Huntsville / Brevard GM News -- Latest: More from Huntsville

[Mass Haas]

Huntsville Stars' GM Tom Van Schaack resigns

 

Posted by Mark McCarter, Huntsville Times

 

Tom Van Schaack, the general manager of the Huntsville Stars for the last three seasons, has resigned his position, he told The Times Friday morning.

 

Van Schaack informed the team's staff of his decision in a noon meeting. He will stay on with the club through next week.

 

Van Schaack, a native of upstate New York, endured a trying season last summer when he was forced to miss nearly two months after undergoing heart surgery. The Stars then finished ninth in attendance in the 10-team league.

 

"It was a mutual decision between the ownership and me," Van Schaack said of the resignation.

 

Team owner Miles Prentice did not immediately respond to calls from The Times.

 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

Brewerfan.net wishes Tom well.

[TooLiveBrew]

Am I correct in remembering that minor-league GMs are more business managers than player personnel? Best of luck to you, Tom. Stay healthy!

[Mass Haas]

Am I correct in remembering that minor-league GMs are more business managers than player personnel?

Yes, you are correct. GM's of independent league teams get to "put together" their squads, but GM's in affiliated ball are caretakers and have no say in on-field player personnel decisions. But their staffs help oversee the care of every other aspect that goes into a baseball organization, so we offer Tom well as a courtesy and an FYI to you folks.

[Mass Haas]

Well, this is certainly an interesting development:

 

Manatees general manager gets new job

Florida Today

Brevard County Manatees' general manager Buck Rogers has announced that he will leave the Viera-based team to take a similar position with the Huntsville Stars, the Milwaukee Brewers' AA franchise.

 

"I thought long and hard about it. I prayed about it too, went to breakfast with our (the Manatees') chaplain, Donnie Legg . . . and we talked for a long time. So we put it in God's hands . . . . I kind of feel like we will be leaving unfinished business here, but this really is an opportunity we couldn't pass up," Rogers said.

 

Rogers' wife, Babs, who managed group sales for the Manatees until last postseason, is expected to join him in the Stars' front office, where former Manatees' staffer Kylee Hanish also now works.

 

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

 

If anybody, and I mean anybody, can energize a lackadaisical fan base in Huntsville, it's Buck Rogers, and that's not meant to take anything away from Tom Van Schaack. We're thrilled that Buck's going to remain in the organization, he's one of our favorite people and biggest supporters here at Brewerfan. Rock on, Buck!

[And That]

That's a new and strange sort of quasi-organizational promotion.

[Mass Haas]

The Huntsville Times will have it's update on Buck Rogers soon enough -- for now, they're not commenting on the new hire, but they do discuss the current state of the franchise --

 

Stars general manager resigns

Van Schaack steps down after three seasons with team

By MARK McCARTER

Times Sports Staff markcolumn@aol.com

 

Nine weeks before the 2008 season opener, and the Huntsville Stars are in the market for a new general manager.

 

Tom Van Schaack, the GM for the past three seasons, announced his resignation on Friday.

 

No replacement has been named and Miles Prentice, the majority owner of the team, did not return calls from The Times.

 

Van Schaack, 44, is a native of Oswego, N.Y., and has been in pro baseball for 22 years, coming to Huntsville after working as general manager of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons, a Triple-A club.

 

Last summer, he missed nearly two months after undergoing heart surgery. He said that he is now in good health. He has no specific plans for the future and whether he will remain in baseball is "up in the air."

 

He called the resignation "a mutual decision between ownership and me."

 

Prentice, a New York-based attorney, flew into Huntsville on Tuesday and held a 2 1/2-hour meeting with Van Schaack at the airport.

 

According to Van Schaack, Prentice and his group are "concerned with the bottom line." The Stars have lost money in recent seasons and were ninth in the 10-team Southern League in attendance last summer. However, Van Schaack and his staff received the Southern League's "Award of Excellence" following the 2005 season for an attendance boost.

 

Prentice has lobbied in recent years for a new stadium in Huntsville to replace city-owned Joe Davis Stadium, the oldest in the Southern League.

