Here’s some Champaign baseball-related news from The News-Gazette:
On January 30th, Mayor Don Gerard’s exploratory committee will begin meeting and discussing the finer points of what it will take to bring a minor league to the Champaign area. Tony Johnston, vice president of Shelby Solutions, a software firm, will head up the committee.
"The idea is to put this team together, an exploratory committee together, to come up with a scope and, for lack of a better term, a best practice for the city on what we think can be successful in a town of Champaign’s size," Johnston said on Monday.
Long time Illinois Baseball fans might remember that Illinois Field was home to the Champaign-Urbana Bandits who had a short-lived stint with the Great Central League in 1994. This time around, there will be a new stadium build most likely.
Some people may remember the Champaign County Colts using Illinois Field in the 90s. Bob Auler was the general manager. They had alot of talented players. The attendance was sparse and there was very little advertising for the team.
Also, no beer sales. That didn’t help.