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The Kane County Cougars found their best possible landing spot.
After a canceled season and Major League Baseball’s announcement that the Cougars would not be included in the revamped minor league system, they found a new home last week.
The Cougars will join the American Association after 30 seasons in the Midwest League. Formerly an independent league, the American Association will be an MLB Partner League, meaning the Cougars will remain under the MLB umbrella despite no longer playing affiliated ball.
The Cougars were approved by a unanimous vote of American Association owners.
“We had to look elsewhere,” Cougars vice president and general manager Curtis Haug said. “The American Association really stood out among the Partner Leagues. No. 1, they are an MLB Partner League. And No. 2, there are some great Midwestern cities in the league and some great ownership groups. I think it’s the best-case scenario for us.”
Within 110 miles of Northwestern Medicine Field are the Chicago Dogs, the Gary SouthShore RailCats and the Milwaukee Milkmen, all part of the American Association, which plans to expand from 11 to 12 teams in the coming days.
The 100-game schedule, which will feature 50 home games, will begin May 18. The full schedule is expected to be announced once the league gets to 12 teams.
“We are so excited to be joining the American Association, a well-established league playing in great Midwestern cities,” Cougars owner Dr. Bob Froehlich said in a statement. “We are honored they have selected us. Our fans can look forward to watching more mature, experienced players than they have seen at Kane County in the past. Our roster will feature players who have Class AA, Class AAA and MLB experience and are now entering their prime years.”
The Cougars had been in a league more known for development. As an affiliate of an MLB club in low Class A, most of the players were in their first full professional season, and the emphasis was on development, not results.
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In the American Association, the Cougars will field a team of older players who still hope for a shot to play in the majors, but it will be focused more on winning day to day, which will be a change for Cougars fans.
“It will be a little different than what we’re used to,” Haug said. “These guys play to win. It’s not the same as before, when it was player development. The players will be older, 25-26 years old, as opposed to the younger guys we’ve had all these years. It will be good baseball.”
Haug said the experience off the field will be the same as fans have come to expect.
“We’re still the Cougars, and we’re still going to have all the family entertainment we’ve always had,” Haug said. “We’ll add some new twists to it, but we’re still the Cougars, and that’s our niche.”
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The American Association was founded in 2005 and features teams from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Texas, Wisconsin and Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Cougars will have the highest stadium capacity in the league and bring a 30-year track record of success.
“It’s my honor to welcome the Kane County Cougars to the American Association,” league Commissioner Joshua Schaub said in a statement. “The Cougars are a storied ballclub in professional baseball, and they will add to our story in the American Association. We believe the fans of the Kane County Cougars will embrace the higher level of play and our culture of playing to win.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.