 

Van Schaack noted that the amenities at the park make it difficult to draw fans and increase revenue, with the lack of quality skyboxes and antiquated concession facilities.

 

"But I share (Prentice's) sentiments that this can be a good baseball town," Van Schaack said. "I hope the new guy, whoever it is, can get enough people to support it, and support it well."

[Mass Haas]

Mark McCarter's Blog Entry

 

Stars keep fading

Posted by Mark McCarter February 01, 2008 1:39 PM

When Tom Van Schaack called Friday morning, telling me he was resigning as the Stars' general manager, it struck me as still another sad note in the Huntsville Stars' history.

Perhaps some new blood in that position will be good for the franchise. Things had grown stale, with the same old promotions, with some little things that needed to be tended to that us "regulars" saw, with a lack of professionalism in some corners of the operation.

That said, it's sad at a number of levels.

First, if owner Miles Prentice felt the need to make a change -- and Van Schaack noted the decision was "mutual" -- it shouldn't have taken him until Feb. 1 to act upon it. For fairness to Van Schaack, the move should have been made soon after the season ended, to give Tom a chance to shop around, especially at the winter baseball meetings, where so much hiring is done.

Second, it would have given a new general manager more than the nine weeks remaining until the first pitch to get things in order, to push for more season tickets and ads and become more visible in the community.

Few franchises in the league have been better on the field than Huntsville recently. The Stars have won back-to-back division titles. They were one out away from a league title last year. They have sent a boatload of great players to the majors; six members of the Milwaukee Brewers played here within the last seven years.

Off the field, it's been a downhill slide. Some of that can be blamed on the absentee ownership that hasn't been accessible or active as it should be. Some can be blamed on Joe Davis Stadium. It's become a Catch 22. It's tough to draw fans to that dreary ballpark. And it's tough to justify the city making the necessary $15- $20 million investment to bring it to the level of the other nine parks in the Southern League if no fans are coming out to watch.

Van Schaack's parting words to me Friday morning were "I share (Prentice's) sentiment that this can be a good baseball town. I hope the new guy, whoever he is, can get enough people to support and support it well."

Amen.

[molitor fan]

Wow - interesting chain of events. Buck Rogers is a brilliant guy, I urge everyone to search his name on brewerfan for some of last year's articles. The guy has tremendous energy and ideas, and a great sense of context and humor.

[Mass Haas]

Huntsville Stars name new GM

Posted by Mark McCarter , Huntsville Times, February 02, 2008 5:15 PM

Buck Rogers, with a reputation as a promotional wizard, has been hired as the new general manager of the Huntsville Stars.

 

Rogers comes to the Stars from the Brevard County Manatees, where the club held a competition to win a new car, set a world record for most ceremonial first pitches thrown before a game and holds off-season treasure hunts.

 

Rogers replaces Tom Van Schaack, who announced his resignation on Friday after three years with the team.

 

Coincidentally, the Manatees are the Class A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers and the Stars are the Double-A Brewers' team. In the natural progression through the minors, players move from Brevard to Huntsville.

However, this is not a similar promotion, since two franchises have separate ownership and the Brewers are not involved in the day-to-day operation of clubs, only in providing players.

[Mass Haas]

Stars get creative with new GM

 

By MARK McCARTER

Huntsville Times Sports Staff, markcolumn@aol.com

There was, according to official team documents, a "pie-ro-maniac" loose at Brevard County's Space Coast Stadium last August. Various employees were being attacked by getting a pie in the face during games.

There was a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich eating contest. A competition was held to give away a new car. The Manatees set the world record for most honorary first pitches thrown before a game.

Buck Rogers, the creative mind behind those promotions and countless others, has been hired as the new general manager of the Huntsville Stars.

Rogers, general manager of the Brevard County Manatees in the Class A Florida State League since 2004, replaces Tom Van Schaack, who announced his resignation Friday after three years at the helm.

Rogers will have to hit the ground running. The Stars open their 24th season April 3, hosting Mississippi.

The move, reported in Saturday's edition of Florida Today, has a strange coincidence. Brevard County is the Single-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. Huntsville is the next step up the ladder in the Milwaukee organization. However, this is not an official "promotion," since the two teams have different owners and the Brewers are not involved in the local operations.

