WINNIPEG GOLDEYES DAILY CLIPPINGS

SUNDAY, AUGUST 8th , 2021

- Goldeyes Win Behind Record-Tying Slam, Reyes’ Brilliant Effort— Goldeyes (Steve Schuster), 8/7/21 - August 7 th Game Highlights (Video Link)— (Jason Young), 8/7/21 - Game Two of Series Ends in 7-0 Loss— Milkmen (Hannah McIlree), 8/7/21 - Goldeyes Sign Right-Hander Ryan—Winnipeg Goldeyes (Steve Schuster), 8/6/21 - Goldeyes Acquire Former Major Leaguer Hart—Winnipeg Goldeyes (Steve Schuster), 8/5/21 - American Association Expands Playoff Structure—American Association, 8/5/21 - 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 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 Winnipeg Goldeyes Game in 2 Years—CBC (Bryce Hoye), 8/4/21 - Goldeyes Return to Winnipeg for First Time in Nearly Two Years—CTV Winnipeg (Joseph Slattery), 8/3/21

GOLDEYES WIN BEHIND RECORD-TYING SLAM, REYES’ BRILLIANT EFFORT STEVE SCHUSTER – WINNIPEG GOLDEYES – SATURDAY, AUGUST 7 th WINNIPEG, MB – The Winnipeg Goldeyes (37-25) beat the 7-0 at Shaw Park on Saturday evening.

The Goldeyes took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the third when Kyle Martin led off with a to right-centre.

In the bottom of the fourth, Austin Rei lined a single to left-centre leading off. After Tyler Hill walked, Wes Darvill beat out a bunt single along the third base line. Two batters later, Martin ripped a home run to right that made it 5-0. It was Martin’s third grand slam of the season (and the Goldeyes’ fourth in the last 16 games), which ties an American Association single-season record set by former Goldeye Willy Garcia in 2019.

The Goldeyes added two runs in the bottom of the sixth. Darvill doubled to left-centre with one out. After Max Murphy walked, Martin ripped a single through the right side to score Darvill. Two batters later, Kevin Lachance lined a two-out, RBI single to left.

Goldeyes’ starting Eduard Reyes (6-7) picked up the win, pitching eight shutout innings on four hits. Reyes walked two and struck out eight. The eight innings and eight tie a season-high.

Matthew Solter (3-7) took the loss for the Milkmen (46-26), allowing five earned runs on eight hits in five innings. Solter walked three and struck out six.

Travis Seabrooke finished the game with a perfect top of the ninth.

Martin now has 24 home runs and 84 RBI on the season. The 24 home runs are tied with Juan Diaz (2010) for third on the Goldeyes’ single-season list, while the 84 RBI pass Reggie Abercrombie (82, 2017) for third. Martin also now has 54 home runs over his three seasons with the Goldeyes, which passes Diaz for fifth on the franchise career list. Prior to the second game of a double header on July 21 st vs. Houston, the Goldeyes had not hit a grand slam home run since August 21 st , 2019.

The series concludes Sunday afternoon at 1:05 p.m. Landen Bourassa (1-0, 2.57) faces right-hander Ryan Zimmerman (7-4, 3.78).

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 7 th GAME HIGHLIGHTS JASON YOUNG – WINNIPEG GOLDEYES – SATURDAY, AUGUST 7 th LINK: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uOkyQjAZIbo

GAME TWO OF SERIES ENDS IN 7-0 LOSS HANNAH MCILREE – MILWAUKEE MILKMEN – SATURDAY, AUGUST 7 th Franklin, WI – Winnipeg starter Eduard Reyes pitched eight shut out innings leading team to 7-0 victory.

Similar to Friday, the Goldeyes scored first in the bottom of the third inning. Kyle Martin led off hitting a home run and made the score 1-0 Winnipeg. The Milkmen ran into some trouble in the bottom of the fourth inning, after starting pitcher Matt Solter loaded the bases with no outs. Solter was able to snag a , but Martin cleared the bases hitting his second home run of the night and third grand slam of the season, giving his team an early 5 run lead.

Karch Kowalcyzk made his way to the mound on behalf of the Milkmen in the bottom of the sixth inning. Wes Darvill was the first Goldeye to make it on base in the sixth smacking a double, Max Murphy was next, making his way to first with a walk. Martin scored Darvill with a single. Kevin Lachance followed and scored Murphy, making it a 7-0 ball game.

