The Catfish Reel.
Your Catfish Baseball News.

Season four for the Cape Catfish starts in just over a month. For a team that has been as successful on the field as the Catfish (2 championship appearances and a league title in 3 seasons), you’d think status quo makes sense. That’s not the case! The Catfish have been moving and shaking, starting with the announcement of Glenn Campbell as the new president back in November. “Before I joined the team, I had great conversations with Jim Limbaugh, Mark Hogan and Cindy Gannon. I knew they wanted to mix things up and they wanted a fresh set of eyes,” said Glenn Campbell. “The whole front office team has been hard at it since late last year preparing and making changes for the 2023 season.”

CHANGE IS IN THE AIR

Change is what has been happening over the last several months. The Catfish changed their entire coaching staff for the upcoming season. They recently signed a three year exclusive deal with apparel giant Under Armour for uniforms and fan gear. Many new sponsors added to their lineup and now they are teaming up with three local restaurants to make sure the food experience is as good as the baseball. The focus on winning will always be a priority but Fan Experience and Fan Engagement is now a top priority for the Catfish. “We all want to win, it’s a lot more fun than losing,” Campbell said. “It’s equally important to make sure the fans that come out and pay for a ticket or rent the Southeast Health Home Run deck or Papa Johns Dugout club enjoy themselves. Everyone should have a great time regardless of what is happening on the scoreboard.”

THREE LOCAL FAVORITES COMING TO CATFISH GAMES

KENNY’S FLIPPIN’ BURGERS: Go Crazy Folks! Kenny’s Flippin’ Burgers and their down-home crew who sling beef and ribbon fries in wild combinations are coming to Catfish home games in 2023. Owners Jesse and Casey Stuart continue to build on their Chaffee reputation as they have opened a diner at Scout Hall in downtown Cape. “We are thrilled to partner with the Catfish as their main food vendor, bringing the good tastes to all home games on the Plaza Tire Plaza this summer,” said Casey Stuart. The menu will have some great burgers including a signature Catfish smash burger. “My Dad, Kenny, loved baseball. It’s at the heart of everything we are,” said Casey. “Being part of the Catfish family means a lot. We can’t wait to serve the players and fans!”

PAPA JOHNS PIZZA: Better ingredients, Better pizza, Papa Johns; that’s the slogan of the pizza giant. They will now be the exclusive food vendor for the Papa John’s Dugout Club, an “all-inclusive” lounge area between the Catfish dugout and the bullpen. It seats anywhere from 25 – 40 people and is awesome for small gatherings, birthday parties or whatever you are celebrating. The Papa John’s locations in Cape, Jackson, Poplar Bluff and Sikeston were purchased recently by John Eric and Vanessa Klein. If you’re from the area you know these restauranteurs very well from their other two successful ventures. The Klein’s own 36 Restaurant and Bar in downtown Cape and are the majority owners of Seis Amigo’s. “We have worked with the Catfish since their inaugural season in some capacity,” said John Eric Klein. “This season we are excited to bring Papa John’s pizzas to the ballpark and continue our partnership in 2023 and beyond!”

Mary Jane’s bourbon + smokehouse will be the main food restaurant for the Southeast Health Home Run Deck. Another “all-inclusive” option for parties of 50 – 200. $35 for adults/$25 for kids gets you tickets on the deck, all the food and drink, including beer, as well as ice cream and popcorn. Mary Jane’s opened up in 2019 and has become a local favorite with their incredible menu of high end dishes including bar-b-q and other items. “We wanted consistent food on the deck night in and night out with a ballpark flare to it,” said Campbell. “We eat at Mary Jane’s often and have become good friends with Chris Marchi one of the owners. We pitched the idea to him and he blew us away when we came in to taste test the food he had in mind. People are in for a treat on our Party Deck this summer.”

Chris Marchi, co-owner of the restaurant, said his team is excited to team up with the Catfish this season. “We are a neighborhood restaurant with delicious, local foods prepared in-house by our great staff,” said Marchi. “We try and make every experience at our restaurant special by using the freshest ingredients, buying local when possible, and offering a tasty selection of hand-crafted cocktails. Fans can expect the same quality food on the Catfish party deck this summer.”

“The Catfish front office and game day teams are excited about the season and with these additions the fans will enjoy the games and get some good eats,” Campbell said. “Fan Experience is so important and we think these local food favorites will really add to an already great time at the ballpark. You can also expect some local food trucks to be in and out of the park all season long with great dessert options!”

The Catfish open the season on the road in O’Fallon May 31st and are home for their opener on Saturday June 3rd. Tickets are on sale now at capecatfish.com/tickets/