‘Jacks’ first season had highs and lows Move to Bangor next year should help

The equipment bags are all loaded into the backs of cars, the uniforms have all been collected, most of the players have already hit the road, and the stadium is quiet.

The offseason has officially begun for the Bangor Lumberjacks, who ended their inaugural independent league baseball season in Maine with a 42-49 record.

The work hasn’t ended, however, as some team officials are already eyeing 2004 while taking note of what worked and what did not in 2003.

“As tough as this year might have been, I’m very optimistic about this organization’s future in this area,” Lumberjacks general manager Curt Jacey said. “I’m excited about our prospects.”

Jacey and the rest of the team’s full-time personnel will have their hands full this fall, winter, and spring as they work to generate more interest in Bangor’s Northeast League team, sell tickets and merchandise, and ready the team for a move from the temporary home field of Mahaney Diamond on the University of Maine campus in Orono to their permanent home: Husson College’s John Winkin Baseball Complex in Bangor.

The Lumberjacks averaged 1,089 fans for 43 home dates this season. That ranks Bangor sixth among the eight Northeast League member teams. This figure includes tickets sold (season ticket holders are counted whether they attend each game or not) along with actual “turnstile” attendance.

“Attendance I’m disappointed in. We have to do a better job with that,” Jacey said. “Will being in Bangor help? Yes, but we also have to do a better job with group ticket sales.”

The Lumberjacks sold 400 season tickets despite having less time than a typical offseason allows to sell them. Bangor businessman Charles “Chip” Hutchins bought the Adirondack Lumberjacks franchise and officially set up shop in Maine last October. Team management positions weren’t all filled until December.

The NEL leader, attendance-wise, was Brockton (Mass.) with 3,565 per game. The league low was Berkshire (Mass.) with 974.

Winkin Complex is expected to have a capacity of 3,000 fans after its completion. Final renovations to the facility include the installation of lights, which have been approved by the Bangor City Council, bathrooms, concession facilities, and more seating.

Concession sales, after a slow start, were strong and Jacey was pleased with other off-field ventures.

“On the corporate sponsorship side, we did fairly well. We were limited with a four-month window, but I was pleased with what we did,” Jacey explained. “We didn’t’ get [permanent concession] stands done until the third home stand, and that hurt us a bit, but afterward, I was very happy with what they produced in revenue.”

On-field performance was another thing entirely.

“I’m extremely disappointed with the team’s performance,” Jacey said. “It definitely was much more difficult than I thought it would be to come to Orono when I started, but this organization will be successful. We reached some of our goals. We didn’t reach a lot of them. I wanted 2,000 people a night at that stadium and a winning team.

“I promised Chip a competitive team when he hired me, so I guess that’s been the most tough and frustrating thing.”

Manager Kash Beauchamp, a six-year managerial veteran, says there are many reasons for Bangor’s lukewarm spot in the standings (third in first half, fourth in second) and he has learned some lessons after his first season in Maine.

“This team hasn’t shown a lot of fire. That’s what’s been disappointing for me,” said Beauchamp. “I’ve got to do a better job next year of evaluating personalities. I not only have to evaluate talent, I need to make sure guys are playing for the right reasons.

“I can’t be a mind reader, but I’ve got to spend more time with guys before they come. I didn’t ask them their reason for playing as much this year as I have in the past. I think I was more complacent looking at guys’ numbers.”

Only 12 of the 23 players on the team’s opening-week roster finished the season on the roster. Of those, eight were pitchers and two of those were not with the team the last week or two.

“There truly seemed to be a lot of complacency on this team this year,” said player-coach Kevin Pincavitch, who was named Bangor’s most valuable pitcher after going 7-3 with a 3.91 ERA. “People are like ‘Hey, I’m here. I don’t care what happens, I’m going to get my paycheck, and I’m going to get outta here.’ ”

Don’t expect to see those players back in Bangor next season.

“I don’t think there’s many guys … I think there’s a handful of guys I would bring back. There’s no untouchables except for Pinky,” Beauchamp said.

As for the prospects of pro baseball in Bangor? Lumberjacks officials are optimistic.

“The biggest thing about the market is there are diehard sports fans here and you have to find a reason to appeal to them,” Jacey said. “I can’t wait for next season, especially with us being in Bangor.”

“I think Bangor wants baseball,” Beauchamp says matter-of-factly. “It’s hard to judge this year because of where we’re at and the kind of success we had on the field, but I just think next year, with the new stadium, it’ll be much better.”