Chizzle's New Elf Costume

Pete Campbell

Robert Jeroszko

Fall Newsletter

From the crazy mind of Grizzlies GM Jesse Cole

Facebook, Facebook, Facebook!

I remember in college when Facebook first came out and it became the craze for all of my fellow students.  People were constantly on Facebook, searching for their friends, looking at photo albums and working on their profile.   Sadly, I too became hooked and spent my free time surfing Facebook.  After months of being a Facebook addict, I took a solemn vow to spend less than 30 minutes a day on Facebook.  For the past 4 years I stayed true to my vow and was doing so well.  I stopped attending my Facebook Addict meetings and even began to live my life like a normal person. 

Well Grizzlies fans, that time has come to an end and I am sad to say that I have relapsed.  I now check Facebook right before I go to bed and quickly run to my laptop to check in the morning when I wake up.  For the first time the other night I even had a dream about Facebook.

This relapse has taken over my life and it even affects me during my day at work.  Instead of completely cutting it out my life, cold turkey style I am now making it a bigger part of my life with the Grizzlies!

It is true and you may have heard…the Grizzlies have announced the world’s largest Facebook push by any minor league or collegiate baseball team.  Our goal is simple:  to have 7,500 Facebook fans, the most in Minor League Baseball!  To reach this goal we have teamed up with Chick-fil-a at Westfield Eastridge Mall and Creative Travel, the official travel agent of the Grizzlies.  From September 15th-November 5th, the Facebook fan push will take place capped off by an amazing celebration on November 5th at Chick-fil-a at the mall with free chicken sandwiches for all Grizzlies Facebook fans.   Creative Travel in Belmont is going a step further and on Facebook Fans Night during the summer of 2010, one Facebook fan will win a five-night Bahamas Cruise!

The Grizzlies must reach 7,500 fans for everyone to win free chicken sandwiches and the chance to win a cruise!  Even Chizzle has formed a Facebook page to help with the cause.  So, I hope all Grizzlies fans can reach out to their friends and help the Grizzlies reach more fans than any minor league team and celebrate in style on November 5th. 

With my Facebook addiction back at full strength, I hope all of Grizzlies nation across the country can celebrate the Grizzlies and my return to normalcy on November 5th!

New Coach Plourde

In other news, the Grizzlies are proud to announce Jason Plourde as the new Head Coach.  Plourde, the Assistant Coach at Belmont Abbey, has eight years of experience in college summer ball.  Plourde will be responsible for all of the recruiting and is expecting to bring in top players from around the country that have something to prove.   The Grizzlies are expecting big things under the new leadership of Plourde and hope to host their first playoff game in history in 2010!

Promotions

In the Fall, promotional night talks begin between myself, Assistant GM Jamie Curtis and Marketing Director Lauren Lee.   I’ll tell you even though it is early we are planning some of the craziest and biggest promotions to date for the Grizzlies.  One of our first plans is to bring back some digging at the stadium next year.  Many of you remember the Dig for the Diamond in 2008.  Well in 2010 we might bury a remote control with the chance to win a brand new flat screen.  Other ideas include World Record Night, where Grizzlies fans and staff will attempt to break numerous outrageous world records.   Finally as you know we always like to have one ridiculous night such as Flatulence Fun Night (2008) and Salute to Underwear Night (2009).  The top ideas right now are Pregnant Night, where you and your future kid get in for free, with a diaper toss into the crowd and baby stroller races.  The other crazy night is Swine Flu Night, with a surgical masks giveaway to the first 1,000 fans and a giant pig roast in the beer garden.

Okay, I shouldn’t go much further because I might just get carried away.  I will give you one last teaser as I know you are all going through Donut Burger and Donut Dog withdrawal.  Let’s just say in 2010, Donut Nachos might become Gaston County’s favorite food…I’ll let you use your imagination.

Until November 5th, be good Grizzlies fans.  If you need me, I’ll be on Facebook!

Head Coach

Jason Plourde

August Newsletter

Thank You Fans!

Wow, what an amazing end to the 2009 season!  I’ll never forget the last game on August 4th as the fans started arriving at the ballpark at 5:00.  We saw our first group tailgating session take place in addition to seeing 100 cheerleaders practicing well before the game.   By the time the gates opened at 6:00 I knew this was going to be a special night!  When the line to get into the ballpark wrapped onto Marietta Street, I knew the attendance record was on the verge of being broken.  By the end of the night over 3,788 fans had made their way into the park to cheer for the Grizzlies and the team responded.  Down 5-2 the Grizzlies came back and gave the fans a thrilling 7-5 victory!  The Fireworks capped off the night and the record breaking season.

I want to first take the time to thank everyone who was involved with the 2009 Grizzlies.  The support from the sponsors, ticket holders and all the fans was better than I could ever have imagined.   The Grizzlies had an amazing group of host families this year who our whole staff would like to personally thank for every thing they do for our players and our team.  I also couldn’t say enough about the 2009 Grizzlies.  Not only was this one of the most talented Grizzlies teams in history but one of the most fan oriented teams I’ve ever seen.   By the end of the season almost every player on the team was dancing on the field, not to mention the thousands of autographs they signed throughout the year.

It was truly an outstanding season and Jamie, Lauren and myself are already having withdrawals here in the office.  I just want to take a little bit of time and mention some of my favorite moments from the 2009 season:

-Opening Night Victory in front of a then record 3,402 fans…The Grizzlies came out swinging and scored 6 runs, highlighted by Russell Wilson’s 2 hits, 2 runs and RBI.

-June 5th Grizzlies Rainout-With a packed house hoping for the rain to stop, the Grizzlies planned a team tarp slide and followed it up with the Cha Cha Slide that made the fans go crazy!

-The Major League Draft:  Having 5 current Grizzlies drafted (Witherspoon, Cotton, Valdez, Fallon and Oduber).  The highlight was Teddy Fallon who was seen by the Pirates scout who saw the lights on at the ballpark before the draft and came and watched as Teddy showcased 94mph fastballs.

-Mascot Mania on 6/20:  I’ve never seen so many Mascots running around the ballpark at once…highlight for me was Kate’s Skating Rink Kanagaroo sliding head first into first base during the Mascot Race.

- Day Care Day vs. Forest City:  Nothing was sweeter than beating the #1 team in the Nation in front of 1,600 plus kids.

-Gastonia’s Got Talent Night:  While the Aviator cheerleaders stole the show and won the event, I was blown away by Jerod’s hip hop dance group from Perfect Step who did some Matrix like dance moves.

-Little League Home Run Derby Night:  Bradley Franklin hitting 22 home runs in the first round and dominating the contest by blasting home runs up to 350 feet.

-Win A Date with the Grizzlies Night:  I’ll never forget the flex off on the field with Will Helms doing curls and Connor Sestak taking off his jersey and pouring water on his abs.

-30,000 fan on 7/16:  What a great moment it was to spray down our 30,000th fan, Josh Moffit with Confetti and Silly String as he became the 30,000th fan for the 2009 season!

Final Game of the Year: Highlights include: Assistant Coach Jeremy Yoder and pitcher Drew Bailey doing the Soulja Boy for all the fans, the Umpires doing the Cha Cha Slide with the Grizzlies, Season Ticket holder Andrew Baynes eating 14 burritos to win the year supply of burritos to Moe’s and seeing the Beer Garden and stands completely packed all night long!

