Can you hear me now? Breathing, that is. When I first read J.P. Hoornstra’s breaking news that the Loons would no longer be a Dodger affiliate, I didn’t stop breathing but held my breath which is just as uncomfortable. J.P. likes to be out front on things – as we all do – and sometimes does just that. I wasn’t sure but felt it might be fake news after checking the Loons web site.
At that time Great Lakes Loons’ interim president and general manager Mike Hayes said that rumors about the Los Angeles Dodgers ending their lengthy affiliation with the Loons were just plain false. Still, the Dodgers had not made an invitation to the Loons. So it was wait and see. As we know now, the invitation has been made by the Dodgers and accepted by the Loons.
Looking back at the Loons franchise, which was born in Midland in 2007, it has been a successful franchise with which the Dodgers have been affiliated and a well-run baseball venue.
The Dodgers moved out of Vero Beach for the 2007 season and for a second time broke my heart. Their new Class-A affiliate became the Great Lakes Loons in Midland, Michigan which has a population of just under 42,000. At least they were no farther away from me and in the same time zone (EST) as Vero Beach just one-hour removed from my AST time zone. Sometime after that I discovered MiLB.TV so my broken heart mended.
I thought it might be OK to write a bit of a Loons primer for those who are not so familiar with the Midland franchise. The Loons have a relatively short history, and it has all been affiliated with the Dodgers.
As mentioned, the Loons took flight after the 2006 season having transferred from Battle Creek, Michigan for the 2007 season. That might also be called the year of CK007, or YCK as Clayton Kershaw was part of the Loons inaugural team. Former MLB catcher Lance Parrish was the first Loons manager.
One trend the Loons management has been trying to stem is that average attendance has continued to fall since the Clayton Kershaw year. In their inaugural season in 2007 they drew an average attendance of 4,773. That average had continued to drop each year since 2007 to a low of 2,839 during the 2019 season. Was it just the novelty of the new stadium and team in 2007 or was it the Kershaw effect that year? The stadium capacity is listed at 5,200. Hopefully that trend will start to reverse itself in 2021 with an advance A team moving in.
Having said that, Loons management has not stood still in its efforts to bring a top notch baseball product to the Michigan fans. The stadium was built for the 2007 season on land donated by Dow Chemical. Hence, the name Dow Diamond. The warning track is made from bricks that were ground up as any brick buildings on the lot were demolished. Dow Chemical has maintained a strong commitment to the Loons franchise helping with a number of charitable ventures over the years.
Over the past few years a number of upgrades were made to the stadium. One significant one was an upgrade to the playing surface for the 2017 season. Preparations for the season actually started the previous September when Nolan Thomas and Company out of Stovall, North Carolina rolled into Dow Diamond with heavy equipment and flatbed loads of sod. The existing sod at the 10-year old ball park was quickly removed in preparation for an entire face lift on the field, complete with improved drainage. Nolan Thomas and Company has earned a reputation as one of the top athletic field development and improvement companies in the United States. The new sod came all the way from Tuckahoe Sod Farm in New Jersey. Tuckahoe Sod Farm also has gained a reputation for being at the top of their game having provided playing surfaces for the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies, among others.
For the 2018 season a new video board was installed featuring state-of-the-art technology.
Partnering with Daktronics, the Michigan Baseball Foundation installed a new video board measuring 31 feet tall by 80 feet wide. At that time it was the largest display to feature 13HD technology, as well as the brightest display and fifth largest overall that Daktronics had installed in the minor leagues.
At over 2,500 square feet, the equivalent to 235 60-inch televisions, the display features more than two million LEDs with a resolution of 1876×728 capable of generating up to 281 trillion colors. Variable content zoning capabilities allow the Loons to show either one large image, or provide a seamless display with any combination of video, statistics, line score, sponsor advertisements and other animations.
Paul Swaney in his stadium review in his Stadium Journey Magazine had high praise for the Loons home ball park:
“ Dow Diamond provides one of the best ballpark experiences in minor league baseball, and it is clear that the Loons organization is continuing to make strides to maintain and improve that experience.”
