Kane County Cougars a baseball 'Force' for Geneva and beyond
Jeremy Ginsberg and his sons, Benjamin, 6, and Micah, 9, will go to more than a baseball game Saturday night at Fifth Third Bank Ballpark in Geneva.
The trio from Aurora will get a chance to throw down blankets with fellow Cub Scouts on the center field grass after the Kane County Cougars game to watch the Pixar movie “Inside Out” on the Jumbotron.
Then they'll camp near the stadium with other area Scout troops, followed by breakfast the next morning, courtesy of the team's concessions staff.
“Our Pack has really built the weekend up. Not only do the scouts get to go to a minor league baseball game, but they get to bond with the pack. We have scouts coming from all over,” said Ginsberg, assistant Cubmaster of Troop 643, which is based out of Steck Elementary School in Aurora. “It's pretty cool. A lot of kids in general don't get a chance to be on a professional field. The Cougars stadium is pretty impressive.”
The Cougars, who played their inaugural season in Geneva in 1991, have delighted families and baseball fans alike for decades. Tonight, the team begins a seven-game homestand with its annual “Star Wars Night” to start the summer.
The team, which has sent more than 140 player to the big leagues, also serves as a gateway of sorts for visitors to Geneva and surrounding cities.
“The Cougars are a big draw to the area, because we don't have a big arena (such as Allstate Arena in Rosemont),” said Laura Rush, communications manager for the Geneva Chamber of Commerce. “The Kane County Cougars bring a different dynamic of people to Geneva who discover what the area is all about.”
Rush said the nearby Comfort Inn in Geneva works with the team and chamber to introduce weekend visitors to downtown Geneva and the surrounding area. Rush says the team is a great community partner, promoting itself at the city's Swedish Days festival and providing fun for all ages.
“It's nice to be able to say we have sports in Geneva,” Rush added. “This is their baseball. They don't go downtown for the (Chicago) Cubs or White Sox. This is their team. It brings more people to Geneva, and that is good.”
Convenience and affordability are two drawing cards from the Arizona Diamondbacks Class A affiliate, but accessibility, food, fireworks and family friendly entertainment have their place in the proverbial deck as well.
Curtis Haug, the Cougars' vice president and general manager, said the team usually has a long homestand beginning on Memorial Day weekend.
“It's a big homestand. We've got a lot planned. It's really become a tradition in the Chicago area that the Cougars are at home,” said Haug, adding the team has a “Half-Price Hump Day” promotion Wednesday, during which the team will unveil new jerseys.
“I'm not going to tell you what they look like, but they're going to be a big hit.”