Lake Country DockHounds make playoffs, looking to draw bigger crowds
Lake Country DockHounds make playoffs, draw big crowds
Baseball fever is hitting a home run with the Milwaukee Brewers. But one team in Oconomowoc often feels overlooked despite successes of their own.
OCONOMOWOC, Wis. - Baseball fever is hitting a home run with the Milwaukee Brewers. But one team in Oconomowoc often feels overlooked despite successes of their own.
Success for the DockHounds
What we know:
The DockHounds are in the playoffs, and the team keeps trying new ways – like theme nights and fireworks shows – to draw a crowd. There is momentum here for several reasons that have the team celebrating success.
"They say, ‘I don’t know the DockHounds existed’ or ‘oh, it’s that field right off I-94?’"
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For five seasons, one of the Lake Country DockHounds' biggest rivals has been attention.
"People in Waukesha County and Lake Country do care, but the general sense is…maybe we do get overlooked a bit."
Announcer Dominic Stearn said this is the season the team proved itself. The American Association East Division team already made it to the playoffs Sunday with 13 games left in the regular season.
"The neat thing about the DockHounds is we’ve improved each season."
Stearn said the team’s pitching staff leads the league in strikeouts, and it’s the third straight year the DockHounds have made it to the postseason. But the thing they’re really proud of is this impressive streak.
"We became only the second team, as mentioned in our 20+ league year history, to send four players to affiliated ball or back to the minors in one month."
Stearn said players are either trying to get their first MLB gig or a minor league opportunity. But even with the rotating door at the ballpark, the DockHounds still managed to win. Wrapping up Year 5 feels like its own kind of victory.
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"We were able to grow our attendance during the first three months of the season."
Attendance is at around 1,900 fans per game. The DockHounds play the Kane County Cougars on Monday night (Aug. 24), with Steamboat Willie Night as the theme – basically Mickey Mouse night.
Portions of this article were formatted using A.I. FOX6’s Bret Lemoine and an editor reviewed it for accuracy and tone prior to publishing.
The Source: Information in this story was gathered from Dominic Stearn and FOX6 News.