County baseball team unveils name
AUGUSTA — Sussex Professional Baseball announced that its new professional baseball team, set to start playing at Skylands Stadium on Memorial Day, May 25, 2015, has a new name, team colors and general manager.
The team will be called The Sussex County Miners and will be led by General Manager Dave Chase, a baseball executive who brings over 35 years of experience to the role.
The team colors are black and bright gold. The Miners’ name and logo pay homage to the area’s past as home to iron and zinc mining. The team logo is the team name interspersed with a miner’s pickaxe and stars adorning the “M.”
“We are thrilled to be unveiling the Sussex County Miners, their team colors and new general manager Dave Chase to baseball fans and the community. Our goal is to offer baseball lovers excitement and a high caliber of competitive play close to home – with lots of wins. Dave Chase is just the man to offer fans a great day out at the baseball park,” said Al Dorso Sr., president of Skylands Stadium and the Miners Ballclub.
Dave Chase said, “Our goal is to create a comfortable, safe environment for multiple generations of families to enjoy the fun and joy of watching live competitive baseball. With this new team, we are laying the foundations for a brilliant future for baseball in Sussex County. It is an honor for me to be the one to steward the Miners as they embark on this exciting mission.”
The Miners are members of the Can-Am Association of Professional Baseball. In its inaugural season, the new Sussex County-based team will play 55 home games starting Memorial Day through Labor Day, plus playoff games at the recently renovated Augusta Skylands Stadium. The Miners also announced their schedule for the 2015 season.
According to a news release from the team, Chase began his professional baseball career as Assistant General Manager of the Savannah Braves, Southern League, Double-A; then to the Memphis Chicks (Montreal Expos) as Office Manager. He returned to the Atlanta Braves organization as General Manager of the Anderson (S.C.) Braves, South Atlantic League, Class A. After two seasons in Anderson, Chase joined Miles Wolff in Durham, N.C. to help lead the Wolff Sports Group with teams in Durham (Bulls), Asheville, N.C., Pulaski, Va. and Utica, N.Y. Wolff acquired Baseball America magazine in the summer of 1982 and Chase assumed the title of Associate Publisher. He later served as publisher and president of Baseball America.
After 17 years at Baseball America, Chase led a project to build a national Minor League Baseball museum, and assumed the role of President/General Manager of the Pacific Coast League Memphis Redbirds (St. Louis Cardinals). With the Redbirds, Chase helped create Major League Baseball's annual Civil Rights Game, earning Chase the Mid-South Sportsman of the Year designation by the Memphis Commercial Appeal. In 2010 Chase was named Commissioner of the college summer league, The Prospect League, and served for 5 seasons.
For more information visit www.skylandsstadium.com.
About Skylands Stadium
Built in 1994, Skylands Stadium is located in the heart of rural Sussex County in Frankford Township, (Augusta) New Jersey. Skylands Stadium LLC Management pur-chased the stadium in 2013, including the 4,200-seat ballpark, a 16,000-square foot all-purpose building and the surrounding 28 acres.
The Stadium has upgraded all concessions, restroom facilities and seating areas, as well as the playing field, club house and locker rooms. A new 5,000-square foot pavilion has been erected down the first base line.