Kane County Cougars maintaining championship culture

When right-handed pitcher Quinn Gudaitis joined the Kane County Cougars last August, he was thrown into their championship culture almost immediately.

“It was actually kind of funny, because George (Tsamis), the manager, the day that I got signed … I showed up in the parking lot and he was like, ‘Hey, can you actually pitch in the game?’” Gudaitis said. “I only had my cleats and my glove, but I made it work.”

The Cougars made it work all summer long.

After finishing second in their division, the team swept all three of their playoff series in the American Association of Professional Baseball (AAPB) en route to the first Wolff Cup in team history. Right-handed pitcher Konnor Ash only joined the team this offseason, but the championship mettle is still evident to him. He credits Tsamis for the team’s recent success.

“He respects everybody, he treats everybody the same way he would want to be treated,” Ash said. “He’s focused, he wants to win, and he’s about the player.”

With such a strong team culture, it’s no wonder the Cougars were able to find so much success. After a three-game losing streak in late August, the team won 10 of its last 11 games, including seven straight in the playoffs. Even though Gudaitis didn’t start the season with the team, he fit snugly into a roster that had completely clicked.

“I think we had complete chemistry. I mean, I was only there for the last three weeks, but still, I feel like I was welcomed in there very, very nicely,” Gudaitis said. “I thought we all got along well. And, I mean, we put it all together when it counted most.”

The mutual trust permeating the team is evident. Nick Dalesandro was on the other side of the Cougars’ title run last fall — he was on the Chicago Dogs, who got swept by Kane County in the Division Championship. But the catcher is on the other side of the Chicagoland rivalry now, and he has fully bought in thanks to Tsamis’ winning mentality.

“He’s the kind of manager that you want to go out there and win for. He’s the kind of guy that you want to run through a wall for him,” Dalesandro said. “When you’re playing here, you’re playing to win every single night.”

The focus on winning has trickled down to the rest of the team. Ash and Dalesandro said they had been impressed with the way the Cougars prioritized winning above all else. Unlike teams in MLB’s minor leagues, where the focus is more on development, the Cougars have built a culture in which team success matters above all else.

The team’s stadium, Northwestern Medicine Field, has a capacity of over 10,000 fans, and it creates one of the best experiences in the AAPB. Even Dalesandro, who was on the wrong side of the fan enthusiasm as a visitor last year, was able to acknowledge the incredible atmosphere.

“There’s no better place to play in this league, and I don’t think there’s any better place to play in independent baseball either,” Dalesandro said. “To be able to play independent baseball and sometimes have eight to nine thousand fans in the stands … it’s just unbelievable to see.”