‘Jacks manager leaves for Golden League opportunity

Although uncertainty has been swirling around the Bangor Lumberjacks independent baseball league franchise this fall, there’s one thing that is now certain. Manager Kash Beauchamp will not return for a third season.

Beauchamp, who has managed the Lumberjacks in both of their Northeast League seasons, has accepted an offer to become a manager and scout in the new Golden League, an independent league with teams based in California and Arizona in which the league owns all the teams.

The Golden League is replacing the now-defunct Western League, which was plagued by competitive imbalances, under-the-table contracts and financial instability,

“It’s a real neat deal. They’ve got some really facilities lined up and some good locations,” said Beauchamp from his home in Oklahoma. “I haven’t been assigned to a team, but there’s a possibility I could manage an all-Japanese team there. They wanted to start with eight teams but they’re trying for 10.”

The league is well-financed with investors ranging from Wall Street millionaires to celebrities like Wheel of Fortune host Pat Sajak and former Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro running back Christian Okoye.

The opportunity to start fresh in a well-heeled league appeals a lot to Beauchamp.

“One thing about me is I like starting new franchises and I think I’ve done it pretty well,” he said. “New Jersey [Jackals], Lincoln [Salt Dogs] and Bangor were all brand new when I took those jobs. I like building things from the ground up.”

Beauchamp said the increased ease and decreased cost of air travel from the West Coast to Oklahoma was another factor that tipped his decision.

“I’ve enjoyed my two years in Bangor. It’s a good area there, but a big reason I left is I can get my family out to me so much easier with Southwest Airlines. It was expensive to fly into Maine,” he said. “I would hope people up there get out and support that team because, even though the fan support wasn’t as much as we hoped, Bangor’s a great town and my players enjoyed being there.”

Beauchamp said the sudden folding of the NEL’s Allentown Ambassadors three weeks before the 2004 season began also weighed on his decision. The NEL changed its name to the Can-Am League in October.

“It wasn’t so much the team as it is what’s going on with the league that concerned me, with the name change and a couple of unsteady franchises,” Beauchamp explained. “My biggest fear, when I first heard about the Golden League, was is this going to be a fly-by-night league like others that have come and gone? Once I found out the backing they had, I liked the idea of being able to start fresh with more responsibility.”

Speculation of a possible sale has surrounded the Lumberjacks since the team closed its Bangor Mall office and store Oct. 1. Efforts to reach owner Chip Hutchins regarding the store’s closing and the team’s status have been unsuccessful.

Beauchamp guided the Lumberjacks into the league playoffs for the first time this past season with a 57-39 record. Last year, his team went 42-49.