2015 OMAHA SLUMPBUSTER R Council Bluffs, Iowa Greater Omaha, Nebraska www.triplecrownsports.comTRIPLE CROWN Omaha SlumpBusterR 1 TABLE OF CONTENT RYBA Feature Story ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3-5 Stadium Circulator Special Thanks ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8 Map not to Scale June 2013 13th 14th 16th 12th 10th Merchandise Sales & Location ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 9 15th N Cuming Cuming 25¢ Fare 10 Minute Frequency TD Ameritrade Opening Celebration Welcome Letter ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 10 Burt Friday June 14, 9:30 am Park Omaha Until 30 min after festivities end Continuous Service Each Game Day: Mike Fahey Mike Fahey From 90 min before 1st game Triple Crown Rules -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11 Until 90 min after last game Bike Valet Itinerary ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12-20 California Cass CenturyLink I - 480 I - 480 Center Festival Map Session ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16 Lot 2 Lot 1 Omaha Chicago Omaha Park 6 Triple Crown TV Schedule ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21 Davenport 15th Capitol Capitol Fundamentals Challenge Omaha Omaha Park 7 Park 8 Dodge Dodge Rules & Regulations ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 22-23 Park 1 Douglas Douglas Park 3 Insider’s Guide to the CWS --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 24-28 Farnam Farnam Omaha Visitors 8th Center Legend Harney Harney Metro Stadium Circulator ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 29 Bus Stops Hotels Howard Howard Bike Racks Metro Stadium Bus Routes --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 30 Parking Jackson Jackson 402.341.0800 TDD 402.341.0807 11th Omaha 10th 13th 12th 14th 16th 15th Ballfield Directions & Maps--------------------------------------------------------------------------- 33-35 Park 4 Teams Attending ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 37-46 2014 Omaha SlumpBuster® Results -------------------------------------------------------------- 48-55 Event Supporters Index ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 55 29 Metro Stadium Circulator Map not to Scale Stadium Express June 2013 Cuming Abbott Dr Departure times are listed below from various locations across the Omaha area. Buses will arrive at the stadium at least 30 minutes prior N to game time, and will depart up to 30 minutes after each game ends. Stadium TD Ameritrade Express Game Start Times: 2:00* 7:00* 7:30* Drop-Off & Park Omaha Eppley Loading Zone Airport Departure Locations Bus Departure Times Mike Fahey 63 Carol Hotel 12:30 5:30 6:00 Park: 4888 S 118th St 14th 13th 10th Rear Lot I-680 Board: South Entr. on 118th 108th & M St 12:38 5:38 6:08 Westroads Mall I-29 65 65 Westroads Mall 12:30 5:30 6:00 W Dodge Expy Mid Park: 102nd & Nicholas America Downtown Board: North of Dick’s on Center Nicholas Omaha I-480 67 66 Baker’s at American Plz 12:30 5:30 6:00 Bellevue, NE Park: 801 Galvin Rd I-80 South Lot I-80 Board: Access Rd Carol Hotel NE IA Mid-America Center 67 12:30 5:30 6:00 108th & Council Bluffs, IA 63 Park: Lots C1 & C3 M Street I-75 Board: Sidewalk * Bus departure times will change if game start times change. I-80 One-way Two-Ride Event Passes may be 402.341.0800 Baker’s at Fare Event Pass purchased at departure TDD 402.341.0807 66 locations or online. American Plz $3.00 $6.00 Bellevue 30 Metro Stadium Bus Routes 2 TRIPLE CROWN Omaha SlumpBusterR RYBA proves to be a classic in youth baseball By Kyle Koso The RYBA learned early that relationships and a generous nature would attract support. When the Rochester Youth Baseball School districts, parks and rec departments, Association came to life in the late 1950s, and even the local community college people had other amusements to consider – I controlled access to most fields, and it didn’t Love Lucy, Fiesta Ware, warm nights down at take long for the baseball people to learn the the roller rink – and little did the population rhythms of listening. southeast of Minneapolis know the Cadillac of youth organizations was taking root on the “First off, the mission is all about the kids diamonds. having fun and developing. There is a political side, too,” said Dan Herold, past president of In 2015, kids still take their swings in the RYBA and founder of the travel program. the sultry Midwest heat, and coaches “You have to figure out how to compromise, still talk about how to keep the ball from dance with the devil at times. We’ve tried to going between a fielder’s legs. Meanwhile, partner with who control fields, create an the RYBA has met its traditional goal of agreement of who gets what. We do have providing a place for baseball to grow, while some capital resources, and