Thunder Bay Whiskey Jacks


OK, this is not a soccer team, but given there crap history and trials and tribulations, they should have been a lower division team! Instead, the dreary life of the Jacks was as a independent minor league baseball team. OK, it also has nothing to do with Germany, but this is my website, so indulge me...

The Whiskey Jacks were Thunder Bay's entry into the independant Northern League. The team struggled, to say the least.

The Northern League was reconstituted in 1993, and quickly caught the fancy of baseball fans, turning in the most successful independent minor league operation. In fact, probably the most successful minor league, period. During one stretch, the St.Paul Saints were actually outdrawing the major league Minnesota Twins.

Of course, the Whiskey Jacks didn't share too much in the prosperity, suffering from low (but dedicated!) attendance and poor performance.

The 1998 season proved to be the end. The WhiskeyJack owners decided to leave the loyal Thunder Bay fans in the lurch, and uprooted the team and moved to Schaumburg, Illinois. This outrage should have been met by violent street protests and general anarchy, but instead everybody just let it happen without a fight.

R.I.P.

(Split season records in Northern League, Class A Independent)

1993	Combined	3rd	3rd
1994	Combined	4th	5th
1995	Combined	last	2nd
1996	Eastern		last	last	
1997	Eastern		2nd	last
1998	Eastern

Address PO Box 864, Thunder Bay, Ontario P7C 4X7 (I know, it makes no sense)
Phone: (807) 344-5225 Fax: (807)) 343-4611
Colors Teal and Purple jersey, white pants.
Stadium Port Arthur Stadium. Capacity: 5,144 (all seats), plus lawn seating.
Tickets Reserved CDN $7, General Admission CDN $6.
Supporters There was an official booster club. A reference to "New Jack City" spirit was made on another web site, but they must be referring to the fans who become crackheads in desperation after watching the team lose. Eventually, even the fans abandoned the club as it became clear they would leave.
Friends
Foes Winnipeg Goldeyes. Well, sort of, as the other Canadian entry you could get some artificial mini-rivalry going. Actually, the one real foe was probably the local union of city employees, that went on strike against the city and essentially shut down the ball-park, which certainly didn't help the empty Jacks coffers.
Beer Probably Labatt's, eh? They used to produce a local brew called Northern, but were apparently kicked out of town.
Grub and Pub There are two concession stands serving up the usual ball park food, including the "best peanuts in the Northern League". An "All-You-Can-Eat Barbeque" in the BBQ area runs $7.95 Candian, which is about $5 in real dollars. Within the town of Thunder Bay, there are of course many premier culinary establishments, among them McDonalds and Arby's Roast Beef. Seriously, Hoito's is known for ethnic Finn food.
The Net The official site WAS www.jacks.ca managed to contain almost no useful information about the team itself. Mostly marketing scum-bag type info, so you wouldn't be confused by something as stupid as a TEAM ROSTER!!

However, when the traitors folded up the team, there went the website too.


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(c) Abseits Guide to Germany