Indo Canadian News News That Matters
The Frontier League has announced on Friday (Sept 25) that the Ottawa Baseball Club will play in the league for 2021 season, along with other 12 American teams.
The news released from the league confirmed that Ottawa’s team is the 15th team to join the league which already includes two other Canadian clubs- the Quebec Capitales and the Trois-Rivieres Aigles.
Founded in 1993, the Frontier League is an independent and professional baseball league with teams in the Eastern Canada, Northeastern and Midwestern United States. The league and its teams are not part of Major League Baseball or Minor League Baseball.
The Ottawa team will be owned by the long-term owner of the Winnipeg Goldeyes and former mayor of Winnipeg Mr. Sam Katz will partner with Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG). They agreed and signed a 10-year lease for the Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton baseball stadium this week.
Since the beginning of the 1994 season, Mr. Katz served as President and CEO of the American Association’s Winnipeg Goldeyes and has baseball experience in partnerships. During that time, he chaired the construction of Shaw Park in downtown Winnipeg while serving as the Mayor of Winnipeg from 2004 to 2014.
In regards to Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG), it does have the wide sports experience. OSEG owns and operates the Ottawa 67’s OHL Junior-Hockey Team and the Ottawa Redblacks CFL Team. In addition, also manages and programs large-scale events in the TD Place stadium arena complex.
The partnership between Mr. Katz and OSEG will bring the Frontier League to the Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton (RCGT) Park in Ottawa, the latest attempt to retain professional baseball in the capital of Canada. The RCGT Park is located at the eastern end of the city, near the intersection of Queensway and Vanier Parkway. It was built to home the Ottawa Lynx of the International League and opened before the 1993 season. Since then, it has been used for minor league professional baseball and music concerts.
Joining the Frontier League is very suitable in terms of geography, philosophy and timing-wise a season that starts in May and lasts until early September.
Mr. Katz said, “It was logical, it was the perfect fit and we’ve now been officially approved. For nearly 30 years, the Frontier League has helped set the bar for independent baseball, and we are proud to become a part of its rich history. We very much look forward to serving the City of Ottawa, and providing our fans affordable, family-friendly entertainment for years to come.”
In addition to above, the Ottawa team hopes to appoint a manager in the next 30 to 60 days. There will be a “Name the Team” contest which can be launched in the next few weeks.