Overall, it was an amazing season with too many memories to recall.  We ask that you send us your favorite memories from the 2009 season to info@gastoniagrizzlies.com and we will post them with our next newsletter.  Until then, thanks for everything and don’t worry we have started our countdown until Opening Day 2010…As we speak we are less than 289 days away!

Little League Home Run Derby Champion

Bradley Franklin

Win A Date With the Grizzlies

30,000th Fan!

June Newsletter

What a Start!

For all you diehard Newsletter readers (Pete Campbell) I apologize for the delay in getting this new newsletter out but it has been pretty crazy in Grizzlyville. 

After having Opening Day rained out for the second straight year we were primed and ready to have a huge Saturday Night opening and it did not disappoint.  When the line began at 5:30 for the 7:05 game I knew it was going to be a special night.   The Silver Stars did their Chizzle Shuffle on the field, the players were introduced from the roof and Grizzlies owner Bette Silver belted out the National Anthem. 

Russell Wilson slid headfirst into home for the first run of the game and the Grizzlies show had begun.  As the fans kept filtering into the park, the Grizzlies kept scoring runs.  Fans were pied in the face, fans won platters of cupcakes and a new group of players danced on the field.  At the end of the night lucky fans received a Wii, Carowinds Tickets, Hotel Packages, a cruise and one lucky fan won a colon cleansing.  Fireworks capped off the night and it couldn’t have been more fitting.  It was the perfect end to a record breaking night as 3,402 people watched the Grizzlies win 6-1.  It was the biggest crowd in Grizzlies history and I want to thank everyone who joined in on the fun on Saturday.

Job Fair Night on June 1st was a big success as well drawing a Monday Night record 2,314 fans.  I’d like to thank Greater Gaston Baptist Association for helping make it a great night.  I would also like to give a shout out to Cramerton Little League for bringing out all their teams.   While the Grizzlies came up short and the lights went out in the 8th inning, it was still a great atmosphere at the ballpark.

Notes on the Team:

I have been around a lot of ballplayers and teams throughout the years and I believe the 2009 Grizzlies may have the best combination of talent and work ethic that I have seen.   It is very rare that you see a lot of players come to early batting practice four hours before a game.  However, during the first week entire team was here going through their repetitions.  Even Greg Van Horn asked me for a set of keys to get in the batting cages on off days. 

While it is early in the season and the team has already experienced some tough losses I think this could be a special season for the Grizzlies.

NCAA Regionals:

In the NCAA Regionals, Boston College played one of the most epic games in NCAA history.  Playing against the #1 seed Texas Longhorns, The Eagles went 25 innings finally losing by a score of 3-2.  The games lasted over 7 hours and their were numerous records broken.  The Grizzlies have two players on Boston College including Matt Hamlet who played 2nd and batted 2nd for BC.  The next day, Boston College was eliminated by ARMY after a great season.  Three days later I received a call from Hamlet who said, “I thought I would need some rest but I’m bored and I want to play”  He will be coming up June 6th to join Grizzlies for the rest of the season.

I will leave this newsletter with a note of advice for all the Grizzlies fans out there.  It is not a smart idea to eat two donut dogs before heading to the Dunk Tank.  On Wednesday June 3rd I did just that and each of the 23 Dunks were very painful.  Hope to see you all a lot this summer! Go Grizzlies!

April Newsletter

Promotions Baby!

After months of sleepless nights and hours of passionate debates, the 2009 promotional schedule is set.  With less than 50 days until Opening Day, I feel April’s Newsletter should be dedicated solely to the crazy and outrageous promotions planned for this upcoming season.

I think it is only fitting to begin with some of my personal favorites and if you know me well you know that would have to involve food.   So what am I most excited about in 2009?  Our giveaway for a years supply of free burritos to Moe’s on the last game of the season.   Yes, you read that correctly on August 4th with the help of Moe’s in Gastonia, we will be giving away more burritos than you could ever imagine.  The kicker is how you win this amazing prize.  Starting at the first pitch during the August 4th game we will have a game long burrito eating contest.  Whoever eats the most burritos by the end of the 8th inning is the winner and will be serenaded with the sweet smell of burritos for 12 straight months.   I am sad to say, I will not be entering this contest so now everyone in Gaston County has a chance.  We will have extra Beano on hand for that game.

Other food related highlights for me include our game long eating contest on June 16th.  We will have eating challenges all game including pizza from Market Street and wings from Wing Zone.  Are you the best and most accomplished eater in Gastonia?  Come out and test your stomach against some serious talent.  As of now I am entering this contest, so you all better start practicing.

A season long promotion we are running this year is “All you can eat and All you can drink Tuesday’s”.  With six Tuesdays games, fans can come and eat and drink all the hot dogs, chips,  sodas and beers they want for just $12! 

Crazy Promotions

Getting off the subject of food, I want to share some of the outrageous promotions we have planned for this season.  First off we will be holding our 2nd Annual Grandma Beauty Pageant on June 10th.  Last year was such a success with all of the great grandma’s strutting their stuff on the field with our players.  The grandma’s danced, modeled Grizzlies uniforms and answered questions.  This year is primed and ready to be an even bigger success. 

The following game we will stay with the beauty pageant theme and have our first ever Mr. Gastonia Night.   So to all you studs in Gastonia who aren’t afraid to strut your stuff come on down to Sims on June 12th.

One promotion that is getting a lot of buzz is our Salute to Underwear Night on June 1st.  My thoughts behind this night is that throughout our lives underwear has been taken for granted and it is time for the Grizzlies to pay tribute to our undergarments.  We will be giving away some Grizzlies Underwear at the gate and shooting some off into the crowd.  We will also have underwear trivia with some great prizes.

Another outrageous promotion is our “Grizzly Man Contest” where we hope to find the most hairy man in Gastonia.  We will have a mustache contest, beard contest, best mullet contest and a hairy back contest.  We also plan on having a live waxing on the field in the 8th inning.  This will be a night you don’t want to miss.  Bring your Nair Kits!

Other highlights include our Job Fair Night on June 1st where we will have employers set up behind the outfield fence and anyone with a resume gets in for free.  We will also have a “Gastonia’s Got Talent Night” with different dance groups, singers, karate and other talented acts performing during the game.    For the kids we will have a Camp Rock Night and a High School Musical Night on June 26th and July 31st.   We will also have a “Play Catch with the Grizzlies Night” and a “Little League Home Run Derby.”

On our last Sunday game of the year fans will get an opportunity to take batting practice on the field with the Grizzlies. 

Finally, we will have three fireworks shows this season.  Always a hit in Gastonia, both shows last year brought in more than 2,000 fans with the 3rd of July setting a record with 3,355 fans.

Commercial

Grizzlies fans, we will be shooting our commercial on April 23rd from 12-3:00.  We need as many fans to be in the commercial as possible so come by the stadium on your lunch break and take part in the Grizzlies commercial.

Well that’s it for me, but in the meantime don’t forget to become fans of the Grizzlies on Facebook.

For more info on all the chaos at Sims Legion Park this summer, feel free to email me at jesse@gastoniagrizzlies.com or call the office at 704-866-8622.   Go Grizzlies!

