WINNIPEG GOLDEYES DAILY CLIPPINGS

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 4th , 2021

- Reuniting With Long-Lost Goldeyes Family—Winnipeg Free Press (Mike McIntyre), 8/4/21 - Goldeyes Relieved, Excited to be Back in Winnipeg—Winnipeg Free Press (Mike Sawatzky), 8/4/21 - Fans Missed Goldeyes Games—Winnipeg Free Press (Joseph Bernacki), 8/4/21 - First Goldeyes Game at Shaw Park in Almost Two Years Brings Tears to the Eyes of Winnipeg Lovers—Winnipeg Sun (Ted Wyman), 8/4/21 - Vaccinated Fans Thrilled to Take in 1 st Game in 2 Years—CBC Manitoba (Bryce Hoye), 8/4/21 - Goldeyes Return to Winnipeg for First Time in Nearly Two Years—CTV Winnipeg (Joseph Slattery), 8/3/21 - Fully Jackcinated: Goldeyes Homer Three Times in First Home Game Since 2019—Winnipeg Goldeyes (Steve Schuster), 8/3/21 - August 3 rd Game Highlights (Video Link)—Winnipeg Goldeyes (Jason Young), 8/3/21 - The Travelling X’s Fall in Series Opener—Sioux City Explorers (Connor Ryan), 8/3/21 - Low Team Vaccination Rate Leads to Road Trip Headaches for Sioux City Explorers—Sioux City Journal (Shane Lantz), 8/1/21 - Challenges Continue as Goldeyes Head Home—Winnipeg Free Press (Taylor Allen), 7/28/21

REUNITING WITH LONG-LOST GOLDEYES FAMILY MIKE MCINTYRE – WINNIPEG GOLDEYES – WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 4 th Welcome back, you wacky one-of-a-kind league.

There’s always been something perfectly imperfect about the Winnipeg Goldeyes and life in the independent baseball circuit. From athletes playing for peanuts still chasing their faint big-league dreams, marathon road trips, zany in-game promotions and a cast of larger-than-life characters, there’s usually no shortage of quirky and charming to be found.

It only took a few hours into the American Association’s team’s long-awaited return to Shaw Park on Tuesday to be reminded of such, with many of the familiar sights and sounds along with a few new warts just to keep things interesting.

Up first: An afternoon face-to-face with skipper Rick Forney ahead of his team’s much-delayed 2021 home opener. I found the Maryland native in the exact same spot as our last in-person visit approximately 23 months ago, camped out in the home team dugout. True to form, Forney had a massive wad of chewing tobacco in his cheek as we got caught up on everything to do with his vagabond team, his family and just life in general during a nearly hour-long chat.

Forney is the definition of a baseball lifer, a throwback now in his 25th year with the Goldeyes organization including the past 16 as skipper. But two straight summers spent entirely on the road, at least until now, have taken a toll and tested his patience.

Signing quality players, one of Forney’s strengths, has been a struggle, given the nomadic lifestyle the Goldeyes have led which isn’t exactly a strong selling point to free agents. Keeping them in the fold has been even more difficult, with major-league organizations raiding rosters of American Association teams this season to fill vacancies. It’s why arguably the model franchise of the league, one with three championships since 2012, began the day with a very un-Goldeyes like record of 32-35.

They were playing in front of just a few hundred fans a night in Jackson, Tenn., their temporary home more than 2,000 kilometres away. They’ve had five different bus breakdowns during their travels this year, including one on their trip north in the wee hours of Monday morning that involved getting stranded at the side of a desolate highway for a few hours waiting for roadside assistance.

Now, the added challenge of relocating to another country in the middle of a season — during a global pandemic, no less — and having to bid farewell to a handful of players who had been with them during the first 67 games of this unique summer, only to have it come to a screeching halt because they opted not to get vaccinated. As a condition to return to Winnipeg, only the double-dosed are allowed in without the usual 14-day quarantine.

That meant saying farewell to multiple players including star closer Jose Jose, former major-league pitcher Bud Norris and even Forney’s right-hand man, hitting coach Kash Beauchamp, who opted to take his ball and go home.

No surprise, really, to hear a weary Forney admit he’s looking forward to putting this year in the rear-view mirror.

Turns out Winnipeg’s problems in that regard paled in comparison to the team they hosted on Tuesday. In one of those "only in the minor league" kind of stories, the Sioux City Explorers fielded a squad in name only. Due to the fact the majority of their regular players are anti-vaxxers, the 39-29 club signed nearly an entire roster of lower-level independent ball players from something called the Pecos League to fill in for the three-game set, rather than lose by forfeit.

No wonder the Goldeyes opted not to take batting practice ahead of the game. They had a few hours of it as soon as the first pitch was fired shortly after 6:30 p.m., teeing off against the lesser competition early and often on their way to an easy 14-6 victory.

Does it make a mockery of the competitive integrity in the American Association? Heck ya. But it’s also very much in line with that previously mentioned quirk and charm. This is a league, after all, which literally just changed the playoff rules last week, more than halfway into the season, and decided that three teams in each division, not two, will qualify.

I’m told every other visiting team that plays in Winnipeg over the next month will only have a few players, at most, who won’t be able to make the trip.

Confession: I’ve always had a soft spot for the Fish, dating back to my days as a journalism student back in 1994 working as an intern on the radio broadcasts. I was on the field back at old Winnipeg Stadium when they won their inaugural Northern League championship that fall. And I was there in Wichita in 2016, just months into my new gig as a Free Press sportswriter following two decades on the crime beat, when they captured the title against the mighty Wingnuts.