The Stars are owned by a consortium headed by Miles Prentice, a New York-based attorney. Prentice did not return messages left by The Times, nor did Rogers, who was in meetings much of Saturday with his Brevard staff.

Rogers has been with Brevard since 2004, having previously worked as general manager of the Daytona Beach Cubs. While at Daytona, Rogers offered lifetime passes to games to any fan getting a tattoo of the team name.

Seventeen fans took him up on the offer.

"He's a good guy, full of energy," said Jim Cawley of Florida Today.

His wife, Babs, also works with the Manatees and is expected to serve in the Stars' front office.

Recently, the Stars hired Kylee Hanish, 23, from the Brevard staff to serve as director of community relations and sales.

[Mass Haas]

Manatees go young, name Smith, 27, GM

BY JIM CAWLEY

FLORIDA TODAY

 

The first thing that jumps out about Kyle Smith is he's young. Another thing that becomes quickly apparent is he's sharp.

 

That second feature hasn't eluded Brevard County Manatees owner Dr. Tom Winters and president Charlie Baumann, who named Smith the team's general manager. The 27-year-old Minnesota native replaces Buck Rogers, who accepted the GM position with the Class-AA Huntsville Stars.

 

"Kyle is a very bright young person that's very level-headed," Baumann said. "He also understands the business of baseball. He listens intently . . . And I think that's what he brings -- a good, sound solid approach."

Smith joined the Manatees in 2006 as an intern. He then became the head of ticket sales, and later director of stadium operations, working closely with Rogers.

 

Before coming to Brevard County, the Minnesota State graduate was involved with Division I hockey and was an assistant GM with the Northwoods League, a successful wooden bat organization featuring some of the country's top collegiate players.

 

"I'm glad I got a chance to learn a lot from Buck," Smith said. "I'm going to try to carry over a lot of things he did here, but I want to install a few new things."

 

Rogers was known for his numerous promotions during his four-year tenure with the Manatees. Expect those to continue under Smith, who also hopes to boost weekday attendance and increase involvement in the community.

 

"We want people to know who we are -- simple as that," Smith said. "And give us a chance. Come out and enjoy a game. If we don't put on a good show for you, that's our fault."

 

Manatees players put on a good show last season, finishing runner-up to the Clearwater Threshers in the Florida State League championship.

 

Brevard County has been a hotbed for major-league talent in recent years, with players like Ryan Braun and Yovani Gallardo going from the Class-A Manatees to the Milwaukee Brewers in less than a season.

 

Still, attendance has been down, which is something Smith hopes to change. But the October newlywed knows that will require a lot of hard work -- and sometimes extended hours. That's something Smith discussed recently with team chaplain Donnie Legg.

 

"It's a lot of responsibility . . . But I told (Legg), 'How many kids could you think of who would want to trade places with me right now, would want to run a minor-league team?' Anybody would jump at this opportunity, any type of baseball fan would love it," Smith said. "So you put in a little more hours than somebody else -- big deal. It's baseball; it's fun."

 

The quick ascent to GM is something that excited Smith, but didn't take hold right away. That changed with a quick phone call.

 

"It didn't really sink in until I talked to my dad about it," Smith said. "My dad normally holds his emotions in, but he got kind of emotional and said, 'I'm very proud.' And that's when it hit me."

 

Baumann can't wait for Smith and the Manatees to hit the ground running this season.

 

"We feel very optimistic about our future, and we're really excited about '08," Baumann said.

 

"Kyle knows the job and he's done very well. We're excited that he's with us. This is a natural choice."

 

Photo by Rik Jesse / Florida Today

http://cmsimg.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=A9&Date=20080303&Category=SPORTS&ArtNo=803030320&Ref=AR&Profile=1097&MaxW=550&MaxH=650&title=0

[Mass Haas]

Huntsville offers "Rocket" Roger a Job

 

As creative as that is, it'll be great when the minor league forum returns to a focus on the games on the field -- Link Reports begin Thursday, April 3rd!

[TheBrewer]

wow is that for real that offer?

 

you would think a coaching position is what theyd offer him, not a mascot position, much less the "secondary" mascot.