March Newsletter

Grizzlies Spring Training

Welcome back Grizzlies fans to the March installment of the Grizzlies newsletter from the crazy mind of your GM.   March is by far my favorite month of the year with college baseball and spring training, my birthday and beautiful warm weather (or six inches of snow).  

The month kicked off with a bang with a wonderful surprise birthday party planned by my girlfriend.   As I walked into the house this past Saturday and saw 25 people partying, I was shocked to say the least.  When everyone said “Surprise” I was so confused I had to do a double take.    Not only did the Grizzlies, very own DJ, Chris Dellinger set up in my dining room but we also had homemade Grizzlies cupcakes, (Courtesy of LaRuen Wells).   The birthday celebration was great and all that was missing was Brian Rushing on the PA system going “Wahoo” every time something fun happened.

With the birthday party behind me, I planned to go celebrate Sunday night with Endless Enchiladas at On the Border in Gastonia.   What sounded like the perfect idea almost became one of the worst decisions I have ever made.    You may have heard that North Carolina was hit with a snowstorm on Sunday night.   Well, it was one of the worst snowstorms North Carolina has seen in a long time and I’ll tell you I saw it first hand on the roads that night.    Before you go and think I am absolutely nuts, let me clarify how great “Endless Enchiladas” are.  (Options include chicken, beef and cheese and they come with outstanding sauces and rice and beans, and they keep coming).   So nothing was stopping me on this night even a freak snowstorm that brought treacherous conditions to the roads.    As my step brother, girlfriend and I devoured the Enchiladas (I had 8 for the record), we saw the snow piling up outside.  We were the only people in the restaurant and even our waitress was itching to get home.

The eight minute drive home took 30 minutes that night as we drove 15-20mph in the middle and only lane of the highway.  As my snow mobile (AKA 2001 Mercury Sable) cruised on the interstate we saw numerous abandoned cars on the side of the road.  I knew this could not be us and we spun and glided our way home.   If you are thinking ‘wow, you are very brave and a tremendous driver,’ I want to thank you, but the truth is I sat in the passenger seat shaking the entire ride as my step-brother drove us home safely.

Snow Day

With Gaston County covered in snow on Monday, the Grizzlies closed the office.  It was a tough decision, but I thought it wouldn’t be the best day to sell season tickets.   However, I had to get something accomplished so I set out to do some recruiting for the Grizzlies.  With obviously no baseball being played in the area, I set out to the nearest sledding hill to find the best athletes available.  After watching some young kids sled down the hill, I was unimpressed.  Their speed and balance was below average.  Then out of nowhere I saw this one boy come running from out of nowhere and jump in his tube and go flying down the hill.  The kid was Johnny Miller and I had found the prospect I was looking for.   With a contract in hand I signed 7 year old Johnny to a 2020 Grizzlies contract.  With my work done, it was time for me to begin sledding and I am proud to announce I have lost all of my athleticism.

Grizzlies Update

Fans make sure to check Brian Rushing’s blog www.gastoniagrizzlies.com/bblog.htm weekly for updates on all your favorite Grizzlies players.   Many of the 2009 Grizzlies are off to great starts this season including Ben Booker from Cleveland State (3-0, 1.07 ERA), Zach White from Wake Forest (0.00 ERA in 2 Appearances) and Randolph Oduber from Western Oklahoma (.464, 6 home runs, 18 RBIs).

Fans, you might remember Kaleb Herren and Josh Collazo who starred for the Grizzlies in 2008.  Herren is leading the Oklahoma Sooners to a 7-3 start batting .476 and also holding a 0.00 ERA in 2 appearances on the mound.  Grizzlies first-baseman Josh Collazo is also off to a torrid start at Oklahoma Baptist.  Through 15 games, Collazo is batting .413 with 10 home runs and 24 RBI’s.

Are you hairy or pleasantly plump?

Fans we are still looking for contestants for our “Gastonia Hairy Man Contest” and our “Fat Man Beauty Pageant.”  If you want to be recognized in front of thousands at a Grizzlies game this summer please call the front office and sign up for these two glorious events.   Any and all contestants are welcome including people with beards, mustaches and/or mullets.

If you have any questions please call the front office at 704-866-8622 or send me and email at jesse@gastoniagrizzlies.com.  Until then throw some snowballs, jump in the frozen dunk tank and get ready for Grizzlies baseball.

Kaleb Herren

February Newsletter

Baseball Back at Sims Legion Park    

Grizzlies fans baseball is back this Wednesday as Belmont Abbey takes on Elizabeth City State with a 1:00 start at Sims Legion Park.  Make sure you come out and support the Abbey and enjoy a day game at the park.

Sims Legion Park will also host Division 1 baseball on Feb 28th and March 1st as the University of Pittsburgh will take on New Jersey Tech. 

Fans rest assured March 1st is not the last time to watch great college baseball until the Grizzlies home opener on May 28th.  The Grizzlies recently won the bid to host the Region X Junior College Tournament at Sims Legion Park from May 6th-May 10th.  This conference is one of the top Junior College conferences in the country and features Spartanburg Methodist, Pitt Community College and Louisburg College.  In 2008, Lonnie Chisenhall was a first round pick of the Cleveland Indians out of Pitt Community College.

Make sure to check Brian Rushing’s “Bear-ly Blogging” (http://www.gastoniagrizzlies.com/bblog.htm) for more baseball updates from Sims Legion Park.

Grizzlies Players Open College Seasons

Many of this years Grizzlies have already began their college seasons.  While Division 1 baseball does not begin until the third week of February, all Division II, Division III and Junior Colleges begin the first week of February.  Ben Booker (Cleveland State) pitched a complete game shutout against Roane State while only allowing 5 hits and striking out 8.  On January 31, Chase Bradford (Southern Nevada) pitched 5 strong innings for Southern Nevada as they took on Yavapai College.  He received a no decision while striking out 3 and only allowing 1 run.    Booker and Bradford will continue their college careers playing Division 1 baseball at East Tennessee State and University of Central Florida.  Seminole State and Western Oklahoma who both have three Grizzlies players will open their season this upcoming week.

No Word from Bush

The Grizzlies have yet to hear from former President George W. Bush after offering him an internship with the team this summer.  General Manager Jesse Cole said he was willing to up the offer to $1500 to increase Bush’s interest in the position.  He also guaranteed the best host family the team had to offer which includes his own shower and a play room.

I was able to track down Cole and he said, “I am shocked I have not heard back from him.  Once the story reached the Gazette and I was interviewed on Lite 102.9 I just knew that he would call us.  I guess the Gazette and Lite 102.9 aren’t as big as I once thought them to be (only joking - I love the Gazette and I listen to Lite 102.9 every morning when I wake up).”  When asked if he had a replacement for Bush’s spot with the team, Cole shrugged and said, “How can you replace a former president, but don’t worry we will not give up hope, it’s not over.”

Grizzlies fans I know I promised I would tell you more about some of our outrageous promotions with this newsletter but I must procrastinate the craziness.   I will guarantee though that during the next installment I will fill you in more about the “Fat Man Beauty Pageant,” “Salute to Underwear Night” and “Gastonia Hairy Man Contest.” Also, I will give you one more teaser on the last game of the year the Grizzlies will have a game long Burrito Eating Contest and the winner will win a year’s supply of FREE Burritos from Moe’s.  It is time for all you competitive eaters to being your training and don’t think that I am not entering the contest because as I write this I am eating a 4 pound Joey Bag of Donuts.  Until then be good Grizzlies fans and come out to Sims and watch some baseball and say hello to us in the office.

