Thursday, September 14, 2023

Tom Van Schaack helped Watertown to attendance gain as GM; Had long career in baseball

Tom Van Schaack 1990 Watertown Indians card

The short-season Watertown Indians more than tripled the attendance in 1989 from the previous year, to 64,000, The Oswego Palladium-Times wrote.

The surge earned the team's president Michael W. Schell league Executive of the Year honors. But Schell looked to his general manager Tom Van Schaack for his work, along with others, The Palladium-Times wrote.

"This award is a tribute to the business people who supported baseball as investors and sponsors. It's also a tribute to Tom Van Schaack and his staff, to the fans and the city officials, who helped bring baseball back to Watertown."

Van Schaack earned those accolades early in his career. And his career went on beyond Watertown, to serve in front offices elsewhere, including AAA Syracuse and AA Huntsville.

Van Schaack continued with Watertown for 1990, and got his own card.

By 1993, Van Schaack had moved on to Minnesota and independent ball as general manager for Duluth-Superior. In 1999, Van Schaack was an assistant general manager at AAA Syracuse

He also worked for the Burlington, Sarasota and Richmond. In 2004, he became general manager at AAA Scranton. 

"He had all the right answers," Scranton Stadium Authority Chairman Bill Jenkins said after Van Schaack after his hire, according to OurSportsCentral.com. "We were impressed by each and every candidate we interviewed. But we felt really comfortable with Tom's experience."

In 2006, he was general manager at AA Huntsville, a job he held through 2007

Tom Van Schaack 1990 Watertown Indians card

1990 Minor League Tally 
Players/Coaches Featured:4,221
Made the Majors:1,384-32.8%
Never Made Majors:2,837-67.2%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors:562
10+ Seasons in the Minors:345

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