we can, say, becoming a valued community asset and improve the field if you let us use it for free. showing a certain nimbleness in everything from boardroom arguments to heavy-engine “Over the past 15 years, we’ve become pretty replacement and repair. well self-trained and learned how to maintain and build fields, bought some high-level More than 2,000 children hone their skills in maintenance equipment and made ourselves the RYBA, most of them in the “House” or who we are by our work. We needed to be recreational branch, but also with a healthy seen as a valued partner.” core in the travel program that is no slouch when a championship is on the line. Their While the RYBA has a handle on off- endeavors are backed up by a predominantly field challenges, the group might do its volunteer-based organization that usually best work with the ball in play. The travel finds a solution to problems. program started up when coaches realized kids were probably being taxed by playing “Minnesota is not known as a baseball state, House games during the week and then in but we do find there’s a passion for baseball tournaments on the weekend. By breaking here. And one thing we’re proud of is that out the travel teams, there was a consistency even though we are an outlier, we have all with instruction with fewer coaches in a kid’s these players,” said Tony Horvath, RYBA’s ear over the course of a season. On top of travel program director and a board member, that, House players got more time on the who also introduced a more structured field, and parents got a better value for their marketing arm to the group. “People are fees. amazed. Our travel program is a strong piece, but we have a good mix, and we feel we have Baseball may have a profound history, but offerings for people since this is such a broad the RYBA puts a lot of effort into making the program.” game feel relevant for the demands of the 21st century. TRIPLE CROWN Omaha SlumpBusterR 3 “We talk to parents, the coaches and kids how great it is to get the kids out there in about the importance of player health, and the sunshine, on the field. The challenge is the care of their arms. We want the kids to making the case.” have a passion for the game, but not to the point where they burn out,” Horvath said. With many RYBA members employed at “We do offer camps, some winter ball, some cerebral settings like IBM and the Mayo skill development, but our coaches will not Clinic, a lot of meaningful ideas take pressure a kid to specialize. flight. One is the partnership with Miracle Field, an adaptive baseball setting where “Parents tell us they can’t afford it all, and physically and mentally disabled youth get we have to figure out how to get them to to experience the sport. The field took shape remember baseball. There’s soccer, lacrosse as multiple Rochester supporters chipped in is a growing summer sport, hockey is huge, with no expectation of praise in return, and it and there’s football and basketball. That’s has a significant depth of detail – turf to fend one reason we formed the marketing part, off poor weather, impressive signage and because we knew how baseball can affect other scenic touches one associates with the the community. We know what it represents, majors. RYBA teams clamor for the chance 4 TRIPLE CROWN Omaha SlumpBusterR to work with the kids at Miracle Field, and the can’t play against teams from Minneapolis, or six squads that get to go are picked out of a Eden Prairie. hat. “We slowly started relationships with those The Rochester Amateur Sports Commission teams. At first, they would let us play in their gave the RYBA its inaugural organization leagues, but we couldn’t have any home of the year award, and the baseball body games. That was the contract we had to go has been a finalist multiple times. And this in on; a few years later, we got a few home past year, Mike Gozola Jr., one of the most games. Over time, when Rochester teams dedicated RYBA members, was the RASC were winning championships, other teams Volunteer of the Year. in other league wondered if they could do the same thing. Well, we’ve got a good track “We’ve developed quite a culture. We are record, but it all started out with those early pretty big, but we do have a core group that relationships, and us working to figure out runs the tournaments and has a good time,” where to put and play our kids.” said Gozola, who also earned his law degree in 2014. “It’s doesn’t feel like work, or some crappy volunteer job. We do try to listen to parents and players, and try to adapt. We’re focusing more on the baseball experience and making it fun. One of the surprising things is, our biggest group is the K-3 kids. “It can be tricky, like if you get a staff change at Parks and Rec, or at the community college, but we deal with that.