January Newsletter

Happy New Year Grizzlies Fans! I hope you all had a glorious start to the year and did at least one cheers to the Grizzlies. I know I did but it was mostly because of Chizzle. Yes, I spent my New Years Eve with Chizzle as well as my Christmas but that’s a whole other story that I’ll get to later. 

Back to New Years-So Chizzle and I and a bunch of the Gastonia Jaycees went to the Village Tavern in Charlotte. DJ Chris who you all know as the official DJ of the Grizzlies set the event up which included an all-you-can-eat buffet, a midnight toast, masks for everyone (yeah, I don’t get it either) and non-stop dancing. 

As soon as we arrived Chizzle put his mask on and hit the buffet. To be honest with you, I have never seen any person or mascot eat so many egg rolls. As soon as he finished his devouring Chizzle took over the dance floor. Instantly a circle around him formed and Chizzle proceeded to do the Hammer dance into a moonwalk, followed by some incredible break dancing. While his moves may have scared some young children, they put a smile on every woman’s face. Everyone knew they were in the presence of greatness and I was proud that he was my date. (My girlfriend on the other hand was not). As soon as Chizzle finished dancing and went back to the egg rolls, I knew this was going to be a special year.

Chizzle’s Date

As you can tell Chizzle was on top of his game on New Years Eve and it’s hard for me to even imagine him in this state of mind after hitting rock bottom two weeks ago.

You may all have heard about Chizzle’s attempt to jump-start the economy by auctioning off a date with himself. Surprisingly, the bids did not come in as strong as Chizzle would have hoped. By not come in that strong, I mean they did not come in at all. Chizzle did not receive one bid, so I did what was necessary and put on a wig and met him at Olive Garden for his date. The date went very well considering the fact that Chizzle did not say a word and at one point threatened the waiter for not bringing him a Donut Burger. I thought that my master plan had worked until we walked out of the restaurant. As we walked into the parking lot Chizzle began showing off by doing the Chizzle Shuffle and then out of the corner of his eye he saw my Mercury Sable (yes, Chizzle recognized my maroon colored grandpa car). When he slapped me, I didn’t even see it coming but I’ll tell you I felt it afterwards. For all of you who have never been slapped by a bear mascot with claws, let me just tell you to trust me, it hurts!

As I drove off that night, I saw Chizzle slouch into his hoveround wheelchair and head towards Interstate 85.

I thought this could be the end of our friendship and his tenure with the Grizzlies but I knew one thing that could salvage everything: Christmas! Chizzle had nowhere to go for Christmas so I invited him to come home with me to Boston. I have never seen Chizzle this happy and I just hoped my family would be okay with it.

We arrived home on Christmas Eve, after an exhausting day in the airport. Let’s just say, customs and security were not too kind to Chizzle as it took us 3 hours to get through the checkpoint. 

My parents were not too thrilled when I walked into the house with a 250 pound bear mascot but Chizzle being the charmer that he is went right up to my mother and gave her a giant bear hug. My parents quickly embraced Chizzle and we all enjoyed a great Christmas Eve dinner together.

On Christmas morning I woke up at the crack and dawn and ran downstairs in my power rangers pajamas and I couldn’t believe what I saw. Chizzle was passed out next to the Christmas tree with a milk mustache. He had cookie crumbs and wrapping paper all over him. Not only had he eaten all of Santa’s food but he opened every one of our presents. I was so shocked that I didn’t even get excited to see that I had received a new bottle of Beano, a Tickle Me Elmo and four new Snuggies!

My parents woke up to my scream and quickly ushered Chizzle out onto the porch. He would spend the next 5 days out in the cold. While I did sneak him donuts and hot chocolate, Chizzle was no longer a part of the family. However, on New Years Eve morning before we came back to Charlotte we were hit with a big snowstorm. At first Chizzle was frightened by his first snow, but then he began to embrace it and began frolicking in it like a young school girl (again, a funny sight). He made snow angels and then began constructing life-like Chizzle snowmen. There were Chizzle’s all over our yard and my parents got a kick of it, so they let him back in and made him more cookies and milk. They even invited Chizzle back for next years Christmas, so I can only imagine what’s in store for Christmas '09.

Promotional Update:

We have our first contestant in the Grizzlies first annual “Fat Man Beauty Pageant” and his name is Andrew Baynes, a 2009 box seat season ticket holder. While not fat, and barely a man we are all excited to have Andrew in the contest. We just advised him to hit the Donut Burgers hard this off-season so he will be ready to shake it in the wet t-shirt contest as well as the fat man-dancing contest. Other competitions include the “Fastest Fat Man Competition” around the bases and an eating contest. If you are interested in joining Andrew in the contest please email me at jesse@gastoniagrizzlies.com. While we have not come up with all the awards yet, we know some will include free food, restaurant gift cards, all-you-can-eat buffet specials, a thigh master, and gym membership.

The Salute to Underwear Night is starting to create some buzz in Gastonia as well. First off we probably should answer the question of how we came up with this outlandish idea, so here it goes. One morning when I was putting on my grizzly bear boxers, I thought to myself where would we be today without underwear. Throughout our whole lives underwear has been there for us and even during tough economic times, underwear remains the one constant that we can count on. So this summer I want to give something back to underwear and have a night saluting all types of underwear from tighty-whities to boxers to the man thong. We are still coming up with ideas for the night but we know that anyone who wears underwear on the outside of their shorts or pants will get free admission to the game. We will also be doing Grizzlies underwear giveaways and underwear promotions. Fans don’t forget your undergarments on this night because no one will want to be caught with their pants down!

Well that's it for me, I’m off to eat some food and attempt to do some real work here in the office. Remember fans if you have any ideas for promotions, any thoughts for this season, or just want to talk baseball send me an email at jesse@gastoniagrizzlies.com or come by the ballpark. See you all in less 142 days!

December Newsletter

Holiday Newsletter

I first would like to say Happy Holidays to all the loyal Grizzlies fans out there.  I’d like to give a special shout out to all the die-hard fans that check this newsletter every month and get mad at me when it is not updated on time (Geoff Brault).

In feeling the holiday spirit, I would like to give a list of all that the Grizzlies have to be thankful for this past year:

• The outstanding support from the community:  I’ll never forget the last game of the year when it was 100 degrees and we had more than 1300 people at the ballpark.  I could go on forever but for all the Cindy Kohler’s, Pete Campbell’s, Danny and Susan Greens, Darrel Holmes, Michael Dodgin’s, Moore Family and everyone else that made Sims Legion Park their home this summer…I would like to give a sincere thank you from all of us with the Grizzlies.

• The Grizzlies Coaches:  Coach Eli Benefield and his staff dedicated their entire summer for the Grizzlies and had some great runs at the end of the season and some pretty special wins.  We are lucky to have Coach Benefield back in 2009.

