THUNDER BAY – SPORTS – A group of Thunder Bay investors is attempting to take over ownership of the Thunder Bay Border Cats baseball franchise. The Northwoods League team arrived in Thunder Bay in 2003 and captured the league championship in both 2005 and 2008.
However, the local group is in need of more investors for this venture to be completed. “It’s a small financial investment and we hope to have at least 25 total investors so the club can operate this coming season and for years to come,” said group spokesperson Bryan Graham. “We believe with the right amount of dollars behind the operation the Border Cats can bring a better fan experience at Port Arthur Stadium including premier seating, enhanced party decks for group outings, a children’s activity zone and a larger menu of concession items. We also believe having more local business people involved in the ownership group will raise not only season ticket sales but corporate sponsorship’s as well,” Graham added.
Putting a winning product on the field is another huge factor in this venture and the group already has some very good leads on a new field manager with an emphasis to bring in more Canadian players that are currently playing college baseball in the United States.
However, time is not on the Border Cats side. “We’ve pretty much been at this now since the season ended in mid-August and there is a solid nucleus of investors that have jumped on board. We have a deadline coming up this Friday as there are league meetings quickly approaching the second week of October,” Graham stated. “When you look at the numbers, this franchise is not far off from being very successful with increased attendance and more support from the business community. We hope our dream to keep the Border Cats alive will be a successful one.”
The NWL, a summer collegiate league, has produced over 200 major league players, including six former Border Cats.
For more information on ownership opportunities, please contact Bryan Graham at bgraham11@shaw.ca or David Valente at dtvalente@yahoo.com.
