Baseball in Fort Wayne

Archive for October, 2008

Former Fort Wayne Wizards Pitcher Now Helps Youth to Achieve Their Dreams as Founder of 1Dream Foundation

Tom Mott was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the fourth round of the 1994 Amateur Draft as the 99th overall selection. In 2005, he went 13-4 with a 4.03 ERA in 25 games with the Wizards; all of them as a starter. He struck out 64 while walking 48 over 129.2 innings pitched.

His performance was often that of a number one starter after having been pegged as the Wizards’ number four coming out of Spring Training. It was also good enough to earn him a spot on the Midwest League All-Star Team that year, alongside fellow Wizards, Jake Patterson and Corey Koskie. Mott was also recently selected as a member of the All-Time Wizards Team.

While 1995 was a bright spot in his career, Mott appeared in just 34 games over the next 3 years and never apeared higher than Double-A ball as he battled arm/elbow injuries. By 1999, he was out of baseball.

After his playing days, he went on to coach youth basketball and spent one season as an assistant coach with the Miami Tropics basketball organization. Most recently, he founded the 1Dream Foundation that is aimed at helping underprivileged international teens to use basketball as a means for getting into U.S. schools and college.

Mott was recently kind enough to take “3 Strikes” from me and is the very first in what I hope will become a recurring segment here at Baseball in Fort Wayne. So, without further ado . . .

Tell me about your favorite memories of playing in Fort Wayne.

There were many great memories during my season in Fort Wayne.  The memories began with an 18-inning marathon game to open the season in 30 degree weather.  I didn’t pitch that night, so I nearly froze to death in the dugout for 5+ hours.  I think my first official outing as a Wizard was on the road in Battle Creek.  The night before our game was snowed out, and so we played a doubleheader in the freezing cold with piles of snow connecting the field to the stands. 
 
As the season progressed I had some great run support and put together some wins and was selected for the MWL All Star Game at West Michigan.  That was quite an honor and a lot of fun.  Memories at Memorial Stadium included pitching on the same night that Jeff Gordon came to town.  He threw out the first pitch and I was amazed at how short he was.  Being a California kid, NASCAR wasn’t in my blood and I honestly didn’t even know who he was at the time.  But looking back now at the career that he has had, I was honored to share the mound with him. 
 
I had a great time in Fort Wayne… it was the best place that I played during my career.  We had a great group of guys that really enjoyed being at the ballpark every day.  

Have you heard about the Wizards renaming the team to the Fort Wayne TinCaps (in honor of Johnny Appleseed)? Any thoughts on that?

I just heard about the change in the name and it is a little bit of a disappointment probably for anyone that has ever donned a Wizards uniform but probably a very good business decision for the front office of the team as they move into the new park and try and establish a new identity.  For me the name Wizards and Fort Wayne will always be linked together and I still vividly remember the “Amazing Baseball” slogan that was a constant during my tenure in Fort Wayne.  TinCaps will definately take some getting used to..

Tell me more about the 1 Dream Foundation and how others can be involved.

The 1 Dream Foundation is a non-profit organization that I started about 18 months ago.  It helps provide educational opportunities to disadvantaged students from throughout the world.  Currently our focus is just on basketball playing students, but hopefully in the years to come we can attract students from various sports. 

My desire to help the less fortunate actually began during my career with the Minnesota Twins.  As with all Major League Baseball teams, players from Latin America are very well represented yet are often ill prepared socially for life in America.  I made it a point during my career to actively try and help these young players by showing an interest in their cultures and language and trying to help them adjust to life in America.  There are so many 16 or 17 year old kids that have arrived in the USA with no family, friends or money and I tried to provide them with a little guidance and mentoring. 

So now I’ve just changed focus to doing the same thing with basketball playing kids and it’s been a great endeavor so far.  We spend close to $10,000 per student per year, and donations are our lifeblood so if people want to help they can email me: tmott@1dreamfoundation.com.

Thanks for taking the time to offer your candid thoughts and reflections. Best of luck to you in your future endeavors and thanks for being a part of our history!

[photos are courtesy of Tom Mott]

Be sure to visit tomorrow as post the first of what I am hoping will become a regular feature here at BBIFW. It’s an interview segment I am calling 3 Strikes. Each segment, I will pose three questions to an individual with local baseball ties and include their responses.