• The Grizzlies Players:  In 2008 the Grizzlies were 17-10 at home that included a 7 game winning streak and 6 dramatic come from behind wins.  However, what I’ll never forget is all the time the players gave to the kids and the fans after each game.  Many nights the players would spend at least 20 minutes signing autographs and one night I’ll always remember was Play Catch With the Grizzlies night when every player on the Grizzlies spent time with the kids throwing pop ups, doing ground ball lines and just playing some old fashioned catch.

• The Grizzlies Staff:  The amount of work that all of the interns, game day staff and our full-time staff put in this season was remarkable and not to mention the fact that they had to put up with me.

• The Voice of the Grizzlies-Brian Rushing:  Not a day goes by that I don’t think about his Wahoo’s that rang throughout Sims Legion Park.  Brian created a fun filled energy that filled the ballpark every night.  I cannot wait to hear his enthusiasm and Day-Ooh’s again this summer.

• Chizzle:  Undeniably the hardest working mascot I’ve ever seen and the best dancing mascot this side of the Mississippi.

• The Fans:  I know I already mentioned the community but this goes out to all 29,310 fans that came out last season.  Every night the ballpark had an energy about it and it was because of all of the fans.  I am also thankful for the 865 people that dunked me during the Dunk the GM Inning.  I have already bought goggles and scuba gear for next season. 

I know what your all are saying and it is not true, I have not lost my edge.  I have to confess working 50+ hours a week with two females makes it difficult to keep my manhood.  It has become an emotional office and everyday I am contacting Chizzle’s trainers to get more hormones to keep my manliness.  That being said it’s time for the Chizzle Report!

Chizzle Looking for Women!

It is true, what you all have heard Chizzle is auctioning himself off for the team as a way to jump-start the economy in Gaston County.  The bidding has just begun and the women of Gastonia now have a chance to win a special date with the bear mascot that we have all come to love.  The date will include a dinner and a nightcap on top of the roof here at Sims Legion Park. 

The search for the special woman continued recently at the Gastonia Christmas Parade!  Coach Eli Benefield drove his decked out Grizzlies pick up truck as Chizzle stood in the back. However, Chizzle would not last long in the truck.  As soon as he saw the thousands of fans that gathered the streets, Chizzle did a back flip off the moving truck and into the arms of his adoring fans.  Chizzle walked the three-mile parade rout posing for pictures, signing autographs, handing out inflatable balls and giving out countless hugs.

The highlight for me was when one women began singing out to Chizzle “Down, down, do your dance, do your dance (now let me see ya do that dance).”  Yes, you guessed it; those are the lyrics for the Chizzle Shuffle that Chizzle perfected this summer at the ballpark.

Although, Chizzle met numerous fans on that chilly Sunday afternoon he was still unable to find his one true love.  So ladies the bidding will continue.  For the sake and sanity of the whole Grizzlies staff please bid on Chizzle.  He needs bear love and we don’t want to see him down in the dumps anymore.

Another highlight for the parade was when Coach Benefield almost killed me in the back of his pick up truck!  Yes, you read that correctly and I’m thankful that I’m able to write this newsletter.  It all started with miscommunication. Early that morning I was getting into his truck when he thought I said go when I really said stop!  He eventually put on the breaks and I went flying into the back of the truck.  As I lay there grasping for air people around watched in shock while some laughed at my pain and misery.  It wasn't until two days later that I was able to grab my first full breath.  Needless to say that will be the last time I drive with Eli again!

Grizzlies Website Reaches 5 Million Hits!

Finally, as of December 5th the new Grizzlies website has reached its 5 millionth hit.  We began keep track of views on our website this past January and less than a year we have a reached 5 million. 

Again, I would like to thank fans for continually coming to our website and reading about the team and the nonsense that we write about on a regular basis.

Also, be prepared for the next newsletter where we will begin talking about our new promotions.  I will give you a couple teasers; don’t be surprised if you see a Fat Man Beauty Pageant, Salute to Underwear Night and a giveaway of year supply of free Burritos to Moe’s

That is all, I have said too much but I’ll leave you with a message from Chizzle, so hush!

Down the chimney St. Chizzle came with a bound. 

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,

And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;

A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,

And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,

Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,

And laying his finger aside of his nose,

And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

He sprang to his sleigh, to the Grizzlies gave a whistle,

And away they all flew like the down of a thistle. 

But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,

"Happy Christmas to all, see you all on opening night."

October Newsletter

It has now been 62 Days since the last Grizzlies Game and my life has completely fallen apart. I would call it depression but it is much worse.  The shakes developed last week and they are starting to get scary.  Insomnia has now crept into my life as I sleep from anywhere between 10-26 minutes a night.  My eating habits have even become a concern to my co-workers.  No longer do I eat the typical foods from the concession stand.  I have started mixing and matching foods like Tropical Shaved Ice and Nacho Cheese as well as Chili Dog Pizza.

There is a ray of hope as Opening Day is only 240 days away and we have started signing players for next year’s team.

I am very excited for this year’s crop of players.  We are recruiting far and wide to bring in the top players from the country and I am proud to announce that I will be traveling to Las Vegas next month to do just that.  This trip will be strictly business and I promise to use only the company’s money when I am there.    Who knows, if things go well in Vegas the Grizzlies may be able to have all new souvenirs and concession food next season.  If not, the Grizzlies will be serving year old hot dogs and seven year old Coastal Plain League Hats.

Chizzle Report

Chizzle has begun training for the World’s Strongest Mascot Competition.  He spends a good eight hours a day at the ballpark working out and strength training.  This includes flipping my car over after I arrive in the morning, jumping up and down in the Bounce House, testing his arm on the speed pitch, racing around the bases against Assistant GM Jamie Curtis (Chizzle is still yet to win), and challenging himself to hot dog eating contests.

The sad thing is that I have yet to tell him that there is actually not a contest for the World’s Strongest Mascot.  I just couldn’t break the young mascot’s heart.

Girl’s Take Over the Office

Amidst my self-loathing depression rant I forgot to mention the worst part; The Grizzlies office has been taken over by Girls.  Yes, it is true we have brought on Lauren Lee as our marketing director and now with Jamie Curtis as our Assistant GM, I am outnumbered 2-1.  At first, I thought I could handle this transition but I could have never imagined it being this bad.  Now not only do we have candles spread throughout the office but now flowers arrive weekly from boyfriends and perfume fills the air.  Mornings are spent talking about how cute and sweet their boyfriends are and afternoons are spent talking about shopping and Grey’s Anatomy.  

No longer is this a baseball team, this is now Gossip Central.  So in respect for the ladies I will give them a section of the newsletter to spread the Grizzlies Girl Gossip!  Ladies….

Girl’s Dish

Now it is finally time for us to tell the real truth about what happens in the office in the off season.  Yes, it is true that at one point we both had candles and flowers on our desk.  The only reason we had candles was because the office flooded and the smell became unbearable.  Now that we think about it, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to keep candles around more often because of the smell coming from Jesse’s office.  I mean come on, Jesse works so much he forgets to go home and shower a lot of times.  His trash can overflows for days because we refuse to take it out for him.  I mean who does he think we are…his maids?