Like thousands of other teenagers in Winnipeg, both my kids landed their first ever jobs with the Goldeyes organization, hawking programs and selling merchandise and learning about hard work and responsibility and the value of a dollar.

There’s always been a family-like atmosphere around the club, and so it was great to see some long-lost "relatives" on Tuesday, from director of sales and marketing Dan Chase to PA announcer Ron Arnst to the hardest working play-by-play man I know, Steve Schuster.

They’d been waiting for this day for a long time, even if it was a bit different than usual. A lack of group sales meant a smaller-than-usual crowd of just a couple thousand fans for the homecoming on a muggy, smoky night. Pandemic protocols were in full effect, with big lines snaking out the doors as patrons, many of them elderly, struggled to produce their QR codes or immunization cards showing they were fully vaccinated.

There was no band playing on the stage outside the ballpark to set the pre-game mood, nor were there any of the usual on-field, between-innings games involving fans. Food service was limited, with fans encouraged to remain seated as much as possible. And the only fireworks to be found, with drought ravaging our community, came from the Goldeyes bats repeatedly pounding the cover off the ball. Which at least gave the hometown faithful plenty to cheer about it.

Sure, the game took more than three hours to complete, due mainly to the Sioux City imposters on the mound being unable to consistently find the strike zone. And yes, the scoreboard intermittently went dark, the result of some kinks that still need to be worked out. A longer build-up, bigger crowd and some of the traditional bells and whistles would have been nice, too.

It was, like the Goldeyes and the league itself, perfectly imperfect. And, quite frankly, we wouldn’t expect it any other way.

GOLDEYES RELIEVED, EXCITED TO BE BACK IN WINNIPEG MIKE SAWATZKY – WINNIPEG FREE PRESS – WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 4 th The (almost) never-ending road trip came home to Winnipeg Tuesday night.

Wes Darvill waited 701 days to set foot on Shaw Park’s luxurious infield grass. His team had not played there since before the pandemic outbreak.

"I think it’s more of a relief than anything — we’ve been deprived for almost two years," said the Goldeyes shortstop prior to Winnipeg’s 14-6 American Association victory over the Sioux City Explorers. "All the fans have, too. I know we have guys like (outfielder) Logan Hill who wanted to come play in Winnipeg, experience the city, experience the fans and the culture here and haven’t been able to do it, right?

"So I’m really happy for those guys coming here for the first time. Yeah, we’re pretty fired up and pretty relieved to be back."

Darvill, left-fielder Kevin Lachance and first baseman Kyle Martin are the only holdovers from the Goldeyes squad that played the club’s last home game on Sept. 2, 2019, which was also Reggie Abercrombie’s final game in a Winnipeg uniform.

Manager Rick Forney presided over Winnipeg’s shortened season in 2020, all spent on the road, and the start of the 2021 campaign headquartered in Jackson, Tenn. The ordeal of being essentially homeless for most of that time was exhausting.

"I just kind of lost hope in the middle of June. You just weren’t hearing anything that was really positive, you know," said Forney. "It all kind of came together pretty fast — I was really surprised."

Last week’s announcement that the club was returning to play in Canada came after discussions with federal and provincial authorities green-lit a plan for the Goldeyes to host games again.

The manager found familiar surroundings a comfort zone.

"I’ve been here since ‘97 so you know (it’s been) 25 years, you don’t forget," said Forney, now in his 16th season as field boss. "I will say I almost took a couple wrong turns around town today because it’s been two years since I’ve driven here — there’s construction going on. Everything else is the same to me."

It wasn’t status quo with the Winnipeg roster, however.

Starting pitchers Pete Perez and Joey Gonzalez, closer Jose Jose, setup man Bud Norris, catcher Sonny Ulliana and outfielder Jay Gonzalez were all left in the U.S. when they decided not to comply with Canadian masking and vaccination requirements.

Those players are not expected to play for the Fish again in 2021. In addition, batting coach Kash Beauchamp elected not to travel with the team to Canada.

"It doesn’t make sense for me to house somebody in a hotel for a week and pay them a salary to sit there on their ass and not do anything," said Forney. "I’m sure it’s not really a situation that they would probably prefer to be in either. But that’s our reality."

In addition to those departures, Winnipeg had already lost five players in 2021 after major league teams purchased their contracts.

"Things have drastically changed with and how they operate now and how they retracted 40 (minor league) clubs," said Forney. "They don’t have the same number people around anymore and so the way they’re choosing to do business — when there’s a need in the organization they’re coming to independent leagues and they’re buying contracts in our league.

"It’s great for the players and it’s a super opportunity to get back to affiliated ball, but it’s been a nightmare for us."

While Forney, whose club is fourth in the North Division with a 33-35 record, has been scrambling to fill holes, Sioux City is experiencing roster volatility to the extreme.

Only outfielder Michael Lang, who came off the inactive list to play, was a member of the Explorers last week.

With a low vaccination rate on the squad, Sioux City signed 24 players in the two days leading up to its three-game series with the Goldeyes.

The pandemic has also administered a big hit on Goldeyes owner Sam Katz’s bottom line.

"We’ve lost millions — there’s no question about that," said Katz. "I’m not gonna... deny it but we felt it was important the first year (in 2020) to keep the team playing even though we know we’re going on the road for a shortened season. It was extremely challenging for the players not to have any fans and never getting cheered for. And it was tough on Rick (Forney) because he took on a lot of other duties."

Katz wasn’t second-guessing his decision to restart games at Shaw Park now, rather than wait until 2022. A smallish crowd of 2,716 watched Tuesday’s game.