Here’s your clue for the first person to step up to the plate:

He’s a pitcher from the 1995 Wizards’ squad and was recently named to the All-Time Wizards team. Should be an easy one if you know where to look. Either way, visit here tomorrow for his thoughts on baseball in Fort Wayne, the TinCaps and what he’s doing today!

Please indulge me for a moment. I don’t make it a regular practice to use this blog for offering my opinion. The overall mission of BBIFW is to provide a historical archive of the way it happened and happens. That means honest and true reporting of facts and commentary from others. In a sense, I am an outsider looking in as I provide you with content.

But there are occasions where I am compelled to offer my personal opinion. Most of the time, I can shake the compulsion and go on with life. Then, there are times when I allow my ego to take control and actually convince me that someone might care about my opinon. I guess there is a spark of that in every blogger or we probably wouldn’t be blogging, eh?

Anywho, I first learned of the TinCaps name from an acquaintenance who is totally unassociated with the Wizards/TinCaps and Minor League Baseball. That person did some real digging and found it. The story continues, but it’s not my place to tell it.

My initial reaction was that of utter disgust. I sincerely hoped I was being played for a fool.

To explain why, allow me to backtrack just a bit. When the team naming contest was announced, my first thought was that of fear and aprehension. I mean, this is my local team. This is the team I talk to people about. People who live in the area and people who do not. I really wanted a name I could talk about without concern for corniness.

My second thought – and I am not making this up – was “Dear God, please don’t let it be assocated with Johnny Appleseed.” No disrespect to Mr. Chapman and his legacy, but it doesn’t exactly spell progress and new eras. Not only that, I knew I would have to explain the signifigance to people any time I said the team name.

Again, no disrespect to Chapman. I mean, it’s great that his legacy will be continued through the name, but come on! I’d rather talk baseball than apples.

Now, fast forward to the official announcement.

Again, my reaction was that of disappointment. I really had hoped it would be something other than the TinCaps. But the logo and branding softened the blow. To be honest, I like the logo and I’m excited to see the logos on the uniforms.

But beyond that, I’m excited to sit in Parkview Field at Harrison Square on Opening Day. I’ll enjoy several selections of food on the new menu that was previously unavailable at Memorial Stadium. I’m looking forward to finding the best sections of seating (and there will be many) to view the games. I’m looking forward to seeing the other teams from throughout the Midwest League come in and play on our home field as I try to predict which of them will make it to the Major Leagues. I’m looking forward to watching my children enjoy the atmosphere as I teach them more about baseball and hopefully transfer my love of the game to them – which they will then someday transfer unto my grandchildren. I’m looking forward to witnessing the 2010 MWL All-Star Game. I’ve gone to a MiLB AS game each of the last three years, but this will be the first time I will get to enjoy the full events of the All-Star Game (FanFests, Home Run Derbies, Games, etc.).

There’s a lot of things that I’m looking forward to doing in this new era. And the above is probably just the beginning. But, from what is detailed above, the one thing that is not mentioned is a team name. I really couldn’t care less. I hated the “Wizards” moniker when it first came out. I never was all that fond of it, but again, I couldn’t really care less about the name. It’s the game I care about.

I have no doubt that the Fort Wayne Wizards thought about their options long and hard (contrary to the OPINIONS of many others). I have no doubt they have made a decision that is in good interest and perhaps even with the best of intentions. No matter what name they selected, there would be naysayers. So who really cares about a name? Sure, it upsets me to know there are going to be idiots who never matured beyond the fourth grade who will refer to my local team as “potheads” and think the tin cap is a reference to crazies, but then again, is being fanatical about a sports team all that far off?

So, with that, let’s play ball and all join in cheering on the TinCaps as they set out to usher in one of the most exciting new eras in Northeast Indiana Baseball that this region has ever seen.

Go TinCaps!

I cannot believe the number of headlines and opinions that have been circulating about the renaming of the Fort Wayne Wizards to the Fort Wayne TinCaps. I have attempted to categorize and present (many of) them here.

