Kalamazoo Kodiaks

• Location: Kalamazoo, MI
• League: Frontier League 1996-1998
• Affiliation: Independent
• Stadium: Sutherland Field

Team History

In 1996, the Newark Bisons of the independent Frontier League folded and moved to Kalamazoo, MI. The Kalamazoo Kodiaks became the first professional baseball team to play in Kalamazoo since the Kalamazoo Lassies of the AAGPBL folded.

1996

The innaugural season started off well for the Kodiaks, finishing second in the first half of the season. The second half of the season proved harder for the fledgling team, and the Kodiaks fell to the bottom of their division. Still, the Kodiaks drew the second-largest crowds in the league for the season, behind only the Evansville Otters. Kalamazaoo had no All-Stars that season. No regular hit .300 or had an ERA under 4.

• Manager: Glenn Gulliver
• First Half Record: 17-20, 4 games back
• Second Half Record: 8-29, 16 games back
• Attendance: 62,331

1997

There were a few stong performances in the largely unnotable 1997 season. Second baseman Don DeDonatis hit .328 with a league record 65 stolen bases. The Kodiaks still finished near the bottom of the standings both halves of the season and attendance fell to 5th in the 8-team league. DeDeonatis was the lone All-Star on the club.

• Manager: John Pacella
• First Half Record: 18-22, 7 games back
• Second Half Record: 15-24, 14 games back
• Attendance: 55,421

1998

1998 was a terrible season for the Kodiaks. The team managed to finish last in the standings in both the first and second halves of the season. The Kodiaks had both the worst collective batting average and team Earned Run Average (6.24 team ERA) in the league. Darren Fidge (5-6, 3.06) did finish third in ERA while OF Willie Edwards (.329/?/.601, 65 R, 18 HR, 71 RBI, 11 SB) made the All-Star team.

• Manager: Alan Riffle, Andy McCauley
• First Half Record: 11-28, 12 games back
• Second Half Record: 14-26, 13 games back
• Attendance: 41,331

The Kodiaks folded following the 1998 season and moved to London, ON where they became the London Werewolves.

Year-by-Year Record

Year	Record	Finish	Manager	Playoffs
1996	25-49	8th	Glenn Gulliver
1997	33-46	7th	John Pacella
1998	25-54	8th	Alan Riffle (11-28) / Andy McCauley (14-26)