When the new minor league baseball season opens next week, there will be two new teams at Modern Woodmen Park, one on the field, and one in the office. Tuesday, the Quad Cities River Bandits introduced nine new staff members.
Team ownerDave Heller says he's always happy to see a River Bandits player promoted to a higher level team, but he's just as happy to see his staff move up.
The new hires range from a grounds-keeper to a special events manager and an assistant general manager. Many have experience working for other baseball teams, including some in the Midwest League. Darren Pitra is the new director of merchandise, following a long career in radio and even working as a public address announcer for the team in the early nineties.
Opening day for the River Bandits and the Midwest League will be Thursday, April 7th. The River Bandits will play their first games at Cedar Rapids and their home opener is set for Saturday, April 9th.