As for the flowers we just consider ourselves lucky.  Yeah, we admit since we are both non-smokers instead of having a cigarette on our “smoke breaks” we usually spend that time chatting about our boyfriends.  In turn, Jesse spends almost all day talking about how he wants to find a girl.  There is just one small problem…he is entirely too picky! Or it could be the fact that Jesse isn’t your average man…handy man that is.  Jesse stays clear of any form of manual labor.  Who does Jesse call any time something needs to be fixed, installed or put together? THE WOMEN!!!  For an example, the other day he couldn’t handle the simple task of untangling his phone cord.  We could give more examples, but we’ll save Jesse the embarrassment. 

Well, it’s time to get back to work…and by work of course we mean fixing things and gossiping since that’s all we really do in the off season.

We're Back

September Newsletter

For all you Newsletter Diehards out there (Pete Campbell, Darrel Holmes, Chizzle) I would first like to apologize for my lack of newsletters this summer.  My philosophy is to make adjustments not excuses so I will not state any of the reasons why I was unable to write newsletters during the summer (lack of time, sanity, sleep, original thoughts, migraines, other more important things to do, stomach aches, dance routines, general interest).

But rest assured Grizzlies fans I am back with the nonsense that you have grown accustomed to.  First I would like to begin with some of the serious news and highlights from the 2008 season.  All of us with the Grizzlies would like to thank the fans for the support and making these records possible.

• The Grizzlies finished 17-10 at home with six dramatic finishes in the bottom of the 9th or in extra innings.
• The Grizzlies shattered the All-Time Attendance record with 29,310 fans in '08 breaking the 2002 record of 22,750. (The Grizzlies averaged 1,172 fans per game.)

Grizzlies Signings

Yes, it is true we have signed Bigfoot.  We feel that no matter what he does on the field he will be a distraction to the other team and could prove to be very intimidating.  If the benches clear again like they did against Edenton this past summer, the Grizzlies will have a much-needed advantage.

Yes, it is also true we have signed Eli Benefield to coach again in 2009.  We feel that no matter what he does on the field, he will provide a great photo of him and Bigfoot next to each other (Bigfoot is almost 3 times the size of Benefield).

Also, coming back in 2009 is PA Extraordinaire Brian Rushing.  Recently Brian was voted best PA announcer ever to hold a microphone in the history of Sims Legion Park (Voted by Grizzlies staff).  We expect even more ridiculous play-by-play of on field promotions as well as Wah-hoo’s in '09.  We are also planning some surprises with Brian this year that you do not want to miss.

Chizzle Update

Recently Chizzle took a much-needed vacation back to his hometown of Las Vegas.  After trying to use his Grizzly Bucks for food and gambling Chizzle resorted to the penny slots where he lost his entire life savings (623 pennies).  Completely broke, Chizzle took the streets and began dancing for money.  The response was tremendous and Chizzle has started his own dance crew of Mascots called the JabbaMascots.  Don’t worry fans if the JabbaMascots make it through the live auditions of America’s Best Dance Crew he will still be back in time for Opening Day.

Chris Kupillas Update

After an outstanding summer filled with dancing, singing Bye Bye Bye, posing for numerous pictures with female fans, signing countless autographs and mixing in some baseball, Chris too has jumped on the Entertainment circuit.  His first attempt was “Dancing with the Stars” where it took the producers 5 hours to explain to him that he was not a celebrity.  Next, Chris tried “So You Think You Can Dance” but the judges told him his dancing was not appropriate.  Last I heard Chris made the final cut in “A Shot of Love with Tila Tequila.”  We wish you best of luck and we all know you will be the next Reality TV superstar.

As for me…I just got back from vacation back in Boston.  It was a nice vacation filled with Red Sox games, beaches and some golf.  Overall, I was able to reflect on the crazy season that we had in 2008.

Now I am back in the office with Assistant GM Jamie Curtis and I am having serious withdrawals from the season.  Everyday I walk out and sit in the Dunk Tank for 20 minutes reminiscing about the 865 times I was dunked this summer.  Almost like clockwork as I am about to get out, Jamie runs over and dunks me for old time sake.

I am still on an “Only Concession Food Diet” consisting of Donut Burgers, Philly Cheese steaks, Burgers and dare I say, hot dogs.  Yes after the hot dog eating contest it took me a month to eat another hot dog but now I am back going strong with 3 dogs a day. 

I still do the Chizzle Shuffle on the field every afternoon and before I go home every night I play the Grizzlies winning song “Good Life” on our PA System. 

These next 275 days until Opening Day are going to be tough but I know I will make it.  The video for the 2008 season is almost done now and should help ease the pain but until then in the words of Brian Rushing “Lets Go Griz, Wahoo!”

Thank You Fans

July Newsletter

 I want to thank all 3355 fans that came out on Thursday July 3rd making it the biggest night in Grizzlies history.  You all helped break the franchise record for attendance that was set on May 30, 2003. 

 It was a special night and the Grizzlies topped it off with a 9-5 win over our rival, the Forest City Owls.  There were other records set on July 3rd and I think it is only fitting to details those: 

1) 41 Dunks: During Dunk the GM inning I was dunked 41 times, breaking the previous record of 39 set on Friday June 13th.  (For the record I had water stuck in my ear for the next 3 days)

2) 76 Donut Burgers Sold, beating the previous record of 68 on Thursday June 26th when Phil Gardner wrote an article about it in the Gaston Gazette.  (Note: Bryant Lopez ate 3 including 1 during the 3rd inning.)

3) 3 Heart Attacks caused by Donut Burgers beating the previous record set on opening night of 2 (Remember our slogan fans: It’s Heart Stoppingly Delicious)

4) 9 Wahoo’s:  Brian Rushing (PA Announcer) set the record for most Wahoo’s during a Grizzlies game (A new ritual he does after every Grizzlies run)

5) Chizzle continued his Mascot race losing streak…now at 13

6) 2: The Number of ladies excited by Chris Kupillas’ on field dance, beating his previous record of 1, set on June 16th, coincidently the same night his girlfriend was in town.

7) 2,624: Number of Ooh’s and Aah’s from the fans as the Fireworks went off, beating the previous record set by Chizzle during his first photo shoot with his shirt off on June 2nd (Though the rumor was the oohs and aahs may be been confused with boo’s)

8) 1234, autographs signed by Grizzlies players.

 Home Sweet Home        

The Grizzlies have won 8 out of the last 9 home games.  I think the reason for the winning streak is simple…Opponents awe and admiration of our field, scoreboard, players, players’ girlfriends, players’ dancing skills, me, on field promotions, Chizzle’s strength, our donut burgers, the non-stop music in our beer garden, our crazy PA Announcer, me, the overwhelming feelings of desire to play for the Grizzlies, Fear of Ian Waldron who most people believe could go off at any moment, and last but not least the desire to be like Eli Benefield. 

As a general manager I take the pride in how the team performs on the field.  As the season has gone on I have realized that team cannot win on the road.  I spent many long nights thinking about why the team could not win on the road. On July 2nd at 4 A.M. as I lay on the pitchers mound it hit me…the sprinkler system was set for 4:01.  As I ran from the field soaking wet and screaming I had an epiphany: the team must miss me and my fearless leadership on the road and that is why we cannot win a game.   

So as I now stood on the roof dripping wet I vowed from henceforth homesickness and dare I say, Jesse sickness would not be responsible for another loss on the road.  I quickly ran home grabbed my back pack, toothbrush, shower radio, drain-o, passport, George foreman grille, gameboy, my lucky pencil, Dr Seuss “All the places you will go” and 3 Where’s Waldo books.  I was ready to go, however as I arrived at the bus I realized I was still in my wet clothes and failed to grab any dry clothes or my wallet, my cell phone or my 3 ring binder.  I was in trouble but I knew my presence would lift the team to stardom.  

