Author: katiewoods

12-Year MLB veteran named NBC Graduate of the Year

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WICHITA, Kan. – The National Baseball Congress is proud to announce the 2019 NBC Graduate of the Year, Jed Lowrie. The NBC Graduate of the Year Award has been awarded to former NBC players since 1975. Lowrie was born in Salem, Oregon on April 17, 1984 and lived in Salem his entire childhood.

In the summer of 2003, Lowrie played for the NBC affiliated Matsu, AK Minors in the Alaska Baseball League. While playing for Stanford University in 2004, Lowrie was named the PAC-10 Conference Player of the Year. Also in 2004, he won the gold medal at the University World Championship in Tainan City, Taiwan with the United States team.

In 2005, the Boston Red Sox drafted Lowrie as the 45th overall pick in the MLB First-Year Player Draft. The infielder made his MLB debut with the Red Sox on April 15, 2008. He went on to bat .258 with 67 hits and 46 RBIs.

After four years in the majors with Boston, Lowrie was traded to the Houston Astros. After a single subpar year, he joined the Oakland Athletics, where his dominance emerged.

In his two years with the Athletics (2013-14), Lowrie recorded total 300 hits, 80 RBIs, 139 runs and 21 homeruns. The Athletics advanced to the American League Divisional Series in 2013 and America League Wild Card game in 2014.

Lowrie spent the following year with the Astros once again, his numbers suffering due to a torn ligament in his thumb. In November of 2015, Lowrie was traded to the Athletics where he would work his numbers up in the following seasons.

In 2018, Lowrie hit for a .267 average, 159 hits, 23 homeruns, 99 RBIs and 78 runs scored. His performance earned himself a spot on the American League All-Star team in 2018. The Athletics found themselves in the playoffs yet again in 2018, but were eliminated in the American League Wild Card game.

In January of 2019, Lowrie signed a two-year contract with the New York Mets. He has been on
the injury list since the beginning of the season with a knee injury.

In his 12 years in the major leagues, Lowrie has 104 homeruns, 509 RBIs, 1043 hits and a .263
career batting average.

The NBC is proud to add Jed Lowrie to the list of former NBC players who have excelled at the
next level as the NBC Graduate of the Year Award.

The 85th NBC World Series powered by Westar Energy will be played July 27-August 10, with all
games being played at Eck Stadium at Wichita State University. To order tickets, reserve suites and
secure your spot for the NBC World Series, call 316-977-9400.

About NBC: The NBC World Series is the largest and the oldest continuous sporting event in the
United States. This non-profit 501c(3) foundation operates under the supervision of a 15-member
volunteer board of directors. To learn more visit www.nbcbaseball.com.

“Fireball” Jackson headlines 2019 NBC Hall of Fame class

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WICHITA, Kan. – The 85th NBC World Series powered by Westar Energy is proud to announce the 2019 NBC Hall of Fame class of Isaiah “Fireball” Jackson, Steve McFarland, Mike Moore, Mark Potter and Rick Schroeder.

Isaiah “Fireball” Jackson was the highlight of the Kansas State Tournament at Lawrence Stadium in the 1960’s, but a series of armed robbery charges erased his professional baseball dreams. During this time, the Lansing State Penitentiary team was given permission in play in the NBC  Kansas State Tournament. Fireball was voted Most Popular Player at the 1965, 1966 and 1967 tournaments. Fireball’s 55 strikeouts in 34 1/3 innings played set him apart from the rest. While he did sit on the Pittsburg roster for 10 years, he never played in the Major Leagues due to his prison stints. Isaiah “Fireball” Jackson passed away on July 31, 2004.

Steve McFarland’s NBC World Series record alone shows the dominance his teams showed throughout his time coaching teams in the 1970’s – 90’s. While coaching for 21 years (11 as an assistant, 10 as head coach) at his alma mater, California Polytechnic State University, McFarland coached NBC teams Santa Maria Indians (1978-1983) and Anchorage Glacier Pilots (1984-1994). Throughout his 12 appearances to the NBC World Series, he combined for a 56-22 record with two Championships (one with each team), one runner-up finish and five third place finishes. In 1994, he joined the Miami Marlins as a scout/coach in the minor leagues. In 1999, he moved to the Chicago Cubs organization and became a minor league manager. He moved into a scouting role with the Cubs in 2005 and still holds that position.

