It’s an early spring day and aside from a strong wind blowing from west to east, you couldn’t ask for better weather. The sun is high and the grass on the field of Crusher’s Stadium is so green, it almost hurts your eyes, contrasting perfectly with the orange infield baselines and running track.
It’s hard to believe, but that grass will only get greener into summer.
I’m greeted by Vic Gregovits president and partner of the Lake Erie Crushers of the Frontier League in an upper-level luxury box. As he looks out onto the field ahead of us, a warm genial smile comes easily across his face.
“The way I look at it, I get to come to a ballpark every day, and they call it work,” he says, “so life for me is pretty good.”
We’re soon joined by Len Komoroski, chairman and managing partner, and Bob Moullette, vice president of sales. The three make up a triumvirate that oversees day-to-day baseball operations.
The first question is obvious: Why a minor league team?
“My wife Denise and I have always been minor league fans,” Komoroski says, but the tipping point happened in Minnesota where the couple got a big kick out of onfield frolics which added an appropriate atmosphere. “There was a team in the twin cities area called the St. Paul Saints, which was owned by Bill Veeck’s son Mike, Bill Murray the actor and another principal named Marv Goldklang.
“We decided to go to the opening game because Bill Murray was going to throw out the first pitch. So out waddles this pig with a ball sack on his back. The umpire throws a ball to Bill Murray who throws out the first pitch to the catcher, who in turn throws it up to the press box. From there, it was just a lot of fun.”
Bill Murray, of course, needs no introduction. But Mike Veeck’s last name might not be recognized by younger Guardians fans. However, the name is easily recognized by longtime Cleveland baseball fans.
His father Bill Veeck, a classic baseball showman, brought a sense of fun to the ownership of the Cleveland Indians back in the day. He was also well known for his promotions and antics during a major league career that spanned three different franchises. Hoping to get a walk for his team, he once sent a midget to the plate. (In a confidential onfield meeting behind closed gloves, the opposing catcher actually advised the pitcher to throw it low.) Veeck also a staged a burial of the 1948 championship flag, when it became obvious that the Cleveland Indians would not repeat their world championship performance in 1949.
The St. Paul Saints have kept the Pig promotion on opening days, even creating a “Name the Pig Contest.” While there have been many creative names for the pig, as you can imagine, last year’s name of “Ozempig,” and previous names like “Squealon Musk” have created some controversy, while bringing a smile to the team’s fans.
It's that same kind of fun and unabashed whimsy that you’ll find at many minor league ballparks, and the Lake Erie Crushers are certainly no exception. From the dancing and in-game high jinks of the Savannah Bananas to the highly competitive play of AAA Buffalo Bisons, Minor League Baseball runs the full spectrum of family entertainment, from the sublime to the ridiculous.
“We like to think that we are a part of that spectrum,” says Komoroski. “We will take a few risks and will have a little more fun than what you might expect. We have the latitude of having fun and games, and that is the beauty of being in minor league sports and Minor League Baseball in particular. We like to have some fun like the Savannah Bananas, but we are still very much a professional baseball team.”
On Sundays, kids eat for free. If you’re under 12, you get a soft drink, dog and chips. Kids are also allowed to run the bases prior to the game and play catch with a parent on the field. And of course, there’s easy access to players for autographs, some of whom make it to the majors.
“What we are doing here, in addition to running a minor league team, is creating memories for multiple generations of families,” says Gregovits.
So Minor League Baseball not only develops players for the major leagues but also helps to grow its fan base.
“One of the greatest things we offer is access, especially to our players,” says Komoroski, who can often be seen along with Gregovits at the main gate welcoming fans into the stadium, especially on weekends. “We have players who are still hungry, who still haven’t made it, who love to interact with the community.”
One of the most intimate ways Crusher players connect with the local community doesn’t happen at the park. It’s actually something of a throwback to the earliest days of professional baseball, when local communities would offer jobs for players so they could play for the local team and live in the community.
As a part of its Host Family Program, families from local cities offer Crusher players a home away from home. The players get to know local families, while the families get a first-hand look inside Minor League Baseball.
