Next Summer, An Alternative For Detroit Baseball Fans

On one of the last days of summer, nearly 4,000 baseball fans packed a metro Detroit stadium, but they weren't there to see Miguel Cabrera or J.D. Martinez slug homers.

Instead, they watched the Utica Unicorns shut out the Birmingham-Bloomfield Beavers at Jimmy John's Field in Utica for the United Shore Professional Baseball League's (USPBL) first championship game.

The baseball action might not have the dramatic storylines or superhuman performance of the MLB, but it's still some fine baseball—and the Utica Unicorns were in top form, with a diving catch by a Unicorn defender in the third inning and a home run from right-fielder Austin Crutcher in the fourth. The Unicorns held the Beavers scoreless, with a final score of 5-0.

After the disappointing end to the Tigers' season last weekend, Detroit fans looking for an alternate baseball fix might find it with the USPBL.

A League Of Its Own

The Rochester-based minor league USPBL is run by chairman, CEO and founder Andrew Appleby, a former Detroit Pistons executive. Appleby is soft-spoken, yet cheerily enthused by the prospect of bringing sports fans a good time.

Appleby is dedicated to the fan experience up to the second they leave the ballpark—after the game, he stood by the stadium doors, shaking hands and thanking fans for sharing in the good times, as he'd done for every game during the season.

He's been doing just that for a long time. Appleby says he started working for Palace Sports and Entertainment the same day Dennis Rodman reported to work for the Pistons in 1986.

It was during his 12-year tenure working for the Pistons that Appleby says he received his figurative "PhD in sports marketing," and the USPBL now allows him to "make use of every good idea I saw during that time."

"I almost feel like a proud father," Appleby said after the final game of the league's 75-game first season. "We wouldn't have been able to do this without support from the fans and the community. I'm going to miss this tomorrow."

Intimate Spectacle

While some Detroit baseball fans who are used to the Tigers' big names might scoff at the prospect of foregoing a day at Comerica Park CMA to catch a minor-league game, those who do attend receive a pleasant surprise of a world-class spectator experience.

The games have all the amenities and spectacle of a Tigers game, but in a more intimate setting.

Where commercial breaks would interrupt the flow of a major league game, the USPBL will trot out a parody mascot to run the bases with kids from the stands, among other mid-game entertainment. The championship game featured appearances by "Squidney Crosby," a jab at Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby.

"We always measure ourselves by testimonials," Appleby said. "What I'm heartened by is that we've had literally thousands of them. When you put together a wonderful value for families and have really good baseball in a professional manner, topped off with what we think is the best ballpark in America, it leads to a winning combination."

As if to punctuate Appleby's statement, as he sat for an interview after the game, he was repeatedly interrupted by staff, players and friends who couldn't contain their joy at the conclusion of the season.

"Just having you is a blessing, Andy," one staffer said. Appleby blushed.

Minor League, Major Plans

Appleby also formerly owned the Fort Wayne Wizards from Fort Wayne, Indiana and the Derby County Football Club in England.

Appleby is looking to expand to "upwards of 9 or 10" additional ballparks across the country in the coming years, he said, and the USPBL is adding a fourth team next year.

"The league was a financial success, but the way we positively impacted so many people's lives, from the players, to the families, to the charities like the Rainbow Connection and Make-A-Wish that benefited from this park, was really something," Appleby said.

The USPBL's second season starts May 11, 2017.