Mike Moore sits along the best the Liberal Bee Jays have ever produced. The right handed pitcher from Eakley, Oklahoma was a two-time pitcher of the year for the NBC World Series. His performances in 1979 and 1980 earned Liberal a NBC World Series title and a runner-up finish. Moore was later drafted by the Seattle Mariners with the overall number one pick in the 1981 MLB draft. He made his MLB debut one year later on April 11, 1982. After 13 seasons in the MLB, including two trips to the World Series with Oakland, Moore called it a career. He finished his career with a 161-176 record, a 4.39 ERA, a World Series Championship and 2,931 innings pitched.

Mark “Potts” Potter played in 14 straight NBC World Series, starting in 1984 with the Wichita Tigers. Starting in 1986, he played for the Wichita Kountry Tyme Cubs. One year later, he had the opportunity to compete with the Cubs in an International Tournament in Cuba. Despite losing in the finals to Cuba, Potter called it “one of the best experiences of [his] life.” Between 1988-90, Potter would play for three different teams, the last being the Wichita Alumni who he would play seven more years with. Currently, Potter lives with his wife in Cheney, Kan. And is a full time public speaker on mental health and his personal journey with mental health issues.

Rick Schroeder is the ultimate example of commitment to the NBC World Series and the talent it produces. This year marks his 37th consecutive year attending and scouting talent at the NBC World Series. Schroeder became an area scout for the Texas Rangers in 1982, his first year attending the NBC World Series. After 10 years with the Rangers, he began a series of shorter stints for a number of other teams: Houston Astros (1992-97), Anaheim Angels (1998-2000), again with the Rangers (2001-06), Kansas City Royals (2007-10), Chicago Cubs (2011-12). After this, he returned to the Rangers organization, where still serves as a Special Assistant Scout. Some of Schroeder’s most well-known scouter players includes Derek Holland, Danny Duffy, Steve Buchele and Aaron Miles. Schroeder now lives in Phoenix, AZ.

The National Baseball Congress is proud to induct these five men into the NBC Hall of Fame. Not only was their work on the field, dugouts and the stands exceptional, but these men showed what true love with the game of baseball looks like. The Hall of Fame induction will take place at 6 p.m. on Aug. 4.

The 85th NBC World Series powered by Westar Energy will be played July 27-August 10, with all games being played at Eck Stadium at Wichita State University. To order tickets, reserve suites and secure your spot for the NBC World Series, call 316-977-9400.

Kansas A to Z: ‘N’ is for NBC World Series

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WICHITA — While Wichita’s history has been hit or miss when it comes to minor league baseball, there has been one constant through the years that continues to draw crowds.

Thanks to the ingenuity of one local sporting goods salesman, Raymond “Hap” Dumont, baseball fans have been able to look forward to watching highly competitive, semi-professional baseball in the late summer for nearly a century, with Dumont helping organize the first National Baseball Congress World Series (which will crown its 85th champion later this summer) in 1935.

Back when it started, the NBC World Series attracted many barnstorming and town teams, with Dumont able to rope in future Hall of Fame pitcher Satchel Paige for that first tournament. Now, the two-week championship series (starting the last week of July) features mainly collegiate and amateur teams from across the country, giving up-and-coming players a chance to shine in the spotlight — an opportunity not lost on them.

“It’s definitely one of the biggest stages I’ve been on,” said 2018 NBC World Series participant Jace Snodgrass, who played for the Newton Rebels. “For me at least, hearing the crowd and everything when you do anything cool is just awesome and puts a little more momentum on your side for sure. It’s just a great time all-around.”

