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Scrappers name Heather Sahli as new GM

Submitted photo / New Scrappers GM Heather Sahli

NILES — When Heather Sahli first began working for the Mahoning Valley Scrappers in 2001, she never envisioned it to be a long-term stint.

Sahli had gone to school for business, marketing, and management. Professional baseball wasn’t at the top of her wish list in terms of future endeavors.

“People tend to float around at this level,” Sahli said. “I didn’t even have a background in sports. I didn’t do any sports-related internships. Today, it would be hard to even get your foot in the door without that type of background.”

However, Sahli found the Scrappers to be a perfect fit – and vice versa – and today she can’t imagine being anywhere but Eastwood Field.

On Tuesday, 22 years after first serving as an Account Executive for the franchise, Sahli was named General Manager of the Scrappers.

Sahli replaces Jordan Taylor, who served in the same capacity since 2011.

Taylor will remain with the Scrappers in his role as Executive Vice President of HWS Baseball. HWS Group is a sports management firm that owns and operates professional sports franchises, including the Scrappers.

“I’m excited. I’m looking forward to continuing the great bond that the Scrappers have built with our community,” Sahli said. “This organization has always prided itself on offering family-friendly entertainment. Jordan and the others before him have done a great job of building something truly special.

“I look forward to having the opportunity to maintain our success and build on future goals.”

Sahli most recently served as the Scrappers’ Assistant General Manager, a role she held for the past 12 years. Previous duties included Box Office Manager, Client Service Manager, and Director of Marketing and Promotions.

“You never really have just one title or one role at this level,” Sahli said. “So, over the years I’ve had the opportunity to learn pretty much all the aspects of running the day-to-day operations.”

Sahli, a Struthers native, joined the Scrappers organization in its third year in Niles. At the time, the franchise was a member of the New York-Penn League and an affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians.

The Scrappers remained a Class A short-season minor league franchise until 2020 when Major League Baseball restructured its minor league system and eliminated roughly 40 affiliates.

The 2020 season was completely shut down due to COVID, then in 2021 the Scrappers became a founding member of the MLB Draft League – a collegiate summer baseball league designed to showcase top draft-eligible prospects.

The MLB Draft League expanded in 2022 to include professional players who have used up all of their collegiate eligibility.

“Those were crazy times, for two years we were hit with the unexpected,” Sahli said. “We just took this ‘Whatever it takes’ attitude and ran with it. We did whatever we needed to do to keep things going. We had built up a great relationship with the community and we wanted to maintain our momentum.

“There was a sense of pride in our ability to promote and maintain all of the traditions and memories of the Scrappers and of Eastwood Field coming out of our time of transition.”

Sahli believes that Mahoning Valley residents and business owners deserve a great deal of credit for the Scrappers’ ability to maintain its place as a fixture in Niles.

This summer the Scrappers will begin their 25th season of play at Eastwood Field.

“We’ve been very fortunate to have great support from our fans, the community, and corporate partners,” Sahli said. “We’ve been able to continue with some of our most popular promotions. Our ticket prices have always been extremely affordable. We’ve always been able to provide great family entertainment on a nightly basis.

“We’ve been able to stay true to the core of our mission, which is to provide affordable family entertainment. None of that happens without the support of our community.”

Sahli becomes just the fourth general manager in franchise history. She is also in select company when it comes to females holding such a role in the sports industry.

Sahli noted that several years ago when she attended the baseball winter meetings, roughly 80 percent of the executives were males.

“It’s pretty rare, so I’m proud to get to this level,” Sahli said. “I do see the numbers starting to expand. West Virginia also has a female GM (Leighann Sainato) and that was also the case at Staten Island when we were in the New York-Penn League.”

Taylor is confident the Scrappers are in good hands under Sahli’s watch.

“Heather is very deserving of being promoted to General Manager,” Taylor said. “I have worked with her for over 20 years and her dedication and passion for the Scrappers and community make her a perfect fit for the position.”

The Scrappers open their season June 1 at home against West Virginia. The night will feature a pair of fan favorites – Buck Night and post-game fireworks.

“We can’t wait to bring back all of the summer fun that has been fan favorites,” Sahli said. “I can’t wait. To me, Eastwood Field in the summertime is home. It’s been a big part of home for my whole family.

“I think that no matter whether you’re at the ballpark with family, friends, or co-workers, you feel at home. The sites, the smells, the music, it all relates to a good time.”

The 2023 Scrappers season includes 40 home games and runs through Sept. 2.

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