WINNIPEG GOLDEYES DAILY CLIPPINGS

FRIDAY, JULY 10 th , 2020

- RedHawks Beat Goldeyes With Nine-Run Fourth— Goldeyes (Steve Schuster), 7/9/20 - City Fishes for New Lease Deal With Goldeyes—Winnipeg Free Press (Joyanne Pursaga), 7/8/20 - Goldeyes Manager Stressing Patience During Unique Season—Winnipeg Sun, 7/8/20 - A Mini Miracle—Winnipeg Sun, 7/5/20

REDHAWKS BEAT GOLDEYES WITH NINE-RUN FOURTH STEVE SCHUSTER – WINNIPEG GOLDEYES – THURSDAY, JULY 9 th FARGO, ND – The Winnipeg Goldeyes (4-2) lost 11-8 to the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks at on Thursday night.

The Goldeyes served as the home team.

With the Goldeyes leading 3-0 in the top of the fourth, the RedHawks (2-4) sent 13 batters to the plate and scored nine runs. With the bases loaded and no outs, Christian Ibarra singled to right to drive in Drew Ward with the RedHawks’ first run. Two batters later, Cito Culver hit a three-run double to right- centre that gave Fargo-Moorhead a 4-3 lead. After Brennan Metzger reached on an infield single, Trey Hair’s single through the right side brought home Culver. The RedHawks made it 6-3 on Correlle Prime’s sacrifice fly to centre. Drew Ward then singled to put runners on the corners when Ryan Flores relieved Goldeyes’ starter Frank Duncan . Leobaldo Pina hit a three-run home run to left that capped off the nine-run frame.

With two outs and no one on base in the bottom of the sixth, Logan Hill singled up the middle. Jordan George followed with a two-run home run to right that cut the deficit to 9-5.

The RedHawks answered back with two runs in the top of the seventh on a Hair RBI double and a Prime RBI single, both of which came with two outs.

Eric Wood singled home with two outs in the bottom of the seventh before coming home on a wild pitch that made it 11-7.

Hill doubled and scored on a Roy Morales sacrifice fly in the eighth to pull the Goldeyes within 11-8 before Mitchell Osnowitz closed out the game for Fargo-Moorhead with a scoreless bottom of the ninth. Osnowitz earned his first save of the year.

The Goldeyes took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first when Kyle Martin doubled home Wood from first base with two outs.

In the bottom of the third, Kevin Lachance drew a one-out walk and scored on a Sweeney double to left-centre. Sweeney stole third and scored on a sacrifice fly to right from Wood.

RedHawks’ reliever Bret Helton (1-0) earned the win, allowing two earned runs over three innings.

Duncan (1-1) took the loss, allowing eight earned runs on seven hits in three and two-thirds innings. Duncan walked four and struck out two.

RedHawks’ starter Matthew Tomshaw took a no-decision, allowing three earned runs on three hits in three innings. Tomshaw walked one and struck out five.

Hill and George have each hit safely in the first six games of the season.

The Goldeyes open a three-game series against the at Sioux Falls Stadium on Friday night at 7:05 p.m. Kevin McGovern (0-0, 13.50) faces right-hander Grady Wood (0-1, 9.00). All the action can be heard locally on 93.7 FM CJNU and worldwide at www.cjnu.ca

For information on Goldeyes’ merchandise and 2021 season tickets, visit the Goldeyes’ official website at www.goldeyes.com

CITY FISHES FOR NEW LEASE DEAL WITH GOLDEYES JOYANNE PURSAGA – WINNIPEG FREE PRESS – WEDNESDAY, JULY 8 th A NEW stadium lease could soon be struck with the Winnipeg Goldeyes — if the team and city council approve it.

In a new report, city staff propose a 15-year lease agreement for Shaw Park to replace the Goldeyes’ current $1-per-year lease.

Instead, the team would pay an annual rent of $75,000 in Years 1 to 5, $85,000 in Years 6 to 10, and $95,000 in Years 11 to 15.

The current lease for Shaw Park is set to expire July 27, 2023.