"I’ve been asked the question by many people: Is it worth it? And in this case my answer is, you know, sometimes you make decisions from here," he said, thumping his chest. "Not from here (pointing to his head)."

Winnipeg is scheduled to play 20 of its final 33 games at Shaw Park.

"I think the crowds to start will basically be what we call walk-up," said Katz "We don’t have any group sales, you know, that’s gone... In our world, group tickets are the bread and butter and we obviously have zero. So now, it’ll be people deciding, ‘Hey the Goldeyes are back in town, it’s a nice day, let’s go.’ So right now we need Mother Nature on our side and it’ll be whatever it’ll be. No matter what the number is, you know, they’re back in town. They’re playing."

Darvill, one of four Canadians on the Winnipeg roster, was thrilled to be back in a familiar place.

"We were fortunate this year and appreciate the staff for getting us to the place in Jackson, that was really nice," he said. "But it’s still not home, right? So it’s great to be back here with the fans. This is one of the best places to play in North America, I truly believe."

EXTRA BASES: Winnipeg and Sioux City meet again tonight at 6:30 p.m. and close out the series Thursday at noon... Kyle Martin, Tyler Hill and Max Murphy homered for the Goldeyes Tuesday.

FANS MISSED GOLDEYES GAMES JOSEPH BERNACKI – WINNIPEG FREE PRESS – WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 4 th After 701 days away from the diamond, Winnipeg Goldeyes fans were all smiles as they entered Shaw Park for the first time in almost two years.

"I haven’t been to a game in a year and a half," said Donna Lewis, a diehard Goldeyes fan.

"It’s great, I’ve got a mini-pack so I love going to baseball games. I missed being at games with my family, it’s always been a family thing for me. I’ve been going to games for 20 years."

Lewis and her husband were some of the first fans to enter the ballpark as the lineups to get in stretched around the park and on to Pioneer Avenue. Despite the long lines, the Goldeyes were able to welcome their fans in to the park fairly quickly as the concourse soon filled with smells of beer and popcorn.

Memories of seasons past came back to the 2,716 fans in attendance after the extended absence away from home. Bennet Charter missed the whole experience of going to a baseball game since he last went with his father.

"It’s surreal I guess, it’s exciting, the last time I was here I brought my dad to a Father’s Day game a few years ago," said Charter.

"I missed everything about it, I missed getting together with my friends at the ballpark to have a good time."

Charter says he feels very comfortable attending games knowing the COVID-19 health and safety protocols the Goldeyes have in place to begin their return to Shaw Park.

"It feels good to know that everyone here is fully vaccinated and it’s nice to get back to some kind of normalcy," said Charter.

Sam Doucet and Mark Loeppky are longtime supporters of the Fish and attended the final games at home in September 2019. The two are elated to be in the stands once again and say the wait to see the team return home was a challenge.

"It means quite a bit, you know there’s all these incremental thresholds and milestones that we’ve been sort of grasping at for the last couple of months this summer," said Doucet.

"I’d say it’s great, it’s something having these things to look forward to is special," said Loeppky.

"We’ve been having no real events, nothing to really put on the calendar to get you through the week."

Loeppky says Tuesday’s home opener has been a highlight of his summer.

"Summer for me is sitting at the ballpark, I usually get a pair of mini-packs and plus other games on top of that," said Loeppky.

"I go to 20, 25 sometimes 30 games a season. It’s definitely a hole in what is summer. Being back at the ballpark is a really special event."

Doucet says the province’s gradual reopening this summer has created feelings of nostalgia and welcomes the return to many of the things he missed.

"I went to my first movie last week since two years ago," said Doucet.

"Sometimes I feel kind of delusional like I’ve gone to a movie, the pandemic is over whatever, but I bring myself down to earth. Going to a Goldeyes game is huge, it’s been the biggest thing missing from my life for the last two years, it’s very exciting."

With fans gearing up to see the return of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers on Thursday, there is a feeling of optimism expressed from the fans who are able to see both teams play this week.

"Winnipeg is the place to be," said Charter.

"I’m really excited for the Bomber game for sure. The last sporting event I was at all was the 2019 Grey Cup. It’s very exciting."

"We’re going to the Bombers game and we’re looking forward to getting back to Manitoba Theatre Centre as well, just getting out and doing things again," said Lewis.

"When I heard I was going to be able to come to a sporting event, I said I’ve got to do it," said Doucet.

The roar of the crowd could soon be heard as Goldeyes first baseman Kyle Martin hammered a three-run home run to right field bringing back baseball joy that was greatly missed in the city.

Loeppky says he is curious to see how the attitude of attending live sporting events in Manitoba changes over time based on what he’s read from online sports communities.

"It’s going to be interesting I think there is a lot of division from what I’m reading in sports fan pages between the vaccinated and the non-vaccinated," said Loeppky.

"I think hopefully it brings the sports communities together rather than apart. That’s what sports is all about."

FIRST GOLDEYES GAME AT SHAW PARK IN ALMOST TWO YEARS BRINGS TEARS TO THE EYES OF WINNIPEG BASEBALL LOVERS TED WYMAN – WINNIPEG SUN – WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 4 th For the first time in 23 months, professional baseball was played in downtown Winnipeg on Tuesday night and while it was far from a hitting, pitching and defence clinic, it was an event that brought a tear to the eye of sports-starved lovers of the game.

The Winnipeg Goldeyes played their first game at Shaw Park since Sept. 2, 2019 after spending all of the 2020 American Association season and the first three months of the 2021 campaign on the road in the .

“It’s just an unbelievable feeling to have people back in this building again,” Goldeyes general manager Andrew Collier said as his team faced the Sioux City Explorers on the diamond.

