The Kalamazoo Growlers Keep Hope Alive For Everyone Young At Heart

Is there anything more amazingly hopeful then seeing a child at a baseball game with a mitt?! They are just waiting for that perfect moment when the ball comes their way!

Every baseball game you attend, it is inevitable that you will see a kid with his baseball cap on and a baseball glove on waiting for the moment a ball may fly s/he way! It really is a sweet vision of hope and the American past time coming together as one.

We here in Kalamazoo are so lucky to have a great team and an amazing ball park to enjoy sometime with friends and family.

All this week the KFR Morning Show will be giving away family 4 packs of tickets to this weeks Kalamazoo Growlers game. At 7:10 everyday this week all you have to do is answer a question about our Growlers! If you win, don't forget to grab your glove, before heading off to the ball park.

A Short History of Baseball in Kalamazoo...

•  Kalamazoo’s earliest teams started playing in the 1850's
• Kalamazoo’s Postbellum Teams occurred in the  1860's-1870's
• Una Base Ball Club came to be in 1868
• In 1887 Kalamazoo's baseball team became known as the Kazoos
• In 1910 the Kazoos won their second state championship
• In 1920 the team changed their name to the 'Celery Pickers'
• After a 20 year plus break the team fired up again in 1950 as the 'Kalamazoo Lassies.'
• In 1994 the team came back as the 'Kalamazoo Kodiaks'.
• In 2001 they changed to the 'Kalamazoo Kings'.
• Now we know this great team as the 'Kalamazoo Growlers'.

 Northwoodsleague.com  has a great explication for the name Kalamazoo Growlers...

The Growler name is an homage to the rich history of microbreweries originating in Kalamazoo. A growler is a glass or ceramic jug used to transport draft beer frequently sold at craft breweries, microbreweries, and brewpubs. Growlers are a staple in breweries because of their ability to hold carbonation indefinitely, and for upwards of a week when first opened. They can also be refilled when empty.  Most recently, Beer City USA ranked Kalamazoo as the #2 craft beer city in the country right behind Michigan's own Grand Rapids.

Every team has their Mascot to help boost moral during a bad game, and pump up the excitement during a great one. We have 'Porter' the black bear.

One might ask why our teams mascot is a Michigan Black Bear...

Well, the logo  pays homage to the native Michigan black bear that can be heard "growling" in the woods of upper Michigan.

Fun Facts About The Kalamazoo Growlers Mascot...

• His name is 'Porter', a hat tip to a style of beer.
• The number on Porter's jersey is 64, in honor of the ounces a growler holds.
• Barlee, the team's original mascot, moved up to "The Big Leagues" in the winter of 2015 like so many of the Growlers players do.

Our teams field is one filled with fun for people of all ages, we have Homer Stryker Field located in Kalamazoo's Mayor Riverfront Park.

Why Is Our Baseball Field Named Homer Stryker? Well, Wikipedia.com has the answer...

Homer Stryker was the patriarch of the Stryker Corporation. The Stryker family bought the naming rights in 2002 and placed Homer’s name on the field.

Fun Fact About Kalamazoo Baseball...

Back in the 1940's the first 2 College World Series of Baseball playoff's were held here in Kalamazoo. One of the players of non-other then President George Bush!

The great American past time is alive and well with hope right See you at the ballpark!