City staff also propose to offer the independent league team annual grants that equal the amount of entertainment tax the club pays each year ($325,000 in 2019), as well as the municipal portion of property taxes on the ballpark itself ($43,100 in 2019).

Those grants would last until Nov. 14, 2029, when a similar deal with / Moose owner True North Sports and Entertainment Ltd. expires.

Coun. Cindy Gilroy, chairwoman of council’s property and development committee, said little about the proposal Tuesday, other than to note it would require millions of dollars of taxpayer support over its term.

"The proposed agreement represents a multimillion-dollar subsidy for a team, so I will be scrutinizing it thoroughly throughout the committee process," Gilroy (Daniel McIntyre) said in a brief emailed statement.

Meanwhile, Goldeyes president/owner said he’s concerned the report overlooks the team’s $13-million investment in its $20-million ballpark’s original price. Shaw Park opened in 1999.

Katz, a former Winnipeg mayor, said that investment helped spark the initial $1-per-year lease and should be acknowledged within any new deal. "We think we’ve paid our fair share."

He also called the proposed tax grant "pretty standard," noting the same benefit is provided to the Jets of the NHL and of the CFL. However, he expressed concern about the clause that specifies those grants would last only until 2029.

"If that expires, the Goldeyes would expire as well. The business model doesn’t work that way," said Katz.

The baseball team is also concerned the lease proposal includes a parking lot at 41 Westbrook Ave. for its initial 15-year term, but not necessarily during two optional five-year extensions.

Katz said the team wants to keep its current home but must ensure a viable business model, especially after COVID-19 is forcing it to play all American Association of Independent Professional Baseball games in the United States this season.

"There’s no secret what we’re going through right now. We’ll have zero revenue for 20 months… That’s hard to overcome, let alone survive," he said. Gord Chappell, a real estate administrator for the city, said the new rent amount was chosen based on an appraisal. Chappell said the city also wants to keep its options open for some parts of the downtown stadium site, such as potentially redeveloping the Westbrook parking lot after the initial lease ends.

"We want to maintain that right to potentially redevelop that lot if it becomes available. Otherwise, it very well might be included in a future option to extend (the lease)," he said Tuesday.

Coun. Brian Mayes (St. Vital), a former Winnipeg property and development chairman, said he believes the lease proposal offers a fair deal for the city, and plans to support the deal.

"For the next 20 years or so, this is the best use for the land, and it’s a good amenity for downtown," said Mayes.

"You have people saying we shouldn’t subsidize this. Well, we subsidize the Jets a whole lot more."

Council’s property and development committee will vote on the report July 13.

GOLDEYES MANAGER STRESSING PATIENCE DURING UNIQUE SEASON WINNIPEG SUN – WEDNESDAY, JULY 7th All things considered, the American Association’s opening weekend was a success.

The Goldeyes won two of three from the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, and came within three outs of sweeping the series. All six clubs participating in this unique season earned at least one victory, including the first in the managerial careers of Milwaukee’s Anthony Barone and Fargo-Moorhead’s Chris Coste.

Sunday presented a brief setback when a positive COVID-19 test resulted in the postponement of a game between the and . However, those same two teams returned to action Tuesday during Chicago’s home opener at Impact Field.

Still, the league is only four games into an abbreviated 60-game schedule, and Goldeyes manager Rick Forney is fully aware of the need to stay vigilant over the long haul.

“You don’t know what to expect, because you just don’t know how much the players are ready for it physically or mentally,” Forney said. “You have to respect the process and let them go out there and play, but protect their health at the same time. Both their baseball health and doing the best you can to fight the COVID situation as well.”

One of the unique aspects of the American Association is a burning desire to compete and win up and down the hierarchies of each organization. That competitive spirit is no more evident in the field managers.

Given everything that had to break right just for the league to make last weekend a reality, Forney admits expectations have to be managed somewhat, at least in the short term.

“This isn’t easy on these guys,” said Forney. “They’re basically getting out of bed, coming up here, and playing. You can’t be impatient with them. There are so many unknowns this year, and it’s going to be a different feeling for everybody.”

