Lakeshore Chinooks

Intro

L

his summer, you're in for a whole new ballgame. One that brings together baseball legends Bob Uecker and Robin Yount with top collegiate players from across the country to deliver big league excitement at a family-friendly price. Meet your Lakeshore Chinooks, the Northwoods Baseball League's newest franchise. Playing in a beautiful new multi-million dollar facility, Concordia University's Kapco Park, on the shores of Lake Michigan in Mequon, Wisconsin. Warm summer evenings. Good, old-fashioned wooden bat action. Not a bad seat in the house. This is baseball at its best. See you at the game!

 

Is this a Minor League Team?
No. The players are not paid; they have amateur status and have to have college eligibility to play in the league.

What is the difference between the Northwoods League and other local amateur leagues?
Teams in the Northwoods League feature the very best college players from around the country. Many of these players in this league will get drafted by Major League teams.

Why is it called a "Wood Bat League?"
During the regular school year when the players are on their university teams, they use composite aluminum bats. Wood Bat Leagues allow players who have aspirations to play professional baseball the opportunity to get experience playing with wood bats. It also allows scouts from Major League Baseball teams to see how hitters fare with wood bats.

Will some of the Northwoods League/Lakeshore Chinooks players end up in the Major Leagues?
Yes. More than 100 players with Northwoods League ties get drafted every year in the Major League draft. Out of those players, a number of them will work their way onto Major League clubs.

What is the relationship between Concordia University and the Lakeshore Chinooks?
The team leases the facility from Concordia University (CUW). The ownership group and Concordia University felt this was a good partnership to help develop college-age kids on the field as well as off. The team is working in conjunction with the Sports Management program at CUW to help develop potential front office employees for professional teams as well as the players.

Who owns the team?
There are 12 investors in the team comprised of local business executives and people who have a desire to promote baseball.

Where do the players come from?
Players on this team are from all over the country. They play predominantly Division 1 college baseball during the school year and then join Collegiate Summer League teams from June through August.

Where do players live during the summer?
Players will be housed with "Host Families."" These are families who would like to have a player stay at their home during the course of the season.

How do we become a Host Family?
Contact the team, and someone will put you in touch with the Host Family Coordinator.

How long is the season?
The teams play a 70-game regular season schedule (35 Home/35 Away) from June through mid- August. The league is divided into two divisions – North and South – with the playoffs at the end of the year between the winner of the North Division and the winner of the South Division.

How can fans attend these games?
Tickets will be available to purchase by the public. There will be season tickets, group tickets, and individual game tickets sold for all Home games.

Will there be sponsorship opportunities?
Yes, companies and other organizations interested in marketing with the team will have that opportunity. Various sponsorships will be customized to fit the needs of the clients, and they can contact the team directly if they are interested.

How was the park paid for?
Kapco Park is a combined effort through donations from the university, private companies, and individuals. The lead gift came from Jim Kacmarcik, President of Kapco. There are still plenty of ways to donate to this project.


Owners

Jim Kacmarcik - Majority Owner
President
Kapco, Inc.
Robin Yount
Partner
LKY Development
Bob Uecker
Announcer
Major League Baseball
Carl Claerbout
President
Dutchland Plastics
Dave Fischer
Chief Financial Officer
Kapco, Inc.
Jon Hammes
Chairman and CEO
Hammes Company
John Hammond
General Manager
Milwaukee Bucks
Johnson Level Baseball LLC
Bob Johnson - President
Johnson Level & Tool
Johnson Level Baseball LLC
Bill Johnson - Chairman and CEO
Johnson Level & Tool
Dan Laine
Director - Imports and Transportation
Walgreen Co.
Tom Multerer
President
MPI Corporate Holdings
Jeff Prochnow
Owner
GS Design, Inc.
Scott Roeker
President
Straight-Up, Inc.

Staff

Jim Kacmarcik
President
Dean Rennicke
Vice President / General Manager
deanr@lakeshorechinooks.com
Chad Bauer
Assistant General Manager
chadb@lakeshorechinooks.com
John Vodenlich
Manager
Eric Snodgrass
Manager of Sales
erics@lakeshorechinooks.com
Greg Perlewitz
Manager of Operations
gregp@lakeshorechinooks.com