There will be professional baseball in Grays Harbor this summer.
The Grays Harbor Gulls of the newly formed Mount Rainier Professional Baseball League plan to open their season on May 25 and will call Hoquiam’s Olympic Stadium home through early August.
The Gulls may have the same name as the defunct Western Baseball League franchise that inhabited the same stadium from 1995-98, but this is a whole new game. Gone is the original team’s teal and blue for a color scheme of navy and orange.
Grays Harbor will be one of six franchises to take part in the inaugural season of the new league started by Mike Greene of Brier, Washington.
Greene has coached baseball for more than 25 years, most recently with the Douglas Diablos of the Pecos League. While with Douglas, Greene said he didn’t really like the way the league was being run and how players were being treated. He said he felt he could create a league that would treat players better and bring quality baseball to the Northwest.
“I thought up in Washington, where I am from, I can find cities that will support these kids and treat them right,” Greene said. “Grays Harbor is one of the most supported teams we have had so far.”
Greene, who will act as owner of all six teams and commissioner of the league, said the Gulls and the Glacier (Mont.) Outlaws have had the most support from their respective communities. The Gulls have 913 Facebook likes as of Wednesday and have some of the best apparel and ticket sales numbers among the six franchises, according to Greene.
COMMUNITY SKEPTICISM
While many in the community have already started to get excited about the prospect of pro baseball on the Harbor, there are still some who share skepticism that the team and the league will last.
The Hoquiam Babe Ruth Baseball League traditionally has used Olympic Stadium for games throughout the summer. With the Gulls signing a lease to use the stadium for 32 games this season, the Babe Ruth teams and the Gulls have been working with the City of Hoquiam to figure out a schedule that works for both sides.
The Gulls were provided with some blackout dates to give the league opportunities to play a couple of traditional tournaments and will play some doubleheaders to allow for Hoquiam High School’s graduation. Hoquiam Babe Ruth will have to work with the Gulls to allow for a schedule where they will be able to alternate use of the field for several days at a time, allowing for each group to move in all concessions items and then move them out for the other group.
“It is going to be tough,” Hoquiam Babe Ruth president Rusty Standstipher said. “We only have a set number of days to get our games in before the district tournament and state tournaments. The first time around, Babe Ruth was kind of kicked to the curb a little bit. I don’t think it is going to fly just like any of the other teams. We had the original Grays Harbor Gulls and the Grays Harbor Rain. I’ve watched all of the years and I have watched baseball go down numbers-wise all around the Harbor and the spectators. I don’t think it is going to last long. Maybe one year, two at the most. If it lasts longer, great, but there has to be some give and take. Babe Ruth was here first and we will be here when they are gone.”
Standstipher said the Babe Ruth league will need at least three nights a week, and sometimes more, to get in the 20-25 games on the schedule for June and July. While Standstipher said he thinks the two groups will be able to create a schedule that works for both sides, he understands there will be some difficulties going forward.
COMMUNITY INTERACTION
For those who share Standstipher’s skepticism, Greene and Grays Harbor General Manager Patrick Thornton have the same response — “Just give us a chance.”
“I understand the skepticism,” Greene said. “There are just negative people who want to be negative. I don’t understand why people want to be negative or have things fail. There are just people like that. I understand it too, until you prove it. It is a big undertaking, it is not like getting an adult softball league going…We are trying to at least let everyone know that we are here and then we get them to a ball game and find out what a good time it is.”
One of the main ways the Gulls will try to get individuals into Olympic Stadium this summer is through a full promotion schedule. From the first homestand, which will include a military appreciation night on Opening Night, Ladies Night on Tuesday, Seniors Night on Wednesday and a Thirsty Thursday, the team hopes to create a fun, family atmosphere.
“There will be something for everyone from (youth baseball/softball players) to senior citizens,” Thornton said. “When the original Gulls left, I was still a little kid. It was really upsetting. We want to really connect with the community. Have it be like the original Gulls were, but have them here for a while. I remember going to the games and enjoying being at the ballpark on a Friday night under the lights. Just being there around the stadium with a bunch of other fans of the game was just enjoyable.”
Along with concession promotions like $2 drafts and dollar dogs, there will be several theme nights such as Country Night, Tropical Night, 80’s Night and even a 1978 Loggers Night.
Greene said he plans to have plenty of opportunities for young fans to connect with the team. There will be occasions where fans will be able to run the bases between innings and players will be available for autographs several times before and after the game.