[TooLiveBrew]

Isn't this akin to the minor-league club that 'offered' Bonds a chance to make their team? I don't get the point of doing something like that/this - is it supposed to be funny? Comes off as unprofessional to me. I definitely got the sarcastic/joking tone from that Stars letter.

[Mass Haas]

It's simply meant to create a buzz, and if it's done well and in relatively good tatse, as this was, it'll pick up plenty of coverage nationwide. Deadspin had a story on this the other day.

 

The Stars are looking to generate local interest, and if this gets the community talking about the club in a fun way, little is wrong with that.

[mls4]

Yeah I'm with TLB on this one, it seems more silly and pointless than funny. If they really sent that letter to Clemens, I'd be disappointed. If they didn't actually send it to him, then I guess it's harmless. On the other hand, I can see Mass' point where minor-league clubs have to try anything to generate interest. I guess I'm just hoping they didn't really send that letter.

[brewers19]

If there's anybody I'd unreservedly trust with a publicity stunt, it's Buck Rogers; the guy is amazingly brilliant. This latest bit with Clemens easily gets my seal of approval.

[brewers19]

Just for comparison, here's a promotion that's not in such good taste:

 

Macon Music Announce Eliot Spitzer Night

 

The Macon Music announced today that the team will host "Eliot Spitzer" Night on Friday, June 13th 2008 when the Music play host to the Aiken Foxhounds.

 

During "Eliot Spitzer" Night, the following elements will exist:

 

1. The Music have extended an invitation for former New York Governor Spitzer to be on hand and throw out the first pitch

2. The team will give away a New York Vacation including a one night stay at the MayFlower Hotel

3. Client #9 (or fan #9) will receive a free Music prize pack

4. Any fan with the name Eliot, Spitzer, or "Kristen" along with any fan from New York will receive $1 off admission

5. The Music will play Frank Sinatra music throughout the evening in honor of New York

6. Wire Taps will be placed throughout the ballpark this evening

7. ATMs will be available for cash withdrawals not to exceed $5,000 per hour

8. Any fan who has resigned their position will be given $1 off admission

9. The 871 fan will receive a gift certificate for the Macon Music Team store.

[Mass Haas]

Huntsville staff says thanks....

David Weiser details the day.

General manager Buck Rogers would have been happy to have 50 show up for what he called "Operation Tom Sawyer" or "Operation Clean Sweep" as I call it......... What he got was a response of least 100, most of whom showed between the hours of 9 and 11 am, on this sunny Saturday at Joe Davis Stadium. They were still coming after 2 pm........ So it's safe to say that Rogers' first interaction with the fickle fans of Huntsville and the sometime inert community in general was a total success....... I saw people I don't ordinarily see at games........ Volunteers were spread inside and outside the stadium, sweeping, raking, painting, and cleaning the ballpark, front, back, and side, in advance of their April 3 opener against Mississippi. (Season ticket holders can pick up their package this Thursday at the stadium at the 3rd floor pick-up party.)....... Buck met and got to know many of the regulars for the first time. Those that didn't meet him -- wanted to; and the unanimous consensus I got from the several I talked to is that they like what they see from their new GM....... "He's alive" is the comment I got from Janet Whiteside, a vocal critic of the Van Schaak era....... At noon, Buck gathered his forces for a group photo, filling the top of the home dugout four deep and extending to the front two rows. WAAY's sportscaster Will Kennedy was on hand to capture the moment for the evening news while Brian Massey fidgeted with his still camera, trying from several angles to get the entire group in. While we waited in the chow line for hot dogs, chips, and soda, courtesy of the Stars' concessionaire, Sodexho, Brian came back down with the computer print of the group. If you want a copy, just e-mail info@huntsvillestars.com or brianmassey@huntsvillestars.com. ........ Buck, never to miss an idea, says the photo will be displayed in front or inside the stadium for volunteers to autograph and for all those to see once the season gets started...... I was told Buck is intent at doing something to kill that ubiquitous gray color you see once you're inside the stadium, coming of course from the concrete walls, which is what critics have used when they call this ballpark "The Mausoleum". One fan likened it to a prison yard. It'll be a massive project, but Buck says it will get a paint job for the first time in its history, and has even been offered the help of a muralist to put some splash and some life into those gray walls..

