PACIFIC ASSOCIATION RAMPING UP EXPANSION EFFORTS
Burgeoning Independent Professional Baseball League on Verge of Growth
SAN FRANCISCO – The Pacific Association of Professional Baseball Clubs, entering its fourth year of operation, is exploring several expansion opportunities in the San Francisco Bay Area.
“As the only remaining independent professional minor league on the west coast, we’re very proud to have maintained our stability and viability as both a business model and as a wonderful low-cost family entertainment option for the Bay Area-based cities we represent,” said Mike Shapiro, former Vice President for the Giants, Braves and Nationals and the President and General Manager of the San Rafael Pacifics since 2012. “This league has done a tremendous amount of community service in each of our cities, provided an exceptionally high level of professional baseball and offered our fans an engaging and memorable experience when they attend our games.”
Pacific Association Highlights include:
Four teams within the San Francisco Bay Area, allowing for regional rivalries and low travel/operating costs.
Ownership groups with varied experience in Major Professional Sports, media relations and PR, legal expertise, hospitality, payroll and human resources, real estate and more.
Executive commissioner, David Alioto, with extensive sales and marketing experience in MLB and MLS.
More than 30 players promoted to higher leagues, including the Atlantic League, Can-Am League, American Association, Frontier League, as well as the Boston Red Soxand San Diego Padres organizations.
Witnessed history with first openly gay professional baseball player, Sean Conroy of the Sonoma Stompers. Conroy’s story made international news, and the scorecard from his first pro start is currently on display at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, N.Y.
Bill ‘Spaceman’ Lee, former Boston Red Sox and Montreal Expos hurler, became the oldest player to win a game in professional baseball. Lee set the record in 2012 withthe San Rafael Pacifics, then broke his own record in 2014 as a member of theSonoma Stompers.
First professional league to institute Robotic Umpires when the San Rafael Pacifics and Vallejo Admirals used Supermicro computers, the Pitchf/x automated strike zone, and former major league outfielder, Eric Byrnes called balls and strikes in what was the first time in professional baseball an umpire didn’t handle those duties.
Jose Canseco Weekend in Sonoma, presented by Lagunitas Brewing Company. The former MLB slugger took the field as a member of the Stompers, and belted a home run in his second game. The event was commemorated with a foam hand that was missing its middle finger; the same finger Canseco shot during a well-publicized accident in his Las Vegas home.
2015 Stompers to be the subject of national book, “The Only Rule Is It Has to Work: Our Wild Experiment Building a New Kind of Baseball Team,” written by Ben Lindbergh of www.Fivethirtyeight.com and Sam Miller of Baseball Prospectus. The book, published by Henry Holt and Co. is due out May 2016.
Celebrity appearances by Phil Lesh (Grateful Dead), Jerry Mathers (Leave It to Beaver), Orlando Cepeda (MLB Hall of Famer), Vida Blue (three-time World Series champion, and 1971 American League Cy Young and MVP), Dusty Baker (three time National League Manager of the Year, current Washington Nationals skipper), Larry Thomas (The infamous Soup Nazi from Seinfeld), as well as hosts of local and regional personalities and celebrates.
Marketing and financial support from national brands such as:
Krave Jerky
Microsoft
Lagunitas Brewing Co.
Verizon Wireless
Whole Foods Market
Budweiser
Coors Light
Columbia Distributing
Coca Cola
Union Bank
Allstate
Pepsi
Four Points Sheraton
Chamber of Commerce
3 Badge Beverage Corp
Don & Sons Wine
Wyndham
YMCA
League enjoys a formal playoff structure determining a champion based on first-and-second half division winners.
League participates in formal award system, recognizing players for defensive excellence at each position, rookie of the year, Pitcher and relief pitchers of the year, manager of the year and Most Valuable Player.
Former MLB players who’ve played in the Pacific Association include:
o Jose Canseco, Sonoma Stompers, Pittsburg Diamonds
o Bill Lee, San Rafael Pacific, Sonoma Stompers
o Eric Byrnes, San Rafael Pacifics
o Aaron Miles, Pittsburg Diamonds
o Wayne Franklin, Pittsburg Diamonds
o Tony Phillips, Pittsburg Diamonds
o Tony Torcato, Pittsburg Diamonds
All teams offer affordable, family-friendly entertainment to their local communities and surrounding areas. Each team makes positive contributions to its hometown, such as capital improvements to multi-use parks, offers fundraising avenues for local non-profits and youth sports leagues, build and perpetuate community pride and goodwill.
Franchise opportunities are available in several markets. The Pacific Association recommends that serious potential owners or investor groups contact David Alioto for more information. Commissioner Alioto can be reached by phone at (925) 588-3047 or by email at davidalioto1@gmail.com.