We are very excited to announce that the City of Cranbrook is one step closer to having a Western Major Baseball League (WMBL) franchise playing in the summertime.
Representatives from the Home Run Society recently attended the WMBL Board of Governors meeting, where a pitch was made for a franchise for Cranbrook. The Board of Governors voted unanimously to grant Cranbrook a conditional franchise, with the main hurdle being the lack a WMBL-ready stadium.
"Our society has been working towards this goal since 2006," said Garry Slonowski, President of the Home Run Society. "We are ecstatic at the prospect of having this level of baseball in Cranbrook. The WMBL is stable and growing league, and has become part of the summer culture across Western Canada. We are fortunate to be part of its future plans, and we would like to thank the WMBL Board of Governors for their consideration and approval of a conditional franchise."
The WMBL is the premier baseball league in Western Canada, and boasts a 56 year history, having 11 teams throughout Alberta and Saskatchewan. The two closest teams to Cranbrook are the Okotoks Dawgs and Lethbridge Bulls, who are perennial powerhouses in the Western Division.
President of the WMBL, Kevin Kvame, is looking forward to his league taking its first step into British Columbia. "The pitch that was made by the Cranbrook Group was very strong, and we see it as a good fit for our league's future plans. Cranbrook is an ideal candidate for expansion - it is a reasonable distance for travel, has a strong business community, a long history of baseball, and a proven track record of supporting its sport franchises. We have a great deal of confidence that Cranbrook would be a wonderful addition to our league."
As part of the presentation, the WMBL Board of Governors was given a sneak peek of the proposed new baseball stadium in Cranbrook. The design of a new stadium is part of the ongoing feasibility study that was funded through the Columbia Basin Trust Community Initiatives program.
"The feasibility study for a new stadium will be officially completed and presented to the City of Cranbrook in the new year," continued Slonowski. "We have been working with GEC Architecture who designed the Calgary Saddledome, and we are just doing the final financial aspect of how much it will cost to build and operate. We feel the preliminary design is amazing, and will provide a great place for the community to gather and enjoy games under the lights."
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The Home Run Society is an incorporated Non-Profit Society that has the vision to grow the sport of baseball in Cranbrook through the improvement of facilities, support of tournaments and teams, and modelling for young players. www.homerunsociety.com
The WMBL is Canada’s pre-eminent summer collegiate baseball league. Every year hundreds of college players from across North America come to the WMBL to play baseball during their summer holidays. The WMBL is widely known for affordable and family friendly entertainment, while providing high quality baseball for enthusiastic fans in towns and cities throughout Western Canada. www.wmbl.ca
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