BASEBALL TACOMA INC (1971-1991)

Original Directors

Less than a month after the end of the 1971 Pacific Coast League season, the Chicago Cubs terminated their relationship with Tacoma and headed off to Wichita. When Stan Naccarato got the news the next day he was stunned as was the entire community. A man of action, Stan quickly placed phone calls to longtime supporters in the community and in two days put together a group of 22 investors, each putting up $5,000, to form a partnership to acquire a new team. Two months later Baseball Tacoma Inc was the proud owner of the Tacoma Twins who stayed around for six seasons. Twenty years later which included the Tacoma Yankees, Tugs and Tigers the team was sold to George Foster, thus completing the mission of not only keeping Triple A baseball in Tacoma but building a strong relationship between the team, the fans and the community as a whole. It was an unprecedented move and likely one that only "Stan the Man" could accomplish.

But, let's give credit to the original investors and those that came along later and stepped up to the plate. They include: Robert Alessandro, Tom Baker, Dr. James Billingsley, Mike Block, David Block, Harold Brotman, Morley Brotman, Francis Browne, Bill Cammarano, Sr,, Ray Carlson, Brad Cheney, Warren Chinn, Larry Ghilarducci Sr., Larry Ghilarducci, Jr., , Doug Gonyea, Norma Honeysett, Clay Huntington, Dr. Robert Johnson, Bob Kelly, Frank Manley, Terry Manley, Carl Miraldi, Gus Paine, Frank Pupo, Frank Ruffo, Jim Topping, Brad & Mark Topping, Mike Tucci, Sr., Mike Tucci, Jr., Walt Wiklund, Alden Woodworth, John Woodworth, John Xitco, and E.J. "Jimmy" Zarelli.

And a tip of the hat to longtime staffers who made Cheney Stadium their home away from home including Frank Colarusso, and Ron Zollo, Assistant General Managers; Mo Mayo, Office Manager; Jan Plein, receptionist; ticket manager Betty Howes; head groundskeeper Bob Christofferson; grounds crew members Dave Grisaffi and Tim Silcott; concession manager Leo Liebert; Rick Randahl, Director of Marketing; broadcasters Art Popham and Bob Robertson; clubhouse manager Ken Higdon; usher Nick Tucci; and official scorekeepers Gordy and Steve Spry.

In life we take things for granted all the time. Imagine what the landscape of Tacoma would look like today had professional baseball left in 1971--38 years ago. It's a scary thought and one that, thanks to Baseball Tacoma Inc and their foresight and financial acumen, we haven't had to worry about.

Quick action kept Tacoma in game

1971: Twins affiliate brought to town after Cubs left for Wichita

BY COREY BROCK
The News Tribune

Players, managers and teams have come and gone, but professional baseball has had an uninterrupted run at Cheney Stadium since 1960.

But for two months in the fall of 1971,Tacoma didn't have a team.

Less than a month after capturing the Pacific Coast League's North Division championship, the Chicago Cubs severed ties with Tacoma.

The Tacoma Cubs - who for five years were Chicago's top minor-league team - were suddenly moving to Wichita, Kan., for the 1972 season. Stan Naccarato, who was the general manager at KLAY radio at the time, was stunned after he got the news by telephone the morning of Sept.21.

"They basically left Tacoma in the middle of the night," Naccarato said. "They had a few miserable years here and wanted to move the team to Wichita because it was closer to Chicago. It really surprised everyone"

The hurried announcement left more than a few people bewildered.

"I'm really amazed," then-Tacoma mayor Gordon Johnson told The News Tribune on the day of the announcement. "...I'm sorry that the Cubs don't feel more loyal to their many many fans in Tacoma."

Naccarato felt the same way. But he decided to do something about it. "We had to act quickly because there were only a few teams that needed AAA teams," Naccarato said. "I got on the phone and called some of the prime citizens in the area. About 16 hours later, it was a done deal."

In two days, Naccarato pulled together a group of 22 investors each paying $5,000- to form a partnership for the capitalization for a team. Since most major league teams owned their minor league clubs, the money that Naccarato's group raised would cover the team's operating costs.

KLAY owner Clay Huntington was part of that ownership team.

"When the Cubs gave up, all we had to do was raise $100,000," Huntington said. "Most minor league teams were owned by their major league clubs then. They supplied bats, players and the coaches. It's not like that now."

Tacoma had been home to the Cubs since 1966 and Hall of Famer Leo Durocher and Ernie Bank made an appearance for an exhibition game at Cheney Stadium in 1969, but the team didn't make much of a profit and seldom attracted more than 150,000 fans in a season.

Even after raising the money for the operating costs, Naccarato' group still didn't have a team line up for the 1972 season. That was about to change. The Pacific Coast League board of directors met in Phoenix a month after the Cubs announced they were going to Wichita. The board was impressed with how Naccarato's group was able to quickly raise more than $100,000 in capital.

"It's not often in a situation like this one that a community responds ii such whole-hearted fashion," then PCL president William McKechnie said. "I'd say that the Tacoma group's ability to pick up the ball has supplied solidarity in the Northwest ... something that for a while was in doubt."

Apparently, the Minnesota Twins were impressed as well. A month after the meeting of the league directors, the Twins agreed to have their top minor league team come to Tacoma. The Twins stayed for six seasons.

Huntington said there are similarities between Tacoma's predicament in 1971 and the Rainiers' current search for local ownership, which began nearly two years ago.

"Back then, it was easy to get that many people to pitch in $5,000 to save baseball," Huntington said "They wanted to do their part to keep baseball here. And I think this is still something people want to see work here.

"But there's a big difference between raising $100,000 and $10 million."

Reprinted with permission from The News Tribune