KOKOMO BASEBALL - TEAM NAME REVEAL PRESS RELEASE.docx
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FOR IMMEDIATE <strong>RELEASE</strong>: Monday, October 20 th , 2014 2:30p ET / 1:30p CT<br />
FOR MORE INFORMATION or TO BOOK INTERVIEW: vanm@mkesports.com<br />
MKE Sports & Entertainment, Public Relations, Van McNeil. 262.221.9911<br />
City of Kokomo Director of Operations, Randy McKay 765.456.7444<br />
MKE SPORTS & ENTERTAINMENT UNVEILS <strong>KOKOMO</strong> <strong>BASEBALL</strong> <strong>TEAM</strong><br />
<strong>NAME</strong> AND LOGO; INTRODUCES FIELD MANAGER.<br />
MKE Sports & Entertainment revealed Monday afternoon the name, logo and<br />
field manager of their new Prospect League Baseball team playing at Kokomo<br />
Municipal Stadium: the Kokomo Jackrabbits.<br />
Just under one thousand entries were submitted for the Name The Team contest<br />
at KokomoBaseball.com. Of those entries, 15 people chose the Jackrabbits<br />
name and one winner was randomly drawn for the $2,500 grand prize.<br />
"The Kokomo Jackrabbits playing Prospect League baseball enhances Kokomo's<br />
identity throughout the state and Midwest," said Kokomo Mayor Greg Goodnight.<br />
"The name Jackrabbits is a tribute to our automotive heritage, and the team and<br />
stadium are part of Kokomo's aim to attract people to fuel the future of our city."<br />
Other fans who submitted the winning entry at KokomoBaseball.com will receive<br />
a Kokomo Jackrabbits prize package, which includes tickets to the home opener<br />
and closer at Kokomo Municipal Stadium, an exclusive stadium tour,<br />
merchandise and more!<br />
MKE Sports & Entertainment Owner Mike Zimmerman also introduced Greg Van<br />
Horn as field manager of the Kokomo Jackrabbits.<br />
Van Horn is currently Assistant Baseball Coach at Princeton University. Last<br />
summer, he served as Assistant Coach of the Prospect Leagueʼs Chillicothe<br />
Paints and was the shortstop on the Paints 2010 squad that won the Prospect<br />
League Championship for the first time and was ranked second in the nation<br />
among college summer league teams.<br />
"I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity and am excited to be a part of<br />
bringing high level baseball back to the Kokomo community,” said Van Horn. “We<br />
are committed to putting the best possible product on the field so that our fans<br />
can enjoy a winning experience from the very beginning. I can't wait to get going.”
"This is another big day for the City of Kokomo and its new baseball club - the<br />
Kokomo Jackrabbits,” said Zimmerman. “The new brand is strong and will<br />
certainly be a big success for merchandise sales. Our new field manager, Greg<br />
Van Horn is an up and comer and we are excited to have him lead our team.”<br />
Ticket information and updates for the inaugural Kokomo Jackrabbits season can<br />
be found on the teamʼs website at KokomoJackrabbits.com. Find the Kokomo<br />
Jackrabbits socially on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for further<br />
developments, conversation and more!<br />
MKE Sports & Entertainment:<br />
MKE Sports & Entertainment owns and operates professional sports team, sports complexes,<br />
and other entertainment entities in the Midwest including The Rock Sports Complex in Milwaukee,<br />
the Milwaukee Wave Professional Soccer Team playing in the Major Arena Soccer League and<br />
the Rockford Aviators Baseball team playing in the Frontier League. For even more information<br />
about MKE Sports & Entertainment and everything we do visit MKESports.com<br />
Prospect League:<br />
The Prospect League was founded in 1963 – known as The Central Illinois Collegiate League<br />
until merging in 2009 – and is one of the longest continuously operating, independent, summer<br />
collegiate baseball leagues in the country. With the addition of Kokomo, IN the Prospect League<br />
will have 12 teams competing in a six state region: Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania,<br />
and West Virginia. Visit ProspectLeague.com for more information<br />
City of Kokomo, Indiana:<br />
Kokomo, Indiana is located fifty miles north of Indianapolis, easily reached by U.S. 31. Kokomo is<br />
known as the City of Firsts thanks to its world-renowned automotive heritage and history of<br />
technological inventions, which includes Americaʼs First Car produced by Elwood Haynes in<br />
1894. Kokomoʼs historic downtown offers a wide variety of interesting attractions, which include<br />
family friendly parks, the Wildcat Creek Walk of Excellence walking and biking trail, intercity<br />
bikeways, farmersʼ market, summertime open-air concerts and more. Visit CityOfKokomo.org for<br />
more information.<br />
Apperson Jackrabbit:<br />
Judges chose the Jackrabbits name because of its historical importance to the city. The<br />
Apperson was a brand of automobile manufactured from 1901 to 1926 in Kokomo, Indiana. The<br />
Apperson Jack Rabbit was introduced in 1907. It was a 2-passenger roadster, equipped with a<br />
four cylinder 60 or 96 horsepower engine. Features included a four-speed transmission, 34-inch<br />
wheels and tires, Hess-Bright ignition systems and a 20-gallon round gas tank. It had a<br />
guaranteed top speed of 75 miles per hour.<br />
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