“It’s just good to be back. During the anthems, it brought a little bit of a tear.”

The Goldeyes have been playing out of Jackson, Tenn., up to this point, and entered Tuesday’s game with a 32-35 record, currently sitting outside of a playoff position in the North Division.

Their return home marked the first sporting event with no limitations on fans in Manitoba since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For longtime Goldeyes ballpark announcer Ron Arnst, it was like being back home.

“It’s one of those things that I’ve just come to count on in the summertime, being at the ballpark,” said Arnst, who has been on the job since the Goldeyes were first established in 1994.

“For all of last year and for the first three months of this year, it wasn’t there. Today, it was like I was coming to do my first game again. I was pacing the floor at home. My wife said, ‘You’re anxious to go to the ballpark’ and I said, ‘Oh yeah.’”

The game didn’t draw a massive crowd. The team had only two weeks to sell tickets and required fans to be fully vaccinated and have a QR code and digital ticket to get into the building.

That caused a lengthy lineup that stretched for blocks as fans tried to get into their seats. But eventually a crowd of 2,716 was on hand to watch the game.

“We knew everything was really rushed and some people just aren’t comfortable with going out in this type of setting yet,” Collier said. “Hopefully that changes with time and we’ll see some bigger crowds as the games go along.”

Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba’s chief public health officer who has been front and centre during the pandemic, threw out the first pitch before the Goldeyes and Explorers took the field.

“It was so great to see him here,” Arnst said. “He’s done such a tremendous job and to have him here so that the fans could say, ‘Thank you for this opportunity to come out and do this,’ it was just right.

“It’s just a perfect way to spend a summer evening. I’ve always said ‘I have a home but this is my second home.’”

Both teams had to go through considerable hoops just to be able to play in Winnipeg. All the players and personnel had to be fully vaccinated in order to get across the Canada-U.S. border.

That was a big problem for the Explorers, who had only nine of 24 players on the roster who were vaccinated. Eight of those nine vaccinated players were leery about crossing the border and chose not to travel to Winnipeg.

So the Explorers signed a bunch of players from the Pecos League, considered a step down from the American Association, in to travel to Winnipeg. Goldeyes longtime manager Rick Forney had most of his lineup intact, as most of the Winnipeg players were vaccinated.

That helped explain a score that was already 12-1 for Winnipeg at press time.

The most important thing was that a game was played, that fans got a chance to experience something close to normal on a summer evening, to enjoy some peanuts and local craft beer, after so many months of going through lockdowns related to the pandemic.

Goldeyes owner Sam Katz kept the team alive for almost two years without playing a single game in Canada, let alone in Winnipeg’s ballpark.

This night was a signal that pro baseball in Winnipeg survived the most tumultuous time of our era.

“We didn’t want to take another summer off,” Collier said. “Out of sight, out of mind, but now we’re back and that’s the most important thing.”

The Goldeyes have 18 home games remaining on their schedule, starting with games Wednesday and Thursday nights against Sioux City.

VACCINATED FANS THRILLED TO TAKE IN 1 ST WINNIPEG GOLDEYES GAME IN 2 YEARS BRYCE HOYE – CBC MANITOBA – WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 4 th Fans took in live minor league baseball from the stands for the first time in nearly two years on Tuesday at the Goldeyes' home-opener — but they had to prove their vaccination status before they could get in.

Scores of fans filed in long lines outside Shaw Park to see the fish take on the Sioux City Explorers. Park staff scanned physical immunization cards of some fans at the entrance while others presented a barcode on their phone.

"There's a lot of people and I think that's what the people miss. It's the social aspect of it," said Donn Navidad. "I hope we win."

The last time he was around so many people was at a Goldeyes game a couple years before the pandemic. He had no reservations about being vaccinated and maskless around crowds.

"Outdoor, no mask needed. Dr. Brent Roussin said."

In recent months, Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Brent Roussin and other provincial officials tied a variety of freedoms to vaccination status, including taking in live sports events.

The Bombers are slated to host their first crowd Thursday at the team's home opener, and only fully vaccinated guests can attend.

Those under the age of 12 who aren't vaccinated may attend if accompanied by a fully immunized member of their household.

That much will stay the same, with capacity at pro sports events at 100 per cent, despite a series of other loosened restrictions surrounding gathering and mask use anticipated to come into effect this weekend.

Former Winnipeg mayor Sam Katz, owner of the Goldeyes, says it has been 701 days since the last crowd was at Shaw Park watching baseball. He said the ball club has lost money each of the past two years. The disruptions have been tough on players and staff alike.

"It's been a tough grind, let's just be honest," he said. "But you know what, here we are at a ball game."

Katz said it was a challenge for the organization to pull everything together in a matter of days for the fully-immunized home-opener crowd, something he suggested normally takes months of preparation.

"It's trial and error but everything is OK so far," he said. "Today's been a good day just to see fans back in the stands and it's great for the players, they're excited."

Ozy Duncan and his friends were also excited.

"I haven't seen this many people in like two years," said Duncan.

The same was true for young fan Luca Vieira and his family. He was glad to be back in the live sports atmosphere.

"It feels awesome," said Vieira.

"I think it's good for our city, good for the community, good for the Goldeyes," said his father, Mark Vieira.

Longtime Goldeyes fan Leon Pincovich, who also plans to take in the Bombers' home opener this week, said it was tough going so long without sitting in the stands.

"It's just amazing," he said through a mask. "To be able to do something that you haven't been able to do in such a long time is really just a thrill."

He was undeterred about being around hundreds of people again, many not wearing masks.

