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Pittsfield, MA –
It's said that the word baseball first appeared in a 1791 Pittsfield bylaw saying " for the Preservation of the Windows in the New Meeting House . . . no Person or Inhabitant of said town, shall be permitted to play at any game called Wicket, Cricket, Baseball, Football, Cat, Fives or any other game or games with balls, within the Distance of Eighty Yards from said Meeting House." So it's only fitting that Pittsfield is getting it's baseball team back.
On Tuesday night, the Pittsfield Park Commission voted unanimously to open licensing negotiations between the Goldklang Group and Mayor James Ruberto. The Goldklang Group, a franchise sports management company located in New Jersey, was chosen to take over operations against the Pittsfield Panthers. The Panthers were supported by the New England Collegiate Baseball League and led by two Pittsfield city residents.
Jim McGrath, Park, Open Space, and Natural Resource Program Manager for the City of Pittsfield says the Park Commission chose the Goldklang Group over the NECBL Panthers because they proved to be the best bet for Waconah Park.
The board did vote unanimously for the Goldklang Group, but there was some divide on which management company would take the place of the Pittsfield Colonials. The Colonials were withdrawn by the Can-Am League earlier this fall after only playing two seasons at Waconah park.
Pittsfield Mayor James Ruberto is excited about the prospects of a new team coming to the city.
The Goldklang Group offered to pay the City a $13,500 seasonal fee and $440 fee for each home game.
A name has not yet been provided for the new team, but the team will compete in the Futures Collegiate Baseball League. The Futures league involves teams throughout New England, with the nearest rivals being the Torrington Titans in Connecticut.
54 games total will be played this summer, with 27 at home at Waconah Park.
Reporting from WAMC's Berkshire Bureau at the Berkshire Eagle, I'm Lucas Willard.