Lake County Fielders-Think Baseball, Think Spring

Amos Ramon smiles at a fan

On a gloomy, winter’s evening the Lake County Fielders lit up In-Laws #10 in Gurnee, reminding us that spring is on the way. Fielders’ manager Fran Riordan, hitting coach Pete Pirman, third basemen Amos Ramon and center fielder Brandon Anderson signed mini bats and caps, posed for pictures for young fans (and older journalists) and talked Fielders’ baseball.

The newest member of the independent Northern League, the Lake County Fielders are co-owned by Rich Ehrenreich and Kevin Costner. Costner helped to popularize minor league baseball with his portrayal of Crash Davis, the philosophic catcher in the 1988 release Bull Durham. Costner’s 1989 film, Field of Dreams, popularized the Shoeless Joe Jackson, “having a catch” and Iowa.

When asked if Costner would attend the team’s home opener on June 11, a team official said that “there was a good chance but no guarantees.”

Duluth White Sox of the "old" Northern League

The Northern League’s tradition goes back to 1902 and the Fargo, North Dakota club was one of its original franchises. Now in its fourth incarnation, the league includes Fargo-Moorhead, Kansas City, Winnipeg (which is in Manitoba- a Canadian province, north of North Dakota) as well as Illinois teams in Gary, Joliet, Rockford, Schaumburg, and our own Lake County (Zion).

Fran Riordan the Fielders’ youthful 34 year old manager has managed in professional baseball for 9 years and last year with the Kalamazoo Kings led the team to the Frontier League’s best record of 58-38. Riordan’s managerial career began unexpectedly in 2001 when the Richmond Roosters fired their manager at 4:00 AM and the front office asked the hard hitting first baseman if he’d become the player /manager.

Besides leading the team in home runs that year, Riordan led the Roosters to their first of two consecutive Frontier League titles.

The Skipper, Fran Riordan

Riordan believes in a balanced offense with speed at the top of the line up, thumpers in the middle and “guys who do the little things, like moving the runners along” sprinkled throughout. Putting together a line up is a real challenge, says Riordan, “it’s like figuring out a puzzle.”

And Riordan clearly believes that good players make good managers. Riordan told me about the 11 player deal made earlier this month with the Kalamazoo Kings which brought 7  of his former Kalamazoo players to the Fielders.

Amos Ramon hit a sizzling .327 for the Kings last year and will be patrolling third base for the Fielders. Ramon characterized himself a “gap to gap” guy. His 21 doubles and 4 triples led the Kings last year.

Hitting coach Pete Pirman took a year off from baseball and is excited to return to the game as the

Pete Pirman

Fielders’ hitting coach. Pirman also has a Kalamazoo connection playing for Riordan and the Kings from 2004-2006. Riordan had to like Pirman’s stats in 2005 when the outfielder hit .347, 23 home runs and 100 RBIs in 96 games.

Pirman, a native of Palatine, believes in combining the mental aspects of hitting along with the fundamentals. Pirman plans to develop the skills and the swing of each player rather than channeling them into a specific style of hitting. And that’s done in the batting cages before the games.

Brandon Anderson

Brandon Anderson is a lead-off hitter and a “table setter.” Anderson’s 37 stolen bases made him the team’s leader and was good for fourth best in the Frontier League.

Ageless suggested that a team on the north side of Chicago could use a speedy lead-off man. Anderson just smiled.

The Fielders begin their season on a road trip which begins in Winnipeg on May 20. Their home opener is Friday night, June 11 against the Gary Rail South Shore RailCats. Click here for ticket information.