Winnipeg starter Eduard Reyes continued to stay clutch on the mound refraining from allowing a single run through the eighth inning and striking out eight Milkmen.

Taking over for Reyes in the top of the ninth inning was Travis Seabrooke, who was able to keep the Milkmen offense from scoring, ending the game 7-0 Goldeyes.

Milwaukee will take on the Goldeyes again tomorrow at 1:00 pm for their final game of the away series.

GOLDEYES SIGN RIGHT-HANDER RYAN STEVE SCHUSTER – WINNIPEG GOLDEYES – FRIDAY, AUGUST 6 th WINNIPEG, MB – The Winnipeg Goldeyes signed right-handed pitcher Zac Ryan on Friday.

Ryan made 23 relief appearances earlier this season for the Triple-A West’s Salt Lake Bees (), picking up a and striking out 39 batters in 31.0 innings pitched.

Ryan made 23 relief appearances for the Triple-A West’s Salt Lake Bees (Los Angeles Angels) earlier this season. The Merrillville, native struck out 39 batters in 31.0 innings pitched with an average fastball velocity of 94 miles per hour. Prior to this season, Ryan last pitched in 2019 where he split time with Salt Lake and the Double-A Southern League’s Mobile BayBears. Ryan was a combined 4-3 with six saves and a 3.83 ERA in 2019, collecting 70 strikeouts in just 53.1 innings.

“I’m thrilled to have him,” said Goldeyes’ manager Rick Forney . “He has a Georgia Tech education and a proven track record in the Angels’ organization. He’s hungry and wants to pitch. He wants to get out there and compete again as soon as possible, so I’m glad we were able to get something worked out.”

Ryan was drafted by the Angels in the 23 rd round in 2017 out of Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, Georgia). The 27-year-old right-hander compiled a 4.65 ERA with 135 strikeouts in 166.1 innings over four seasons with the Yellow Jackets from 2014-17. Ryan finished with more strikeouts than innings pitched in each of his four seasons in the Angels’ farm system, and joins the Goldeyes with a lifetime 4.26 ERA in 124 professional appearances.

Additionally, the Goldeyes officially signed former Major League left-handed pitcher Donnie Hart to a contract and released right-handed pitcher Kyle Thomas .

The Goldeyes’ active roster currently stands at 23 players.

The Goldeyes play game two of a three-game series against the Milwaukee Milkmen on Saturday evening. First pitch from Shaw Park is at 6:05 p.m.

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

GOLDEYES ACQUIRE FORMER MAJOR LEAGUER HART STEVE SCHUSTER – WINNIPEG GOLDEYES – THURSDAY, AUGUST 5 th WINNIPEG, MB – The Winnipeg Goldeyes made several transactions this week in preparation for their return home, including the acquisition of former Major League left-handed pitcher Donnie Hart .

Hart was 2-2 with two saves and a 3.48 ERA in 22 relief appearances earlier this season for the Atlantic League’s Gastonia Honey Hunters. The Bedford, Texas native struck out 26 and walked eight across 20.2 innings pitched. Hart pitched four seasons in the Major Leagues from 2016-19 for the , , and New York Mets. The 30-year-old left-hander is 2-0 with a 3.13 ERA in 98 Major League relief appearances totaling 89.0 innings. As a Major League rookie in 2016, Hart posted a 0.49 ERA in 18.1 innings for the Orioles before making a scoreless appearance in the Wild Card Game against the . The following season, Hart made 51 appearances for Baltimore and finished with a 3.71 ERA.

Hart was drafted by the Orioles in the 27 th round in 2013 out of Texas State University (San Marcos, Texas). The 5-foot-11, 180-pound Hart is in his eighth season of , and is 25-13 lifetime with 37 saves and a 2.89 ERA in 345 career appearances, 342 of them in relief.

Hart was acquired from Gastonia in exchange for left-handed pitcher Jose Jose . Jose was 2-1 with 11 saves and a 1.21 ERA for the Goldeyes this season in 27 relief appearances.

“We were forced to make some change because of the border requirements,” said Goldeyes’ manager Rick Forney . “We weren’t exempt from any of that, and unfortunately, we’ve had to make some changes to our roster. It’s not an easy thing to do. I love and admire Jose Jose, and he could pitch for me until he decides to retire. He’s a good player, a good teammate, and my heart’s broken not having him, but that’s unfortunately the way it has to be for now.”

