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DL newspaper article
April 15, 2007 --
Angels resurrected
Brian Wierima DL-Online
Published Saturday, April 14, 2007
Simply put, amateur baseball is back in Detroit Lakes.
That will be more than evident Saturday, May 5, when the new version of the DL Angels take to Washington Ballpark for the first time since 1998, as they host the Fargo Mets for a 4 p.m. tilt.
The Angels — which folded their wings after the 1998 season — were resurrected with some work by local baseball enthusiasts in time for the 2007 season.
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For the past eight years, there were plenty of DL natives playing amateur baseball on area teams, more than enough to put together a solid diamond squad.
With the roster reaching 20 players, a dozen of them are native to Detroit Lakes. The rest are transplants who have resided in the community for several years now.
So being a home-grown team is a benefit for the Angels — who also have a good blend of veterans and young up-and-coming players.
“Everyone, but one player, on the team is living in DL,” said player/manager Phil Kirchner, who was one of the integral people to bring back the Angels. “We are focused — but not limited — on bringing in players from DL. We have experience in the lineup, one through nine, and we still have some good young players, as well.
“We didn’t need to recruit from outside the DL area.”
There are not many familiarities on this new-generation of Angels from the team which took the field for the last time in 1998.
The halos remain, but the look is much different.
Only one player from that 1998 team returns in Shawn Ohman, who has been helping the Perham Pirates the last eight years as a pitcher.
Even the Angels’ digs — Washington Ballpark — has had a bit of a facelift, with the new concession facility being built this past winter.
In amateur baseball, maintaining that balance of experienced veterans and keeping the infusion of young players on the roster is crucial.
So far, the Angels have that balance.
The oldest player on the team is Ohman at the age of 35, while the youngest is current DLHS senior Kyle Danner, who is 18 years old.
In between is a host of seasoned vets and players who have played on the college level.
With teams playing in their inaugural season, chemistry is always a concern.
Not so with the Angels.
“We have seven players on the roster who have started a state tournament game,” said Angels manager Mark Jorgenson, who has been with the Pirates for some time, as well. “Another thing I like, is we have 10 to 12 players who have played with each other before. So the chemistry is pretty strong from the start.”
Solid one through nine
The Angels come in with a unique situation — they should be contenders in their first year.
Many of the new DL players have played lots in the Hi-10 League, to which the Angels now return.
The majority have been helping the Perham Pirates earn berths in a host of state tournaments, while others are transplants from other area teams.
Every position has experience and depth, with pitching and hitting also being a strong point.
The pitching rotation will be headed by one of the most dominant pitchers in the area in Matt Olson, a 23-year-old righthander.
Olson was one of the Pirates’ aces and will be joined by the crafty veteran Ohman, who gives DL that all-important lefty option.
DLHS 2001 graduate Keith Blattenbauer will be a solid No. 3 option, with former Laker pitchers Max Saarinen (left-hander) and Nick Schroeder providing good depth on the mound.
Josh Hochgraber, a 28-year-old righty, and a Frazee hurler, 21-year-old Bryan Buhr, will also see action on the hill.
“Our pitching should be a strength this year,” Kirchner added.
Mayville State’s starting catcher, Taylor Fuhs (20 years old) will hold down the behind-the-plate duties, providing a good arm and a plethora of experience.
Matt Boeke (28) will be a solid backup to Fuhs during the 26-game schedule.
The first base power position is loaded and led by veteran Terry Haus (33), who will provide good left-handed power at the plate.
Olson also will see time at first, while DLHS graduate Zach Fulmer (19) provides fence-busting ability.
Former Wolf Lake Wolf Pack player and DL native Nick Omberg comes home to hold down the second base position.
“He’s solid fundamentally and is very good on defense,” Kirchner said of Omberg. “He can also shift over to shortstop if need be.”
Schroeder, who plays baseball at Wisconsin-Superior University, will help anchor the shortstop slot, along with DL native Matt Lill (21).
A 1998 graduate from DLHS, Matt Nustad (27) will man the hot corner at third base, along with Ortonville transplant Shawn May (31).
The outfield will be reliable and athletic, along with some young talent.
Kirchner is a solid presence as a former starter for the Pirates with a strong bat, with other vets such as Blattenbauer (24), Noah Johnson (32) and DL graduate Chris Engberg (22). Each possesses good bats and solid gloves.
The young talent which is being infused includes Danner, Ryan Anderson (24) and Buhr (21).
With seasoned talent taking the field starting May 5, both Kirchner and Jorgenson expect the Angels to be in the mix by playoff time.
“There’s been a lot of excitement of bringing baseball back to DL,” Jorgenson said. “Pitching-wise, we’ll have Olson — who is a horse there — leading the way and really just need to worry about our hitting and fielding.
“We have a veteran team with a lot of experience and there doesn’t need to be a lot of teaching involved.”
Jorgenson added Bluffton will be a favorite in the Hi-10, which includes Wadena-Deer Creek, Perham, New York Mills and newly-formed Bertha.
