In 1991, it seemed odd (if not unwise) when
a minor league franchise moved into a major league market - one
with two big league teams, no less
But the story of the Kane County Cougars of the single-A Midwest
League has been one of the tremendous successes on the field,
at the gates, and above all in the hearts of baseball fans in
Chicago's western suburbs
The team continues to draw more than half a million fans to Geneva's
cozy Elfstrom Stadium year after year, without ever being affiliated
with the Cubs or Sox in the nearby city
They have fielded some top prospects, including 2003 World Series
MVP Josh Beckett and his teammate Dontrelle Willis
They have battles in the post-season several times in their brief
history, and they thrilled fans by winning the 1991 Midwest League
Championship
Cougar fans will enjoy this pictorial tour through the club's
first 15 seasons, which provided a local view of the history of
the national pastime
David Malamut has been there from the beginning, a mainstay at
Cougar home games since his youth
The team has no greater fan
Using photographs from the Aurora Historical Society, his own
collection, and that of fellow fans, he tells the triumphant story
of baseball in the suburbs