THUNDER BAY – Despite a nightmare opening to the season that forced the Thunder Bay Border Cats to spend the first three weeks of the campaign on the road, the team is taking steps to put it behind them by coming to a resolution with the city.
The squad was forced to play their first 10 scheduled home contests away from Port Arthur Stadium after inclement weather killed a section of infield grass as city crews were working to prepare the field for the upcoming U18 Baseball World Cup.
Border Cats general manager Dan Grant on Wednesday confirmed the Northwoods League club and city officials had come to a compensation agreement, though the details will remain confidential.
“I think the ownership is happy with how everything turned out,” Grant said. “I’m personally really looking forward to now being able to focus on next year and how we’re going to improve the fan experience.”
City manager Norm Gale said the Border Cats, as well as other local sports organizations, are an important part of the social fabric of the community.
"The Border Cats have a five-year commitment to the city and the city has a five-year commitment to the Border Cats. That's a good thing," Gale said. "We're pleased that will carry on."
The extended exile meant the club lost potential revenue from 30 per cent of their home schedule, while adding extra expenses to cover the costs while on the road.
Even though the games were played south of the border, as the designated home team the Border Cats were still responsible for paying the accommodation and meals for the visiting team in addition to taking care of their own roster.
“When you switch to on the road we’re paying for at minimum six meals per day – three for each team – and we have to pay for two sets of hotels and the bus expense goes up because we’re just on the road now for so long,” Grant said, adding players stay with their host families in Thunder Bay which saves the team from paying for lodging and a significant amount of food costs.
The off-field chaos had an on-field impact on the Border Cats, as they sported a meagre 6-12 record when they stepped on home field for the first time.
For many of the players scheduled to arrive in Thunder Bay, catching up with the team became a scramble.
“On our original opening night of June 3 I had two players hop in my car with me and we drove to Marshall, Minn.,” Grant said. “It took nine hours to get there for opening night in Marshall, Minn. Then I stayed for the Sunday afternoon game and at about 4 p.m., 5 p.m. I drove nine hours back here to get ready for Monday morning and re-planning the process for the new opening day.”
Thunder Bay finished the campaign with a record of 27-41, extending a playoff drought that stretches back to 2008.
Despite missing out on the postseason, the club had one of their highest attendance figures for the remaining contests played at Port Arthur Stadium with an average of 960 fans per contest.
“The enthusiasm was there for sure. People were ready for us to come home. I think a lot of people rallied around us,” Grant said. “Regardless of our win and loss record, the fans kept coming out. We almost averaged 1,000 fans this year. It was a big year for us from that perspective. I think it shows baseball works in Thunder Bay.”
The team is hoping the disruption was a one-time event related to meeting the enhanced standards for the world championships.
“I think a lot of lessons were learned this year as far as the field prep,” Grant said. “I don’t think this will ever happen again.”
