After 17 years as President of the Board of Directors of the Frontier League of Professional Baseball, Rich Sauget Sr. has announced his retirement from that position. Sauget is the third President in League history. He has held the position since November of 2003.
Sauget says, “It has been a honor to serve the Frontier League. I want to thank all of the players, administration and other owners of the league, as well as all of the Gateway Grizzlies family. My experiences and the relationships built during my tenure as President of the Frontier League have been some of my fondest in baseball. The future of the Frontier League and its’ partnership with MLB is exciting for the league and its’ teams. I’m confident the league will continue to reach new heights.”
During Sauget’s tenure, the League experienced tremendous growth. Annually, the League attracts approximately 1.5 million fans. Throughout his Presidency, six new stadiums were built. Also, he helped to oversee the merger of the 6 teams from the Can-Am League after the 2019 season. Recently, MLB named the Frontier League as a Partner League, one of the most important moments in League history.
Sauget grew up in Belleville, Illinois where he was a standout athlete in high school. He was recruited to the University of Notre Dame where he lettered in both football and baseball. In football, he played under legendary Head Coach Ara Parseghian. He was a member of the 1964 National Championship team. In 1966, he was drafted by the Atlanta Braves and he played six seasons of professional baseball with the Braves and Giants, including being called up to Atlanta during the 1970 season. Following his baseball career, he has been involved in numerous business, development, civic and philanthropic ventures in the St. Louis area and around the world. The Gateway Grizzlies began play in the Frontier League in 2001 and opened GCS Ballpark in 2002. In 2015, he was inducted into the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame.
Frontier League Commissioner Bill Lee says, “I have known Rich since I was 5 years old. Not only do I respect him as a business and community leader, he is one of my dearest friends. I cannot thank him enough for all of the time, effort and dedication that he has put into the League since he joined. He has been a leader in making the League what it is today, we are much better because of him.”
John Stanley, Evansville Otters Board Member, will serve as the League President for the next year. Stanley says about Sauget, “Rich has been a highly respected leader in his community and the League for many years. His temperament, character, and business acumen are among a long list of positive traits that have made Rich an outstanding President for the Frontier League. I have thoroughly enjoyed our personal and professional relationship. I offer congratulations from all of the League members, for the many accomplishments achieved during his leadership tenure.”
The Gateway Grizzlies seat on the Board of Directors will be filled by Rich Sauget Jr. He also played both football and baseball at Notre Dame, making the Saugets the first father/son combination in school history to letter in both sports. Sauget Jr. also played in the Frontier League and eventually managed the Grizzlies in 2002.
Founded for the 1993 season, the Frontier League is the largest and longest running independent professional baseball league. An official Partner League of Major League Baseball, the Frontier League features 15 clubs stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mississippi River and from the Ohio River to the St. Lawrence Seaway. The Frontier League annually moves the most players into Major League Baseball organizations of any of the independent leagues.