“We have local host families who live anywhere from Vermilion to Rocky River, usually within a 20-minute radius of the ballpark,” says Gregovits. “The players stay with the families all season long, the families inviting the players into their house for four and a half months of the year.”
Naturally, the players get to know the families, but the families also get to know the spouses, girlfriends or family members of the players.
“Players are also going to family activities like weddings or baptisms and the families stay close with the players the whole time and even afterward,” says Gregovits. “This year we have a significant number of host families, some are hosting two players. Last year, we even had a family that hosted three.”
Komoroski, Gregovits and Moullette are a part of the Crusher’s new management team which took over in March of last year after purchasing the team from Tom Kramig. The executive team has been praised for its strong professional sports pedigree and its experience in Northeast Ohio.
“We like to joke that between us we have more than 150 years of sports experience,” quips Komoroski, “but maybe that just makes us old. Actually, we share a common passion for sports and we love minor league sports in particular.”
The investor names are easily recognizable if you follow Northeast Ohio’s sports scene. Komoroski is a former CEO and now senior advisor of Rock Entertainment Group. Nick Howley, chairman of the Howley Foundation, is the vice chairman for the Crushers.
They are joined by investors Nic Barlage, CEO of the Cavaliers, Rock Entertainment Group and Rocket Arena and Mike Levy, who’s been with Canton Charge as well as the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Village. Nick Howley’s son Mike, who is managing partner of Bratenahl Capital Partners, is also involved.
Gregovits, who runs a lot of the day-to-day operations and is also a part of the ownership, served previously as executive vice president of global sales for the Hall of Fame Resort and Entertainment company in Canton, where he helped the company realize a 50% revenue increase in 2023. But Gregovits also has ample experience in baseball, including a couple of stints with the Cleveland Indians and the AAA Louisville Bats.
For his part, Bob Moullette has more than 11 years of experience in professional baseball, beginning his career as an intern for the Modesto Nuts before moving to New Orleans where he helped rebrand the New Orleans Zephyrs into the New Orleans Baby Cakes.
While a passion for minor league sports initially fueled the team’s interest in the Crusher franchise, there were also some very practical reasons for the acquisition as well, says Komoroski.
“If you look at it from an overall point of view, Minor League Baseball is a wonderful way to commune with fans and lift people up in a unique way — which is a privilege we have in sports,” Komoroski says. “But from a purely business standpoint, you have to think of it as a fan and how they access your entertainment.”
The first thing you have to think about is location, says Komoroski.
“For us, that’s real easy,” he says. “You don’t have to leave a bread crumb trail to find our stadium. We are a baseball throw away from the fourth busiest highway in the nation (I-90).”
The second part is how you access the stadium.
“In our case we have access right off the highway and a dedicated service road that goes right into our facility,” Komoroski adds. “The third thing is parking, which can be a pain, but ours is really easy. So for us, what are pain points for many organizations are actually our strengths.”
Still, there are challenges, Komoroski concedes. The management team took over in March of last year and had to deal with several legacy issues last year before it could put its own stamp on the organization this year. This includes naming the stadium, the previous sponsor Mercy Health’s contract expiring before the change in management.
“But we are expecting a new partner very soon,” Komoroski promises. (An announcement should be forthcoming and possibly before our publication.)
In terms of the franchise and the stadium’s economic impact on Lorain County, the team has aggressive growth plans which are shaping up this year.
“We are at the point right now, where things could be dramatically different at the end of the year,” says Komoroski. “Our projections include increasing the number of people, the number of events and the number of activities here at the stadium.
“We have 48 Crushers games, but we also have a target of 200 events,” he adds. “When you talk about Rocket Arena downtown and its economic impact, it’s not just about the Cavs or the Monsters. When you start to peel the onion, you have to include events like Disney on Ice, Monster Trucks, and concerts as well as the NCAA and MAC tournaments among many other events.
“We have a tremendous community asset for Lorain County here and are working hard to bring it to life every day.”