The Countryside League, with which the Hi-10 plays cross-over games, includes perennial power Fergus Falls, Pelican Rapids, Dent, Frazee and Vergas.
The Angels will have 14 home games at Washington Ballpark, including a Fourth of July bonanza against Frazee and an Angels Alumni Game Saturday, July 7.
There will be a steak fry after the season-opener May 5, with a $20 charge, which includes admission to the game, a steak dinner and two drink beverages at The Sandbar.
Returning to Washington Ballpark will also be a benefit for the Angels.
“Our games will be family-oriented in a great ballpark,” Kirchner said. “Our goal is to draw between 200-300 fans. We’ll be having promotional nights, as well.”
Another positive for the Angels was the financial aspect, which has been run by business managers Kim Fuhs and Betty Schroeder.
“The community has been very supportive and we’ve received lots of donations from local businesses,” Kirchner said. “And we also didn’t take any funds away from the youth baseball programs, which was a goal of ours.”
Amateur baseball has been absent too long from Detroit Lakes, but that void in the summer months is now filled with the return of the Angels.
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DL is back
November 29, 2006 --
By BRIAN WIERIMA
brianw@dlnewspapers.com
Detroit Lakes is angelic once again.
After an eight-year hiatus, the DL Angels amateur baseball team is back to play America’s game.
The Hi-10 League accepted the Angels’ re-entrance after a contingent of DL community baseball enthusiasts have been building a plan to bring amateur back to Washington Ballpark in Detroit Lakes.
The reemergence of the Angels was readily accepted by the Hi-10 and was the first step in bringing back Sunday afternoon baseball in the DL area.
“The Hi-10 gladly accepted them,” said League secretary Ron Berns. “We’ve been going in reverse (by losing teams) the last several years, so it’s good to go forward this time.”
The Hi-10 season will start up in late April, with the Angels bringing in a 16-game league schedule and about eight to 10 exhibition games.
The idea of reviving the Angel franchise was not one spawned overnight, but instead one which has been in the works over the course of the last two to three years.
Phil Kirchner, a teacher at Detroit Lakes High School and an avid amateur baseball player the last 13 years, has been one of the individuals to spearhead the reawakening of the Angels.
There have been several factors already in favor of forming the hibernating franchise, one of them the number of players and the other the facility to house home games in Washington Ballpark.
“We have had a quality number of amateur baseball players from Detroit Lakes who have been playing for other area teams,” Kirchner said, who has been playing for the Perham Pirates the last several years. “A town this size should have an amateur baseball team and we already have a great facility to play in.”
Commitment returns to play baseball
When the Angels folded after the summer of 1998, the big reason was the lack of commitment to field a team.
The team had to forfeit several games during the 1998 season due to lack of players, which was frowned upon by the Hi-10 League. Financial factors also played a part as the Angels would head into its dormant stage.
But after a resurgence of baseball talent and interest gained momentum over the course of the last seven to eight years, it just made sense to reform the Angels team.
“More and more (players) are staying around the area in the summer and want to play baseball,” said DLHS graduate, former Laker baseball player and current Legion head coach Keith Blattenbauer. “The older guys around make up a good core and realize from past experience to take it serious.”
The new-look Angels have plenty going for them already.
There will be good quantity and quality players coming from area amateur teams, who are originally from DL and are looking forward to playing at home again.
There are seven to eight DL players alone on the Perham Pirate squad, which has made the state playoffs the last five of seven years. The Vergas Loons have housed three to four DL players, with the Frazee Flames having a couple and the traditionally-tough Wolf Lake Wolf Pack employing a few DL players a year.
Add in some younger players coming from the high school and Legion ranks, numbers shouldn’t be a problem.
Kirchner also pointed out, they will take advantage of the amateur baseball rule of being able to have players on the team from a 25-mile radius.
“We do have a lot of quality players from the DL area, but we will not limit ourselves to just Detroit Lakes and will hopefully draw some players from the 25-mile radius,” Kirchner included.
The one downside of the Angels reforming is the fact the other league teams — which includes the Countryside League — will be affected by the outgoing players to join DL.
“That was a concern because it will hurt teams such as Perham, which could lose almost half their lineup,” Berns said. “We don’t want this to force teams such as Frazee and Vergas to fold. (Hopefully) these teams can go out and find talent from other levels.”
The Angels do have some tradition, as well. The old team made the state playoffs two years in a row during the early 1990s and placed high in each appearance.
Kirchner hopes to recapture that lightning in a bottle and that’s why it was decided to go with the Angels’ name and logo once again.
The next hurdle in front of the franchise is the financial aspect. That challenge is being headed by DL’s Kim Fuhs and Betty Schroeder, who each have sons who have played in the Laker and Legion baseball system and are expected to be contributors for the Angels.
With the premise of the Angels not only playing on the amateur level, but to help promote youth baseball in DL — Fuhs said they are not soliciting funds which would take from youth baseball.
“We don’t want a business to donate to (the Angels) and quit helping the youth baseball programs,” Fuhs said. “We don’t even want them to split it. If they are already donating to youth baseball, we don’t want to take that away. We don’t want to interfere with the youth baseball funding.”