For some of those collegiate/amateur players showcased in the NBC World Series, the tournament has proven to be a springboard into the pros — with the tournament having helped launch the careers of more than 800 Major League Baseball players. That includes the likes of current MLB superstars like Aaron Judge, Albert Pujols and Paul Goldschmidt, as well as those of years past — like Mark McGwire and Roger Clemens. The latter even put together a team of former MLB players to compete in the tournament a couple of years ago.

Having the chance to watch those future (and former) stars compete is reason enough to check out the NBC World Series, but there will be a new hook this year — as the tournament will be switching venues following the recent demolition of Lawrence-Dumont Stadium to make way for a new minor league ballpark.

Switching venues has made for one of the busiest off seasons so far, according to Tournament Director Kevin Jenks, but the tournament will not be moving to an unfamiliar site. Wichita State University’s Eck Stadium will host this year’s NBC World Series — after hosting some overflow games in the past — and organizers are looking forward to the potential that host site holds.

“It’s been a good transition and we’re excited about it. It’s a facility that just has better amenities for our players, our teams, our fans and our staff. To me, it’s one of the top five to 10 collegiate ballparks in the country,” Jenks said. “We look forward to playing there and the excitement of utilizing their amenities, that we didn’t have at Lawrence-Dumont, is a big plus for us.”

The history of Lawrence-Dumont Stadium will be heard to replace, according to Newton Rebels General Manager Mark Carvalho, but Eck Stadium is a logical alternative. No matter where it is held, he noted collegiate summer baseball — at that level — makes for a fun atmosphere.

With the host site in flux this year, Jenks admitted organizers have fielded a lot more questions than usual about the tournament. Tough as it is to have to leave the historic Lawrence-Dumont Stadium, Jenks noted the plan is to keep the tournament — one of the longest-running sporting events in the country — going strong in Wichita with hopes of attracting generations of fans to the NBC World Series for years to come.

“It’s our 85th year. Not many sporting events around the country can say that, and certainly to be able to call Wichita home since day one is important,” Jenks said. “From our research, we know that fans who come out one time or two times or three times, we typically have them hooked for life. It’s our job, it’s our duty to make sure they keep coming back, but it really has become a family tradition, I think, for a lot of our fans. That’s what’s really cool.”

“There is a lot of love out there for the NBC,” Jenks said. “When people look forward to your event on an annual basis and talk about it, whether it’s in December, January or here in April, that makes us all smile.”

March 2019 NBC Newsletter

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March is here and the “madness” is already in full swing! This month is chalk full of exciting events, including the start of the 2019 NCAA Tournament, the long-awaited first day of spring, Opening Day… and tickets for the 85th NBC World Series, powered by Westar Energy, going on sale!!

To celebrate our 85th year of the NBC World Series, we are offering a special “85 for 85” package… the “Hap Pass”! For just $85, you can reserve your seat for every game of the 15-day tournament. We are also offering good deals on our Flex Packs and Individual Tickets, so make sure to purchase yours before they’re gone!

Want to help support the National Baseball Congress, but don’t know a way to do so? We may have a solution for you! NBC is now a part of Amazon Smile, a website run by Amazon with the same products, prices and shopping features. When you shop Amazon using our charity link, 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products will go to the NBC!

For more news, follow us on social media…

Click here for the newsletter!!

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Wichita Bids Adieu to Lawrence-Dumont Stadium

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Wichita Bids Adieu to Lawrence-Dumont Stadium

The banging and clanging of metal tools striking against steel seats echoed throughout Lawrence-Dumont Stadium; the ping and pangs were loud enough to even disrupt the ghost of  Ray“Hap” Dumont, who convinced the City of Wichita to build the stadium to host his semi-amateur baseball in 1935. Many still claim that his presence can be felt since his death at his office in the building 46-years-ago.

On this day, fans were allowed to grab a piece of history or a slice of childhood memories with chair sale. The cash-only event allowed fans of Wichita baseball to purchase seats for as low as $5 for the red seats, $20 for the red/tan seats, and $35 for the blue seats. Fans were encouraged to dig into their toolboxes to be able to remove a seat, or even a row of four,  from its foundation on the main concourse.