Attendance will come at a reasonable price. There are currently two ticket packages available for purchase — a 10-game pack is $55 or a package with all 32 home games will run $160.
In addition to the 32 regular season games, Olympic Stadium will host the MRPBL All-Star Game on July 2. The game will feature the best talent from the Gulls, as well as the five other franchises — the Skagit Valley Lumberjacks, the Glacier Outlaws, the Ellensburg Bulls, the Moses Lake Rattlesnakes and the Oregon City (Ore.) Mud Turtles — taking part in the game and a home run derby.
ON THE FIELD PRODUCT
Providing some entertainment in the stands can help bring individuals to the ballpark, but the Gulls will need to put a quality product on the field to be successful, a fact of which Greene is keenly aware.
“The baseball is going to be really good,” Greene said. “There are so many guys that want to keep playing. Finding quality players is the easiest thing to do. They don’t make a lot of money, but they get to play baseball for 12 weeks and keep the dream alive.”
It may take a couple of seasons, but Greene said he expects to be able to produce a product that is better than the Everett AquaSox, because his players will be often be older and have more experience in the game.
Greene will be traveling between the six league venues to watch the games, but handling the day-to-day operation of the team will be Gulls manager Phil Savage. The first-time professional manager has been working to put together a roster of 35 players that he will trim down to 24 when the season starts. Savage has coached baseball in his native Canada and the United States and has been as associate scout for several MLB teams. Even though he has never stepped foot in Grays Harbor, the Hamilton, Ontario resident is eager to get started in Hoquiam.
“There is nothing like the excitement of a new league or a new team starting up somewhere,” Savage said. “It gives a lot of players a new chance to start out. My biggest goal is the opportunities for players to advance, whether it is a higher independent league or affiliated ball. That is our on-the-field goal. Our off-the-field goal is to be as entertaining as possible for the fans.”
Savage’s signings have included a variety of players, from several college players who went undrafted to a few players who have played independent baseball. Included on the current Gulls roster is Hoquiam graduate and Aberdeen resident Jimmy Hargrove, who is one of 10 right-handed pitchers on the squad. Left-handed pitching is the last need Savage said he will address in the coming weeks. Savage doubled the number of lefties on the pitching staff by signing Oscar Cabrera earlier this week. Cabrera spent three years in the Toronto Blue Jays system and finished the 2014 season with a 1.98 ERA playing for the Rookie League Bluefield (W.V.) Blue Jays.
Savage signed another former Bluefield Blue Jay on the same day when he inked a deal with Lydell Moseby. The son of Toronto Blue Jay and Detroit Tiger outfielder Lloyd Moseby, Lydell has a career batting average of .214 in 54 games with Bluefield over the last two seasons. Savage said he expects the right-hander to see time at first base and designated hitter.
“We’ve all been working hard here over the last six to seven months putting the team together,” Savage said. “I don’t think there is going to be any shortage of effort and enthusiasm.”
CHALLENGES AND EXCITEMENT
The Gulls may have a home in Olympic Stadium, but finding homes to put the players off the field has not been easy. Thornton said out of the 25 host families the Gulls will need to house the team, they still need to find close to 15 more residents who are willing to take in a player for the three-month season. The team is currently offering those who take in a player four season tickets, four team shirts and hats as compensation for providing a separate bedroom and bathroom.
The final challenge for the Gulls will be attendance. Greene said he hopes for around 500 fans at each game this season, but must have just more than 300 fans to continue to break even with the Gulls. There may be growing pains, but the commissioner hopes fans will give the league an opportunity to grow.
“It could be something where we lose a little bit of money or break even in the first year,” Greene said. “The second year, it is going to be a different story getting into it.”
Thornton said he has felt excitement throughout the community surrounding the new team. Locals aren’t just buying a shirt, hat or ticket, but a number of businesses have showed their support for the franchise through advertising dollars. Harborites aren’t just looking to resurrect old memories, but create plenty of new ones as well.
“We have a solid foundation set,” Thornton said. “We are looking forward to starting the season and having all of Grays Harbor and anybody who enjoys baseball come out to the park and have a good time. A lot of people remember going to the games and having a good time. People are very excited to have baseball back here.”
Brendan Carl: bcarl@thedailyworld.com; (360) 537-3954; Twitter: @DW_Brendan
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