Ottawa Fat Cats

Last updated
Ottawa Fat Cats
Ottawa Fat Cats jersey logo.jpeg Ottawa Fat Cats logo.jpeg
Team logoCap insignia
Information
League Intercounty Baseball League (2010-2012)
Location Ottawa, Ontario
Ballpark Ottawa Baseball Stadium
Founded 2010
ColoursRed, black, white
   
OwnershipOttawa Stadium Group
ManagerTim Nelson
General ManagerJonathan Trottier (Interim)
MediaOttawa Citizen / Ottawa Sun / Rogers TV
Website www.ottawafatcats.com

The Ottawa Fat Cats were a semi-professional baseball club in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The team began play on May 8, 2010, against the Guelph Royals, and played its home games at the Ottawa Baseball Stadium, the first home game was on May 15, 2010, against the Mississauga Twins. The team was a member of the Intercounty Baseball League [1] but suspended operations at the end of the 2012 season. [2] [3] They were eventually replaced as the primary tenant of what is now RCGT Park by the Ottawa Champions of the Can-Am League.

Contents

Founding

The Ottawa Stadium Group first became involved in operating a baseball team in 2009. With the Ottawa Baseball Stadium vacant, a city asset was unused. City Councillor Bob Monette arranged some community baseball games, and around the same time the OSG showed some interest in starting another Can-Am baseball team at the stadium. In January 2010, the group instead applied to the Intercounty Baseball League and was accepted. As the other eight IBL teams are located in or within a short distance of Toronto, the Fat Cats had to accept conditions whereby the Cats would pay for accommodations for the visiting teams and also arrange the schedule to allow the other teams to play back-to-back games in Ottawa. [4] In March 2010, the group named Duncan MacDonald as the general manager, while Bill Mackenzie, a former professional baseball player, was hired as manager of the team.

The name and logo of the team were announced at a news conference on March 24, 2010. The name 'Fat Cats' was chosen to poke fun at the public image of federal public servants employed in the city. The Cats used the traditional red, black and white used by Ottawa teams. The cap logo is a stylized 'O' (similar to the alternate logo used by the city's NHL team, the Ottawa Senators), with horizontal black, red and white stripes through the 'O'. A vertical slit in the middle of the 'O' made it look like a cat's eye. The jersey logo was a cartoon cat with the team name written below it. The Cats also arranged concerts at the Stadium in addition to the ball games. The concerts' premise was to raise funds to offset any losses in the operations of the baseball team. [4]

2010 New Era All-Star Classic

On August 12, it was announced that Ottawa would be the location for the first annual New Era All-Star Classic which features the best of the Intercounty Baseball League facing off in a four-game series against the best of the Ligue de Baseball Senior Élite du Québec (LBSEQ).[ citation needed ] Games 1 and 2 were held in Ottawa on August 21 and 22 2010, while the series continued in Thetford Mines, Quebec September 4 and 5. [5]

Results

2010 season

In their first season the Fat Cats won 11 and lost 25, finished in last place and did not make the playoffs.

2011 season

Their second season was a great success, finishing with 16 wins and 18 losses during the regular season, good for 6th place, but winning 9 and losing 5 during the playoff, reaching the finals and losing to the champion Brantford Red Sox.

2012 season

The Fat Cats final season saw them finish with an 18 and 18 record, good for a 5th place tie for the last playoff spot, but they bowed out in the first round in 6 games.

Season-by-season records

Ottawa Fat Cats (2010-2012)
SeasonTotalFinishedPlayoffs
201011-25.306Did not qualify
201116-18.4709 wins and 5 losses, lost final to Brantford Red Sox
201218-18.500Lost in first round in 6 games
Regular Season Totals45-61.425
Postseason Totals11-9.550
Combined Totals56-70.444

Attendance

2010 season

In their first season in Ottawa, the Fat Cats did very well in attendance. They averaged 2,328 per game for a total of 25,611 on the season despite playing many doubleheaders and having the fewest openings compared to any other team.