Of note, besides the aforementioned Clayton Kershaw, 78 other Loons alumni have gone on to play in MLB including Kenley Jansen, Dee Gordon, Joc Pederson, Julio Urias, Dustin May, Edwin Rios, Will Smith, Walker Buehler and Corey Seager. Thirteen players on this year’s Dodger World Series roster have passed through Midland, Michigan.
As with many lower minor league teams – perhaps all – players are teamed with host families in Midland. It has been and no doubt will continue to be a rewarding experience for both parties.
The Servinski family of Midland served as a host family to one of the 2020 World Series championship players. They fondly remember time spent with World Series MVP Corey Seager who played with the Loons in 2013 as a friendly 19-year-old.
“He was always doing stuff with (our family), usually after Sunday (afternoon) games,” said Zach Servinski, who is now 20. “We’d play video games or mess around outside on our golf cart.”
Seager lived with Jean and Steve Servinski and their kids, Zach and Carlie.
“He was a nice kid. He was right out of high school when he lived with us,” Jean Servinski recalled. “It’s been exciting to see him really climb and do a great job with the Dodgers,“ she added.
Her son agreed.
“When he played for the Loons, he was a really good baseball player,” Zach said. “But I don’t think anybody could have imagined he’d be the MVP of the World Series seven years later.”
It is exciting to have a High-A team coming to Midland to watch players play at a higher level. The Loons management is also excited for a continuation of the partnership.
“We’re thrilled to be invited … all looking good,” Great Lakes general manager Mike Hayes said. “We’re working out the details right now. The two Class A’s, there is a bit of a difference in age and ability. . We’re thrilled that they reached out to us once again. We’re looking forward to having quite a long tenure together.”
According to Hayes, other teams came calling but the decision was made to wait on the Dodgers and go from there.
“We had a feeling that things would work out, but it’s nice to see it on paper. Our franchise has had a tremendous relationship with the Dodgers over the last 14 years and we are truly excited to be extending that partnership for many, many years to come,” Loons Interim President & General Manager Mike Hayes said. “The Dodgers have played a key role in the success of our franchise, and we are committed to providing a first-class experience for their Minor League players so they may reach their full potential and contribute to the Dodgers success.”
Another note – the Loons were the only Dodger affiliate in 2019 that did not have some semblance of Dodger blue as part of their uniforms. I wonder if that might change.
It seems that the move to the high-A class has provided the Loons management with a feeling of security and an opportunity to continue to affiliate with the Dodgers over the longer haul.
Hope so. Let’s hear it in 2021: “ Good evening and welcome to Loons baseball”, with Loons announcers Brad Tunney and Blake Froling who according to the Loons web site will return to call the games on radio ESPN 100.9-FM (WLUN) and MiLB.TV.
Minotaur
Nice. I knew absolutely nothing other than their name. I was In El Paso when the Dodgers had a team in the Texas league there for only one season. The El Paso Sun Dodgers. Their best player was Lee Lacy. The next year they were gone and the Angels took over the franchise and renamed them the Diablos.
Thanks Harold. Because of all your insights into our minor league affiliates I have a better appreciation for all the incredible young men who try to make their dreams come true. And for the communities who invest so much into their teams. I’m happy the Loons and Midland
Always thought Midland was in Texas..
The Midland Rockhounds (AA) in Texas are an affiliate with the Oakland Athletics.
My poor attempt at humor Harold. I did not know there was a town called Midland in Michigan. Of course I know about as much about Michigan as I do about minor league baseball which is bupkis. But I am getting an education thanks to you.