The Goldeyes also signed Deon Stafford , who appeared in 20 games in the ’ organization earlier this season. The Harrisburg, Pennsylvania native hit a combined .245 with four home runs and eight RBI for the Double-A Northeast League’s Altoona Curve and the Rookie Florida Complex League’s Pirates Gold team.

“We had an opportunity to get someone with some experience, and someone who maybe we’ll continue to have in the future,” said Forney. “I’m anxious to see him. He does really well catching guys, and he can swing the bat if you can get him some consistent at bats. He’s a really good guy and I’m looking forward to watching him play.”

The 25-year-old Stafford was drafted by the Pirates in the fifth round in 2017 out of St. Joseph’s University (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). A right-handed batter and fielder, Stafford hit .251 with a .407 slugging percentage across 238 games during his four seasons in the Pirates’ farm system. Stafford was twice voted an all-star in the affiliated minors, garnering honours in 2017 with the Short Season-A New York-Penn League’s West Virginia Black Bears and in 2018 with the Low-A South Atlantic League’s West Virginia Power. The 5-foot-11, 211-pound backstop has thrown out 23 percent of opposing base stealers during his career, while committing just 17 passed balls in 198 games behind the plate. Stafford appeared in Major League games for the Pirates in both 2019 and 2020.

Additionally, the Goldeyes traded Jay Gonzalez to the Atlantic League’s High Point Rockers in exchange for a player to be named later, placed right-handed pitcher Joey Gonzalez on the Reserve List, and released catcher Sonny Ulliana .

The Winnipeg Goldeyes open a three-game series against the Milwaukee Milkmen at Shaw Park on Friday evening. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.

Advanced tickets 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

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION EXPANDS PLAYOFF STRUCTURE LEAGUE OFFICE – AMERICAN ASSOCIATION – THURSDAY, AUGUST 5 th MOORHEAD, MN – The Board of Directors of the American Association of Professional Baseball has approved a plan to expand the 2021 postseason schedule with a play-in game that will pit the second and third place clubs in each division against each other for the right to advance to the North and South Division Championship Series.

In the new format, the second and third place clubs in the North Division and South Division will face off on Wednesday, September 8 th in a one-game playoff. The winner of the two play-in games will advance to face the regular season champion of the respective division in a best-of-five Division Series, which will begin on Friday, September 10 th . The Division Series winners will then advance to the best-of-five American Association Championship Series, which is scheduled to begin on Friday, September 17 th .

“Unprecedented times have allowed the American Association to be innovative in many aspects of our league play and presentation, while increasing the number of playoff participants as we enter the final month of the season,” said American Association Commissioner Joshua Schaub . “The American Association continues to showcase our league’s ability to pivot and be nimble while maintaining a high level of competition on the field and top entertainment for our fans.”

In 2020, the American Association amended the playoff schedule as the league played as a six-team league. The top two teams at the end of the 60- game regular season advanced to the best-of-seven American Association Championship Series, which was won by the Milwaukee Milkmen in five games over the .

Following their win on Thursday afternoon, the Winnipeg Goldeyes (35-35) sit in fourth place in the American Association North Division, 11.0 games behind the first place Milkmen and four losses back of the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks for the North Division’s second wild card spot. The Goldeyes have 30 games remaining on their 2021 schedule.

2021 American Association Postseason Schedule Wednesday, September 8th Play-In Game (#2 seed vs. #3 seed) Thursday, September 9 th Travel Day

Friday, September 10 th American Association Division Series Game 1 Saturday, September 11 th American Association Division Series Game 2 Sunday, September 12 th Travel Day Monday, September 13 th American Association Division Series Game 3 Tuesday, September 14 th American Association Division Series Game 4 (if necessary) Wednesday, September 15 th American Association Division Series Game 5 (if necessary) Thursday, September 16 th Travel Day

Friday, September 17 th American Association Championship Series Game 1 Saturday, September 18 th American Association Championship Series Game 2 Sunday, September 19 th Travel Day Monday, September 20 th American Association Championship Series Game 3 Tuesday, September 21 st American Association Championship Series Game 4 (if necessary) Wednesday, September 22 nd American Association Championship Series Game 5 (if necessary)

The Winnipeg Goldeyes open a three-game series against the Milwaukee Milkmen on Friday evening at Shaw Park. First pitch is scheduled for 6:35 p.m.

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

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 , 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 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 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 ’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 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 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 United States.

“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 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