Although Craig Wallin never played baseball at the collegiate or professional level, he and his family have remained huge baseball fans. In fact, the Elkhart County Baseball Franchise CEO's affection for baseball led him to pursue a career in announcing and a dream of covering sports at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater where he received his undergraduate degree.
Ultimately it was his love of baseball and broadcasting that opened the door to becoming a play-by-play announcer for teams led by former Notre Dame baseball coaching greats Pat Murphy and Paul Mainieri, and current Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona.
His sportscasting duties with the Chicago White Sox minor league club in South Bend were featured in a USA Today cover story. He also hosted the network health and nutrition television show, Making Healthy Choices, with Maureen Salamon, and he authored and narrated a book on wellness for the World Leadership Foundation entitled D-R-E-S-S-ing for Success from the Inside Out.
Wallin, owner of media firm CTT Communications, Inc., established the Elkhart company in the 1990's. Today the company provides sales and marketing for other businesses while producing its own weekly television shows for ABC 57 in South Bend. He routinely travels thousands of miles each year visiting clients, producing shows, and announcing games, but still finds time to attend as many of his son's games as possible at Lincoln College in Illinois.
The expansion team he bought in Elkhart is among 16 other clubs in the NWL, including many from cities he once traveled to as a young announcer for the South Bend White Sox of the Midwest League. “I had the time of my life riding the team bus traveling to ball parks in cities like Madison and Wausau, Wisconsin, and Waterloo, Iowa. These stadiums haven't changed much at all in the last 20 years and returning there brings back some great memories, says Wallin.”
After several months of negotiations, Wallin struck a deal with both the NWL and CR 17 real estate developers to locate a team in the new Pine Creek at 17 complex. The construction of the new stadium is scheduled to be completed in time for the 2011 season, and is projected to initially seat 2,500 fans. Madison, the league's leader in attendance in 2009, attracted close to 6,000 fans per home date.
So why did the Wisconsin native who lives in Elkhart decide to buy a baseball franchise in Indiana? “Being a sports franchise owner is something I've always wanted to do,” says Wallin. “There are pros and cons to all franchises, but I thought this one was an especially good fit.”
Officially, Wallin and his wife Deb own the team and the stadium. The have three children ages 19 to 24 and the entire family loves sports. “Deb has really taken to it, but of course she's not quite as involved as I am,” says Wallin. His second daughter Tori is finishing up her athletic training degree at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Illinois and hopes to one day help as the team's head trainer. The Wallin's oldest daughter, Courtney, is in charge of the team's media department.
While Wallin didn't move to Elkhart until 1978, his wife hasn't lived anywhere else. “Elkhart certainly has had its share of national attention as a result of the downturn and unemployment, but we're a resilient people who share a deep trust in God, believe in hard work, and persevere,” Wallin added.
“The nice thing about our league is that each community develops deep relationships with its players that last a lifetime. Many players have gone on to play in the major leagues, and that's always a big deal. Host families provide a unique service by housing local players while they're playing at home,” Wallin says. “When on the road, the players stay in hotels provided by the away team.”
Wallin says this is an unbelievable endeavor to be a part of, but understands its still a business. “It's an entertainment business,” he adds. “We sell tickets, advertising, food and beverages, and merchandise. You have to keep your eye on the ball like any other business.”
Wallin pays attention to the details. He oversees the day-to-day operations of the team while looking at major relationships with the team's sponsors, the league, development around the ballpark, and the franchises' relationship with the county's government entities. Other staff members are in charge of things such as grounds and facilities, special events and promotions, advertising sales, and concessions.
In addition to putting a good product on the field that can contend for a league championship each year, “we want to run a first-class operation that's all about a clean, safe, family-friendly ballpark,” Wallin states. “I have to make sure the right people are in the right place and that the fan is always #1.”