Lake County Fielders
| Lake County Fielders | |
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| Founded in 2009 Zion, Illinois |
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| Owner(s)/Operated By: Grand Slam Sports & Entertainment, LLC (Richard Ehrenreich, managing partner) | |
| General Manager: Mike Kardamis | |
| Manager: Chris Arago | |
| Media: Daily Herald, Lake County News-Sun | |
| Website: www.fieldersbaseball.com | |
The Lake County Fielders were a professional minor league baseball team based in Zion, Illinois, located in Lake County in the northern reaches of the Chicago area. The Fielders are owned by Grand Slam Sports & Entertainment, LLC; based in Deerfield; the primary owner is Rich Ehrenreich, and actor Kevin Costner, whose vast filmography includes baseball films Bull Durham (1988), Field of Dreams (1989), and For Love of the Game (1999) has a very small ownership interest in the team. Its managing partner is Richard Ehrenreich founder and long-time owner of the team's former biggest rival Schaumburg Flyers (Folded due to financial issues after 2010 Season). Both the Fielders and Flyers were evicted from their stadiums sued over unpaid rent.
The Fielders were a member of the Northern League in 2010 and joined the recently disbanded North American League in 2011 and became a part of the Northern Division. The team is currently not affiliated with any league.
The team announced on April 10, 2012 that they would not be fielding a team for the 2012 baseball season.[1]
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Ballpark (Temporary)[edit]
The Fielders began play in 2010 at Carthage College because of funding problems with Zion Ballpark. The Fielders played their first game in Zion on July 2, 2010, at a young Fielders Stadium that didn't include much more than a field and bleachers. Lights were added to the field, and the Fielders played their first night game on Monday, July, 26.
After the conclusion of the 2010 season, the temporary ballpark was completely dismantled and a construction on a new, permanent stadium was supposed to begin. The park was not ready in time for the beginning of the 2011 season, and, as a result, the Fielders started the season with a 32-game road trip. Temporary stadium construction was again completed in time for the Fielders' home opener on July 3, 2011.
Founding[edit]
The team held a name-the-team contest to decide the nickname. The five finalists were Cowpokes, Luckies, Fielders, Comets, and Skippers. The Fielders name, logo, and colors were unveiled on May 27, 2009 at the Key Lime Cove indoor waterpark in nearby Gurnee, also home to Gurnee Mills and Six Flags Great America.
Media[edit]
Fielder games are broadcast live on WKRS-AM (1220) and wkrs.com with Qumar Zaman (Quit on air over financial disputes)[2] and Les Grobstein (some games) on the play-by-play. The team got so transient that the new announcers could not refer to the players by name on many occasions.
Awards[edit]
Northern League (2010)[edit]
- Joshua Short - 2010 Rookie of the Year[3]
- Joshua Short - 2010 End of Year All-Star Team (DH)[4]
North American League (2011)[edit]
- C.J. Ziegler (also with Calgary Vipers) - 2011 End of Year All-Star Team (1B)[5]
- Travis Weaver (also with Lincoln Saltdogs (AA)) - Baseball America Top 10 Independent League Prospect[6][7]
All-Stars[edit]
Northern League (2010)[edit]
North American League (2011)[edit]
2011 (No All-Star Game)
Former Major Leaguers[edit]
- Jason Pearson[9] (2010)
Contracts Purchased by MLB[edit]
- Zach Ward (Cincinnati Reds) (2010)[10]
- Vince Bongiovanni (Toronto Blue Jays) (2011) (after trade to Lincoln Saltdogs)[11]
Managers[edit]
- Fran Riordan (41-59 .410 Pct.) (2010)[12]
- Tim "TJ" Johnson (24-13 .649 Pct.) (2011)[13]
- Pete LaCock (0-1 .000 Pct.) (Interim) (2011)[14]
- Chris Thompson (0-1 .000 Pct.) (Interim) (2011)
- Chris Arago (3-20 .130 Pct.) (2011)
Season Finishes[edit]
Northern League (2010)[edit]
- 2010 - (41-59) tied for 7th place with Schaumburg Flyers (also owned by Rich Ehrenreich)[15]
North American League (North Division) (2011)[edit]
- 2011 - (27-36) 4th place (Pct.), 5th place (Wins) (did not finish official regular season)[16]
References[edit]
- ^ http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/04/10/the-lake-county-fielders-cancel-the-2012-season/
- ^ http://www.awfulannouncing.com/2011-articles/july/minor-league-baseball-play-by-play-man-quits-on-air.html
- ^ Josh Short named Northern League Rookie Player of the Year — Gurnee news, photos and events — TribLocal.com
- ^ a b Short named to 2010 Northern League Post-Season All-Star Team — Gurnee news, photos and events — TribLocal.com
- ^ North American Baseball League | News
- ^ North American Baseball League | News
- ^ BaseballAmerica.com: Minors: Independent Audit: 2011 Independent League Top 10 Prospects
- ^ a b Northern League Announces All-Star Roster - OurSports Central - Independent and Minor League Sports News
- ^ 2010 Lake County Fielders Statistics - Minor Leagues - Baseball-Reference.com
- ^ Ward purchased by Reds | Lake County Fielders
- ^ saltdogs.com: Releases
- ^ Fran Riordan Minor League Statistics & History - Baseball-Reference.com
- ^ Tim Johnson Minor League Statistics & History - Baseball-Reference.com
- ^ Espinoza, Alex. "Scorpions beat Fielders with lineup of pitchers". http://www.yumasun.com.
- ^ nlfan.com: Northern League 2010 Standings & Awards
- ^ North American Baseball League | North American League
External links[edit]
- Official Lake County Fielders website
- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lake-County-Fielders/
- http://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/team.cgi?id=22b2f5bc
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