Baseball Teams And American League

Fielders season ticket holder: Refund me, Costner

Jason Kern and a friend chipped in $1,800 each to buy six Lake County Fielders season tickets for this year under the belief they’d be watching teams competing in the independent North American Baseball League.

But now that the Fielders begin a final, long homestand with a semiprofessional team from Kenosha on Wednesday night, Kern contends the product promised to him has yet to be delivered. He said he’s trying to obtain a refund.

“I’m not spending $1,800 a year to watch a semipro game,” Kern said Tuesday. “It’s not professional ball.”

Actor Kevin Costner is touted as a Fielders co-owner, with his image on pocket schedules and the team’s website since the 2010 inaugural season. Kern said Costner should step up and address the team’s woes.

“Costner is somewhat responsible,” said Kern, adding he’d welcome the actor’s signature on a refund check.

Publicist Arnold Robinson has refused to make the “Field of Dreams” star available to address the controversy that’s been enveloping the Lake County team.

Last week, the Fielders suddenly canceled a final road trip to play Na Koa Ikaika Maui. That led to an announcement that the Maui team wouldn’t come to Lake County to play a series at Zion’s unfinished ballpark at Route 173 and Green Bay Road this week.

Rather than Maui, the beleaguered Fielders are to host the semipro Kenosha Kings at Zion’s ballpark for games Wednesday through Aug. 23. Lake County enters the game amid a dispute over $185,000 in stadium rent owed to Zion.

“Both ballclubs and their fans are excited about the upcoming games,” Fielders spokesman Bernie DiMeo said. “This is akin to the old-time minor leagues — local town ball, with each community having bragging rights at the end of every game.”

DiMeo said the Kings will substitute for the Yuma Scorpions and Edmonton Capitals if those North American League teams choose not to visit Lake County for the Fielders’ home schedule that ends Sept. 5.

Managed by controversial former major league slugger Jose Canseco, the Scorpions are to travel from Arizona and follow the Kings with six games against the Fielders. Edmonton has a seven-game series with the Fielders to end the season in Zion.

Kern, 38, of Waukegan, said he bought the Fielders season tickets because he enjoys independent and minor-league baseball. He said part of the draw was the stadium where fans were told the team would play.

Former West Delaware prep pitches baseball team to national title ...

Thank you to Jackie Mormann, mother of former West Delaware pitcher Mitch Mormann, for contributing this story to us.

Mormann’s Gem Clinches NBC Title

Mitch Mormann, former West Delaware student athlete and son of Randy and Jackie Mormann, spent the summer in Santa Barbara California, playing baseball in the California Collegiate League, where he was a member of the Santa Barbara Foresters.  The Foresters earned a birth in the National Baseball Congress World Series, which was held in Wichita, KS.  On July 31

“This was the best performance of the summer for me, I wouldn’t argue that,” said Mormann, who is entering his senior season at Wichita State. “I felt like I had really good stuff the whole game and I was able to pound the strike zone repeatedly. “It was fun to come out and pitch well in front of these fans. I’m sure a lot of them were (Wichita State) Shocker fans. It was very special for me.”

Mormann only needed 74 pitches to get into the eighth inning, all the while nursing a 1-0 lead that came Santa Barbara’s way in the first inning.  It was all Santa Barbara would get off of eight Oilers pitchers, who threw one inning apiece. It was all Mormann would need to secure the win.

“He was unbelievable tonight,” said right-fielder Joe Wallace.  “Mitch was locked in and we knew if we could play solid defense behind him, that he had the stuff out there to shut them down.”

And shut them down he did. Mormann only allowed one base runner to reach third in his seven innings. He allowed only three singles and a double while striking out four and issuing one walk in his seven innings.

“Early on I was just pounding a lot of fastballs and mixing them in and out to the hitters,” Mormann said. “Then later in the game I came with more sliders and changeups, which really had them off balance, and that really helped me out.

The Foresters went through this year’s NBC World Series without a loss. They won all seven games they played, for their third World Series title and first since 2008. Three of the victories were shutouts.

“It’s crushing,” said Dennis Machado, head coach of the Oilers, “You put in a year’s worth of work into this roster and into this team and you grind out an Alaska Baseball league season.  To come up one run short from being the last team standing, it’s tough.  Their guy (Mormann) was tough.  He threw 93 to 97 mph.  You tip your cap to him.

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