Portland Sea Dogs key executive, Charlie Eshbach, dies at 70

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) - Charlie Eshbach, architect of a minor league baseball team that became Maine's prominent professional sports franchise, has died after a long illness.

The Portland Sea Dogs announced Eshbach's death on Tuesday. He was 70.

Eshbach became the Sea Dog's first employee when the team's founder, Dan Burke, hired him to bring professional baseball to Portland for the first time in decades. He was the founding president and general manager of the club, which held its inaugural season in 1994.

Eshbach continued to serve in those roles through the 2010 season and stayed on as team president until the end of the 2018 season. He remained as a senior advisor after that.

The Sea Dogs began as an affiliate of the Florida Marlins. The team has been an affiliate of the Boston Red Sox since the 2003 season.

Eschbach was 'œthe heart and the brains behind the Portland Sea Dogs,'ť team owners Bill Burke and Sally McNamara said in a statement. Under his watch, the team grew into a beloved brand in Maine, and the club has long ranked among the league's attendance leaders.