Grand Rapids Chicks – 2022 to present
Jeff Sajdak, GM
Franchise #23
History
Brief: Expansion Franchise #23 joined the league in 1999 under the
guidance of Don Mahley, who had previously owned Franchise #2, based in
Annandale, before selling out to speculator John Carter following the 1996
season. The TCBA world was saddened in early 2014 upon the death of
Ambassador Mahley, leading to the passing of the franchise to long-time
baseball promoter, Don Hirsch. The team was moved to nearby Arlington, in
recognition of Mahley’s contributions to TCBA, and renamed the Railsplitters, a reference to the WWII unit with which
Don Hirsch’s father served. From one Don to another, then, the torch was
passed. Moved to the Atlantic Division, the team’s prior successes under
Don Mahley were not to be repeated, however. Over the next eight seasons,
the Railsplitters never finished higher than 4th
place. With dwindling attendance, Hirsch saw no way up, resigning from TCBA
at the conclusion of the 2021 season. The opening did not last long. Jeff
Sajdak, a veteran of 58 TCBA seasons with Franchise #14, originally with
his Grand Rapids Wolverines from 1902-1921, and then from 1922-1972 with
his Siouxland Explorers, after which his team was disbanded due to a
league-wide restructuring, scooped up the discounted Franchise #23 and
moved it back home to Grand Rapids. Renamed the Chicks, robust pre-season
ticket sales hinted at a successful future for Franchise #23.
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