REGINA -- The Regina Red Sox will soon be entering a new era as a Western Canadian Baseball League franchise, one that could quickly see the team evolve into one of the premier franchises in the rapidly growing summer collegiate league.
The Queen City Sports and Entertainment Group announced Friday morning at Brandt Head Office in Regina that they will be purchasing the Red Sox baseball team, effective this October and pending approval by the Western Canadian Baseball League.
The move will see a massive change in how the team operates from a financial perspective, and is a product of how the WCBL is growing and improving each and every season.
Prior to the acquisition the Red Sox worked under a non-profit business model, but with the league rapidly moving away from that kind of operation, the writing on the wall was quickly becoming bolder and bolder, leading to Friday’s announcement.
“The reality was that while the nonprofit model of the Red Sox, when Gary [Brotzel] and Bernie [Eisworth] started the club, was noble and worthy, that model is no longer really sustainable in the Western Canadian Baseball League,” said Red Sox governor Al Simpson.
“It's becoming a much more competitive league and the resources required to compete and provide the citizens of Regina the entertainment that they expect just makes it very, very difficult for the club to sustain itself. And more importantly, to be a good representative of the city of Regina when we host teams and when we travel to play teams in a 56-game Western Canadian Baseball League schedule.
“Things had to change, a transition had to happen, a new ownership model had to come about. It was absolutely essential to secure the future of the Red Sox as a representative in the Western Canadian Baseball League.”
Team founder and long-time president Brotzel was in complete agreement, especially seeing how rapidly the WCBL has grown and the kind of success private ownership can bring.
“The fan base, not five years ago, was 200,000. Now it's pushing 500,000. When Spruce Grove brings on their new stadium shortly, I would say by the end of next year, that number will be 600,000. So you can see the rapid growth,” Brotzel said.
“And with that growth, our expenses have gone through the roof exponentially. The common denominator to the success of the WCBL is private ownership. The teams that have moved away from the non-profit volunteer model are thriving. They're mostly the Alberta teams, and lately with Saskatoon Berries coming on board, they're just pushing the league to new levels. So it was clear to me that it was time that we moved on to that model as well.”
Enter Shaun Semple and the QCSEG. Owners of the Western Hockey League’s Regina Pats since 2014, QCSEG has watched from the sidelines as both the WCBL and Red Sox grew and increased in popularity, and that led the organization deciding that getting involved in the club would be a good business decision, one that would ensure the viability of the franchise for the foreseeable future.
“It's really about the fulfillment of a dream, a unification of two great teams and storied franchises here in Regina with the Regina Pats and the Red Sox,” Semple said, adding that when QCSEG was originally founded, revitalizing Regina’s historic franchises was always a main goal.
“Today we take that major step with that vision. This acquisition allows us to bring both our organizations under one umbrella, one vision, one commitment to excellence on the field and on the ice and in our community.
“It's really about revitalizing baseball within our city, investing in our youth, creating jobs, driving tourism and providing a gathering places for our families, for our fans and for our future stars… Just like we've done for the Regina Pats, our family is committing to doing our part to investing in our community and in the Red Sox and in a new stadium. We believe in this city, we believe in our teams and most importantly we believe in the people of Regina. This new era will build respect on the history, the passion for sport, the shared vision of what Regina can become.”
As Semple touched on, the acquisition won’t just be a behind-the-scenes move with little outside impact. The plan is to improve everything involved with the team -- from the gameday fan experience and beyond -- to help the Red Sox become a destination franchise in the WCBL.
And part of that plan is a new and modern baseball stadium to replace Currie Field, which while serviceable for today’s game, is long overdue for wholesale improvements or outright replacement. To that end, Semple said plans are in the works, but time will tell how things come together.
“When I look at the Currie Field and where they're playing today, obviously there's enhancements that can be made,” Semple said. “And when you look at the other teams that are in the league and what the investments that are happening there, that obviously a new stadium is really required to really engage the fans, provide them with the environment and so on. So we're at this point, we're willing to invest in the new stadium and to help the city bring that about and that's what Al and our partnership is about.”
Semple also added assurances that QCSEG will be sure to give the Red Sox all the financial support it needs to continue to grow and succeed.
“I can just tell you that whatever it needs, it will get,” he said, adding that the organization has invested tens of millions of dollars into the Regina Pats since their acquisition a decade and a half ago.
“I don't think I fully know exactly everything they need, but I know what we need to do to be successful. You have to be committed as an owner. You have to listen to your fans. You have to listen to the management team and the organization of what they need. You need to learn the game, and when you do that, you then build a business plan to do it, and you try to leverage all the resources that you have today… I think that's what we're committed to do, whatever it takes to be successful, to bring a championship home on a more consistent basis.”
Be sure to listen to The Sportscage on CKRM this afternoon at 3 p.m. for much more from Friday’s announcement.
