Ottawa Voyageurs

Ottawa Voyageurs
Founded in 2008 Disbanded in 2009 Ottawa, Ontario
League affiliations
Can-Am League (2008-2009)
Name
Ottawa Voyageurs (2009) Ottawa Rapidz (2008) Ottawa Rapids (2007 and 2008 offseasons)
Team Colours
2008 (Rapidz): red[1]
Ballpark
Ottawa Baseball Stadium
Championships
League titles:
Owner(s)/Operated By: Can-Am League
General Manager: Barry Robinson
Manager: Tom Carcione
Media: '
Website: ottawavoyageursbaseball.com

The Ottawa Voyageurs, previously the Ottawa Rapidz, were a professional baseball team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada under the Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball or Can-Am League.

As a Can-Am team, the team played one season as the Ottawa Rapidz at Ottawa Baseball Stadium, previously home to the Ottawa Lynx Triple-A minor league franchise. Originally, the team was to be spelled as the Ottawa Rapids until it was renamed prior to the start of their 2008 opening season. After the initial ownership declared bankruptcy, the Can-Am league assumed ownership of the franchise, but suspended the team's operations in March 2009 prior to what would have been a second season.^[2]

History

The Rapids were established after the Lynx, an International League team, moved to Allentown, Pennsylvania after the 2007 season to become the Lehigh Valley IronPigs. The Ottawa City Council discussed different possibilities regarding the city-owned stadium and accepted the offer given by Can-Am League president Miles Wolff.

Following their sale to zip.ca, the team name spelling was modified to the Ottawa Rapidz.^[3][4]

On 29 September 2008, amid reports of a $1.4 million team debt, Rapidz management notified the Can-Am league that the team would be dissolved and that bankruptcy proceedings were planned. Rapidz management blamed the City of Ottawa for the situation, citing failed negotiations for the future lease of the stadium.^[5][6][7]

Despite the first-season bankruptcy, trading of Rapidz players continued in the Can-Am League offseason, with such activity reported as late as 13 October 2008.^[8] The Can-Am League announced on 13 November 2008 that a team would operate in Ottawa for 2009, operated directly by the league while new ownership is sought. Can-Am league commissioner, Miles Wolff, confirmed this development in Ottawa, displaying the original bilingual logo, with the spelling changed back to Rapids (English)/Rapides (French), but cautioned that the name was not yet final and that the team may operate under a new name.^[9] In February 2009, the team was rechristened as the Voyageurs after a name-the-team contest won by Michael Jacobsen.^[10]

However, the Voyageurs would never take the field as the Can-Am league announced on 30 March 2009 that the team and the Atlantic City Surf would cease operations.^[11] League commissioner Miles Wolff indicated the team lacked financial support and "solid ownership" in order for the franchise to continue.^[2][11]

On 3 April 2009, Voyageurs players were made available to the six remaining teams in the league in a dispersal draft.

Logos and uniforms

• 

  Former Rapids logo, English, prior to 2008 season

• 

  Rapides logo, French, prior to 2008 season

• 

  Rapidz former primary logo, 2008

Standings and statistics

2008 season (Rapidz)

The Ottawa Rapidz finished last in the Can-Am League, with a 13-34 (0.277) performance in the first half of the 2008 season, followed by an 18-29 (0.383) record in the second half. The Rapidz tied the New Jersey Jackals for last place in the second half-season.

Total attendance of the 46 Rapidz home games was 101,073 for a per-game average of 2197.^[12]

2009 roster

Ottawa Voyageurs rosterv · Adam Hawes   Fraser Robinson   Reid Price   Noel Baca III   David Wasylak   Matthew Tosoni   Tanner Watson   Mike Cervera Catchers   Kyle Geiger   Gaetan Leduc											Infielders   Trino Aguilar   Jake Daubert   Nate Hall Outfielders   Jared L. Lemieux   Jereme Milons   Pete Pirman   Jeff Thomas		Disabled List Inactive List   Jeremy Ware Coaching Staff   Tom Carcione - Manager   Mike Kusiewicz - Pitching Coach

Game broadcasts

In 2008, local radio broadcasts of 80 Rapidz season games were provided in French by CJRC-FM.^[13]

See also

• List of baseball teams in Canada

References

1. ^ "Rapid-z change in Ottawa". Ottawa Citizen. 29 April 2008. http://www.canada.com/story_print.html?id=715d9295-f024-44f2-8784-59ad7108f1ee&sponsor=. Retrieved 2010-01-12. 
2. ^ ^{a b} "Ottawa baseball franchise folds, leaving stadium empty". CJOH-TV (CTV Ottawa). 30 March 2009. http://ottawa.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20090330/OTT_Baseball_Stadium_090330?hub=OttawaHome. Retrieved 2010-01-12. 
3. ^ "New owner rename-z Ottawa Rapids baseball team". CBC News. 28 April 2008. http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2008/04/28/ot-ottawa-rapidz-080428.html. Retrieved 2008-08-17. 
4. ^ "Rapids changed to Rapidz". Ottawa Sun. 26 April 2008. 
5. ^ Campbell, Don (1 October 2008). "City would only go to 5 years, Rapidz say". Ottawa Citizen. http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/sports/story.html?id=1ecde8e5-ab5e-4f78-80de-648bc63fe9a5. Retrieved 2008-10-03. 
6. ^ "Ottawa Rapidz go under". CBC News. 30 September 2008. http://www.cbc.ca/sports/story/2008/09/30/ot-rapidz-080930.html?ref=rss. Retrieved 2008-10-03. 
7. ^ "Ottawa Rapidz expected to file for bankruptcy". CJOH-TV (CTV Ottawa). 29 September 2008. http://ottawa.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20080929/OTT_Rapidz_080929/20080929/?hub=OttawaHome. Retrieved 2008-09-29. 
8. ^ "League Transactions". Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball. http://canamleague.com/transactions.php. Retrieved 2010-01-12. 
9. ^ Zabihiyan, Bahador (3 December 2008). "Rapidz to rise again". Centretown News. http://centretownnewsonline.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=592&Itemid=99. Retrieved 2010-01-12. 
10. ^ Baines, Tim (18 February 2009). "Local baseball team has a name: Voyageurs". Ottawa Sun. http://www.ottawasun.com/Sports/Baseball/2009/02/18/8440791.html. Retrieved 2009-02-19. ^{[dead link]}
11. ^ ^{a b} "Can-Am to go with six clubs in 2009". Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball. 30 March 2009. http://www.canamleague.com/cgi-bin/dist/news.cgi?id=1238444712. Retrieved 2010-01-12. 
12. ^ 2008 standings at Can-Am League
13. ^ "Radio coverage of Ottawa Rapidz baseball games". http://www.ottawarapidz.ca/story.asp?id=3457. Retrieved 2009-02-23. 

External links

• Voyageurs official site
• Ottawa team information at CanAm League