"I'm just going to deal with it, worry about me, people who don't have masks, that's their choice, and you know, I can only worry about me."

The Goldeyes host Sioux City again Wednesday and Thursday, and then Milwaukee Friday through Sunday.

VIDEO: GOLDEYES RETURN TO WINNIPEG FOR FIRST TIME IN NEARLY TWO YEARS JOSEPH SLATTERY – CTV WINNIPEG – TUESDAY, AUGUST 3 rd LINK: https://winnipeg.ctvnews.ca/goldeyes-return-to-winnipeg-for-first-time-in-nearly-two-years-1.5533157

FULLY JACKCINATED: GOLDEYES HOMER THREE TIMES IN FIRST HOME GAME SINCE 2019 STEVE SCHUSTER – WINNIPEG GOLDEYES – TUESDAY, AUGUST 3 rd WINNIPEG, MB – The Winnipeg Goldeyes (33-35) beat the Sioux City Explorers 14-6 at Shaw Park on Tuesday night.

It marked the Goldeyes’ first official home game since September 2 nd , 2019.

The Explorers (39-30) took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning on an RBI single from Jacob Bockelie.

Winnipeg roared back with 12 unanswered runs. In the bottom of the first, Tyler Hill and Wes Darvill opened the inning with back-to-back singles, leading to a three-run home run to right-centre from Kyle Martin.

Austin Rei lined a single to left on a 1-2 count leading off the bottom of the second. Tyler Hill followed with a two-run home run on a line drive to right- centre.

Max Murphy’s solo shot to right-centre in the bottom of the fourth made it 6-1.

The Goldeyes broke the game open with a six-run bottom of the fifth. Three straight walks to Logan Hill, Dakota Conners, and Rei loaded the bases with no outs. Tyler Hill lined a single to centre that scored Logan Hill and Conners. Darvill followed with an RBI single up the middle, while Murphy slugged an RBI double to right-centre that made it 11-1. Murphy later scored on a wild pitch for the Goldeyes’ 12 th run.

The Explorers cut the deficit to 12-3 in the top of the sixth, scoring a pair of runs on back-to-back errors.

Winnipeg re-extended the lead to 14-3 in the bottom of the seventh. Darvill lined a single to left leading off, and the Goldeyes loaded the bases when Murphy and Martin were each hit by a pitch. Raul Navarro and Kevin Lachance then hit back-to-back sacrifice flies.

The Explorers pulled within 14-5 in the eighth on a two-out, two-run homer to right-centre from Carson McCurdy. Jarrett Anton’s RBI single in the top of the ninth accounted for Sioux City’s final run.

Landen Bourassa (1-0) started for the Goldeyes and picked up his first career professional win, allowing three unearned runs on four hits in 6.0 innings. Bourassa walked two, struck out four, and retired nine straight batters from the second through the fourth innings.

Jonathan Vance (0-1) started for the Explorers and took the loss, allowing six earned runs on 13 hits in four innings. Vance walked one and struck out two.

Game two of the series is Wednesday night at 6:35 p.m. Dylan Burns (0-1, 3.52) faces Winnipeg native Marc-Andre Habeck (0-0, 0.00).

Advanced tickets for all Goldeyes home games are on sale now by visiting www.ticketmaster.ca . For more information about the Winnipeg Goldeyes’ 2021 remaining schedule, ticket options, and the Goldeyes’ comprehensive COVID-19 readiness plan, visit www.goldeyes.com

VIDEO: AUGUST 3 rd GAME HIGHLIGHTS JASON YOUNG – WINNIPEG GOLDEYES – TUESDAY, AUGUST 3rd LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZl4-LQ0_ck

THE TRAVELLING X’S FALL IN SERIES OPENER CONNOR RYAN – SIOUX CITY EXPLORERS – TUESDAY, AUGUST 3 rd Winnipeg, MB (August 3, 2021) – With only Michael Lang being the everyday regular Sioux City Explorer to make the trip to Winnipeg due to travel restrictions, the X’s ended up falling in the series opener to the Winnipeg Goldeyes in their home opener from Shaw Park 14-6.

Sioux City at one point actually held a lead in the game. In the top of the first it seemed like perhaps the X’s would maybe be able to pull off the upset. Lang started it off with a walk, and reached second on an error. He scored on a Jacob Bockelie base hit to put Sioux City up 1-0.

But the lead was short lived however as the Goldeyes offense would flex their muscles with three home runs. In the first it was Kyle Martin who drilled a three run home run over the right field wall. In the second it was a two run shot from Tyler Hill and a Max Murphy solo blast in the fourth gave Winnipeg a 6-1 lead.

Allowing the homers and taking the loss for Sioux City was Jonathan Vance (0-1) who limited the damage to only the home runs. He allowed six runs all earned on thirteen hits while walking only one and striking out two.

Winnipeg plated six in the fifth inning. As Sioux City walked the bases loaded. And RBI’s from Hill, Wes Darvill, Murphy and Martin along with a wild pitch give the Goldeyes a large 14-1 lead.

Taking the win for Winnipeg was rookie Landen Bourassa (1-0) who went six innings deep allowing three runs, but none earned, on four hits with four strikeouts and two walks.

Sioux City didn’t just go away though. On back to back throwing errors from Darvil in the sixth they were able to score twice. And perhaps the highlight of the night for the Explorers came in the eighth when Carson McCurdy smashed a no doubt two run home run over the right field fence.

Even in the ninth, the X’s didn’t roll over as a Dustin Asham RBI single plated a run to give the game it’s final score of 14-6.