A total of 250 seats were sold on Saturday according to Troy Houtman, Director of Parks and Recreation. The rest will be given donated to local universities, community colleges, and high schools in the area.  A few of the seats will be on display at various bus stops, art galleries, and trendy neighborhoods in town.

After the stadium purge of seats, the “Farewell to Lawrence-Dumont Stadium” began featuring a collection of food trucks, a celebrity softball game, movie screenings, and a firework show.  It was a proper send off to a facility that has been the catalyst of copious amounts of memories. Within a few weeks, it will be razed to make way for a new Triple-A ballpark that hopes to create a new tradition of its own beginning in the 2020 season

“Generations have come and gone with Lawrence-Dumont Stadium,” said Kevin Jenks, NBC General Manager/Tournament Director. “Members of the Lawrence and Dumont families attended and it’s hard for them. The NBC has a great relationship with both families. Charley Lawrence and Hap Dumont are responsible for the stadium being built in 1934. Its impact isn’t felt just by those families, LDS has contributed memories for thousands of fans and players over the years.”

The scoreboard will be donated to a local high school, it’s lighting possibly salvaged if it can’t find a new home, and other parts auctioned off to the highest bidder. All remnants of the stadium’s former tenant the Wichita Wingnuts were auctioned off a few weeks ago. Pretty soon there will be nothing but peanut shells that need to be swept up from the building’s main concourse.

The city will pay as much as $83 million for the redevelopment of the property that will also include a new pedestrian bridge that will cross the river, a three-tier building for retail and office space, and other infrastructure. The construction will begin in April of next year and when finish has a capacity for 10,000 fans with fixed seats and social areas.

The NBC will also utilize the stadium for one week during the summer for its amateur World Series while the yet-t0-be-named Triple-A ballclub, currently operating in New Orleans, is on the road. The new stadium will also be home to an NBC museum and office space. Next season, NBC World Series will be held at Eck Stadium on the campus of Wichita State University during the construction.

“We’re excited to play at Eck Stadium”,  added Jenks who said that more teams have inquired about participating next season in the tournament. “Its amenities are great for our fans and our teams will like the pre-game prep/practice area much more. The only challenge is going through the “get ready” process of moving a new facility for the first time in 85 years. The operations staff at WSU has been professional and accommodating to our unique needs of a two-week event.”

The city hopes to attract 888,400 visitors to the baseball facility that can also be used 10 days a year for charitable and community events. A ballpark village with an outfield entrance will be situated along the river with businesses hoping to fill in the south end of the stadium. Mayor Jeff Longwell said at the official announcement that Arkansas River has been vastly overlooked.

“We have literally turned our backs on this river for decades and decades and decades and now we are embracing the river as the great amenity it should be.”

The ballpark would be completed by March 15, 2020, while the team commits to a 20-year lease with an initial rent payment of $350,000 annually, before it is adjusted to inflation every five years.

It is indeed an end of an era in Wichita; the old ballpark was once serviceable as a home to minor league baseball, but wouldn’t be able to hack it anymore under its current conditions. Although full of nostalgia for many who remember their first time watching a game underneath its old grandstand, the city is due for a modern ballpark to satisfy the appetites and empty the pockets who now attend the game as more of a social event.

The over the eight-decade run of LDS is a strong testament to its stubbornness and unwillingness to cede to more modern ballparks, but at the dawn of the next decade, there will be a state of the art ballpark offering perhaps everything architects in the past have overlooked when designing similar facilities.

“It is a bittersweet situation,” added Houtman. The current Lawrence-Dumont Stadium is 84-years-old and it has so many memories to folks here in Wichita, but the infrastructure is so outdated and the mounting costs of repairs and upgrades have made it fiscally impossible to renovate or sustain in its current state.  It is my hope that the folks from Wichita will make many new memories and experience at the new stadium.”

That feeling is also shared by Jenks who knows that it was inevitable to build a new stadium for both a minor league team and amateur tournament.