Unfortunately the team failed to perform once again and I was thrown out of Wilson and Fayetteville by security for taunting and berating my own players.  I managed to find trees to climb and watch the games and I realized that they were trying to impress me so much that they actually performed worse. 

I thought it over and I decided that I still should travel with the team but without their knowledge of my doing so.  I will be the Grizzlies greatest fan just in disguise… 

Now I’m off to prepare some disguises for our next road trip.  Let me just say this, our road woe’s are over! Fear the Griz!

The Curse of the May Newsletter

May Newsletter

I have been told that I have cursed the team because of my inability to write a May newsletter, so I'd like to apologize to the players, coaches, the fans and most importantly Chizzle.

I hope in writing this today on June 4th, that the Grizzlies will get out of their funk and win their first game.  If not I vow to spend one entire game in June in the freezing dunk tank, while wearing a Forest City Owls shirt.

While on the subject of the Dunk Tank, on Opening Night I was dunked 13 times and 3 times in a row by an 8-year old girl.  I'd ask that all of the grown men and former baseball players that didn't even come close to the target seek the girl prodigy for some pitching lessons.

I will end this Newsletter abruptly to begin a winning séance on the field before the game. We have pulled out all stops to end the winning streak including feeding our players Donut Burgers before the game and even wearing Forest City Owls undershirts to bed. Yesterday, Chizzle burned all of the players bats before practice.  When the players arrived they were left clueless and upset.  We quickly decided to send our interns into the woods behind the park to begin cutting down trees to use for bats.  We had all of them put lightning bolts on the bats and inscribed Wonderboy on them. We have even brought Striker back into the office to end the streak. Surprisingly Striker and Chizzle have become friends and spent the entire day together jumping around in our Bounce House and taking turns in the dunk tank as the other one threw softballs at the bulls eye.  For the record Chizzle dunked Striker 11 times, and Striker failed to dunk Chizzle.

Well I'm off to begin my pregame ritual on the roof at Sims and hope for the best.  Tonight is the Night...Let's Go Griz!

February Newsletter

As pitchers and catchers report to spring training I can’t help but get excited about the upcoming season.

This is the one time during the year that every team believes they will win the World Series.  Even Ryan Dempster predicted a championship this year for the Chicago Cubs of all teams. (People failed to tell him that the Cubs have not won a World Series since 1908).

There are other question marks that fill major league camps this spring.  Will the rookies be able to step it up? Are some of the veterans over the hill? And will the bullpen hold up throughout 162 games?

We with the Grizzlies also have numerous questions this spring.  Can we go from last place to first in '08?  Will the Forest City Owls compete at all with us this season? Will coach Eli Benefield finally hit his growth spurt?  Will Striker show up in good shape and be able to pump up the crowd like he did back in 2003? 

As you can tell these are serious concerns. However, I can tell you the Grizzlies have put to rest many of my concerns with the way they have started their college seasons.

• Josh Collazo (Oklahoma Baptist) has hit 6 home runs in his last four games and is batting .391 with 6 HR’s and 26 Rbi’s through 11 games.
• Joey Stevens (Pensacola) is batting .441 with 5 doubles and 9 Rbi’s
• Kyle Koeneman (Walters State) went 8-11 this past weekend with his second home run and 8 Rbi’s.
• Ian Waldron (Arizona Western) won his first game, pitching 6 innings and only allowing 1 run.
• Chad Hunter (Walters State) has 3 home runs and 4 stolen bases to start the year.
• Brent Davis (St. Edwards) pitched 4 shut out innings and struck out 5 in his last outing.

Beginning on February 22nd all of the Grizzlies that play Division 1 will begin their season and we will continue to give you updates on their progress.

In other news, the entire Grizzlies front office staff (Me and Jamie, our Assistant GM) went to a food trade show in Myrtle Beach to make sure only the best food will be served at Sims this summer.

We began the trade show very focused.  Jamie and I went from booth to booth trying out all the different types of ballpark food such as burgers, hot dogs, chicken tenders, french fries and ice cream.  However, I quickly began to lose focus. 

On Tuesday February 12th from 10:00 until 2:00, my wildest dreams were answered.  I was right in the middle of an entire convention center filled with every type of food under the sun.

For the next 4 hours I realized why this is the greatest country in the world and I began devouring anything and everything that came into my line of site.  Steaks, burritos, sesame chicken, portobello mushroom raviolis, grilled chicken breast and fried shrimp didn’t stand a chance.

At 2:00 Jamie slowly wheeled me out of the convention center and we began the ride back to Gastonia.  The four hour eating binge was one of the greatest experiences of my life.  While it left me immobile for 3 days afterwards it was definitely worth it. More importantly we were able to choose some outstanding food and I guarantee to all our fans that our food this summer will be top of the line. 

Next month we will release our 2008 promotional schedule that I’m sure will create some excitement in Gastonia.  We have planned numerous surprises and giveaways that you will not want to miss.  We appreciate all of the votes on the fan poll and I’ll let you know that grizzlies t-shirts, whoopee cushions and bobble heads are running away as favorites for giveaway items this season.  If you have any questions, want to talk baseball or if any females would like to cook me dinner you can email me at jesse@gastoniagrizzlies.com.

I look forward to hearing from you all and can’t wait until the season starts and in true Ryan Dempster form I’d like to predict a Championship for the Grizzlies in 08’. (If anyone would like to call me out on that claim, I will just say that you misheard or misremembered me…Thank you Roger for that logic).

Striker 

           Josh Collazo

             Jesse Cole, GM

January Newsletter

I hope all you crazy Grizzly fans out there had a tremendous holiday and New Year.  All of us here in the office are real excited about what this New Year will bring for the Grizzlies. 

Many people often ask with the season taking place during the summer, what do you do during the off season?

Well for the first time ever, I’ll give you a sneak peek into the life of a GM, detailing a typical day this January.

Midnight-4:00AM:  Prepare myself for break in of Forest City Owls office.  I quickly get dressed as a custodian with fake mustache and glasses.  At 1:00 AM, I break into the office and install bugging devices on every phone and underneath their desk lamp. I then place Grizzly bumper stickers all over the office that say, “Fear the Grizz!” 

4:15: Bedtime

7:00: Wake up on home plate at Sims Legion Park, immediately get up and take vicious air swings and hit a monstrous game winning homerun. Circle the bases yelling “The Grizz Wins!”

7:01: Headfirst slide into home plate, and yell “Fear the Grizz Baby!”

7:02-7:17: Catch breath in dugout after being winded from the celebration.

7:18 Eat 4 hot dogs and 3 boxes of cracker jacks and wash it down with a blue slushy.

7:20: Put on Full Grizzlies uniform including eye black, stirrups, batting gloves and a helmet.

7:25: Batting Practice on the field, done by flipping the ball to myself in the air.

8:00-10:00: Nap in the dugout.

10:05: Prank call Forest City Owls GM, James Wolfe, by yelling into phone “Fear the Grizz! Grizz Gonna Get Ya!

