The Milan News-Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
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Professional baseball comes to Ypsilanti
New team joins area for Frontier League
By Dave Merchant, Staff Writer
PUBLISHED: December 4, 2008
The Midwest Sliders professional baseball team has selected Ypsilanti as the home for their 2009 season and will have their first game May 29 at Oestrike stadium.
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The team is independent from any Major League Baseball team and is part of the Frontier League.
Rob Hilliard is president and director of team personnel for the Sliders. He said the location was picked because they wanted the team to be either in Ypslanti or Ann Arbor.
"The players on the team are making every effort to make it to the next level," Hilliard said. "We are coming in and we don't want this to be a one and done situation."
He said they are planning on getting another team to come to the area after this initial year is over. The Sliders are waiting for facilities to be built in Oakland County and had no home games during last season. The team was forced to play 96 games on the road.
"It was tough last year," he said. "We played 29 one-run games and we went 7-22."
He said that the batting averages of all the players would have surely gone up with home games and that the rest of the league was impressed with how they played despite not having a home field.
Bill Terlecky is the general manager and vice president of the team. He said fans might already be familiar with minor league baseball like the Toledo Mudhens or Lansing Lugnuts.
"There are two teams from Michigan in this league," Terlecky said. "There is a team in Kalamazoo and one in Traverse City."
Players in the league are usually only paid about $1,600 a month so many are either looking to move up and on or just not ready to give up that dream of playing baseball for a living. Whatever the case it makes for some good baseball.
"Most of the players on the team have played college ball," he said. "Some players go on to play in the minor leagues for professional teams."
This league has produced some players who have gone on to play at the major league level.
"We want to give them every chance to make it to the next level," he said. "That is the goal but it doesn't happen for everyone."
The league is driven by sponsorship and although they will only be in Ypsilanti for one year they want to build a good relationship and a good foundation for another team to come to this area.
They will be planning holiday events and bringing players who are on the team from this area to meet and greet the fans at least three times after Thanksgiving.
The team is also looking for people who would like to be host families for the players. Those interested in finding out that information could go to www.midwestsliders.com to see how the process works.
One thing is for certain fans can come out and see a good game without spending a lot of money and they may even get to see one of tomorrow's brightest stars today.
The ball club has released its 2009 schedule and now has tickets available. Plans are underway to add portable food and beverage carts, souvenir stands and other fan amenities. For more information call or email Bill at 607-222-4086 or email billt@cruiserbaseball.com.
Dave Merchant is a staff writer for the View and Courier newspapers and can be reached at 734-697-8255 or dmerchant@heritage.com.
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