the Sioux Falls Canaries at 7:05pm.

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