What you need to know for the Lake Country DockHounds inaugural season
At long last, the Lake County DockHounds are stepping up to the plate.
Opening day has been years in the making for the area's newest sports team. From finding a home, building that home and fielding a team, it all comes down to the first pitch on the mound May 13 on the road against the rival Milwaukee Milkmen. The DockHounds' home opener is May 20, against the Winnipeg Goldeneyes.
General manager Trish Rasberry, who has two decades of sports industry experience, has been leading the charge to get everything ready for the team's inaugural season in the American Association of Professional Baseball.
Rasberry previously worked with the Milwaukee Bucks and, most recently, the Milkmen, a team she helped build.
A Lake Country native, Rasberry has been honored to bring a team to the area.
"I've done this a couple times, and the thrill is always there," she said. "Now that games are here, it's surreal. It's exciting."
Rasberry said there are still some challenges before fans enter Wisconsin Brewing Co. Park, 1011 Blue Ribbon Circle North, Oconomowoc. However, she said everything will be ready for game day.
"Life gives you curveballs," Rasberry said. "We got a curveball yesterday when the plant we're supposed to get our trash and recycling bins from in Texas was hit by a tornado. It's a curveball. We'll solve every issue we can, take the next pitch and hopefully make it work."
The team
Rostering a team from zero to a full squad has not been a simple task. Starting with manager Jim Bennett, the reigning AAPB Manager of the Year after only one season with the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks, the team has brought in a wide array of players from around the globe.
Two players are from Taiwan: outfielder Dai-Kang Yang and right-handed pitcher Cheng Hao-Chunare. Four are from Venezuela. Beside them in the dugout are five players from Wisconsin and others from around the country.
Their experience comes from all levels of the sport. There are longtime pros, including Alex McRae, who is the lone player with MLB appearances (with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago White Sox). Others come from other parts of the minor leagues or international leagues.
"We have a great mix," Rasberry said. "We're going to be competitive right out of the gate, and I hope we are a team to beat coming down the stretch."
Most the players are currently housed by host families. Rasberry said she was initially concerned over whether they would find enough hosts to house everyone. But after the team put a call out to the community, it received twice what it needed.
"It was hard to turn people away," she said. "These families are amazing, and we're already seeing bonds and the players becoming kind of part of the family."
The ballpark
With 3,700 tickets to sell and a staff of 150 seasonal workers and 30 interns, in addition to the front office, game day will be crowded. Opening day is already sold out, aside from a few standing room tickets. Five-game, 10-game, half-season and full-season packages have also sold well.
Most teams have to reach out to vendors and businesses about advertising or being part of the team in some way. By contrast, Rasberry said she is struggling to keep up with the demand from the area.
Wisconsin Brewing Co. is one of the biggest names, having bought the ballpark naming rights. It is going beyond just plastering a logo on the front entrance. It is also brewing beer on site, one of which is the Walk-Off, a beer made specifically for the team. It's brewed in one of the stadium's five in-house barrels.
That's what Rasberry said is part of the grander appeal the stadium offers.
"The game is why we're here, but we want there to be a lot of variety and fun as well," she said. "Each game will be a bit different. You won't see the same show twice, and you'll see a lot of variety."
Fun at the park
With 50 home games to account for, the front office decided to go all out on themes for weekend homestands and nightly offerings. For the latter, this includes Monday night dog nights, $2 hot dog Wednesdays and souvenir Saturdays. The themes go beyond that.
Each weekend the team is in town, it will feature themes like a luau hosted by the team's mascot, Louie, a superhero and fantastical weekend called "Fairy Tail Weekend," and a Wizard of Oz night that will have prizes for all fans in attendance.
The team will also have Colt, its golden retriever bat dog, who will retrieve bats for the team at home games.
"We're super excited and so thankful for all of the support from the community," Rasberry said. "The community has rallied around this team, they've named the team, they've done so much, and we can't wait to see them at the ballpark."
Game 1, Season 1
The first game is the focus right now for team members. They'll travel a short distance east to face the Milkmen at Franklin Field in Franklin at 6:35 p.m. May 13.
Rasberry said the teams hope to build a fun, competitive rivalry.
"We should have something," she said. "We don't have anything directly in place right now, but I think it will evolve into something."
There is no bet between the teams, though Rasberry did not rule one out in the future. She said it could be similar to the Badgers and University of Minnesota, but that has yet to be determined. Both teams are already planning for playful jousting on social media.
Game 1 will determine who really has the bragging rights.
"We want to win that first game," Rasberry said. "We gotta open with our best pitchers, and we want to win."
For more information about the DockHounds, including how to buy tickets, visit www.dockhounds.com.
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Drew Dawson can be reached at ddawson@jrn.com or (262) 289-1324.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: What to know for the Lake Country DockHounds inaugural season
