In Charge

The Jamestown entry in the Prospect League has taken on a decided local flair.

MKE Sports & Entertainment announced Thursday the selection of Jamestown native Anthony Barone as business manager and field manager of the new Jamestown Jammers.

“We’re extremely excited to have Anthony join the Jammers,” said MKE Sports & Entertainment VP of Operations Dan Kuenzi in a press release. “He is well known in the community, very passionate about the game and enjoys developing players to their full potential. He’s got a lot of coaching experience and will fit our mold perfectly.”

“I’m very excited to get started and thankful for the opportunity that MKE Sports has given me,” Barone said, “I took a trip to Milwaukee headquarters last week and everything is first class. I’m expecting the same this summer wit the Jammers franchise.”

“Sports are a very big deal in our community,” he said. “High school football dominates the fall, basketball in the winter and this summer, your Jamestown Jammers. Our community needs this; we need something to do in the summer. If we can entertain and keep the kids interested in baseball, then we’ve got something. I’d love to see baseball flourish in Jamestown; it’s an important piece of the city.”

Barone serves as head coach of Jamestown Community College from 2007-2012, where he led the Jayhawks to 2007 victories and a 101-62 regional record. Barone was named National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region 3 Coach of the Year in 2008 as JCC qualified for five consecutive NJCAA Regional Tournaments.

During his tenure, Barone’s team defeated 11 nationally ranked opponents. He coached 33 All-Conference, 15 All-Region and one All-American while at the helm of the Jayhawks. He was also a volunteer assistant coach from 2012 to 2014 at California State University – Bakersfield.

Barone played collegiately at JCC, where he also competed on the basketball team, which won a regional title and competed in the NJCAA National Tournament. On the diamond, Barone, a shortstop, was an all-conference player and was voted one of JCC’s Top 50 Athletes.

“Jamestown is an environment where you really have to work hard to get what you want, even in athletics,” he said. “It’s pretty neat that I am going to be able to coach my hometown team. I played baseball and basketball in both high school and college and it can show the kids around here that anything is possible.

“When they see a hometown guy coaching the Jammers, they can relate to that and set their goals high. It is something that is achievable. It’s a win-win situation that I think can be beneficial for everybody. I know the community. I know what we need and I know what the kids want. It’s going to be a good environment.”

Barone said the roster should be completed soon.

“We have a pretty good roster right now that we will unveil in the coming days and we will finalize everything in the next couple of weeks,” he said. “It’s unique because these kids are not professionals, they’re not making money. They’re going to play hard every night with the goal of making it to the next level. They will be ready to go this summer.”

In addition to his on-field duties, Barone will also handle the team’s business side.

“It’s a unique and exciting opportunity for me,” he said. “I’ll be running the business part of it here in Jamestown and there are a lot of opportunities for local businesses to grow their company with the Jammers. I look forward to using my baseball background in the business end and getting the community involved.

Barone is married to Susan and has three children.