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A tough loss to the Okotoks Dawgs in game 4 of the West Division WMBL finals spells the end of a great inaugural season for the Dukes. We would like to thank everyone in the Park and elsewhere for their fabulous support and look forward to seeing you next year!Read More

Dukes Updates

Come support The Dukes as they head into game 4 of the West Division finals, Sunday at 7:05pm at the Diamond of Dreams against the Okotoks Dawgs.Read More

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Your minor sports team can catch the action for only $40 per game — adult sports teams for only $80 (max of 20 players, coaches and/or manager). Read More

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We would love to see your company, group or team at the Diamond of Dreams! Pre-purchase your group tickets to receive great prices and a public welcome from the Dukes! Read More

Dukes deliver sensational season

InTheNews

Dukes deliver sensational season

Players already asking to return

Ryan Frankson, The Extra Point
Sherwood Park News
Friday August 15, 2008

Sherwood Park Dukes shortstop Bryan Renfrow bobbles a pick-off attempt versus the Dawgs last weekend.

Ryan Frankson / News Staff

The Sherwood Park Dukes’ defeat at the hands of the Okotoks Dawgs in the Western Major Baseball League West Division championship last weekend shouldn’t be viewed as a loss, but rather as an overwhelming victory for baseball in Strathcona County.

In just their first season of existence in the collegiate-level summer league, the Dukes were successful on the field with a winning record and an exciting playoff run, and they also took baseball’s profile in the community to new heights, attracting hundreds of fans to each home game making a name for themselves around town.

After getting blown out in the first two games of the WMBL semifinal series in Okotoks last Thursday and Friday, the Dukes battled back with a huge 4-1 win on Saturday back home at Centennial Park but couldn’t force a fifth-and-deciding game after they lost 7-3 on Sunday also in the Park. General manager Richard Bourne had every excuse to have mixed emotions from the result that ended his team’s inaugural campaign.

“The competitive baseball side of me was ticked and disappointed, because you always want to go to the very end and win the championship,” Bourne said. “But from the dad side of the players and the business man for the team, I couldn’t be happier about what happened to us this year. The kids represented the team and the town well. They couldn’t have done much more to make the first season of the Dukes a positive one for the franchise. I’m very proud of them.”

Almost exactly one year ago during the Western Canada Summer Games in Strathcona County, the notion of bringing a WMBL franchise to the community was first discussed by some of the major players within the Sherwood Park Minor Baseball scene.

They saw how hugely successful the baseball tournament at the Games was, and they wanted to create a similar atmosphere at Centennial Park’s Diamond Number 9 all summer by bringing in a team to play in the collegiate-level league.

A committee was formed to start preparing a presentation for the WMBL at the league’s general meeting in December, and once all the preliminary work was completed, the first phase of the dream came true. The WMBL’s board of governors voted unanimously to add Sherwood Park to its complement of teams, following a presentation by Bourne.

From there, the GM assembled his staff and the team began preparing for its first season, vowing to settle for nothing less than a first-class organization. And other than not fully completing the locker room, concession and merchandise facilities, they did just that.

“We didn’t accomplish everything that we wanted, with the buildings at the ball park not complete,” Bourne said. “But when you look at what we did do, I don’t know how many people talked to me and said how much fun they had at the yard this season. We said at the beginning of the year that if we couldn’t do something the right way, we weren’t going to do it. I don’t think there was anything we did this year that we didn’t do right. We put a great product on the field with the kids and we treated them right. We had a first-class organization in the way we presented ourselves toward the league.”

Immediately after the Dukes were defeated by the Dawgs, players already started asking whether they could come back next year and billets are already requesting to have the same players stay at their houses next summer -- many of whom have children playing minor baseball.

“The integration into the community was huge,” Bourne said. “Sherwood Park Minor Baseball president Greg Erickson told us how important and how great it was to have the Dukes in the community for the young players. Our kids got to see what they can accomplish by playing baseball and going to college.”

“I thought the management did an outstanding job,” said Dukes head coach Jordan Blundell, who didn’t confirm for sure if he will be back next season but said a return to the team is something he’d love to be a part of. “They deserve a lot of credit for getting fans and kids out to the ball park. They got people interested in us, which is awesome.”

That stellar community integration translated into hundreds of bums in the bleachers at Centennial. According to statistics listed on the WMBL website, the Dukes averaged 239 fans per game during the regular season, approximately 200 for their opening round playoff series against the Saskatoon Yellow Jackets and an impressive 502 for their two West Division final games versus Okotoks.

Compare that to the St. Albert Prospects franchise that competed in 2006 and 2007 and drew roughly 50 fans per game, operating in a similar market.

The Dukes still aren’t satisfied with their numbers, though, and are making the necessary changes to increase attendance in 2009.

“They were lower than what we expected, but that’s not to say we weren’t still impressed with the fan support,” Bourne said. “We deliberately scheduled mid-week games to try not to interfere with minor baseball. What became evident, though, was that we need Friday and Saturday night games to draw the bigger crowds. If we have good weather and weekend dates, we can meet our attendance targets.”

The team’s operating expenses were also close to meeting the original budget, as Bourne said the final numbers should be withing three to five per cent. The Dukes did, however, have to fork over a lot of money for several start-up costs, like the team bus, Dinger the mascot and the Daizy Dukes dance team.

“We certainly spent more than expected, and the owners are concerned with how much we spent,” Bourne said. “But they also understand why we did and agree with what we’ve done. If you take out what are considered to be start-up or one-time costs, our expenses were pretty much right on line with what we anticipated.”

Cutting into next year’s costs should be a fleet of new sponsors who saw how successful the team was this past season and want to make a commitment to the franchise.

And they need to.

Bourne said that the team won’t be here long if its sponsorship portfolio doesn’t expand. The GM also said, though, that he’s encouraged by four sponsors already renewing their contracts and eight or nine businesses that were sitting on the fence prior to the season and could potentially be on board from here on in.

The Dukes also have some exciting new projects lined up for next season, the biggest being broadcasting home games live on the Internet -- and not just a radio feed, but three live action video cameras and play-by-play commentary.

Pretty darn impressive for a team that was just a mere pipe dream one year ago.

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Dukes In The News

Dukes deliver sensational season

August 15, 2008--The Sherwood Park Dukes’ defeat at the hands of the Okotoks Dawgs in the Western Major Baseball League West Division championship last weekend shouldn’t be viewed as a loss, but rather as an overwhelming victory for baseball in Strathcona County. In just their first season of existence in the collegiate-level summer league, the Dukes were successful on the field with a winning record and an exciting playoff run, and they also took baseball’s profile in the community to new heights, attracting hundreds of fans to each home game making a name for themselves around town.

Dukes Press Releases

Dukes finish strong winning major hardware

Monday, August 18, 2008 –The Western Major Baseball League expansion franchise Sherwood Park Dukes’ inaugural season may have wrapped up last Sunday with a loss in the Western Conference Championship series, but the Dukes brought home some major hardware yesterday as the league released the 2008 WMBL All-Star Teams and Award Winners. Leading the way all season for the Dukes, Thunder Bay native Dan Grant led all WMBL hitters this season winning the League Batting Title with a .403 batting average in the wood bat league. Grant (ex-University of Northern Iowa/NCAA Division I) not only added a 1st Team All-Star Infield Award to his wall, but also brings home the WMBL’s Most Valuable Player Award.