Single-Site Indy League Hopes To Buck Trend

At first glance, the United Shore Professional Baseball League appears to be just another of the long run of new independent leagues that arrive, and soon depart, without making much of a splash.

Three new independent leagues announced last spring that they would begin play. Two actually played games. None made it to year two.

The United Shore League certainly has parallels to those leagues. But there are some differences that give the league a much better chance of survival.

The league is planning to play all of its 2016 games at one site—a decision that is usually a kiss of death. Playing multiple teams at one site eliminates ticket scarcity, which makes advance sales more difficult.

The league’s three teams will all be owned by General Sports & Entertainment. Single-owner independent leagues have an equally shaky track record. Usually, if the league survives long enough, it tries to bring in additional investors by selling teams or adding expansion clubs.

But unlike many fledgling independent leagues, the USPBL has an owner with experience running sports teams. League CEO Andy Appelby previously owned the Fort Wayne Wizards of the Midwest League. He also was an executive with the NBA’s Detroit Pistons and owned an English soccer team (Derby County).

And unlike most fledgling leagues, the league appears to have solid financial footing. The three teams will play at Jimmy John’s Field, a new $12 million stadium in downtown Utica, Mich., that also notably already has sold naming rights. The 4,000-capacity stadium was privately funded by the league’s ownership group. It was kept relatively small by independent league standards—2,000 seats and room for another 2,000 or so fans on berms—but with all the latest amenities.

“We have some really cool suites. Right behind home plate, 37 feet from home plate we have suites,” director of baseball operations Brian Berryman said.

The league name is another naming rights deal—it’s a mortgage lending company—and also separates it from the pack.

Time will tell if the United Shore League can buck convention. Berryman said the league wants to have more than one team share Jimmy John’s Field to get more games out of the new stadium. The league will play only on prime attendance nights: Wednesday through Sunday, with a game at the ballpark every weekend night.

“Our concept is if we want to build this we don’t want an empty venue,” Berryman said. “If I go on a vacation and they aren’t there I don’t get to see them play. We wanted to have two teams in every single stadium. Even if Utica is on the road, the Diamond Hoppers will be at home. The stadium gets used. It’s about maximizing our return on investment.”

The league hopes to later open a second stadium nearby, with the idea of having two teams sharing each of the stadiums.

The league will aim at landing 18-25 year olds, largely from players who went undrafted out of college. Pay will be $600-$800 a month with a plan for host-family housing. The league is also working to line up paid internships for players at area businesses.

“It’s been all hands on deck,” Berryman said. “We’re running around like crazy. We want to sell out every night. It’s been a helluva lot of fun.”