Even despite the depleted roster and minimum resources defensively Sioux City did not commit an error while also turning a pair of double plays, compared to the three errors committed by Winnipeg in the game.

The X’s and Goldeyes will meet up for game two of the series on Wednesday night with first pitch set for 6:35 pm. Dylan Burns (0-1, 3.52) will be on the bump for the Goldeyes and Marc-Andre Habeck (0-0 0.00) will get the ball for Sioux City.

GOLDEYES FALL TO LINCOLN JASON YOUNG – WINNIPEG GOLDEYES – SUNDAY, AUGUST 1 st LINCOLN, NE – The defeated the Winnipeg Goldeyes (32-35) by a score of 10-5 at Haymarket Park Sunday afternoon.

For the third time in as many games, the Goldeyes opened the scoring when Logan Hill lined a single to centre field with two out in the top of the first inning to score Tyler Hill .

Lincoln (35-32) responded with two runs of their own in their first at-bat. First Forrestt Allday scored on Curt Smith’s sacrifice fly to right field to tie the game, then Ryan Long doubled to right field to drive in Josh Altmann and give the Saltdogs a 2-1 lead.

Zak Taylor scored on a fielding error in the second inning as Lincoln went ahead 3-1.

The Saltdogs scored six times in the bottom of the third inning to break the game open and take a 9-1 lead. Three home runs by David Vidal, Skyler Weber, and Justin Byrd accounting for all the runs.

Winnipeg got a run back in the top of the fourth inning when Dakota Conners singled to right field to plate Wes Darvill . Byrd singled to left field in the bottom of the fifth inning driving home Taylor, giving Lincoln a 10-2 lead.

The Goldeyes added two runs in their half of the seventh inning. Tyler Hill scored on a wild pitch before Kyle Martin singled to left-centre field to bring Kevin Lachance around and cut the Saltdogs’ lead to 10-4.

Martin again drove Lachance in with a ninth inning double that made the score 10-5 Lincoln.

Starter Eduard Reyes (5-7) was charged with the loss for Winnipeg. He allowed nine runs on seven hits over three innings of work. Greg Minier (6-1) started for Lincoln and earned the victory. He scattered eight hits over six innings, allowing just one earned run and striking out eight batters.

The Goldeyes now return home to Winnipeg for the first time since September 2, 2019 for a six-game homestand that starts Tuesday against the Sioux City Explorers. First pitch from Shaw Park is scheduled for 6:35 p.m. and all the action can be heard locally on CJNU 93.7 FM and worldwide at www.cjnu.ca .

Advanced tickets are on sale now by visiting www.ticketmaster.ca . For more information about the Goldeyes’ 2021 remaining schedule, ticket options, and the Goldeyes’ comprehensive COVID-19 readiness plan, visit www.goldeyes.com

VIDEO: AUGUST 1 st GAME HIGHLIGHTS JASON YOUNG – WINNIPEG GOLDEYES – SUNDAY, AUGUST 1 st LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASJ3-etzT3I

‘DOGS WIN SERIES WITH SUNDAY ROUT MICHAEL DIXON – LINCOLN SALTDOGS – SUNDAY, AUGUST 1st LINCOLN, Nebraska – Justin Byrd hit a three-run homer and drove in four runs, and the Saltdogs took the series with a 10-5 win over the Winnipeg Goldeyes at Haymarket Park on Sunday afternoon.

Byrd’s three-run shot was Lincoln’s third homer in a six-run 3 rd inning, and the ‘Dogs cruised to their 11 th win in the last 16 games.

Lincoln (35-32) fell behind in the 1 st , but the ‘Dogs scored twice on Curt Smith’s sacrifice fly and Ryan Long’s RBI double in the bottom-half.

The ‘Dogs took a 3-1 lead when a ground ball from Forrestt Allday scored Zak Taylor, and then Lincoln made it 9-1 with three homers in the 3 rd . David Vidal went the opposite way with a two-run homer before Skyler Weber went back-to-back with a solo homer. Byrd later hit a three-run homer – his second in as many games – to make it an eight-run game.

Winnipeg (32-35) responded with an RBI single from Dakota Conners in the 4 th , while Byrd singled in Taylor to make it 10-2 in the 5 th inning.

The Goldeyes added two more in the 7 th and one in the 9 th , but the ‘Dogs held on to win the series after losing the first game Friday night.

Zak Taylor doubled, walked three times and scored three runs, while Curt Smith went 3-for-4 with an RBI to extend his hitting streak to seven games. Josh Altmann – fresh off being named American Association Player of the Month in July – extended his hitting streak with a single in the 9 th inning. Forrestt Allday walked twice and scored two runs in his return to the lineup.

Greg Minier allowed just one earned run over six innings, while David Zoz tossed 1.2 shutout innings. James Pugliese retired the final three batters, while Josh Norwood allowed two runs – his first allowed since July 6 th .

The ‘Dogs now have Monday off before they begin a three-game series against the Houston Apollos on Tuesday night. First pitch time is scheduled for 7:05 p.m., and pregame coverage will begin at 6:35 p.m. on ESPN Lincoln 101.5 FM/1480 AM.

LOW TEAM VACCINATION RATE LEADS TO ROAD TRIP HEADACHES FOR SIOUX CITY EXPLORERS SHANE LANTZ – SIOUX CITY JOURNAL – SUNDAY, AUGUST 1st SIOUX CITY — The Sioux City Explorers' roster this weekend against the Gary SouthShore Railcats looks very different from the one that will be on the field later this week in Winnipeg.

The majority of Explorers players have decided not to get the COVID-19 vaccine. That choice is going to lead to a bit of a headache for the club on its upcoming road trip.

