(WXMI) — Baseball in West Michigan began in 1994. West Michigan Whitecaps general manager Jim Jarecki has been with the team since the start
“1994 was a special time because of the fact that we got it open here for baseball for the first time in 40 years,” Jarecki said.
As the team enters its fourth decade, the White Caps have celebrated successes, including their first league championship in 1996. The team's affiliation with the Detroit Tigers began the following year, and since then, they have secured five additional championships.
“What's fun is it's still right here in Comstock Park, and we've just developed what we've had here to build on that,” Jarecki said.
There have been highs. There have been some low points as well, notably the devastating fire on January 3, 2014. Jarecki recalls that morning.
“It’s part of our history. We embraced it but we moved on. We fought through that. Everybody that was here on that day remembers where they were. But we came out of that pretty darn good,” Jarecki said.
On the field, the Whitecaps have some of the best Tigers prospects on its roster.
“This is the best star-studded lineup I've ever seen on a roster,” Jarecki said.
Now, a new look is unfolding before our eyes—a timeless classic right in our backyard.
“When the fans come out here, it's going to be a wow or whoa factor. It's still LMCU Ballpark that you knew about when you grew up here or came out here and brought your kids. We're going to take this to the next 20 or 30 years now in that next generation of fans that are going to be able to enjoy the Whitecaps,” Jarecki said.
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