Kirchner is even hoping to promote youth baseball by scheduling kids’ bats day or ball day during some home games this summer.
To help raise monies for the Angels, they are offering banners on the outfield fences and on the scoreboard. Another fundraising tool will be to sell advertising on programs which will be handed out during games.
“We are also planning on an alumni game, which will feature players from the state 1992 and 1993 teams to face the current Angels team,” Fuhs included.
The main expenditures this coming year will be to purchase new uniforms and the second being equipment.
“We are basically starting from scratch,” Fuhs said.
Umpire fees is one of the few annual costs and can run near the $1,200 mark. To offset that cost, a minimal fee for adults will be charged to get into games.
There are plans also in the works to build a new concession area at Washington Ballpark.
Separating on-field and off-field jobs
As is the usual for most amateur baseball teams, the manager is normally a player — thus creating too many titles and jobs for one person.
The Angels will be more departmentalized than most teams, which is an advantage.
Mark Jorgenson, who has a bevy of experience in amateur baseball and holds an associated scout title with the Los Angeles Dodgers, will be taking over the manager duties.
He will be in charge of scheduling, arranging umpires and many of the off-the-field responsibilities. Jorgenson has been successful in the Pirate organization.
“It’s good to separate the manager from being a player,” Kirchner said. “He has great experience in baseball. He’s a great advocate of the sport.”
The idea of letting the players just play baseball is a huge attraction, said Blattenbauer, who knows what it takes to be in charge of just about everything as a Legion head coach.
“That’s just huge, it takes the pressure off the players,” he said. “One guy can do only so much. It takes a lot of time to run one team and all of these people are volunteers.
“It will be great to put the cleats back on and play on your home field again. I’ve played here all my life, so it will be fun to get back in the swing of things.”
The team will have a committee to help run every aspect from business to administration to on-the-field aspects. That leaves fewer concerns for the players, who can concentrate of playing baseball.
The Angels will make the Hi-10 and Countryside Leagues number up to an even 10. Teams in the Hi-10 include Bluffton, New York Mills, Perham and Wadena-Deer Creek. Countryside teams include Vergas, Dent, Pelican Rapids, Fergus Falls and Frazee.
The wings have been re-attached to the Angels’ organization. They start flying come the spring of 2007.
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In the Zone
November 29, 2006 --
The boys are back in town.
At least for the summer anyway.
Some good news was handed down this past week as the Hi-10 League of amateur baseball accepted to allow the Detroit Lakes Angels back in the mix. It’s been over eight years since an Angel team took to the diamond and this coming summer — they will be back.
Not having amateur baseball in DL has been a void and empty feeling since the Angels folded their wings after the 1998 season.
Yes, sure, the Legion and VFW teams supplied some good baseball to fill the gap, but now Washington Ballpark will be used to its fullest this summer.
The Angels will supply the chance for hometown baseball players to stay where they grew up playing. Well over a dozen DL baseball hurlers, batters and fielders had to take their game to surrounding towns and teams.
That will make the transition of being a new team a much easier one for the Angels.
The Perham Pirates were able to string in over half a dozen of quality DL baseball players to help them contend for region titles year after year. The Pirates have made state the last five of seven years.
It will be the Pirates who will take the biggest hit next year, though, with some big sticks and pitchers leaving to help the Angels relaunch.
“Perham has been great to us,” said Phil Kirchner, who was one of the individuals to spearhead the Angels’ comeback and has played for the Pirates for the last seven years. “But we’ve been good for Perham, too. I know a lot of the players who have been playing for other teams really want to play at home again.”
The Angels already have up to 10 commitments from DL players for next year. Some talent returning to grace Washington Ballpark once again include former Lakers Taylor Fuhs, Matt Olson, Chris Engberg, Nick Schroeder, Keith Blattenbauer, Justin Gunderson and Brandon Olson.
I’m sure I will miss some on the list, but the majority the players above mentioned have college experience and were contributors during their Laker years.
Some possible other former Lakers who could don an Angel uniform include Wolf Lake duo Ben Kvidt and Nick Omberg, Justin Johnson of the Frazee Flames and Vergas Loon members Jason Schram and Max Saarinen.
Some wily amateur veterans who will be a solid core of stability include Kirchner, Noah Johnson and probably the lone returning player off the former Angel team — Shawn Ohman.
Kim Fuhs, who is helping head the business aspect of the team and fundraising, said her husband Steve Fuhs was one of the original Angels.
“It will be fun to now see Taylor (her son) play for the Angels,” she added.
The atmosphere at Washington Ballpark for Sunday games is one of the best in the area.
Kirchner hopes to make it a family-oriented atmosphere and make the games fun to watch.
“I’m hoping we can start attracting 200-300 fans,” he said.
Not only will Sunday afternoons not have to be lazy anymore, DL now can attract a state amateur baseball tournament in the future, which attracts thousands of people.
It has been a long process in the works to bring the Angels back — but by the time April comes around, it will be all worth it.
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