LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Baseball season is here and in Lexington, it's time for change.
The Lexington Legends are no more and the Lexington Counter Clocks are counting down the minutes until they take the field for the first time.
A familiar face is guiding the Clocks through this time of re-introducing themselves to fans.
As we told you a couple of weeks ago, Alan Stein is returning to the baseball club he is most identified with.
The founder and former owner is now a senior advisor with the team. Stein spearheaded the monumental effort to bring the Lexington Legends to town in 2001. He built a stadium and a fan base.
Both have suffered in recent years.
So the new owners, Nathan and Keri Lyons, decided that in order to secure the future, they need to take a lesson from the past.
"This is a labor of love for me. My whole goal from the beginning was to be able to take my kids and watch other people with their kids at a ballgame," says Stein.
22 years have passed since the Legends' first pitch in Lexington. They were embraced by the community and celebrated as the league champion that very first year.
In those 22 years, owners have come and gone.
"I'm trying to reach back and rekindle relationships that have deteriorated over the last 10 years or so," says Stein.
The crowds grew smaller. Many sponsors and advertisers, according to Stein, became frustrated and walked away.
So now, in his advisory role, Stein sees it simply... get back to the basics.
"That's my mantra. It's credibility, integrity and aspiration. And we're gonna get there... and everybody here is committed to that," says Stein.
The new owners are spending millions on stadium renovations and rebranding, including the new name. The choice of "Counter Clocks" hasn't been too popular with the public as someone even started an online petition to change it.
"Well, it's just a name. We're gonna make it fun. I get it... You're asking me personally, I'm not crazy about it either but it is what it is and it's gonna be fun," says Stein.
To take a look at the Counter Clocks' schedule and buy tickets and more, click here.