On July 22, the Winnipeg Goldeyes of the American Association received permission from Manitoba Public Health in Canada to return to playing home games in Winnipeg , for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Goldeyes have been playing their home games this season in Jackson, Tennessee, and spent all of 2020 on the road.

The Explorers will be the Goldeyes' first opponent back in Winnipeg, where the two teams will play from Aug. 3 to Aug. 5. But due to vaccine and testing requirements for entry into Canada, and a low team vaccination rate, the majority of the Sioux City roster will not be making the trip.

Upon arrival at the Canadian border , American travelers are required to submit proof of full vaccination, must have a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test within 72 hours of arrival, and must submit a quarantine plan to Canadian authoritie s in case of a positive COVID test.

“We’re not all going,” Explorers manager Steve Montgomery said. “There are not many of us going, I can tell you that. It’s definitely going to be a home field advantage. I can’t really comment too much further on it, but I can say that myself and my pitching coach won’t be going, and a lot of the players in that locker room are not going to be going as well.

“We’re trying right now to piece it together, and trying to get it so we can put a team on the field for three days.”

Since the Goldeyes' announcement, the Explorers have been scrambling to put together a full roster of vaccinated players with passports who are able to make the trip.

With Montgomery unable to make the trip to Winnipeg, hitting coach Derek Wolfe will step in to serve as the manager for a new set of temporary Sioux City Explorers.

“It’s a chore,” Explorers Director of Baseball and Stadium Operations Boyd Pitkin said. “But we’re starting to work down a list that we have, and we’re trying to get everything figured out so that hopefully when we leave at midnight on the 2nd, we have enough to go up and play a three-game set against Winnipeg.”

Sioux City athletic trainer Bruce Fischbach put the number of fully vaccinated Explorers’ players at nine, and said the coaching staff is 50 percent vaccinated.

Due to fears of a possible positive test, which would require a 10-day quarantine, most of the current Sioux City roster has decided to not go, including many of the players who are vaccinated.

According to Montgomery, only one current Explorer will make the trip, and the rest of the roster will be comprised of fully vaccinated players from the independent Pecos League.

Fischbach, who is vaccinated, said he has made efforts to educate and encourage the X’s players to get the vaccine since the beginning of the season. Despite this, the majority of the roster is still hesitant to get the jab.

“It started from Day 1,” Fischbach said. “We had a little bit of an education process. We have a message on our bulletin board, ‘This is where you can go to get the vaccine,’ telling everybody that the vaccine is covered fully, that there is no expense to you individually. Unfortunately, the vaccine has become almost more of a political issue than a medical issue.”

“It’s been hard to convince not only the Sioux City Explorer players, but basically our U.S. population at large to go out and get the vaccine.”

The main source of hesitancy for the players? According to Fischbach, they're concerned the vaccines have not yet received full FDA approval, and are instead currently approved under the FDA’s “ Emergency Use Authorization, ” along with misconceptions about possible side effects from the vaccine.

According to CNN, full FDA approval for the vaccines could come as soon as the end of next month.

“There are so many misconceptions about the vaccine that are floating around, that that scared a lot of people,” Fischbach said. “You try to present them with the evidence, but there is nothing more powerful than Facebook University. It’s hard to fight that public perception.”

Despite the high number of unvaccinated players on the roster, Montgomery emphasized that the team is still following the testing guidelines laid out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Newly acquired players are tested for COVID-19 before they are allowed to enter the clubhouse. They are tested again if they display COVID-19 symptoms , Montgomery said.

“I don't want our community to think that we are a bunch of renegades, and we don't care if we test positive. That's not it at all," Montgomery said. "We test when we get here, and we don't test again unless you have symptoms. We're following CDC guidelines. If anybody is symptomatic, we are going to have them tested and quarantined away."

So far, Montgomery said, the X’s have done around 10 tests this summer due to players showing symptoms. No players have tested positive for COVID- 19, which Fischbach confirmed.

“We’ve had zero,” Montgomery said. “We've been very, very fortunate.”

Part of the reason for that, Montgomery and Fischbach said, is that the players and coaches have tried to limit their contact with the world outside their families and teammates. Their advice to the players is simple: Be smart.

“Most of the socialization is within our clubhouse,” Fischbach said. “We have essentially bubbled, which helped lead to a safer environment.

“They’ve done it on their own. They’re very conscious of the fact that they don’t want to go to, say, to a nightclub, where they would run the risk of potentially contracting the virus. They do most of their socialization right there in the clubhouse.”

In the time since the announcement of Winnipeg’s return home to Canada, Montgomery has been working the phones, doing what he can to put together a full 24-man roster on extremely short notice. With just over a month left in the season and the X's currently tied for second place, every series is important to the team's playoff hopes.

“It’s just one of those things,” Montgomery said. “It throws a wrench in the plans, but we’ve got to make do with it and try to go up there and salvage at least one game.”

With COVID-19 numbers continuing to rise across the country in the wake of the new Delta variant, Montgomery is nervous about what could happen if one of his players has a positive test at the border, even if the player has been vaccinated.

If a player were to test positive, they would need to quarantine for 10 days, and those in close contact with them would need to quarantine for at least seven days.

“All of a sudden, you can talk seven or eight guys that are out for seven days,” Montgomery said. “Now, we have a bigger problem. Now it’s not just three games, now you’re talking two weeks. Let’s say it's a pitcher. You’ve got to let them play catch for a week before you get them back. Now you’re talking almost two and a half weeks.”

