Taking in the Titans: On and off the field

Catch some rays. Catch a rising star. Maybe even catch a foul ball with your kid.  

If your summer entertainment choices lean towards peaceful, easy family-centric outings, the Frontier League’s Ottawa Titans cover all the bases.  

While Major League hopefuls aim to be spotted by big-league scouts on the Ottawa Stadium diamond, spectators take in the scene on a variety of levels.  

“The kids can be fans of the players, with the idea of seeing a professional athlete,” says Titans general manager Martin Boyce. “The (parents) can be big baseball fans or just want to enjoy the summer outside. Other people come to the ballpark just for the food.”  

With the help of popular promotions, crowds have steadily increased since the Titans joined the league in 2021.  

The club offered up 5,000 free Titans jerseys while drawing a sellout crowd of 10,300 for its  

May home opener, setting a league attendance record

School day outings in May and June drew several thousand students. Tuesdays bring $2 hot dog nights. There are Fireworks Fridays, a Country Night and a Cancer Awareness game. Sunday matinees include Baby Races, where crawling infants scramble down the baseline towards their parents.  

Later in the summer, fans will dig through the infield sand, hoping to scoop up the grand prize of a free trip to Jamaica.  

The game day scene usually follows a familiar pattern 

The serious baseball types might be decked out in red-and-white Titans pinstripes or Toronto Blue Jays colours, immersed in every at-bat. Between pitches, toddlers and grade schoolers are keen on high-fiving Cappy, the bulky, red-headed masat-batcot with no eyes and two triangular teeth.  

Out in the foul territory picnic area beyond the left field bleachers, parents are often playing catch with their children. Other moms and dads gladly watch their kids tire themselves out as they roll down the grassy hill. Teenagers take selfies with the field as a backdrop. Old friends have one eye on the game while catching up on life over a craft beer.   

Heads turn to the game at the sharp crack of the bat

The experience has been likened to a giant barbecue, with decent eats and side dishes of familiar music.  

“I love it here,” says on-field manager Bobby Brown, a California native and baseball lifer who joined the team for its inception in 2021 and has returned every summer since. “It is a baseball city. You’re going to see this thing continue to build and sometime in the next three years, it’s going to be the best place to play and manage in independent baseball.”  

The Frontier League is an association of 18 teams that includes franchises in Quebec City, Trois-Rivières, and the northern United States. If you’re a fan of corny nicknames, check out the Florence Y’alls, Mississippi Mud Monsters, Washington Wild Things or the Windy City Thunder Bolts.  

The league features former college and university stars early in their pro careers, supported by the leadership of minor-league veterans. Longshot big league live here. The goal is to sign with a Major League organization and to climb the ladder to the top of the baseball world.  

Accordingly, players come and go, often in mid-season 

“There are only two reasons to play independent baseball, in my mind,” says Brown. “It’s to win a championship and to get signed by a major league team and get to the big leagues. If I have a player who has one of those qualities or aspirations, I’m fine with him. If I have a player who has both, awesome.”  

Brown tips his ball cap to the Titans' front office for the efforts to attract both serious and casual fans.   

“If it’s a kid and it’s their first game and there are 2,500 or 3,000 fans here, it can really build their excitement for the game,” he says. “It’s always great to be at a baseball game rather than at your house playing video games.”  

The Titans have turned the page on the old story about Ottawa’s string of failed professional minor-league baseball franchises, a history that includes the Lynx, Rapidz, Fat Cats and Champions.  

“The number one thing we’ve done well is build confidence in the product we offer, which is the family-friendly experience,” says Boyce.   

The food service has improved drastically since the hiccups of the first few seasons, and price points also matter in a marketplace that also includes the Canadian Football League’s Ottawa Redblacks, the Canadian Premier League’s Atletico Ottawa, the Ottawa Blackjacks of the Canadian Elite Basketball League and the Ottawa Rapid of the Northern Super League. 

“Everything we do is about making it the most affordable in town,” says Boyce.  

Add it all up, and the goal is to capture fans' mood in as many ways as possible.

Cheer on the team

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