By: Stan Maddux
Alcohol will be served during baseball games of players hoping to make it to the major leagues but under restrictions to keep the stadium atmosphere in New Buffalo family friendly.
Servers will also play a role to keep alcohol from getting into the hands of fans under the legal age of 21.
Those are among the new details shared by the owners of the new team during a town hall-type meeting attended by more than 100 people Thursday at New Buffalo High School.
Minority owner Stephen Donnelly said the decision to serve alcohol was not taken lightly but, ultimately, boiled down to tradition and alcohol being served already at other college and professional sporting events.
“An adult having the option to have a beer and a hot dog at a baseball game on a beautiful summer evening is Americana at its finest, right,” he said.
The team will begin playing during the summer of 2027 with more than 30 home games at the new baseball field at New Buffalo High School.
Grandstand seating and lights will be added to the field at the expense of the team over the next several months.
Donnelly said another factor behind the decision to offer alcohol was for the team to benefit local businesses such as microbreweries in the area that might want their products available during games.
Overwhelming support for the team, which will play in the Northwoods League, was expressed from the audience.
More than 400 players in the Northwoods League with teams throughout the Midwest and into Canada have made it to the major leagues over the past 30 years or so.
Among the players are stars like former Chicago White Sox pitcher Chris Sale and second baseman, Nico Hoerner, of the Chicago Cubs.
One resident, Mike Messinger, who lives across the street from the field, expressed opposition to the sale of alcohol, though, fearing it could lead to disruptive behavior in his quiet neighborhood.
“Who will be policing this?” he asked.
Donnelly said everything will be done to create and protect a family-friendly atmosphere at the ballpark.
He said there’s talk of ending the sale of alcohol after the 7th inning and during night games at 8:30 p.m. or whichever comes first.
There will also be a limit of two alcohol beverages for every transaction.
Donnelly said concession workers will also be trained to know when to stop serving someone who seems to have had too much to drink.
“This isn’t going to be a place to come for a bachelor party. This a family environment,” he said.
Another owner, Tom Rowland, said extra security officers will be hired by the team for things like crowd control and parking, if necessary.
Messinger voiced other concerns including noise during games and lighting from the field drifting over into his neighborhood.
The third owner, Brian Williams, said the lights will be professional quality with little, if any, bleeding away from the playing surface.
Williams said the public address system will also be top notch and set at a volume so fans can talk to each other comfortably from their seats but adjustments will be attempted if it’s too loud for nearby residents.
He also felt the over 350 parking spots already available at the field will be enough, at least at the beginning, to accommodate the hundreds, if not, one thousand or more fans he anticipates to be in attendance.
Many members of the audience gave thanks to the owners for bringing a team playing at such a high level to New Buffalo.
Some residents like Connor Lijewski said the team will be something to bring people living here together and represents “what New Buffalo stands for.”
“It’s a place where families can come together, children, parents, grandparents and friends, to create lasting memories. Beyond that, it provides something even greater. An opportunity for young men to continue pursuing their dreams of playing professional baseball at the highest level possible,” he said.
Resident Robert Elmore said he believes the team will help local businesses and the community “as long as it’s done right. I wish you the greatest of success.”
The first name of the team will be Dune Coast to capture the feeling of the targeted marketing area from Benton Harbor and St. Joseph to the north and into Indiana in places like La Porte, Michigan City, and Valparaiso.
The nickname will be decided with help from the community and revealed possibly on July 4.
Williams said the team will start recruiting players in the fall to play beginning next year from about Memorial Day to mid-August.
Host families must also be found for the players to stay with during the season.
Ticket prices haven’t been decided but will be affordable, he said.
Williams said students will also have the opportunity for internships with the team in areas like public relations and broadcasting since league games are live streamed.
The new field already has the latest in artificial surfaces in the infield and natural grass like the kind at Miller Park in Milwaukee.
“There’s a lot of work to do over the next 9 to 12 months,” Rowland said.