It is amazing to me how much minor league baseball has changed during my lifetime. The highest classification up until 1945 was AA. But they also had D.C and B class leagues. In 1950, the Dodgers had two AAA teams. St Paul and Montreal. To look at it now and realize they have 4 teams is just amazing. That is a little over 100 players. There was a time when the Cardinals had close to 800 in thier system alone. Of course for years the minors were where old players went when their skills had diminished. Think about it. Dazzy Vance pitched in the minors until he was 30. And then broke in with the Dodgers when he was 31. Of course the Dodgers had a player a few years ago, back when Torre was managing I think. He was about 35 and had never played in a major league game. And they brought him up in September and he got a few at bats and his first big league hit. Now players go to Korea or Japan to play if they cannot get a major league contract. Fernando when he was done went down and pitched in the Mexican league until he was 46. Sandy Koufax was signed in Dec of 1954. On the 30th of this month, the Left Arm of God turns 85. Our hero’s from Brooklyn are getting older and some are gone. Oisk and Sandy are still around. Oisk turned 94 the other day. Oh, that is Carl Erskine for those of you who do not speak Brooklynese. I also found out something about Koufax I did not know, but should have. He was adopted by his mothers second husband. Irving Koufax. His birth name was Braun.
Ryan Braun and Sandy are not related (although Ryan thought it would have been cool if they were).
I know. Hell, I am not related to Chuck Norris either. But that to me would be totally cool. I did meet him once in California at a Gary Morris concert. Chuck is a big country music fan and Morris had some hits back then.
Filed under the nice work if you can get it category, Auburn fired their football coach the other day and had to pay him 21.7 million dollars to buy out the 4 years left on his contract. College football while so much fun to watch is sure a big and booming business.
Great article, Harold. I have never been to Midland – I go to Ft. Wayne to see the Loons play which is just a couple of hours away, but I will make it up to Midland soon. The Kershaw year (2007) brought back some memories. Clayton started 20 games with GL before moving to Jacksonville and during that season, I drove to Chicago where I met Voldomer (who lives around Chicago) and the late RogerDodger (Roger Sobin of San Antonio) . Then we drove to Beloit, Wisconsin to see Clayton pitch against the Beloit Snappers. They now have a new Stadium in Beloit but the old one was not much better than a high school stadium. It was apparent during his warmup that this Kershaw had “IT” – whatever IT is!
My exe girlfriends son went to Beloit college on a baseball scholarship. Did not get to play much. His brother played ball against the Giambi brothers in high school. Former MLB first baseman, Eddie Robinson, the last living member of the 1954 Cleveland Indians… turns 100 today. Happy Birthday Eddie! What is your secret to longevity???? Top choice for the Cleveland franchise’s new name is Spiders. They were called that in the 1890’s. And they are still going to sell Indians gear.
Clayton started the first ever Loons game on April 5, 2007. It was not a great outing as he walked six in 2.1 innings. His catcher was Carlos Santana in that game. In his second professional start he threw five shutout innings with Kenley Jansen as his catcher. I don’t think the catcher had any influence on his performance. The weather in South Bend in his first start was definitely a suspect.
Nice start of the day for me, DC, thank you. Praise for the host families who offer their homes and families to help these young players meld into a new team and a home away from home.
Thank the Big Dodger in the sky, the Blue Jays signed Tyler White so I do not have to worry that AF will bring him back again! Dodgers now being linked to Marcus Siemien,
All things considered, I think I prefer Kike!
Great article, Harold. Love to learn more about the minor league affiliates, and great perspective from the host family.
Fangraphs has a detailed review of the Dodgers top 47 prospects. https://blogs.fangraphs.com/top-47-prospects-los-angeles-dodgers-2/
The rankings are a little different from other sources with top 6 prospects listed as:
Josiah Gray
Keibert Ruiz
Michael Busch
Andy Pages
Jacob Amaya
Ryan Pepiot.
Some other surprises which are ranked lower than anticipated are Cody Hoese at #9, Mitchell White at #39, and DJ Peters at #46.
Amaya at #5 is a borderline shock. Much of that is due to his ability to stay at SS.
There are quite a few prospect rating sites out there and from what I can tell now that Lux and May are no longer prospects we have 2 that remain in the Top 100, Gray and Ruiz, and neither are in the Top 50. Hoese shows up between 100-150 but at 24 next July, he had better produce above A ball (.715 OPS) to be considered a contender. Miller and Beeter show promise, but there are hundreds of guys that show promise. My dark horses for quick rise are Miller and Cartaya.
