BlueSox boss has all the answers
Leo Trich, majority owner and general manager of the Butler BlueSox, has been involved in baseball development for more than 20 years.
Trich retired from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 2002 after serving the Washington area for seven terms. He also was the key figure in bringing the Frontier League's Washington Wild Things to that community.
Trich stepped down from his position as director of development for the Frontier League to assist in developing the Prospect Collegiate Baseball League and the formation of the Butler BlueSox.
He recently took time out from his schedule to answer some questions from the Butler Eagle
BE: What made you decide to establish the BlueSox franchise in Butler?LT: "I had visited Butler five years ago, when they were renovating Pullman Park, to explore the possibility of bringing a Frontier League franchise here. While that didn't work out, I was impressed with the baseball enthusiasm in Butler and the tradition that is here."I revisited Butler when the Prospect League was being formed. I thought this place would be ideal for a team and it's working out."
BE: Why the BlueSox as a nickname?LT: "I've always loved old-style baseball uniforms. I'm a big fan of "Field of Dreams" and Shoeless Joe Jackson. White Sox, Black Sox, Red Sox — they've all been taken. BlueSox was available."I established the Washington BlueSox in the eight-team Tri-State League a few years ago. When I got the Butler team, the Washington team went away and I brought the nickname here. Butler BlueSox is a more natural fit and the pinstripes are a throwback to the days when the Yankees had a minor league team here."
BE: How would you rate the BlueSox's first season?LT: "Better than expected. We had to average between 400 and 450 fans per home game to pay the bills and we averaged 650. It really picked up toward the end of the season and that will probably happen again when all schools are out and other summer baseball finishes up."
BE: What is the immediate goal for this season?"We still need to do a better job of marketing the team around Butler and other parts of the county. There are still some baseball fans in Butler who don't know we're here."We're confident that once people visit Pullman Park and go through the experience of a BlueSox game, they'll come back. We need to build off last year's success, even draw people from down around the Cranberry area."
BE: Are there any unique promotions coming up?LT: "Two that come to mind are we're giving away a used car to a fan at our July 24 game and we're having a Dog Days of Summer promotion Aug. 2."The used car will be given away as is. The winner may get one or two years out of it, whatever, but a local dealer has agreed to take the car as a trade-in and make it worth $2,000 toward the purchase of another car."Dog Days of Summer is any fan bringing a dog to the game will get in free. The Humane Society is involved in that promotion and some minor league teams I've talked to have said that's been their most successful promotion in past seasons."
BE: How do you feel about the product on the field?LT: "I'm optimistic this year. We didn't have to beat down doors to get players. The league expanded from 11 to 15 teams, we're establishing a positive reputation and coaches have been calling us looking to place their players."Word of mouth can be an effective tool in this business. We're getting calls from coaches that we didn't get a year ago."
BE: Do you see further expansion for the Prospect League?LT: "I do. I can see us going up to 18 or 20 teams next year, maybe capping it off at 20 with four five-team divisions or something like that."As the league continues to expand and establish itself as one of the premier collegiate leagues in the country, teams will get more and more major league prospects."You actually want to lose some players to the draft each year. That's the goal. It shows the quality of the product you're putting on the field each season. (Hall of Famers) Mike Schmidt and Kirby Puckett played in the Central Illinois Collegiate League, which the Prospect League emerged from."
BE: What has been your most pleasant surprise since bringing the BlueSox to Butler?LT: "It's amazed me how much the general public has accepted these kids. The way they stick around after the games and talk to the players, befriend them — it's pretty phenomenal."
