Okotoks Dawgs

The Okotoks Dawgs are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Okotoks, Alberta, Canada. They play in the Western Major Baseball League (WMBL). The Dawgs are four-time WMBL champions.

History

The Dawgs were originally based in Calgary where they were known as the Calgary Dawgs. They joined the WMBL in 2003, playing at Foothills Stadium. They won the 2004 league championship in front of over 3,400 fans.[1] The arrival of the professional Calgary Vipers in 2005 led to numerous bitter conflicts between the two clubs over use of the stadium, and ultimately forced the Dawgs to suspend operations for the 2006 season.[1]

The franchise resumed operations in 2007 in the town of Okotoks, 18 kilometers south of Calgary, after brothers Don and Doc Seaman funded the construction of Seaman Stadium at the cost of $8 million.[2] The team has been a huge success in Okotoks. Their average of 1,825 fans per game in 2008 was the most of any baseball team in Alberta and made them the top drawing collegiate team in Canada.[2] Attendance steadily increased to an estimated 2,400 per game by 2011, which team director John Ircandia attributed to the community's enthusiastic support, noting that games "kind of became a place to see your neighbours again."[3]

The organization operates several high performance teams at the under-18 and under-15 levels. Since their arrival in Okotoks, the community has seen a significant increase in participation in minor baseball, growing from 150 registered players in 2006 to over 500 in 2011.[3]

The Dawgs have been equally successful on the field since their move to Okotoks, capturing the 2007, 2008 and 2009 championships.[4] One former Dawg, Jim Henderson, has gone on to play Major League Baseball. He made his debut with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2012, nine years after he played for the Dawgs. He went on to become the Brewers closer in 2013, collecting 28 saves. [5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Myers, Sean (2009-07-31). "A tale of two ballclubs". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 2009-08-11.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Maki, Allan (2009-07-29). "Baseball blooming in Wild Rose Country". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2009-08-11.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Odland, Kristen (2012-06-17). "Baseball night in Okotoks". Calgary Herald. p. E6.
  4. ↑ "2009 WMBL championship preview". Calgary Dawgs Baseball Club. 2009-08-10. Retrieved 2009-08-11.
  5. ↑ Gilbertson, Wes (2012-07-27). "Dawg gets his day". Calgary Sun. p. S2.

External links