Discussion on Reation to the Fort Wayne TinCaps Name:

• Fort Wayne TinCaps!
  [LIKES] (Baseball Think Factory)
• Johnny Appleseed Would Be Ashamed 
  [DISLIKES] (ScLoHo’s Really?)
• TinCaps
  [DISLIKES] (Ann’Re @ Home)
• The Something Aweful Forums
  [MIXED]
• TinCaps? Quirky, Yes, But Not Loving It – Yet
  [Willing to Give it a Chance] (News Sentinel)
• Fort Wayne Tin Caps Are You Serious?
  [Not Real Thrilled] (Decatur Indiana Community)
• Fort Wayne TinCaps
  [Not Real Thrilled] (Goateed Librarian)
• The TINCAPS???!!! God save us from Atlanta ad agencies 
  [ABSOLUTELY HATES] (Common Sensibilities) 
• TinCap Reaction
  (Rattler Radio - first to complain about capitalization!)
• TinCaps Not a Big Hit Right Off the Bat, But the Team Hopes it Will Grow on You
  (IndianasNewsCenter – longest headline award)
• TinCaps? Just Give it Some Time
  (Journal Gazette)
• Fomerly the Fort Wayne Wizards
  [Starting to Like] (My Two Cents Worth)
• The Fort Wayne Potheads
  [Not Real Fond) (Danno’s Dangerous Mind)

Discussion About TinCaps Mascots, Logos and Branding

• What’s Your TinCaps Mascot Idea?
  (WhatsGoingDownTown)
• Why Am I Thinking of a B-52′s Lyric?
  (Rattler Radio)
• Fans Weigh in on New Team Name
  (WANE TV)
• Tin Caps Story
  (Rattler Radio)
• Team Name Reactions from 16 Years Ago
  (WhatsGoingDownTown)
• Much Thought Went Into Team’s New Name
  (News Sentinel)

Discussion Announcing the Wizards Name Change to TinCaps

• Wizards Rename Selves TinCaps: It’s a Johnny Appleseed Reference 
  (Journal Gazette)
• Fort Wayne Dons TinCaps
  (Minor League Baseball)
• What’s a TinCap?
  (Friar John’s Blog)
• Fort Wayne No Longer Wizards
  (MadFriars)
• TinCaps New Name of Baseball Team
  (KPC News)
• Fort Wayne TinCaps Unveiled
  (OurSportsCentral)
• Wizards Becoeem TinCaps
  (Topix – Lots of Comments)
• FW Wizards Become “Tin Caps”
  (Annunciations)
• TinCaps to Take the Field
  (Journal Gazette)
• Fort Wayne Team Becomes TinCaps
  (eTruth)
• FW Minor League Team Changes Nickname to TinCaps
  (WTHI TV Terre Haute)
• Fort Wayne Gets a New Name
  (MLB Hub)
• Fort Wayne Gets a New Name
  (Planet Padres)
   

Discussion of Tin Cap and Johnny Appleseed Historical Relevance:

• The John Chapman Brand
  (Fort Wayne Observed)
• Controversy Surrounds TinCaps
  (WANE TV)
• New Baseball Team Name a Nod to Johnny Appleseed 
  (News Sentinel)
• Picking a Name Out of History
  (Journal Gazette)

Big Hat Tips to Angry White Boy (who despises the name) and the Spaulding’s at WGDT who reported the name well before the announcement. Props to Stephen at AroundFortWayne who has posted video and photos along with his analysis.

Additional information according to Greater Fort Wayne Business Weekly:

The team’s new colors are red, brown and green. A mascot and uniforms, hats and other merchandise have not been designed yet, Freier said. An alternative logo depicting the letters “FW,” for Fort Wayne that potentially will be used on player caps, also was unveiled.

Freier said the colors and apple theme reflect the team’s goal to create a park-like atmosphere at the stadium. While the name was selected before the team inked its deal with Parkview Health for the stadium’s naming rights, Freier said he was pleased the name fits with the health care provider’s sponsorship of the stadium.

Commentary found on The AdamSaurasRex:

Here’s the new name and logo of the former Fort Wayne Wizards baseball team. I think the type could really use some adjustment, but I have to say I really like the little apple guy. My first thought … it’s going to make an awesome hat!

Special thanks to Stephen at AroundFortWayneBlog for getting me the logos slick since I could not be present for the press conference.

After more than 2,500 suggestions from the community and the scrutiny of Minor League Baseball on the finalists that were submitted, the Fort Wayne Wizards have a new name.Fort Wayne Tin Caps.

Moving forward, the team will be called the Fort Wayne Tin Caps

The name was unveiled earlier during a press conference today. H/T to Brian at WhatsGoingDown(Town) for passing along the web link.

WANE-TV is reporting that: