Loons announce Dodgers affiliation

October 2, 2006 —

The Great Lakes Loons have yet to take the field and already they have a baseball icon going to bat for them.

Los Angeles Dodgers Hall of Fame Manager Tommy Lasorda was on hand at the Fashion Square Mall Thursday as the Midland-based Loons announced they had come to terms on a two-year Player Development contract with the Dodgers to become the organization's Class A affiliate.

Lasorda gave fans and media in attendance a brief glimpse of his life as a Dodger, telling stories and cracking jokes like only he can.

"I've been involved with baseball for 57 years and I've been married for 56 years," he said. "My wife said I love the Dodgers and baseball more than I love her. I said, 'Yeah, but I love you more than football and basketball and soccer.' "

Loons team President and General Manager Paul Barbeau said the history and tradition of the Dodgers organization will help the Loons organization build tradition itself, and that having Lasorda there for the announcement was exciting for everyone.

"Tommy Lasorda represents the Dodgers in every way," Barbeau said. "To have him here in our community talking about the Dodgers tradition and talking about how they're excited to be here talks a lot about their commitment to what we're doing. I think it's a great partnership."

Midland native and Dodgers Director of Player Development Terry Collins was also on hand for the announcement. Collins, a former manager with the Houston Astros and Anaheim Angels, said he was thrilled to be able to bring the Dodgers to his hometown and that the people of Midland should be excited about the possibilities of the Loons' players.

"In two years you're going to look at a kid who played his first full season in Midland," Collins said, "and he's going to be pitching or playing centerfield in Dodger Stadium."

The Loons' opening day lineup should feature several promising players, as the Dodgers have one of the best minor league systems in baseball. Baseball America has ranked the organization second among 30 teams in talent rankings the last three years.

"We had discussions with some of the best teams in baseball and the decision was not easy," Barbeau said of selecting an organizational partner. "In the end, we felt the Dodgers were the best fit for the Loons because of their strong player development philosophy and their commitment to the communities where they have a Minor League partnership."

While Lasorda admitted that he was not very familiar with the area, he did say he appreciates the Midwest and that baseball can be a valuable commodity to a community and especially its young population.

"That's what all young Americans want to do," Lasorda said. "They want to play baseball. To be a football player, you have to be big you have to be strong, you have to be tough. Not everyone can be that. To play basketball you've got to be tall and very agile. Not many kids can do that. But anybody and everybody can play baseball. No matter what age you are, you can play baseball."

The next big announcement for the Loons comes tomorrow, when the team reveals the name of its new state-of-the-art stadium during a press conference at Dow's Midland campus.

The 5,500-capacity stadium set to be completed in early April is slated to be one of the best Minor League baseball facilities in the country.