2011 Season

The Ottawa Fat Cats made it into The IBL finals only to lose to the Brantford Rex Sox. The Fat Cats however drew a total of 38,491 during the regular season, an increase of almost 50% from 2011. In the playoffs, the Fat Cats averaged 4,120 fans per game and drew a total of 28,843 in only seven games. The season total was 67,334 fans.

Final roster

Active rosterCoaches/Other

Pitchers

  • 30 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Danny Desclouds
  • 11 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Matt Hummel
  • 5 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Bryce MacDonald-Wilson
  • 27 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Brett Sabourin
  • 16 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Eric Boisvert
  • 22 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Josh Soffer
  • 24 Flag of the United States.svg Brandon Huffman
  • 28 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg William Sebastian
  • 20 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Tyler Durward
  • 2 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg James Amelotte



 

Catchers

  • 26 Flag of Israel.svg Eitan Maoz
  • 7 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Pat Gagnon

Infielders

  •  8 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Mark Charrette
  •  3 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Chris Latimer
  • 10 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Matt McGovern
  •  4 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Cody Mombourquette
  •  23 Flag of the United States.svg Jason Coker

Outfielders

  •  7 Flag of the United States.svg Kevin Deitrich
  • 17 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Joe Stone
  • 21 Flag of the United States.svg LaDale Hayes
  • 42 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Kevin Miller
  • 9 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Wade Wilson
 

Manager

  • 33 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Tim Nelson

Coaches

  • 00 Flag of Nicaragua.svg Rudy Vallejos
  • 7 Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg Pat Gagnon

Injury icon 2.svg Disabled list
‡ Inactive list
§ Suspended list

 updated June 10, 2012

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ottawa Lynx</span> Minor league baseball team

The Ottawa Lynx were a Minor League Baseball team that competed in the Triple-A International League (IL) from 1993 to 2007. The team's home field was Lynx Stadium in Ottawa, Ontario. Over 15 seasons, the team was an affiliate of the Montreal Expos (1993–2002), Baltimore Orioles (2003–2006), and Philadelphia Phillies (2007). At the time, it was the only IL franchise in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ottawa Rough Riders</span> Former Canadian Football League franchise

The Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. Formerly one of the oldest and longest-lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup championship nine times. Their most dominant era was the 1960s and 1970s, in which they won five Grey Cups. The team's fortunes waned in the 1980s and 1990s, and they ultimately ceased operations following the 1996 season. Five years later, a new CFL team known as the Ottawa Renegades was founded, though they suspended operations in 2006. The Ottawa Redblacks, which own the Rough Riders and Renegades intellectual properties, joined the league in 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">New Jersey Jackals</span> Professional baseball team based in Little Falls, NJ, US

The New Jersey Jackals are an American professional baseball team based in Paterson, New Jersey, United States. The team was founded in 1998 by Floyd Hall and is owned by Al Dorso, a businessman who also owns the Sussex County Miners, Skylands Stadium, and State Fair Superstore. The Jackals play their home games at Hinchliffe Stadium.

John Ogiltree is a Canadian former baseball pitcher.

The Intercounty Baseball League (IBL) is a Canadian Semi-Professional baseball league, comprising teams of college players and former professionals from North America and beyond. The teams are located in Southern Ontario.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Majors</span> Minor league baseball team based in London, Ontario

The London Majors are an independent, minor league baseball team of the Intercounty Baseball League. The team was founded in 1925, and is based in London, Ontario. They play their home games at the 5,200 seat Labatt Memorial Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brantford Red Sox</span>

The Brantford Red Sox are an independent team of the Intercounty Baseball League based in Brantford, Ontario. They play their home games at Arnold Anderson Stadium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hamilton Cardinals</span> Canadian collegiate baseball team

The Hamilton Cardinals are a Canadian baseball team based in Hamilton, Ontario and a member club of the Intercounty Baseball League. Founded in 1958, the club is the second oldest sports team in the city of Hamilton. Many are former major leaguers and minor professionals, as well as current and former NCAA or U Sports players. Home games are played at Bernie Arbour Memorial Stadium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton Park</span>

