Regina Red Sox Sale Made Official

By IAN WILSON

The sale of the Regina Red Sox has been approved by the Western Canadian Baseball League.

The WCBL officially gave the thumbs up to the acquisition of the Red Sox by Regina-based Queen City Sports & Entertainment Group (QCSEG) during a vote by the league’s Board of Governors on June 22nd. The vote was unanimously in favour of the deal.

“We are very excited to have the strength and experience in sports that the new ownership group of the Red Sox brings to the WCBL,” said WCBL President Kevin Kvame. 

“The Board is extremely grateful to the existing Red Sox operators, led by Gary Brotzel. After Gary and Bernie Eiswirth pitched the expansion team for Regina 20 years ago, the Red Sox have been exemplary and loyal league supporters ever since. This Red Sox succession guarantees their legacy and the fact that baseball is in a good place in Regina.”

QCSEG is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Brandt Group of Companies with a mandate to provide a diverse offering of sports and entertainment opportunities to the Regina area. With this acquisition, the Red Sox will join a growing portfolio of sports clubs that has included the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League (WHL) since 2014.

“We’re really excited to put the two teams together. Both of these teams, when combined, are over 230 years of combined experience in sport in Regina. I can tell you that there’s not too many cities in Canada or across North America that can really say that,” said QCSEG owner Shaun Semple at a June 13th press conference to announce the sale.

“This is more than a transaction. It’s really about the fulfillment of a dream, a unification of two great teams and storied franchises here in Regina, the Regina Pats and the Red Sox. When Queen City Sports and Entertainment was originally founded … we wanted to revitalize Regina’s historic franchises and to invest in their success, to deliver world-class sports and entertainment for the citizens of Regina and throughout the province.”

READ MORE: Opinion – The Business of (WCBL) Baseball

Red Sox President Gary Brotzel called the move a “huge shot in the arm” for the franchise and one that ensures the long-term viability of the WCBL club.

“We’ve enjoyed a lot of success on the field. We’ve only missed the playoffs the first year we were a franchise,” said Brotzel.

“Every other year we’ve made the playoffs. We won the East Division too many times to count, won the league twice, so we’ve been very successful on the field. Off the field, I would say we’ve been successful. We’ve been good community stewards. I think we have good standing in the community and we’ve had a good run at 20 years.”

He reflected on the journey of the team – which operated as a volunteer-driven, non-profit organization – and the league since the Red Sox joined what was then the Western Major Baseball League in the fall of 2004. At that point, 10 people threw in $500 each to raise the $5,000 franchise fee. The team had an initial annual operating budget of $60,000 and the players traveled across Alberta and Saskatchewan in a pair of 15-passenger vans.

“The WCBL is fast growing. The fanbase not five years ago was 200,000 and now it’s pushing 500,000. When Spruce Grove brings on their new stadium shortly, I would say by next year that number will be 600,000,” said Brotzel.

“You can see the rapid growth and with that growth our expenses have gone through the roof, exponentially. The common denominator to the success of the WCBL is private ownership. The teams that have moved away from the non-profit volunteer model are thriving. They’re mostly the Alberta teams and, lately, with the Saskatoon Berries coming on board they’re just pushing the league to new levels. It’s clear to me that it was time that we moved on to that model, as well.”

Al Simpson, governor with the Regina Red Sox, agreed that a change was necessary.

“It’s become slowly but increasingly clear to Gary and I, and to some of the others who were involved with the club, that to continue to operate this club as a non-profit business model was just being presented with challenges that the club was finding increasingly more difficult to overcome,” said Simpson.

“That model is no longer really sustainable in the Western Canadian Baseball League. It’s becoming a much more competitive league and the resources required to compete and provide the citizens of Regina the entertainment that they expect, it just makes it very, very difficult for the club to sustain itself and, more importantly, to be a good representative of the city of Regina when we host teams and when we travel to play teams in a 56-game Western Canadian Baseball League schedule. So, Gary and I and our fellow board members arrived at what I think would be described as a quiet but shared understanding that for the Red Sox to thrive long-term things had to change, transition had to happen, a new ownership model had to come about and that wasn’t, I would say, inevitable, it was absolutely essential to secure the future of the Red Sox as a representative in the Western Canadian Baseball League.”

Semple said the move should benefit both the Pats and the Red Sox.

“This acquisition allows us to bring both organizations under one umbrella. One vision, one commitment to excellence on the field and on the ice and in our community,” he said.

“We believe in this city, we believe in our teams and most importantly, we believe in the people of Regina. This new era will build respect on the history, the passion for sport, the shared vision of what Regina can become, not just a leader in hockey and baseball, but a leader in sports and entertainment.”

SEEKING NEW STADIUM

A top priority for the ball club will be moving forward with a new stadium to replace antiquated Currie Field.

The Red Sox recently released a feasibility study report that was prepared for Living Sky Sports and Entertainment and the City of Regina which recommends building a baseball stadium in the Railyards area of the downtown warehouse district.

“The envisioned $30 million facility would be developed in three phases, beginning with a $15 million investment in core amenities such as the field, seating, and essential infrastructure. Future phases would expand the facility to include enhanced training areas, concessions, and community gathering spaces,” read the executive summary of the report.

“Stakeholders consistently framed their support around the project’s potential to transform the Dewdney Avenue Railyards area; it is viewed as a potential catalyst for downtown revitalization, youth retention, tourism growth, and civic pride. The City of Regina has conditionally committed $2.5 million to the project and serious consideration of a land contribution, contingent upon securing an additional $5 million in funding. Interview participants voiced strong support for the project’s objectives, particularly from civic leaders, local businesses, and the baseball community.”

The study identified $600,000 in philanthropic or sponsorship interest in a new baseball facility, along with the potential for over $5 million in private investment.

Semple said he and Simpson are passionate about getting a new stadium built in Regina.

“We’ve seen what’s possible with places like Okotoks, Alberta, with the new stadium. We see what’s happening in Edmonton with the stadium that’s coming out of the ground, and we really want to see what we can do to make that happen here. It’s really not just about bricks and bleachers. It’s really about revitalizing baseball within our city, investing in our youth, creating jobs, driving tourism and providing gathering places for our families, for our fans and for our future stars,” stated Semple.

“Just like we’ve done for the Regina Pats, our family is committing to doing our part in investing in our community, in the Red Sox, and in a new stadium.”

The QCSEG deal to acquire 100% of the Regina Red Sox is expected to close on Oct. 1, 2025.

Both Brotzel and Simpson will stay on with the club after the acquisition, with Brotzel in charge of baseball operations, and Simpson as minority preferred shareholder and team governor.