Dean Rennicke Named NWL Executive of the Year, Lakeshore Chinooks Voted Top Organization of 2014
Rochester, Minn. – The Northwoods League has announced that Dean Rennicke, VP/GM of the Lakeshore Chinooks, has been named the 2014 Northwoods League Executive of the Year. The award, which was decided by a vote of team officials at the League's annual fall meetings last week in Kenosha, WI, is given annually to the League's outstanding executive. In another vote, the Lakeshore Chinooks were awarded the Organization of the Year award.
Rennicke recently completed his third year with the Chinooks culminating in a Summer Collegiate World Series Championship. Dean played baseball at Homestead High School, then received a scholarship to play at UW-Madison. Rennicke played three seasons with the Badgers and spent his summers playing in various collegiate summer leagues: the Colorado Mesa League, the Alaskan Baseball League, and the Cape Cod Baseball League. After his junior year at Wisconsin, he was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers organization where he spent seven years as a pitcher and coach in their Minor League system. After two arm surgeries and needing a third, Dean retired and came back to Milwaukee.
Dean joined the Milwaukee Brewers Front Office and spent 15 seasons there in various capacities including their Vice President of Corporate and Ticket Sales. He then joined the Journal Broadcast Group's radio networks selling the Packers and Brewers Radio Broadcasts. Currently he serves as Vice President of Marketing for Kapco, Inc. which included organizing the startup of the Chinooks.
“I am humbled and blessed to have been given The Executive of the Year Award,” said Rennicke. “This award however is more of a reflection on the many quality individuals that we have within the Chinooks family that work tirelessly to make the Lakeshore Chinooks the type of organization that we are. Certainly it is not so much one individual that wins this award but it is an award shared by all those within our organization who care about providing a first class experience for this area.”
The Lakeshore Chinooks were honored with the Organization of the Year award after another successful summer at Kapco Park. The Chinooks continued to have success at the gates with 46,665 fans through the ballpark resulting in a 1,373 per-game average. The Chinooks also hosted the 2014 Northwoods League All-Star game this summer which featured MLB Commissioner Bud Selig as the guest speaker at the All-Star banquet. On the field the Chinooks were the first half champion in the South Division and went on to win the Northwoods League Summer Collegiate World Series for the first time.
“It has been our simple goal as an organization from our inception three years ago to have a positive impact on the community, the league and with those whose lives we touch,” said Chinooks VP/GM Dean Rennicke. “To win the Organization of the Year Award in the Northwoods League is an incredible honor as there are so many well run affiliates within this league. It is the culmination of many people, the ownership group, our staff, the fans, the interns and certainly the coaches and players working hard to fulfill our mission.”
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The Northwoods League is the proven leader in the development of elite college baseball players. The 21-year old summer collegiate league is the largest organized baseball league in the world with 18 teams, drawing significantly more fans, in a friendly ballpark experience, than any league of its kind. A valuable training ground for coaches, umpires and front office staff, more than 120 Northwoods League players have advanced to Major League Baseball, including Cy Young Award winner Max Scherzer (DET) and MLB All-Stars Chris Sale (CWS), Jordan Zimmermann (WAS), Curtis Granderson (NYM), Allen Craig (BOS) and Ben Zobrist (TB). All league games are viewable live via the Northwoods League YouTube channel. For more information, visit www.northwoodsleague.com.