Ottawa Stadium is a baseball stadium in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, with a seating capacity of 10,332. The stadium is located in the city's east end near the interchange of Queensway and Vanier Parkway. It has been used for minor-league professional baseball and music concerts since 1993.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barrie Baycats</span> Semi-professional minor-league baseball team in Barrie, Ontario, Canada

The Barrie Baycats are an independent, minor league baseball team of the semi-pro Intercounty Baseball League based in Barrie, Ontario. They play their home games at Vintage Throne Stadium at the Barrie Community Sports Complex in Midhurst.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kitchener Panthers</span> Minor-league professional baseball team in Kitchener, Ontario

The Kitchener Panthers are an independent, minor league baseball team of the Intercounty Baseball League based in Kitchener, Ontario. They play their home games at Jack Couch Baseball Park. The Panthers used to play at a ballpark in Victoria park before Jack Couch Park was built to replace the old Victoria Park stadium in 1967.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guelph Royals (baseball)</span>

The Guelph Royals are a baseball team based in the downtown area of Guelph, Ontario, and are a member of the Southern Ontario-based Intercounty Baseball League. The club was founded in 1861 as the Guelph Maple Leafs, and after winning the "Canadian Silver Ball Championship" three times between 1869 and 1872, went on to become world semi-professional champions in 1874, and hold brief membership in the International Association for Professional Base Ball Players during the 1877 season, rivalling National League teams.

The Ottawa Voyageurs, previously the Ottawa Rapidz, were a professional baseball team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada under the Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball or Can-Am League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prospect League</span> United States collegiate summer baseball league

The Prospect League is a collegiate summer baseball league comprising teams of college players from North America and beyond. All players in the league must have NCAA eligibility remaining in order to participate. So as to maintain their college eligibility, players are not paid. Beginning in 2012, the league added four games to the season, making a total of 60 games per team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sport in Ottawa</span>

Sport in Ottawa, Canada's capital, has a history dating back to the 19th century. Ottawa is now home to five professional sports teams: the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League; the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League; the Ottawa Titans of the Frontier League; the Ottawa Blackjacks of the Canadian Elite Basketball League; and Atlético Ottawa of the Canadian Premier League. Several non-professional teams also play in Ottawa, including the Ottawa 67's junior hockey team and other semi-professional and collegiate teams in various sports.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Wilkes</span> American baseball player

James Eugene Wilkes, nicknamed "Seabiscuit", was a professional baseball outfielder. He played in Negro league baseball for the Newark Eagles from 1945 to 1948. He was a member of the 1946 Negro World Series championship team, and was an All-Star in 1948.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria HarbourCats</span> Summer-collegiate baseball team

The Victoria HarbourCats are a summer-collegiate baseball team located in Victoria, British Columbia. The HarbourCats play in the West Coast League (WCL), a collegiate summer baseball league. The team's home games are played at Victoria's Royal Athletic Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ottawa Champions</span>

The Ottawa Champions Baseball Club were a professional baseball team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The Champions made their debut as a member of the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball in 2015. They won their first league championship in 2016 defeating the Rockland Boulders 3-2 after being down 2-0 in the series, winning game 5, 3-1 with a complete game win by Austin Chrismon. They played their home games at Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton Park. The Champions mascot was Champ.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ron Stead</span> Canadian baseball player

Ronald Duncan Stead was a Canadian baseball pitcher. He played briefly in Minor League Baseball, then went on to play for over a decade in the Intercounty Baseball League of Ontario, setting multiple league records. He was inducted to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006. Listed at 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) and 150 pounds (68 kg), he threw left-handed and batted right-handed.

References

  1. "Baseball team's name revealed". Ottawa Citizen. March 24, 2010.
  2. "Fat Cats won't play in 2013". Ottawa Citizen. December 21, 2012.
  3. "Intercounty Baseball League | TEAMS | Pointstreak Sites". www.pointstreaksites.com. Archived from the original on 2014-05-02.
  4. 1 2 "Fat Cats dressed for success". Ottawa Citizen. March 25, 2010.
  5. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-11-14. Retrieved 2012-12-21.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)