Extensive research has revealed there is absolutely no truth to the rumor that Queen’s We Are the Champions is the ringtone on Gabe Sinicropi’s phone. But the Crosscutters organization has every reason to be proud.
“It is a very positive thing to point to,” Sinicropi, the team’s director of marketing, echoed, referencing the Crosscutters 2024 MLB Draft League championship. “It adds legitimacy to what we are doing. There haven’t been many championships in Williamsport. Our last one was in 2003. Ironically, this one was the first-ever championship to be clinched at home in the long history of baseball in Williamsport!”
When asked to describe the recent activities in preparation for the Crosscutters 2025 season, which begins Friday, Sinicropi laughed and said, “Your column isn’t big enough!”
Giving an abridged response, Sinicropi revealed that the past few weeks have been comprised of getting all the scripts ready for ‘the show,’ finalizing orders for all the food and beverages, and getting the entire stadium, that has been mostly dormant since September 5th, ready for the season. Many things have already been done, but there have been those things that could not have been accomplished until the past few weeks.
Asked about what’s new for this season, Sinicropi was quick to respond.
“There is going to be more protective netting in the stadium. Major League Baseball has mandated that all Minor League stadiums across the country and all partner league stadiums, there must be protective netting in front of every single area where fans sit. This means there will be netting all around the stadium where fans gather, including Cutters Grove and Loggers Landing.
“I expect some fans won’t be happy about it, but overall, it is a good thing. But once fans are seated for just a few minutes, the netting seems to disappear. It is a safety factor, and we won’t be carting people off on stretchers. With the advent of cell phones and smartphones, attending a baseball game is a lot different than it was years ago. Fans spend time on their phones, and it only takes a milli-second, if they are not paying attention, for something tragic to occur. So, I think it is a very positive thing.”
When asked how the netting might affect mascot Boomer’s in-game t-shirt toss, Sinicropi responded, “Rest assured, provisions are being made to accommodate that.”
The Crosscutters will celebrate that ‘We are the Champions’ 2024 reality in grand style this Friday for their first home game. The first 1,000 fans entering the ballpark will receive a replica championship ring.
“These rings are super nice. When you put them up against our real rings, you can barely tell the difference,” Sinicropi explained. “Back in the day, when teams handed out replica rings, they were kind of like gum-ball rings. These are really amazing. On top of that, one lucky fan will win a genuine Crosscutters championship ring to be given away that evening.”
The rosters of the six teams in the MLB Draft League are formulated by the league office and then assigned to the various teams. The first half of the season, the players have amateur status ahead of the MLB Draft. The league’s second half is comprised of paid professional players.
The Crosscutters’ preliminary rosters include two players with local ties. Left-handed pitcher Cade Davis, a Bloomsburg native, is a junior at George Washington University. Ryan Kennell, son of Penn College athletic director Scott Kennell, plays collegiately at Gardner Webb University in North Carolina.
Tickets for the coming season may be purchased at crosscutters.com, the box office, or via the telephone. When purchasing tickets online, Sinicropi stressed the importance of buying them via the Crosscutters website.
“There are numerous sites online that claim to sell tickets. These sites are selling tickets way above our ticket prices. We deal with people literally every night who have purchased tickets through these third-party sites by paying higher prices and then discover the tickets aren’t valid. We try to take care of these patrons, but it’s a stressful situation that can be avoided.
“We appreciate our fans and hope to bring in more each season to experience Crosscutters baseball. Our main goal is to entertain at an affordable price and provide an enjoyable family outing. Our pre-season has been good with ticket sales and sponsorship. After nine months of preparation, we are looking forward to getting another Williamsport baseball season rolling.”
The Crosscutters are joined in the six-team MLB Draft League by the Frederick Keys, Mahoning Valley Scrappers, State College Spikes, Trenton Thunder, and West Virginia Black Bears. The league plays an eighty-game schedule with the Cutters opening June 4 at Trenton and concluding the season at home with State College on September 3.
Looking into the future, Sinicropi revealed that the league is reviewing expansion plans.
“Future expansion plans will involve two cities, and those plans are being worked on. It’s a foregone conclusion it will happen, but it takes time to find the locations that has the investors and the stadiums to meet the established requirements. Eight teams would be a good number, but I wouldn’t want to see it go beyond that.”
Those familiar words “play ball” will ring out from Bowman Field Journey Bank Ballpark once again this Friday night, when the Crosscutters hope to repeat its 2024 championship!
