[UNTLifer]

Baseball: Van Poppel to invest in Outlaws

Former Major League pitcher will buy share of Denton TCL franchise


08:22 AM CDT on Tuesday, May 17, 2005


By Brett Vito / Staff Writer



Todd Van Poppel is back in baseball again, this time with the Denton Outlaws.


Todd Van Poppel
The former Texas Ranger and Arlington Martin pitcher said Monday that he will invest in the Outlaws and become a member of their management team. The Texas Collegiate League team will begin its inaugural season on June 7 at Mineral Wells.

The TCL is an eight-team summer baseball league that features some of the top college players in the country.

“I have been looking for a way to stay involved in baseball,” Van Poppel said. “I love the game, but I don’t want to be involved in something that is just a business or with people who have different thoughts on the game. Baseball is a game and should be enjoyable for the fans and players.”

Van Poppel first heard about the Outlaws from Sam Carpenter, a longtime friend and the Outlaws’ player personnel director. Van Poppel has met with the Outlaws management twice in the last few weeks and is still working with the team to determine what his role will be.

Van Poppel said he would work with the team in any capacity that could help establish the franchise and did not rule out helping coach the squad’s pitchers.

Working on the business side of a baseball franchise will be a dramatic change for Van Poppel, who retired during spring training with the New York Mets after posting a 40-52 record while pitching for six major league teams over the course of 11 seasons.

Working in the business side of the game was particularly enticing for Van Poppel.

“Since the team is being run somewhat like a minor league team, I am going to learn a little of the business side,” Van Poppel said. “It is going to be good for me to see the other end of the spectrum.”

The addition of Van Poppel to the Outlaws management team could be a boon for the team, not only because of the money he plans to invest, but also because of the name recognition he will bring the franchise.

“Having Todd involved with the team has already opened some doors that were not open before,” Outlaws general manager John Hampton said. “The biggest question that a lot of people have around here is our credibility. With Todd stepping in, it adds to our credibility.”

Van Poppel was one of the top high school pitchers in the country when he was playing at Martin in the late 1980s.

The Oakland Athletics selected Van Poppel with the 14th overall pick in the 1990 draft. He posted his best years with the Athletics when he won 13 games in the 1993 and 1994 seasons combined.

The addition of Van Poppel to the Outlaws management team comes at a critical time for the franchise.

The team started a series of improvements and adjustments on Monday to the Liberty Christian baseball field that will be the team’s home for its first season. The Outlaws have less than a month to finish converting the field before its home opener on June 9.

The University of North Texas has purchased the Liberty property and will begin converting it into women’s athletic facilities over the summer. The school has agreed to let the Outlaws play on Liberty’s baseball field for one season. The field will then be converted into the new home for the UNT softball team.

UNT will begin working on the field and adjusting its dimensions after the TCL season ends.

UNT has entered into an agreement with the TCL team to provide a tract of land across from the athletic center for a new baseball stadium. The TCL team will then build a stadium that the Outlaws and UNT’s club team will share.

UNT athletic director Rick Villarreal said construction of a stadium would be the first step toward reviving the Mean Green’s baseball team.

The baseball stadium UNT and the Outlaws plan to build was originally scheduled to be complete in time for the upcoming summer season. The Outlaws adjusted their target date for completing the stadium to next year after failing to raise enough funds to finish the project in time for the upcoming season.

Hampton and Van Poppel are both confident the Outlaws will be playing on a new field by next summer.

“We will get it done one way or another,” Van Poppel said.

[NT80]

The Outlaws adjusted their target date for completing the stadium to next year after failing to raise enough funds to finish the project in time for the upcoming season.

I hope this actually happens.

[ntsumgspe]

Anyone know how the renovations are coming along ? I was planning on going to the home opener for the Denton Outlaws but can't seem to find any ticket/team info.

[ADLER]

May 23, 2005 - The Denton Outlaws, one of the two new Texas Collegiate League (TCL) teams, have added former Texas Ranger and Arlington Martin pitcher Todd Van Poppel to the organization’s management team, General Manager John Hampton announced on Monday.

The Outlaws will open its inaugural season on June 7 at Mineral Wells with its first home game on June 9 against Graham.

“I want a fun environment for the college students to return to,” said Van Poppel. “A place for players to enjoy the game of baseball and have the opportunity to come back to visit family and friends. More often the players see the game as just a business and here, it will be fun for everyone.”

Van Poppel was regarded as a legendary baseball figure in the North Texas area as the righty was one of the top high school pitchers in the country when he was playing at Martin in the late 1980s. The Oakland Athletics selected the 20-year-old as the 14th pick in the 1990 draft, where he showcased his best play with 13 games won over the 1993 and 1994 seasons combined. Van Poppel retired from the big leagues during spring training with the New York Mets after pitching for six major league teams over the course of 11 seasons.

Outlaws player personnel director Sam Carpenter, who is a long time friend of Van Poppel, met with him several times over the last few weeks to determine what role he will take for the organization. Van Poppel has expressed a desire to work in any capacity that could help establish the Denton franchise as a baseball haven.

“I will do whatever it takes to provide an atmosphere for the Denton community where the focus is completely on family fun and entertainment,” said Van Poppel. “The community should know that this area is one of the most recruited areas in the country for baseball prospects.”

Van Poppel joins Jim Leslie, the CEO of Leslie Enterprises and former CEO of The Staubach Co., to the ownership team of the Outlaws.

“Todd brings a great deal of creditability to this organization,” Hampton said. “He experienced a great deal of success when he was the age of most of our players. The lessons he learned through his experiences are extremely valuable to each of our players. He will be a great role model to both the Outlaws and the many great players being developed in the Denton community.”
www.texascollegiateleague.com/


Opening night for the Denton Outlaws is Thursday June 9th at 7:35 against the Graham Roughnecks.

This post has been edited by ADLER: 02 June 2005 - 08:54 PM