One of the reasons Forney is stressing patience is the understanding that early-season games weren’t the only development tool players missed out on. With gyms and baseball facilities unavailable during the peak of the lockdown, even the most dedicated of players had a difficult time maintaining a consistent routine.

“I built my own home gym in my basement to stay in shape,” Goldeyes pitcher Kevin McGovern said. “I would long toss alone to build my arm up. Friends from home that I played ball with also agreed to stand in and catch me whenever I needed it. I wouldn’t be as close to ready without them.”

Winnipeg scored 31 runs in the three-game series against Fargo, but its team defence may have been most impressive. In normal years, it could take anywhere from two to three weeks for a collective defence to catch up to game speed. However, the Goldeyes committed just one error and turned eight double plays, two of which would have led to the RedHawks immediately winning Sunday’s game had they not been turned.

Upon their arrival in Fargo two weeks ago, Forney has observed a very tangible desire in his players. And even with expectations tempered for the moment, Forney’s goal each night is the same as it has been since he took over as manager in 2006.

“For me, if we’re at the ball park to play a real game, and they’re keeping score, then we want to win,” Forney concluded.

A MINI MIRACLE WINNIPEG SUN – SUNDAY, JULY 5 th It may not be eating ice cream with the enemy, but independent baseball’s fiercest rivals must co-exist in order for the American Association to complete the small miracle that is the 2020 season.

For the past quarter century, the Winnipeg Goldeyes and Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks have entertained fans with some of the most intense on-field competition the industry has seen. In their combined 50 years of existence, the two clubs have reached the playoffs 36 times and won nine championships. Comparing their dynamic to the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox isn’t too much of an exaggeration.

The on-field success, close geographic proximity, and frequent head-to-head matchups typically make the odds of at least one bench-clearing incident per season better than a coin flip.

The COVID-19 Pandemic, however, has forced the two clubs into a truce, and the Goldeyes will be calling Newman Outdoor Field home for the next two months.

“We’re familiar with this place,” said Goldeyes’ manager Rick Forney. “I’ve been here a ton, and we’re obviously thankful to the RedHawks for hosting us. We’re just trying to do the best we can.”

Forney’s sentiments reflect the true nature of the Goldeyes-RedHawks relationship.

Despite each team dealing the other varying degrees of heartbreak between the lines, there exists a mutual respect for how the organizations conduct business. Goldeyes’ players enjoy the accommodations when they visit Fargo, and vice versa.

“Fargo is a great town that I’m familiar with,” Goldeyes’ starting pitcher Kevin McGovern said. “It helps knowing the situation is going to be comfortable. It definitely helps in us committing to be here all summer.”

Playing games at Shaw Park is a long shot at best due to current border restrictions and provincial guidelines. The only way for the Goldeyes to play at all this summer was under the current format. Likewise, the RedHawks’ have expressed that without a hub partner, their ability to play games was equally compromised.

Between Winnipeg and Fargo-Moorhead, Newman Outdoor Field will have a game scheduled every night during the American Association season. There are still logistics to work out, but the on-field rivals are committed to working together to minimize any discomfort.

“We’re somewhat winging it every day,” Forney said. “I’m just trying to communicate as much as possible with (RedHawks’ manager) Chris Coste in terms of sharing the field and what times work best for both of us.

“I’m not sure how this whole thing is going to work once we go on the road,” Forney continued. “Do we move all of our stuff out of the clubhouse? We haven’t figured all of that out yet, but we’ve still got another week before we have to answer that question. We’re just trying to keep an open mind, and thankful that we’re here playing baseball. We’ll work through any inconveniences that we may have.”

McGovern officially begins his fifth season in a Goldeyes’ uniform when he takes the mound this afternoon. If playing an entire schedule on the road was the only means of wearing that uniform, then the 31-year-old was all in.

“I wanted to play ball,” he said. “It’s a big part of my life, and I wanted to keep giving it everything I had if I had the opportunity to.”