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25 SUMMER 2023 Over the past 30 years, the Winnipeg Goldeyes have been the benchmark for other professional baseball franchises. Not only have they survived, they've thrived since returning to the Northern League in 1994. WINNIPEG GOLDEYES BY TODD LEWYS In the world of professional baseball, franchises come and go. So much so that as one franchise is starting up, another one (or two) might well be shutting down at the very same time. Suffice it to say when a professional franchise celebrates three decades in operation, it's a rarity. Over the past 30 years, the Winnipeg Goldeyes have been the benchmark for other professional baseball franchises. Not only have they survived, they've thrived since returning to the Northern League in 1994. Andrew Collier, the Goldeyes' general manager, says sound business practices have served as the foundation of the club's staying power. "It all starts at the top," says Collier, who's served as the Goldeyes' GM since 2002 and has been with the team since early in the 1994 season. "Our owner, Sam Katz, has a simple philosophy: he hires good people and then lets them do their job." If any one quality defines the Gold- eyes, it's continuity. Over their proud 30-year history, they've had two general managers (John Hindle and Collier) and just four managers: Doug Simunic (1995-95), Hal Lanier (1996-2005), Rick Forney (2006- 22) and now Greg Tagert, the former longtime manager of the Gary South- Shore RailCats. CONTINUED ON PAGE 26 SUBMITTED PHOTO

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