The ratings on the Dodger site have Gray, Ruiz, Hoese, Busch, Cartaya. That is the top 5. Hey Badger, got the cap today. Thank you very much. You can barely see the signature, but it is there. I also got my World Series Champion T shirt today….so it was a good day.
Yeah, he had nothing to write against so he was holding with one hand, signing with the other. Awkward, but it’s his signature. Hope it adds to your collection
It does my friend. Thank you very much
Good write up Harold. I love minor league baseball. I love the smaller communities involvement and the host families who take these young guys into their homes. It’s a big deal to many small towns who are committed to providing affordable, fan friendly, kid friendly entertainment. I’m pushing 70 and I still remember my favorite players from my trips to our local ballpark. It might have been B league. We didn’t know the level and didn’t care. These guys were pros. I watched every move they made. I couldn’t get enough. I remember the disappointment I felt when I was blown off and snubbed requesting an autograph. And the joy I felt when a player was nice to me. I remembered to the point that during my brief pro career I never turned down an autograph request or failed to have a kind word for a kid.
I remember my dad taking our Little League team to games. I remember the snow cones and 25 cent hot dogs. The smell of new mowed grass and pine tar.
Those memories are still with me. They are a part of who I am.
That’s why I was so pissed at MLB for eliminating 40 teams. MiLB is the lifeblood of baseball. I was so glad that my hometown franchise survived the cut. They just put a lot of money into new lights and improvements which was a big commitment. Now they are A+ and I can’t wait to for MiLB to start again so I can watch the prospects, get a snow cone and a hot dog and smell the pine tar and new mowed grass.
Those are very similar memories to mine from the Halifax and District League back in the mid-fifties. The rosters were made up of some local players but mostly college players from New England. The crack of the bat, the infield chatter, the umpire being razzed, finding a baseball outside of the field. I wasn’t aware of getting autographs at that time so never tried. I watched Moe Drabowsky pitch and Zeke Bella hit. Those were the days my friend.
hey Phil, that is great. The part where you said you did not know what level it was and did not really care is totally on the money. Alabama did a song many years ago called The Cheap Seats. Great tune about small town America minor league ball A couple of years ago I was at a game at Rancho and sitting about 2 seats from the visitors dugout. One of their coaches was Joe Thurston, who used to be in the Dodger system. We talked for several minutes after the game and he signed my program. Really nice guy. And when I was in the Army and stationed in El Paso, we would go down to watch the Diablos. Their players signed autographs all the time, and I never saw one turn down a kid.
That sounded like a Vince Scully story, philjones. Painted a picture in my mind’s eye for me. I could see the fans in the stadium seats, smell the freshly mowed grass, the popcorn cooking and the cool breeze when there was one.
Thanks for that remembrance.
There is a story out now that MLB wants to delay the start of the season until at least May. One owner stated there is no way they can start spring training in February.
Am I surprised to hear this? Of course not.
Philjones and Bear, I too am looking forward to heading back to Rancho Cucamonga…
A class lower… No bigee, I can live with that… They play the game hard and in not to long a time, you can spot the ones that will be there for a cup of coffee and head to the next stop…
1988, got to see a few A ball games in San Bernadino and check out a kid named Griffey Jr….
It’s a thrill to see someone that special and know his days in the minors are going to be short lived…
Bear, I wasn’t holding my breath on February either… One day at a time…
I expected as much. Until they get the vaccine out and get some sort of handle on the virus, it will not be business as usual. I love going out to Rancho. I do not care what class league it is. El Paso was AA back then. They are AAA now. I went to a game in Fredericksburg when I was driving cross country. They were an Oriole farm team. Only cost 5 bucks to get in. What I love about the Epicenter is parking is close. And you can get a box seat for as little as 13 dollars. A beer costs you that much at Dodger Stadium.