In May, Crushers Stadium hosted the 2025 Mid-American Conference (MAC) Baseball Championship, where the league’s top six teams battled for the Conference Crown and a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
“It was their most successful event ever last year and we look to grow it this year,” says Gregovits. “We also expect to host a regional district championship for high school baseball in June.”
Fold those events in with special events, regular fireworks shows throughout the season, a drone and fireworks show and the launch this year of the first ever Lake Erie Crushers Concert Series with second base as the stage, and it’s easy to see how the stadium is an economic engine for the entire County.
“We also have an '80s Night scheduled for June, the Tacos and Tequila event and the Haunted Garage Sale — and we’re working on trying to bring in a boat show that would continue the community’s involvement with our stadium all year long,” says Gregovits.
There are also plans to expand the reach of the Crushers fanbase, says Moullette. The first is through reaching out to Latino and Hispanic communities and audiences.
“One of the great aspects of being in the Frontier League is that you have the same access to a lot of programs that other affiliated teams do,” says Moullette. “That’s why we joined Minor League Baseball’s Copa de la Diversion program, otherwise known as the Fun Cup.
“The effort is to really activate the Latin and Hispanic communities in our surrounding cities because Latin heritage in baseball is big. The Hispanic population in Lorain County is actually the highest percentage population of any of the counties in the state of Ohio, and it’s right in our backyard,” he adds. “We have the ability to hold 200 events a year, and we want to make sure that we are engaging with everyone that is reflective of our community.”
Minor League Baseball launched the Copa de la Diversion five years ago with just five teams. This year, a total of 94 teams will participate in the program.
The Crushers organization is asking the Hispanic and Latino community for their assistance in coming up with a new team nickname for the program. The new identity will be used for some special games and will coincide with other events currently under discussion, according to Moullette.
Inside the Stadium
As a Frontier League venue, Crushers Stadium offers seating for 5,000 in six different types, including Outfield Reserve, Infield Reserve, Dugout Box, Homeplate Box, Homeplate Box Premium and Four-Person Terrace. Tickets range from $8 for Advanced Outfield Reserve to $25 for Day of the Game Homeplate Box Premium. A four-person table can be as much as $150 for the day of the game. For an extra $5, there’s a Kid Zone that includes a bounce house and an obstacle course as well as other attractions located just beyond the right field fence.
Like many other ballparks in the Frontier League, it’s an intimate venue, meaning there really isn’t a bad seat in the house.
According to Joe Juda, manager of stadium operations (considered one of the best Stadium Ops professionals in the Frontier League), it’s 400 feet to dead center and 325 feet down the lines. The stadium sits at 2009 Baseball Boulevard in Avon, just off I-90.
At the Ballpark
When it comes to Minor League Baseball, there’s one thing you can count on: affordable family fun, especially if you compare it to Major League Baseball. Ballpark food is the stuff of legend and is an absolute requirement if you are going to have the complete baseball experience.
“When it comes to attending a Sunday matinee game, you can really stretch your family dollar,” says Len Komoroski, chairman and managing partner of the Crushers.
It all starts with parking, which is just $6.
Specials:
Kids Eat Free Sundays (under 12 get a hot dog, chips and a drink)
$2 Tuesdays (12-oz sodas, small pretzels, popcorn and hot dogs are $2 each)
$5 Hot dogs
$6 Bratwurst with kraut
$9 Hamburgers
$5.50 Pizza Slice
$4.50 Candy
$6 Walking Taco
$5 Peanuts
$5 Soft Pretzels
$8 Chicken Tenders
$8 Grilled Chicken Sandwich
$6 Cheese Curds
$5 Fries
$5 Cracker Jacks
$8 Nachos
Tune in to Crushers Games!
“We will be televised on the Rock Entertainment Sports Network this season,” says Len Komoroski, chairman and managing partner of the Lake Erie Crushers. “Our home games will be broadcast on RESN, as well as a majority of our away games.
The broadcast team includes the longtime voice of the Crushers Andy “Bull” Barch and color man Mark “Munch” Bishop. Zane Bloom is the Crushers roving reporter who voices play-by-play for road games.