I also met the charming, bespectacled Brevard-transplant Kylee Hanish, the Stars' bubbly bundle of enthusiasm who serves as Rogers' Sales Associate. She signed the volunteers in and out so they would get the deserving number of game tickets to the first fireworks game of the year on Friday, April 4........ And a thank you from me for helping make this participative project a success. Thank you for your spirit.

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

Caffeinated and recharged, Rogers stumps for Stars

Mark McCarter, Huntsville Times

A little dash of Blue Oyster Cult, two liters a day of Diet Mountain Dew, a paratrooper's steely nerve, a sci-fi hero's name and the sort of relentless enthusiasm and work ethic that would make the Energizer Bunny moan, "Dude, slow down. Chill out."

All that thrown together, stirred and shaken, is the concoction that is Buck Rogers, 46, the new general manager of the Huntsville Stars.

It is a week until the Stars' 2008 season opens. Get ready. Based on his previous reign at Brevard County (Fla.) and other stops in baseball, Huntsville's about to see something new.

Heck, base that from the one month here, considering (1) Rogers has offered Roger "The Rocket" Clemens a job as assistant mascot and (2) he enticed more than 100 people to the ballpark for a spring-cleaning project.

What fuels this guy?

In answer, he grins and hides his 20-ounce Diet Mountain Dew - though let's don't underestimate the value of caffeine overload and slap-happy 16-hour work days in creating a philosophy of, "Hey, why not try it? It might work. It might be fun."

"It's passion," Rogers says, sitting at his desk at Joe Davis Stadium, lapsing into stories in a voice left raspy by sinus woes and oozing a contagious enthusiasm.

"It's realizing every day when you get up that you're part of something special," he continues. "There's two percent of this country that really loves its job. To get up in the morning and don't consider it work, don't watch the clock. ... I'm in that two percent. And out of that two percent, how many people get to go to a stadium? It's a playground."

His straight name is Eugene, though he was "Geno" to most of his pals while growing up in Neenah, Wisc. Then, on Jan. 5, 1983, on his first day in Army basic training, another Rogers in his platoon pronounced him "Buck," to avoid confusion. Buck Rogers, like the comic book spaceman.

"It kinda stuck," he says. Then, the realization: "I worked at Space Coast Stadium (in Brevard County, Fla.) and now I'm doing this Rocket City stuff. You can't script this."

His office walls tell much of his story in frames. There is a modest bit of baseball clutter. There are posters from 1980s rock bands like Kansas, Blue Oyster Cult and Deep Purple. His wife Babs - who also works for the Stars and is mother of their two daughters, Breann, 20, and Holly, 18 - took him to a Blue Oyster concert on their honeymoon.

There is memorabilia from 14 years in the Army airbone, where he made nearly 70 parachute jumps, including one in 1989 "into Panama to get (dictator Manuel) Noriega."

Taking over the struggling Stars franchise may be his most dangerous leap yet.

A hand-of-fate incident helped precipitate Rogers' decision. On Jan. 19, he was driving a truck, helping former Brevard employee Kylee Hanish move to Huntsville to work for the Stars. It was well before the Huntsville GM job was on Rogers' radar.

With snow hitting north of Atlanta, they changed their plan and took I-20 West. As they approached Alabama, Brevard team chaplain Donnie Legg called, concerned for Rogers' safety. He said a quick prayer.

Ten minutes later, Rogers saw an eastbound SUV swerve out of control. A passenger cartwheeled out of the SUV. Rogers pulled over and rushed to the victim, who was lying on the interstate. It was a teenage girl, her face mangled, a leg broken, her breathing stopped.

His Army medical training came back to him. He was soon joined by a passerby who was an EMT. They got the girl breathing again. Before an ambulance arrived, a surgeon driving past the scene stopped. The girl's life was saved. The injured girl, whose mother recently called Rogers, is recovering well after multiple surgeries.

It was a "life is too precious, too short" epiphany for Rogers, who was led to make a change in his career.

