This past Thursday, at an announcement at the Edinburg Baseball Stadium, Edinburg who was once the Coyotes, are now called the Edinburg Roadrunners. The Roadrunners are not an unfamiliar name to baseball fans and definetely not to Edinburg Coyote fans. Previously in the now defunct Texas-Louisiana League and Central Baseball League, the Edinburg Roadrunners were one of two teams to win two league titles; the other was the Alexandria Aces.
Unable to come to a decisive decision on the new team name, Doug Leary and some of his staff members traveled the community to get a sense of how the public viewed the proposed decision, “Most of the people I have talked to have given it a thumbs up, thinking it would make a difference in a positive way that was worth moving forward,” Leary said. “(They said it was) fairly important, fairly important. Important enough to enforce our decision was the right move to make.”
The first round of the Roadrunners obviously ended due to legal troubles and the eventual folding of the team, but this time around, management is hoping for a better result. The Coyotes season last year was filled with turmoil to say the least. Attendance was low throughout the year even though a horrendous start lead to a late-season surge to make the playoffs. According to United League B aseball President Byron Pierce, what the league is trying do is make a statement about change and to show the community that the ULB is serious about making this work, “From the reaction of the community and stuff, and from the history that I’ve been through here the past three years, we feel it’s very important that we try to make a statement here that we’ve actually changed ownership, changed direction out here,” ULB president Byron Pierce said. “We’re trying to make a point to the community that we’re here to serve the community and do everything we can to make it fun again.”
Also in attendance on the day was General Manager Doug Leary, who introduced Lupe Salinas, Mexican League player-coach, who will be the clubs’ pitching coach. Vince Moore, who has been field manager for the Edinburg club for four years, will arrive to the team shortly. The rest of their staff was also introduced.
A new name and new season for a league that has had a stressful offseason, signifies a new beginning. A new beginning with unforgettable links to the past.
Find below the logo which is nearly identical to the one previously used.
Devon Teeple is an author for the Business of Sports Network, which includes the Biz of Baseball, the Biz of Football, the Biz of Basketball and the Biz of Hockey. He is a former professional baseball player with the River City Rascals & Gateway Grizzlies. Devon is a former student within Sports Management Worldwide’s Baseball General Manager Class. Devon is the founder of The GM’s Perspective and is a intern with The Football Outsiders and contributor with the Plymouth River Eels.
Currently, Devon is a Branch Manager at a financial institution in Southern Ontario Canada. He can be reached at thegmsperspective@gmail.com or devon@businessofsportsnetwork.com
Hey. I just wanted to say that I think your are an excellent writer. I appreciate how you give the smaller organizations a voice. I think that they tend to be overlooked in the larger scheme of things. Keep up the writing! I’ll look forward to your next one.