10:06: Sit in the office and reflect how making a prank call using my organization’s name is not the smartest move I could have made.

10:10: Call back Forest City GM, James Wolfe with tape recorder rolling.  Phone call did not go as planned. During the first 2 minutes I deny the accusations and blame everything on our mascot Striker.  However, James saw right through my denials and I was forced to confess.  I broke down into tears and said to James “What do you want me to do James? I’ll go to jail. Tell me what you want me to do? James said “I want you to tell the truth" and then hung up on me.

10:10: Try to set up an interview with Mike Wallace on 60 minutes. He does not return my calls.  Instead I fine myself $5 and suspend myself for the rest of afternoon and issue a press release saying that the suspension was hasty and unfair and that I would appeal it through the proper channels.

10:15: Win appeal with myself; begin work feeling refreshed and vindicated that my name had been cleared.

10:30: Feeling so good about myself I challenge Striker to a race around the bases.  However, my self-confidence is quickly brought down as I lose to Striker by a stride, making me the first person to ever lose to Striker in a mascot race.

10:30: Spend an hour designing the first ever General Manager Rookie Baseball Card.  It doesn’t come out the way I hope.

11:00: Practice the wave with Striker in the main grandstand.

11:15:  Typical lunch which includes cotton candy, 2 ice cream bars, bucket of popcorn, 3 double cheeseburgers, 3 hot dogs, nachos, chicken fingers and a basket of fries.

11:30-1:00: Pass out in concession stand from sugar induced coma.

1:30: Put on Sumo Wrestling Suit and challenge Assistant GM, Jamie Curtis to a duel.  I am knocked down within 5 seconds and declared a loser by Striker who was our referee for the contest. 

1:45: Prank Call Forest City GM, James Wolfe, saying “Grizz Gonna Get Ya!”

2:00: Begin calling around the league to make trades, all of my calls are screened.

2:15: Hold Press Conference announcing my hiring as new GM of the Gastonia Grizzlies. This is the 23rd time I have held this press conference and each time only one person from the press has showed up. I would just like to thank 9-year-old Mike Donoghue from Woodhill Elementary School for coming.

2:30: Plan next “recruiting” vacation, to Puerto Rico to bring in some top talent to Gastonia this summer.

3:00: Begin calls to local business selling advertising in the ballpark.  Begin every phone call with “Grizz gonna get ya….. to advertise in our ballpark.”  However, I am hung up on every time before I get to the part about advertising.

4:00: Police show up to investigate possible prank calls originating from Grizzlies office.  I immediately blame it all on Striker so he would take the fall.  He is taken away in a bear trap and brought into custody (The local zoo).

5:00: Striker arrives back at the ballpark after police realize he is not an actual grizzly bear and he actually has to be home for curfew. To make amends with Striker I provide him 4 pounds of Honey and 3 Donuts.

5:30: Dress up as the Thomasville Hi-Toms Mascot and begin preparations to break into their office. 

As you can tell, we here with the Grizzlies are taking this season very seriously.  We are trying to find every edge and advantage to become not only the best team in the Coastal Plain League but in all of America and Panama.   

Recruiting

Like I mentioned briefly in my day in the life section, recruiting is a big part of what we do with the Grizzlies.

This year we developed an all-new recruiting strategy of bringing in new and exciting players from all over the country.  The strategy was hatched when I took a well deserved all expense paid vacation (on company credit card) after my first week with the Grizzlies.

Shortly after arriving in Hawaii, I noticed a young man throwing baseballs into the ocean.  His name was Chester Wilson, and while his yelling after each throw was a little weird, the kid had a cannon for an arm.  I quickly walked over to him and found that he has trained this way for years.  I pulled out a contract and signed him on the spot. 

Later, as I lounged on a hammock between two palm trees, I knew that I could enjoy many more all expense paid vacations by employing this new recruiting “strategy.”

Soon after, I made trips to Miami, Texas, Iowa, Missouri, Washington, and Arkansas and signed some solid players including, Josh Collazo, Joey Stevens, Mark Cohoon, Bryant Lopez, Ian Waldron and Derek Ward.

Upcoming trips include Montana, Las Angeles, Canada and Japan.  Hey, I’ll go wherever the talent is.

Trade Talks

Along with recruiting, making trades is a very important part of the business.  However, so far this off-season I have been coming up short in my efforts to trade for some top talent. 

I have contacted the Braves to help in their youth movement by offering 4 interns from last season for John Smoltz, however they have not returned my calls.

We are also in the process of working out a blockbuster trade with the Forest City Owls.  At this point we have offered Striker, 2 Grizzly baseballs, our Assistant GM, Jamie Curtis and the snow cone machine for their All-Star pitcher.  However, Forest City’s GM, James Wolfe is not interested.  I am still hopeful a deal can be reached and I might be willing to throw in a free pitching lesson as well as do James Wolfe’s laundry for the next month to make sure a deal gets done.

On a personal level, I really need a new plasma screen TV for my bedroom so I have offered an intriguing deal to Best Buy in Gastonia that includes the new voice of the Grizzlies, Brian Rushing, Assistant Coach Alan Sandburg, the brand new pitching machine and 2 Fungos.  At this time, Best Buy has not responded to my offer.

New Years Resolutions

• Set realistic goals and expectations for the team.
• Become the greatest team and organization in the history of the universe (Anything less is unacceptable)
• Sell out opening night May 28th vs. Martinsville Mustangs
• Kidnap Forest City Owl and convert him to a Grizzly fan.
• For Striker not to appear in the Fox hit show “When Wild Animals Attack.”
• After this years “Win a Date with a Grizzly Promotion,” for Coach Benefield not to get dumped at the end of the night, but rather finally meet the woman of his dreams.
• To set the World Record for the longest wave at a baseball game, even if this means that I have to go from seat to seat to keep it going.
• Have the most fun, enjoyable and exciting season that the Grizzlies have ever had.

I appreciate all of the fan mail from the last newsletter.  However, none of the questions were related to baseball.  We are not experts in grizzly bears.  Mike Coyle, I would recommend that you contact the animal control about the grizzly bear that you saw in your backyard.  Remember fans we are not equipped to answer general bear questions or bear safety questions.  However, if you have any sports related questions about our team please email me at jesse@gastoniagrizzlies.com.  I look forward to hearing from you all and can’t wait to see you opening night on May 28th.

           Jesse Cole, GM

          "Fear the Grizz!"

  9 year old Mike Donoghue

              James Wolfe

            Forest City GM

November Newsletter

What a tremendous battle this is shaping up to be; An Owl versus a Grizzly Bear! My early prediction: The Grizzlies sweep the Owls in 2008.

In other news:
We have some big surprises coming up in December.  Let me just say, big signings (I don’t want to give anything away, but the all time home run king might end up playing in Gastonia this summer).  Hopefully that will hold you over for the next couple of weeks.

We also would like to announce some of the promotions we have already planned for the season. On our final home game, Diamond World will give us a diamond ring to bury in the infield dirt and all of the fans will have an opportunity to Dig for the Diamond and win a brand new diamond ring.  We expect numerous women and desperate men dueling it out for this beautiful ring.  We are anticipating players, coaches, umpires and mascots will partake as well.  My money is on Coach Benefield, while not the most athletic guy in the world, he is the quite the scrapper.

Jesse Cole, GM