The owner of the new Intercounty Baseball League (IBL) team in Chatham was in town on Friday to release plans for the 2024 inaugural season.
Team Owner and President Dom Dinelle promises fun for the whole family and high quality baseball. Dinelle said even people who don't like baseball should "come for the party."
"The gates will always open two hours prior to the game. Why? Because we want to have a party. A little animation before the game with a local band or somebody who is going to be singing," said Dinelle.
Dinelle hopes to have between 15,000 and 20,000 fans in the first season over 20 to 25 home games.
He said there's still a lot of work to do, including hiring a general manager and coaches, adding they should be in place by Spring. Dinelle also said tryouts for players will come after that.
The team doesn't have a name yet and the contest to name the team will be open until January 20, 2023. The winner will get a free season pass.
He says work is also underway for a mascot and a team logo.
Hall of Fame pitcher Fergie Jenkins is the Honourary Team President and former Expos pitcher Bill Atkinson is the Team Ambassador. They both grew up in Chatham.
Jenkins said he can't wait to see the end product.
"Baseball should be very interesting in Chatham. If we can get the right team, the right players, I think the community is going to be really behind it. So, I'm looking forward to coming back and seeing the finished result," Jenkins said.
Dinelle said having a baseball team in Chatham was a must because of all of the baseball history it has.
Dinelle's Executive Assistant Mark Jackson said the team will be very involved in the community year round with appearances and other special events.
The journey to get sponsorships has begun and Dinelle said there's been some interest already.
He said running an IBL team costs about $400,000 a year. He said selling 200 season tickets would be a good start.