“All that said, a new stadium is desperately needed. It should have happened 10-15 years ago. The next generation of NBC fans will grow up in a beautiful facility. Plus, the NBC museum will showcase our tradition, history, and nostalgia that so many people have helped build.”

In an age were many ballparks are being knocked down after less than 25 years, an 84-year-old ballpark is something to truly appreciate. However, it is time for a new ballpark that hopes to create as many memories as Lawrence-Dumont Stadium. If there was ever a city waiting for such a moment, it is definitely Wichita, Kansas.

by | Oct 19, 2018 |

 

Farewell Lawrence-Dumont Stadium on October 13

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Hosted by City of Wichita Parks and Recreation, City of Wichita and Wichita District 4

Wichita, help us bid farewell to Lawrence-Dumont Stadium on Oct. 13, starting at 2:30 pm. The event will include the Collegiate High School Marching Band, two exposition softball games, a tribute to Lawrence-Dumont Stadium, The Astronauts Band, fireworks, food trucks: Kona Ice NW Wichita, U-Hungry TRUCK, Hot-2-Trot Gourmet Hotdogs and Bar on Demand mobile bartending and more!

A huge thank you to Waste Connections Inc., Farmers Insurance Group and Schreck Financial Group LLC for sponsoring the event.

National Baseball Congress has made a ‘contingency plan’ to leave Lawrence-Dumont

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BY HAYDEN BARBER

hbarber@wichitaeagle.com

June 29, 2018 06:08 PM

The National Baseball Congress World Series has had a home since 1935, but it might be time to move.

Kevin Jenks, NBC general manager and tournament director, said the 84-year-old non-profit organization has made plans in the event that Lawrence-Dumont Stadium is not made available in 2019. The Wichita Wingnuts announced May 3 that 2018 would be their last season there for the same reason.

The NBC has reached an agreement in principle with Wichita State to use Eck Stadium for its 2019 tournament in the event the city informs the organization of the stadium’s future. The move could cause a smaller tournament field and shorter time frame.

NBC World series games have been played at Eck in the past, but not the entire tournament. Jenks said this is the “contingency plan.”

“It’s never come down to a cost issue at playing at Wichita State,” he said. “It’s always just come down to history. It’s our home. … It would probably be an upgrade from a facility standpoint, but the only thing is that it’s not Lawrence-Dumont.”

Raymond “Hap” Dumont founded the NBC World Series and convinced the city to build a stadium. Jenks said he told the city if it was built, he would bring a nationwide tournament to Wichita.

Eighty-three years later, the NBC World Series is the “largest and the longest continuous sporting event in the country,” Jenks said.

Jenks could not give specifics on the deal with WSU firstly because they have not been ironed out, but secondly because the fate of the NBC World Series is not decided. The city has not informed the NBC of whether the stadium will be available.

“Once the new stadium is built, should Lawrence-Dumont be torn down this year, we would go to Wichita State for one year or two years, whatever it is,” Jenks said. “We have been told by the city we’ll have a home at the new stadium when it’s built.”

The city office declined to comment on the status of Lawrence-Dumont for the NBC and whether there is a plan in place for a new stadium.

The Wingnuts’ future, like the NBC, is in the air as well, general manager Brian Turner said in May. He said the team will announce the team’s future during the 2018 season, which started May 18.

The Wingnuts declined to comment on the status of those decisions.

For the NBC, the seeming fate has been looming for years, Jenks said. Although the city’s announcement on the Wingnuts’ future gave a precursor, the reality is still harsh, he said. The stadium should have been updated or torn down 15 years ago, Jenks said.

“The stadium is not doing well health-wise,” he said. “It’s old. And from an amenities standpoint, there are upgrades that are needed, and I agree that the money spent to update the stadium comes too close as to what it would cost to build a new stadium.

“I have a business side and a personal side to how I look at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium. I know there will be several nights this year at 2 in the morning that I’ll sit in the stands and walk around the stadium and think, ‘I’ll miss it.’ ”

For now, Jenks and the NBC are focusing on the world series starting July 27. While the NBC leadership is prepared for the move if it comes, Jenks said he is not completely ruling out staying at Lawrence-Dumont.

