PRESS RELEASE – We are pleased to announce the formation of a brand new summer collegiate baseball league for the summer of 2014. The Mid-Plains League [originally introduced as the Great Plains League in November] will open play in early June with six member teams located in Northeast Kansas and Western Missouri.
The League will be made up of the Topeka Golden Giants (Topeka, Kansas), Rossville Rattlers (Rossville, Kansas), Junction City Brigade (Junction City, Kansas), Topeka Senators (Topeka, Kansas), Midwest Athletics (Peculiar, Missouri) and Baldwin City Blues (Baldwin City, Kansas).
The League’s first commissioner will be David Streeter, who is the General Manager for the Rossville Rattlers. Streeter brings multiple years of experience in summer collegiate baseball to the table. Streeter previously helped run the Topeka Golden Giants in 2010 and for the past two seasons has run the Rossville Rattlers.
“This league is all about player development. We are here to provide a quality experience for players of all skill levels,” Streeter said. “Our membership is based off like-minded principals which we believe will ensure the league’s growth and help promote the sport of summer collegiate baseball for seasons to come.”
The Mid-Plains League will feature a 30-game regular season schedule, beginning on June 5th and culminating on July 10th. There will be a post season league tournament called the Summer Classic that will take place from July 16th and end with the league championship on July 20th.
The Mid-Plains League is also working on an All-Star Game on July 5th, that will pit the MPL All-Stars versus an opponent to be determined.
“We are excited about our brand of Summer Collegiate Baseball and look forward to promoting our product within the region,” said Streeter. “Not only is the baseball very good, but the experience is family friendly and the most affordable entertainment option during the summer. There will be some great rivalries that develop and some existing rivalries that will blossom even more.”
Follow the Mid-Plains League on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MPLbaseball
“Like” us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/midplainsleague
Visit our website: www.midplainsleague.com
League Membership –
Topeka Golden Giants (Last Season 33-16): Founded in 2005, the Golden Giants have been a success for nearly 10 seasons. They were a two-time regular season champion of the Walter Johnson League (2012 & 2013), Walter Johnson League Champions (2012) and have participated in the National Baseball Congress World Series 2-times (2011 & 2012). The Golden Giants have also won the Summer Classic tournament on two occasions (2010 & 2013). In 9 seasons of play the Golden Giants have moved on countless players into the professional ranks. The Giants play their home games at Jerry Robertson Field in Topeka.
Rossville Rattlers (Last Season 20-16): Founded in 2012, the Rattlers have quickly become a successful summer collegiate team. In their first season, the Rattlers finished second in the 2012 National Baseball Congress Under-19 National Championship. After an offseason of hard work, the team came back and claimed the Under-19 National Championship in the summer of 2013. Bringing home a National Title to a town of about 1,200 residents is no small feat, now they set their sites on a whole new challenge. The Rattlers play their home games at Joe Campbell Memorial Stadium in Rossville.
Junction City Brigade (Last Season 21-13): Founded in 2013, the Brigade stormed out of the gates and quickly rekindled a passionate fan base. After being without Summer Collegiate baseball for two summers, a local group set out to bring back the game they loved to Junction City. The Brigade had a very successful 2013 season and look to build on that success in the Mid-Plains League in 2014. The Brigade call historic Rathert Stadium their home. Complete with covered grandstands and a spacious beer garden, Rathert Stadium is perfect spot to watch Summer Collegiate Baseball.
Midwest Athletics (Last Season 23-14): Founded in 2010, the Athletics are a talented squad who played previously in the Ban Johnson League. Legend has it in the 1960’s, Kansas City Athletics owner Charlie O. Finley once toured Peculiar, Missouri looking for a spot to build his own ballpark for the A’s. Almost 50-years later, Peculiar will have a team called the Athletics to call their own. The A’s originally started as a 15U showcase team from South Kansas City Metro area. They have had a core group of kids stay with the team as each year and have moved up in levels of competition. The A’s will play their home games at Raymore-Peculiar High School’s baseball field.
Baldwin City Blues (Last Season 25-8): Founded in 2000, the Blues have been a successful team previously playing in the Ban Johnson League. The team started as a local youth team and has three original members still on the squad after all these years. The Blues have won multiple youth World Series and the 2012 Ban Johnson League title. Previously known as the Kansas City Sports Club Blues, the team has shifted it’s operation to the town of Baldwin City. The Blues will play their games at Sauder Field, home of the Baker University Wildcats.
Topeka Senators (Expansion Team): Founded in 2013, the Senators are a brand new team this summer. The Senators have the same ownership as the Golden Giants and will be an instant contender in the Mid-Plains League. The Senators moniker is nothing new for the town of Topeka. Previously, the “Senators” played professional baseball in the Western Association in 1924, the Southwestern League from 1925-1926 and the Western League from 1930-1931 & 1933-1934. They were affiliated with the St. Louis Browns in 1930 and the Cincinnati Reds in 1933-1934. The Senators claimed the Western Association title in 1925. The Senators will share Jerry Robertson Field with the Topeka Golden Giants.
ballparkbiz.wordpress.com 
Alan, I was searching sites this AM regarding the Mid Plains League and interest from sources outside of our league footprint. In doing so I read your blog about our use of an “intertwined” BC that is currently used by the Brooklyn Cyclones. Although I consider myself a true baseball fan, I was unaware that the Brooklyn Cyclones existed. My apologies to the team.
I can assure you and everyone else that there was never an intent on the part of the Baldwin City Blues to infringe upon the Cyclones intellectual property. Our team was formed in 2000 as a local youth team and we had always used a “Brooklyn B” as a moniker for the Blues. When we decided to move the team to Baldwin City we looked at keeping the same B and adding a C to identify us as being from Baldwin City. It turns out that the BC is identical to the Brooklyn Cyclones’ logo; it was unintended but as you stated an infringement upon their trademark. We sincerely apologize for that.
The fortunate thing is that we decided early on to use our “Baseball Sax Man” used on all team uniforms, hats and our website: http://www.baldwincityblues.com. All of our team branding is with this logo. We have not used the BC logo to merchandise, it is not included on the team website. We did have one early “road jersey” with the BC logo, however we will discontinue it’s use.
We do want to become a legitimate summer collegiate baseball league. We have kids who love the game and a league fan base who support us. It is absolutely a joy to take in a summer game under the lights in a nostalgic ball park in small town USA. Ever been to Joe Campbell Stadium in Rossville, Kansas? We played a 3 game series there the last 3 nights and I could have sworn I saw “Moonlight” Graham walking beyond the left field wall.
Anyway, if you know how our league name was decided upon you would know that we are serious about not infringing upon others’ intellectual property and are serious about making the league a great option for quality collegiate players.
Just a word of advice — if a new circuit wants to be taken seriously as a professionally run operation, leadership should make sure the league and its teams are not committing trademark and copyright violations.
The Oakland A’s may not care much about this, as many amateur teams are using the A’s branding, and there is a legitimate argument that usage helps to drive interest in the MLB club, not hurt it. That said, if there are aspirations to be more than just a rinky-dink summer collegiate league, every team should have their own individual identity.
As far as the Brooklyn Cyclones are concerned, they might not like the usage of their less-recognizable intertwined “BC” logo. Usage by the Blues will not draw additional interest in the Cyclones 1,200 miles away in Baldwin City (KS).
Sorry for the lecture, folks. Those who come to our site regularly know we are sticklers about the importance of team branding and intellectual property rights.
Alan
Amen.
Well said, Alan.