According to Fischbach, the trip to Canada would’ve been the main motivator for many of the players to get the vaccine, but with just 12 days' notice that the Winnipeg squad would be returning to Canada, he says, there wasn’t enough time after the announcement to get the unvaccinated players fully vaxxed before the trip.

People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or two weeks after a single dose of the Johnson and Johnson vaccine.

Had they received more notice about the sojourn to Manitoba, Montgomery and Fischbach believe that the team's vaccination rate would be higher, although both think that there still would be a few holdouts, since the team has had ample time to get the vaccine prior to the Winnipeg announcement.

“I think it would’ve led to more people getting the vaccine, I do believe that,” Montgomery said. “But I don’t know how many. I’m not going to sit here and say that it would’ve led to 20 guys getting the vaccine, because we’ve had all summer to get vaccinated. So I think it definitely would’ve led to more. I wish we would’ve had that option, but we didn’t.”

CHALLENGES CONTINUE AS GOLDEYES HEAD HOME TAYLOR ALLEN – WINNIPEG FREE PRESS – WEDNESDAY, JULY 28 th Ask Winnipeg Goldeyes manager Rick Forney how challenging it's been playing away from Shaw Park for the past two seasons and he'll begin to chuckle.

Where to even begin?

"Well, it starts in the offseason when you're trying to put your team together and you're calling players and telling them who you are and who you work for," Forney said in a phone interview.

"Players know that the Canadian border is closed. Just the fact that you're trying to build a team without a place to play, you don't even know what to tell them or where you're going to play. It's very difficult."

It was determined the Fish would play this season in Jackson, Tenn., until the Canada-U.S. border situation allowed for them to return to their downtown Winnipeg ballpark. The Goldeyes, who were 30-31 heading into Tuesday night's contest in Sioux City against the Explorers, went 18-15 at The Ballpark at Jackson despite averaging a league-worst 579 fans per contest.

"We had a home schedule playing in Jackson, but it's not our home. You're playing in an empty ballpark and it's a grind," Forney said. "You just don't get excited for it every day. Players need that little adrenaline boost every night. When you're playing every day, it can be exhausting mentally, physically, and emotionally on you. You need that little boost from someone rooting you on and we've been without that for the past couple years."

The Goldeyes have already said their goodbyes to Jackson as their final game there took place Sunday. After their current six-game road trip, the Fish will make their triumphant return to the Manitoba capital next week and play their real home opener Tuesday evening against Sioux City. There's no capacity limit but fans must be fully vaccinated to attend. The Goldeyes have 20 home games left on the schedule and started selling single-game tickets Tuesday.

Returning to The Great White North doesn't come without it's own fair share of obstacles, though.

"Some of the people that have been on your team all year aren't coming because they're not vaccinated," said Forney.

"You're going through a little bit of a clubhouse breakup as well… No one's team is fully vaccinated and that includes mine. I'll probably have 22-24 guys but they won't be the guys that I've been playing with."

And just how hard is that going to be?

"I guess we'll find out," Forney said. "It's not going to be good."

Forney has already lost his hitting coach Kash Beauchamp as the 58-year-old from southwest Missouri left the team last week as he's not vaccinated and didn't want to follow the American Association's new mask mandate. Some fully vaccinated players and staff on the Lincoln Saltdogs tested positive for the virus leading to the league deciding to enforce a new rule that would make non-vaccinated personnel wear masks on the bench during games. If they didn't comply, the organization would be fined $500 and the fine would double if they violated the rule again.

"I'm respectable of this disease. I know this disease exists, but it has no effect on me," Beauchamp said in an interview from home. "… I told everybody with the team at the beginning of the year, I said if I have to wear a mask or take the vaccine, I'm out."

Beauchamp, who has never contracted COVID-19, said he isn't an anti-vaxxer, but he believes the coronavirus vaccines aren't working and that the Lincoln outbreak is proof.

"What's the point in getting the vaccination if it doesn't work?," he said.

As per the World Health Organization's website, "Vaccination protects you from getting seriously ill and dying from COVID-19," and that "no vaccine is 100 per cent effective and breakthrough infections are regrettable, but to be expected."

Manitoba announced only 11 new cases of COVID-19 on Monday, the lowest case count since September, and has 67.1 per cent of the population fully vaccinated.

Goldeyes owner Sam Katz said it's too soon to speculate on next year and whether or not Beauchamp — who has yet to wear the Fish uniform in Winnipeg as his first season on the job was in 2020 when they were a travelling team based out of Fargo — will be back with the organization.

"Kash is a very black and white situation. He will not be joining the team here. We found someone in Winnipeg who will be filling that role very well," said Katz, who wouldn't reveal who the replacement will be but said it's a familiar face to Fish fans.

"It's a very conscious from Kash because he's not vaccinated and anybody playing for the Goldeyes has to be double-vaxxed. He's made a decision and it's his decision. We respect and honour that decision, but we've told everybody 'If you're not double-vaxxed, you don't work for the Goldeyes.' As far as coaches, players, and managers, that's just black and white, real simple. No discussion on that topic."

The team wouldn't reveal how many players or which ones will not be making the trip to Winnipeg, but you can count on seeing first baseman Kyle Martin on Aug. 3 at Shaw Park. Martin, a Texas native who's hitting .291 on the year with 20 home runs and 68 RBI, said while it's unfortunate to see some teammates and a coach go, but nobody in the clubhouse was trying to sway anyone's decision on the matter.

"They've helped us get this far, but as for the vaccination, that's their personal preference. I'm not going to hold anything against them by any means," Martin said.

"It's their decision, their lives, their bodies. That's where we are, losing some key players, but we're just gonna have to push a little bit harder then. We'll need some of the new guys to step up and help us win a few more games."