Ottawa Fat Cats
| Ottawa Fat Cats | |
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| Founded in 2010 Ottawa, Ontario |
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| Owner(s)/Operated By: Ottawa Stadium Group | |
| General Manager: Jonathan Trottier (Interim) | |
| Manager: Tim Nelson | |
| Media: Ottawa Citizen / Ottawa Sun / Rogers TV | |
| Website: ottawafatcats.com | |
The Ottawa Fat Cats are a semi-professional baseball club in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The team began play on May 8, 2010, against the Guelph Royals, and plays its home games at the Ottawa Baseball Stadium, the first home game was on May 15, 2010, against the Mississauga Twins. The team is a member of the Intercounty Baseball League[1] but has suspended operations for at least the coming 2013 season.[2]
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[edit] Founding
The Ottawa Stadium Group first became involved in operating a baseball team in 2009. With the Ottawa Baseball Stadium vacant, a city asset was unused. City Councillor Bob Monette arranged some community baseball games, and around the same time the OSG showed some interest in starting another Can-Am baseball team at the stadium. In January 2010, the group instead applied to the Intercounty Baseball League and was accepted. As the other eight IBL teams are located in or within a short distance of Toronto, the Fat Cats had to accept conditions whereby the Cats would pay for accommodations for the visiting teams and also arrange the schedule to allow the other teams to play back-to-back games in Ottawa.[3] In March 2010, the group named Duncan MacDonald as the general manager, while Bill Mackenzie, a former professional baseball player, was hired as manager of the team.
The name and logo of the team were announced at a news conference on March 24, 2010. The name 'Fat Cats' was chosen to poke fun at the public image of federal public servants employed in the city. The Cats use the traditional red, black and white used by Ottawa teams. The cap logo is a stylized 'O' (similar to the alternate logo used by the city's NHL team, the Ottawa Senators), with horizontal black, red and white stripes through the 'O'. A vertical slit in the middle of the 'O' makes it look like a cat's eye. The jersey logo is a cartoon cat with the team name written below it. The Cats also arrange concerts at the Stadium and provide family entertainment at ball games. The concerts raise funds to offset any losses in the operations of the baseball team.[3]
[edit] 2010 New Era All-Star Classic
On August 12th, it was announced that Ottawa would be the location for the first annual New Era All-Star Classic which features the best of the Intercounty Baseball League facing off in a four game series against the best of the Ligue de Baseball Senior Élite du Québec (LBSEQ).[citation needed] Games 1 and 2 were held in Ottawa on August 21st and 22nd 2010, while the series continued in Thetford Mines, Quebec September 4th and 5th.[4]
[edit] Attendance
In their first season in Ottawa, the Fat Cats did very well in attendance. They averaged 2,328 per game for a total of 25,611 on the season despite playing many doubleheaders and having the least amount of openings compared to any other team.
2011 Season The Ottawa Fat Cats made it into The IBL finals only to lose to the Brantford Rex Sox. The Fat Cats however drew a total of 38,491 during the regular season an increase of almost 50% from 2011. In the playoffs, the Fat Cats averaged 4,120 fans per game and drew a total of 28,843 in only 7 games. The season total was 67,334 fans.
[edit] Roster
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Ottawa Fat Cats roster
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[edit] See also
- Ottawa Lynx, active 1993–2007
- Ottawa Rapidz, active 2008
[edit] References
- ^ "Baseball team's name revealed". Ottawa Citizen. March 24, 2010.
- ^ "Fat Cats won't play in 2013". Ottawa Citizen. December 21, 2012.
- ^ a b "Fat Cats dressed for success". Ottawa Citizen. March 25, 2010.
- ^ http://www.demotix.com/news/418830/2010-new-era-all-star-classic-opens-ottawa#media-418780
