Dear Friend and Business Colleague,

I want to offer a heart felt thank your past support and ask you to renew your support for the 2011 season. Generous support from you and your colleagues in our business community make summer collegiate baseball possible in North Adams.

This is our tenth season and as such, I want to make this the most memorable season yet. Our ability to sustain a successful team in a small market like the North Berkshire Community is a testament to the hard work of our volunteers, the tenacity of the players, and the loyalty of our fan base. It is our mission to continue to put a quality team on the field and to create a memorable experience for all fans.

The 2010 season was filled with many wonderful memories and highlights, both on and off the field. Some of the off field activities included:

 
•    Nearly 20,000 fans coming to the ballpark.
•    Visiting all of the local elementary schools to read, meet, and play with our youth.
•    Distributed over 3,000 tickets to elementary school students.
•    Bringing parents and friends in form all over the country to learn that our area is a special place to visit and live.
•    Provide opportunities for our players off field to help them develop life skills through team building and exposure to a variety of activities.
•    Sustain the SteepleCats deep commitment to our community through player participation in our communities and our schools.

Of course, on field, the SteepleCats provided some of the best baseball of the summer on any level. Some of the highlights included:
 
•    First ever regular season pennant/division championship
•    Setting the best single-season mark in franchise history with a record of 26-16.
•    First in the league in strike outs (362) and in fewest walks allowed (119)
•    First in saves (tie)
•    Second in team era (2.56) and second in stolen bases (79)
•    Fans were treated to outstanding performances by set up man Cory Vogt (Keene St.) who had a 0.47 era and struck out 31 batters in 19 innings followed by closer Sean Albury )Nova Southeastern U.) who struck out 29 in 19.1 innings and had an incredible 0.00 era!

Finally, a few more standouts from the season were:
 
•    The July 17th game where the players wore pink jerseys to promote Breast Cancer Awareness
•    The major league debut of Cole Gillespie for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Cole, an outfielder for Oregon was a 2005 member of the SteepleCats. He follows fellow SteepleCats Mike Ekstrom (Rays), Bobby Wilson (Angels), and Joe Smith (Indians)into the majors.
•    And of course, our 2002 SteepleCat Roberto Martinez was chosen by Williamstown’s own Ali Fedotowsky on ABC’s hit show, The Bachelorette

As you can see, this was a successful season both on and off the field. North Adams is a small market and it's unusual to have this caliber of baseball played in a community of our size. Our players are not only good athletes but also good role models to our kids, both on the field and as counselors in the YMCA camp program. They have become an integral part of our community. But it is expensive to operate the SteepleCats and our budget is fragile. It is your support that allows the team to keep ticket prices affordable so everyone can come to the ballpark and enjoy a great baseball experience. To keep the SteepleCats playing in North Adams, we need your support. We believe that summer collegiate baseball brings an intangible benefit to Northern Berkshire, and that baseball is the great common denominator that builds community and brings us together.

I hope that you can help us to keep the SteepleCats healthy for another thrilling season of baseball. AS our tenth season, I want to have more special events, more promotions, and more fun than ever. I hope you agree and can help with a donation for the upcoming season.

Thank you for your past generosity and your consideration for this year. I appreciate it and look forward to another successful season. See you at the ballpark!

Sincerely

Dan Bosley
President