Kalamazoo Growlers
| Kalamazoo Growlers | |
|---|---|
| League | Northwoods League (South) |
| Location | Kalamazoo, Michigan |
| Ballpark | Homer Stryker Field |
| Year founded | 2013 |
| Nickname(s) | The K-Zoo Brewins, The Cursed Cubs |
| League championships | 0 |
| Division championships | 0 |
| Colors | Navy Blue, K-Zoo Blue and Gold |
| Mascot | Porter |
| Last season | 33-39 |
| Ownership | Dick Radatz Jr. |
| Manager | Cody Piechocki |
| Website | growlersbaseball.com |
The Kalamazoo Growlers are a baseball team based in Kalamazoo, Michigan that plays in the Northwoods League, a summer collegiate baseball league. The Growlers were founded in 2013 and played their first game on May 28, 2014, losing to the then defending league champion Madison Mallards 6-2. The Growlers played their first home game on May 30, 2014, beating the Battle Creek Bombers 13-3. The team plays its home games at Homer Stryker Field.
On June 3, 2013, the Kalamazoo City Commission approved a contract with Kalamazoo Baseball, LLC to bring a team back to the city. Kalamazoo had been without a baseball team since the Kalamazoo Kings of the Frontier League disbanded in 2011. The contract stipulated that the Northwoods League would pay expenses associated with the team's home games, practice and the maintenance of Homer Stryker Field. On Nov. 15 of that year, the team was formally introduced as the Kalamazoo Growlers, a tribute to the city's brewing tradition and the black bears that can be heard "growling" in the forests of Michigan.
The Growlers compete for the I-94 Rivalry Cup with the Battle Creek Bombers. The rivalry began in 2014 when the Growlers entered the Northwoods League, ending the Bombers reign as the only team in the league from Michigan. The Growlers trail in the yearly series 1-3 and trail in the all-time series 8 games to 24.
The mascot of the team is an anthropomorphic black bear named Porter. He was named after a dark style of beer and wears jersey number 64 (number of ounces held in a Growler), which pays homage to Kalamazoo's microbreweries. The original mascot was named Barlee, but the team lost the rights of the name to the Hillsboro Hopps of the North West League.
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