Kitchener baseball team seeks new owner with 'deep pockets'

The Kitchener Panthers are looking for a new owner.

The team was established 105 years ago and are the only ones in the Intercounty Baseball League that operate as a non-profit.

Most of their income comes from sponsors, concession receipts and merchandise sales.

The Panthers believe new ownership will help them compete at the same level as other teams in the league.

“We just need a new injection of capital, new energy, better marketing and improvements to the facility,” explained General Manager Mike Boehmer. “The league has changed. It’s evolved. It’s continued to change and our not-for-profit model no longer is sustainable.”

Mike Boehmer (left) and Bill Pegg (right) on the field at Jack Couch Park in Kitchener. (Heather Senoran/CTV News)

He said their competition already has better marketing and more recruiting power because they have the funds.

“[There’s] things we can learn from those teams and implement, but we need some full-time paid staff,” Boehmer added. “There's a limit to what we can do with volunteers. We've got wonderful volunteers but there's a limit to what you can do.”

The Panthers rely on their many volunteers, especially during games, and they’re hoping to keep them on – even after the sale.

Management told players about the team going on the market last week.

“They're excited about it. They all see it as a positive,” Boehmer said.

Jack Couch Park in Kitchener, Ont. on Aug. 7, 2024. (Heather Senoran/CTV News)

Bill Pegg, secretary on the team’s board of directors, said the city-owned home field at Jack Couch Park in Kitchener could also use an upgrade, including the building for food and washrooms.

“That building behind us was built in 1972. And I can tell you, it hasn't changed at all since then.”

The city said they’ve been in talks with the team and are committed to discussing possible upgrades in the future.

“We'll continue to work with both the current board and whoever the ultimate new purchaser is to make sure that they continue to have a strong team and a strong facility that can support that team going forward,” Mayor Berry Vrbanovic told CTV News.

Officials with the Panthers said they’re confident a sale will happen and hope to secure a new owner by the end of the year, with the help of a third-party company that specializes in sports management issues.

“I think it's like any cultural institution, any sports institution. Nobody wants to see it go,” said Pegg. “I mean, look at what happened when the Symphony Orchestra went down. It was terrible.”

The only prerequisite for a potential owner is that the Panthers must stay in the Region of Waterloo and keep the iconic name they’ve had since 1919.

“Someone who's enthusiastic about sports, particularly baseball, and who has deep pockets,” said Pegg.