CHARLESTON, W.Va. — After many questions about its future, professional baseball will be back at Appalachian Power Park in Charleston this summer.
On Wednesday, officials with the West Virginia Power announced the club joined the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB), an independent league. With the announcement, the Power is now an independently-run organization for the first time in franchise history.
The organization additionally announced that Andy Shea will take over as Managing Partner & CEO of the ballclub, while Jesse Scaglion has been named the club’s Chief Operating Officer. Tim Wilcox will stay on as a partner in the Power’s ownership group.
“I feel amazing and a semi-sense of relief. Now we can really get rolling. I am so excited on the baseball side, the business side, on the event side. I think it’s something I have had good success with that in my career,” Shea told MetroNews.
The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball now has eight teams from North Carolina, Kentucky, Maryland, New York and Pennsylvania including the Power’s former South Atlantic League rival, the Lexington Legends.
Shea said being an independently run organization in an independent league allows for more roster flexibility and a business model geared towards the community.
The team, which did not have a 2020 season due to COVID-19, lost its affiliation with the Seattle Mariners and Major League Baseball (MLB) in 2019 after not being included in a restructuring plan. That forced the franchise out of the Class A South Atlantic League in Minor League Baseball.
Shea was adamant players that would take the field this May would bring a ‘significantly higher level of play’ than the South Atlantic League.
“These are going to be guys that have played in Major League Baseball. Guys that have made it up to AAA ball. That’s what this roster is going to be all about,” he said. “This is going to be arguably the highest level of baseball that’s not on a major league baseball field.”
“The players are going to be consistently deciding to sign the contract to go to Charleston, West Virginia. It won’t be for some team where they are just trying to get out. This is where they want to invest in for their personal and professional life.”
New year, new league, new faces!
We are proud to announce that we are joining the @AtlanticLg for the 2021 season, and we have some new faces joining our team!
LEARN MORE: https://t.co/chM1abAgDt pic.twitter.com/qWKb9QwbE6
— West Virginia Power (@wv_power) February 24, 2021
According to a release from the Power, the ALPB has seen nearly 1,000 players sign contracts with MLB organizations since establishing in 1998, with an average of 50-plus each season. In addition, more than 70 former players and coaches from the ALPB are now managers or coaches for MLB organizations.
Shea hopes to have at least half the roster signed in the next two weeks and hinted there might be some players with regional ties. Shea is also the current President & CEO of the Lexington Legends, a position he will retain while also managing the Power.
Scaglion has been with the Legends since 2015 as the team’s Director of Corporate Sales before earning his recent promotion to Chief Operating Officer in May of 2020. He will retain the position while with the Power.
Charleston Mayor Amy Shuler Goodwin welcomed Shea, Scaglion and Mark Minicozzi, the team’s next manager with playing experience in the Nationals and Giants organizations, to Charleston.
“Baseball has a wonderful and long history here in the city of Charleston. Come May 28, we will again begin the next chapter of Power baseball. Players will run onto this field once again,” Goodwin said while holding a baseball and wearing a Power jersey.
The 2021 Power season is slated to begin on Friday, May 28 with hosting the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. The 2021 season will feature a 120-game regular-season schedule, with each team hosting 60 matchups. The league’s traditional 140-game season was trimmed due to concerns regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, the league said.
According to the ALPB, the coming season will also mark the debut of the league’s reconfigured divisions, which now reflect a North-South alignment. The league’s North Division features the Lancaster (PA) Barnstormers, Long Island (NY) Ducks, Southern Maryland (Waldorf) Blue Crabs, and York (PA) Revolution. The South Division includes the Power, the Legends, High Point (NC) Rockers, and Gastonia (NC) Honey Hunters.
A list of promotions, ticket information and COVID-19 regulations will be released at a later date, according to the Power. The first week of spring training will be in early May, Shea said.
The ALPB has also become a partner of MLB, testing new rules and equipment they may implement in the future, according to the power. For example, all ALPB games include a time limit between innings to speed up the pace of play.
The league has also altered rules regarding mound visits, pickoff attempts, check swings, allowing a batter to steal first base, and more, so fans are guaranteed to see some unique events on a nightly basis at Appalachian Power Park.
U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) applauded the announcement on Wednesday. Capito said, “I am thrilled that baseball will rightfully be back in Charleston. America’s pastime is West Virginia’s too, and everyone who played a part in ensuring the team remained a part of our community here should be commended and congratulated. I’m looking forward to taking in some Atlantic League action in person this summer!”
In a release, Manchin stated: “West Virginia Power has given West Virginia families countless hours of entertainment and family time, and I am incredibly pleased that these time-honored traditions will continue on in Charleston. Since November 2019 I’ve fought to save our baseball teams across the state and I am pleased that every team has found a league to call home.
“I am proud of the resiliency of the team and coaches and truly believe that the Atlantic League will give West Virginia Power the opportunity to grow and thrive. I look forward to seeing our team play at the Appalachian Power Park again soon.”