The NBC is preparing marketing content surrounding the 84-year history of the world series and Hap Dumont, but Jenks said he has requested the city give him an answer about the stadium’s future before the start of the NBC World Series. That would allow the NBC to “properly commemorate” the world series at Lawrence-Dumont.

Still, even amidst all the uncertainty, Jenks said all is calm as preparations continue.

“I would say panic level is at a zero on a scale from 1-10,” he said. “Right now, it’s laser focused on getting everything together. And whatever happens after that, happens.

“The organization, the event isn’t going anywhere. We’re on much more solid ground than we have been in many years.”

NBC June Newsletter

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NBC June Newsletter

Advance individual tickets on sale now for the 84th NBC World Series, $10 will get you ANY non-reserved seat in the Historic Lawrence-Dumont Stadium for up to 4 games a day. We have made it easier now for someone wanting to attend and watch exciting baseball. This $10 ticket price is for advance tickets only, as the ticket price goes up to $12 on day of game tickets.
If you attend the NBC World Series with a group of friends or family, purchasing the Flex Ticket package is the way to go, for $160 you get 20 vouchers that can be redeemed for any ticket on any day. These vouchers are good to use all at once, or you can break them up and use them on multiple days.
Now if you are a diehard baseball fan, and want to attend all 57 games of the NBC World Series, the season pass is the best bet. $125, gets you a reserved lower section seat in the stadium to be close to the action. That’s $2.17 per game.
We have started selling all these exciting ticket options, and look forward to hearing from each of you on which option you want to purchase tickets to see exciting baseball at Historic Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.
Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat…….

Click for Newletter!!

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NBC World Series: Going strong, not leaving Wichita

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WICHITA, Kan. — The nation’s largest and longest continuous sporting event has called Wichita home since 1935, and the future is looking just as bright for the NBC World Series.

“We’re excited about the new promotions and fan experiences we have planned for this year,” said National Baseball Congress General Manager/Tournament Director Kevin Jenks. “We also want to clarify any confusion about the future of the NBC World Series in Wichita. Regardless of any plans that may affect Lawrence-Dumont Stadium, we have made arrangements that ensure we will have a place to play here in Wichita.”

Eck Stadium at Wichita State University has been secured as an alternate, interim venue if it is required. The NBC and WSU have a longstanding relationship, having hosted numerous NBC World Series games over the years.

“We always look forward to playing at Eck Stadium, it’s a great facility for our fans, teams, and supporters,” said Jenks.

The 84th NBC World Series, Powered by Westar Energy, is on deck for another great run of summer family fun beginning July 27th and running through August 11th at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium.

The NBC World Series is in its fourth season as a non-profit, 501©3 organization, independently owned and operated under the NBC Foundation Board of Directors. The NBC Foundation is dedicated to growing and enhancing the game of baseball in our community while paying tribute to our proud baseball tradition. We strive to provide our participants an opportunity to compete against the best, establish and sustain strong partnerships, and provide an entertaining and memorable event for all generations of fans.

For more information about the NBC World Series or to purchase tickets, visit nbcbaseball.com.

 

RELEASE-NBC Not Leaving

NBC May Newsletter

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May Newsletter is out!

With the 84th NBC World Series just 79 days away, we look at our long history and want everyone to know, we aren’t going anywhere and our future is in a better place than it’s been for several years. We want to thank everyone for their continued support and look forward to the many more years of the NBC World Series being played in Wichita!!

With that being said, 2018 will be an exciting year, and more importantly a year we look at the history of Hap Dumont and what he created for our community. Another year of honoring our history and those who’ve played a role in the deep tradition that is the NBC World Series. If this is the last year at Lawrence-Dumont Stadium, the NBC World Series plans to play at Wichita State’s Eck Stadium, then move back to a NEW LDS, which will feature NBC offices and museum.

We have had a great April, and the upcoming months will bring more exciting and fun events that highlight our 84th NBC World Series.

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat…….

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