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26 SUMMER 2023 WINNIPEG GOLDEYES There hasn't been much turnover in staff either, he adds. "Not only have we had outstanding man- agers, but we've enjoyed great continuity in the office, with many people having been with us for over 20 years. That's a real plus." The next ingredient in the Goldeyes' recipe for success has been a commitment to providing patrons with a quality product. "We're well aware that people are spending their hard-earned money with us, so we strive to not only provide the best possible on-field product, but we also want to provide on-field entertainment, and food and beverages at a reasonable price," Collier says. "We want to provide people with fun, affordable family entertainment." That said, the whole experience starts with the on-field product. After all, people won't come out to watch if a team isn't competitive and fun to watch. Consequently, the field managers have always worked tirelessly to source the best players available, whether playing in the Northern League (1994-2010) or American Association (2011-present). "As the years have gone by, things have changed dramatically — it's become more challenging to source good players. Back in the early days, players might have got- ten five calls to play for different teams. Now, they might get 100, so it's a tough job for us and our field managers to field a good team." Yet, the Goldeyes — who won the Northern League championship in 1994 and captured the American Association championship in 2012, 2016 and 2017 — do that pretty much every year. Collier says there are two reasons why the club has been able to field a competi- tive squad year after year. "As much as we look for good play- ers, we look for players who are also good people," he says. "A great example of that is Reggie Abercrombie, whose number we'll be retiring as part of our 30th anniversary celebrations on Aug. 11. Not only was he great on the field, but he never said no to an appearance, signing autographs or running a baseball camp. He knew people bought the tickets and he wanted to give back." At the same time, Goldeyes' manage- ment also does everything in their power to make players comfortable. "They are often coming to a new country or, at the very least, a new city. We help players with paperwork, find them places to live and help them get familiarized with the city. We do that so the only thing they need to worry about is playing good base- ball and winning championships. These days, players want to play in a place where winning, not development, is important." Goldeyes fans appreciate that major league mindset, says Collier. "Our fans know the priority here is to win. And who knows — they could be see- ing the next Jeff Zimmerman, George Sher- rill or Brian Myrow. You never know. You might see a player you watched here play in Fenway Park someday." Most importantly, the Goldeyes always strive to keep things fresh and give back to the community. "We always have new and exciting pro- mos and even did a rebrand last year with the team logo and uniforms," he says. "We also have the Field of Dreams Foundation, which has distributed close to $3 million to children's charities since 1995. Our goal is to always listen to our fans, look after them and provide them with the best entertain- ment experience possible." ■ Andrew Collier, the Goldeyes' general manager. PHOTO BY DARCY FINLEY CONTINUED FROM PAGE 25 "As much as we look for good players, we look for players who are also good people." – Andrew Collier, the Goldeyes' general manager

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