"Our situation in Brevard was getting to where it wasn't fun any more," he says. "There's too many bitter old men in the world. I don't want to be one. I want to go somewhere where I can have fun, be happy, surround myself with people who are creative."

So, it's time to uncap another Diet Mountain Dew. Time to come up with another half-inspired, half-silly brainstorm. The season grows closer.

Time to go to work.

Which means, in the mind of Buck Rogers, time to have fun.

 

NOTE -- from Jim (Mass Haas): I had been aware of Buck's story on the interstate for several weeks, but knowing that Mark McCarter could put it into words so much more nicely than I could have, I held off. Nice job, Mark. Way to go, Buck! The legend grows...

[molitor fan]

Wow, what a story. As one of Buck's biggest fans already, I was shocked by this:

His straight name is Eugene, though he was "Geno" to most of his pals while growing up in Neenah, Wisc

As Neenah is my hometown. The fact that he was driving one of his employees to her new job should not be missed in this story. Forget being a guy with amazing creativity and ingenuity, the biggest thing Rogers has going for him is just being a good, good person.

Huntsville is starting to realize how lucky they are to have him I think. Too bad that Brevard did not recognize his skills fully.

 

[Mass Haas]

Link while active, text follows:

 

New GM puts fun atop lineup

Mark McCarter, Huntsville Times

The standard signs of rules and regulations posted in baseball stadiums everywhere are taking on a bit of whimsy at Joe Davis Stadium this summer.

Witness No. 7: "No Grumpy People Allowed."

Had that been enforced the last several years at the home of the Huntsville Stars, not only would the press box have sat empty, but the already anemic attendance figures would have dropped to critical stage.

Even with unprecedented on-the-field success, the stadium has been a mausoleum, the atmosphere as uninspiring as a two-hour lecture on Chaucer.

A different atmosphere now envelopes the franchise.

It comes courtesy of Buck Rogers, the Stars' indefatigable new general manager. Said director of promotions Matt Price of Rogers, "The toughest thing for us is to keep up with Buck. The hamster on that wheel goes 100 miles an hour."

A benediction to many of his conversations is a quick "Rock on!" instead of goodbye.

Joe Davis Stadium is about to rock.

The previous regimes were content to let baseball sell itself. Promotions have been on the conservative side. Whether the trying some outrageous things to rekindle interest will work - whether it's even too late to work to salvage a long future for minor league baseball in this city - remains to be seen.

Rogers refuses to be flummoxed by the aging stadium - the oldest in the Southern League - that doesn't have the fan-friendly aspects of more modern parks.

"If you take your house and clean it up and make it fun-filled, it doesn't matter if you're throwing a party at the Taj Mahal or in a little one-room sack down a dirt road," he said. "People are going to remember the party, not the house."

Rogers' reputation preceded him here. Fans have already asked about tattoos, knowing that while at Daytona he offered lifetime admission to fans who agreed to have a Cubs' logo tattoo.

They have asked about taking a shot at the Guinness Book of World Records, with the most people taking part in a ceremonial first pitch. Rogers plans that for sometime in August.

"The excitement I've seen among the fans ... I haven't seen here in a long time," said Price.

Rogers' goal is simple:

"I'm going to take care of the 90 percent of the crowd that is looking for an option to stretch the entertainment dollar that is shrinking daily, to have an option in town that is not going to bankrupt them, and let them have fun and to go away with a childhood memory."

Rogers knows that despite all the rules and regulations there may be some grumpy people still. There are the purists to consider.

Some people like their ice cream nice and simple, without chocolate syrup and sprinkles and whipped cream. Some people like their baseball without goofy contests and loud music and obnoxious mascots.

"They're going to come here and they're going to get mad at me if I do some stupid promotion," Rogers said. "But they're going to find out there's a fan inside them that says, 'Hey, this is a good idea.'

"Give me a chance," he said. "The baseball purists, ride it out with me. I guarantee you're going to have fun. You may not smile. You may not like it. But underneath, deep inside, there's a kid waiting to get out. You won't have a bad time. I'll guarantee it."

Contact Mark McCarter at markcolumn@aol.com or visit his al.com blog at http://blog.al.com/mccarter