View source for Gateway Grizzlies

{{Short description|Frontier League baseball team in Sauget, Illinois}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}}
{{Infobox baseball team
|name             = Gateway Grizzlies
|founded          = 2001
|city             = [[Sauget, Illinois]]
|ballpark         = [[Arsenal BG Ballpark]]
|logo             = Gateway Grizzlies.png
|cap_logo         = Gateway cap.PNG
|league           = [[Frontier League]]
|former_leagues   = 
|former_names     = 
|nicknames        = 
|uniform          = 
|retired_numbers  = 
|colors           = Navy, Grizzlie orange, white, black, green, gray<ref>{{cite web |title=Frontier League Official Colors (1993 through present) |url=https://www.trucolor.net/portfolio/frontier-league-official-colors-1993-through-present/ |website=TruColor.net |access-date=16 October 2025}}</ref><br />{{color box|#0C2340}} {{colour box|#B86125}} {{colour box|#FFFFFF}} {{colour box|#010101}} {{colour box|#509E2F}} {{colour box|#A7A8A9}}
|former_ballparks = 
|league_champs    = 1 (2003)
|division_champs  = 4 (2003, 2007, 2012, 2023)
|berths           = {{flatlist|
;8
:2003
:2004
:2007
:2008
:2012
:2023
:2024
:2025
}}
|owner            = Richard "Rich" Sauget
| general_manager = Kurt Ringkamp
|manager          = Steve Brook
|media            = ''[[Belleville News-Democrat]]'', HomeTeam Network
|website          = {{URL|gatewaygrizzlies.com}}
}}

The '''Gateway Grizzlies''' are a professional [[baseball]] team based in [[Sauget, Illinois]]. The Grizzlies compete in the [[Frontier League]] (FL) as a member of the West Division in the Midwest Conference. The franchise was founded in 2001 and they play their home games at the 6,000-seat [[Arsenal BG Ballpark]], just 8 miles southeast of [[Downtown St. Louis]]. Some of the defining features of the stadium include lawn seats, bleacher seats, box seating, party suites, a hot tub suite, and more.<ref>{{cite news |title=Gateway Grizzlies |url=https://www.gatewaygrizzlies.com/sports/bsb/2013-14/BallparkInformation |language=en}}</ref>

The Grizzlies won the Frontier Cup in 2003, defeating the [[Evansville Otters]] 3 games to 0.

The team have a rivalry with the [[Schaumburg Boomers]], with whom they have shared a division since 2012.

==Season-by-season record==
{|class="wikitable"
! colspan="6" align="center" |Gateway Grizzlies ([[Frontier League]])
|-
! Year !! W–L !! Win %!! Place !! Postseason
!Manager
|-
|2001||37–44||.457||5th in FL West||Did not qualify
|[[Champ Summers]]
|-
|2002||34–50||.405||5th in FL West||Did not qualify
|Rich Sauget
|-
|2003||50–38||.554||bgcolor="FFEBAD"|1st in FL West||'''Won 1st Rd. Playoff''' vs. [[Washington Wild Things]] 2–0.<br /> '''Won Frontier League Championship''' vs. [[Evansville Otters]] 3–0.
|[[Danny Cox (baseball)|Danny Cox]]
|-
|2004||56–38||.588||2nd in FL West||Lost 1st Rd. Playoff vs. [[Rockford Riverhawks]] 3–2.
|[[Danny Cox (baseball)|Danny Cox]]
|-
|2005||49–47||.442||3rd in FL West||Did not qualify
|[[Danny Cox (baseball)|Danny Cox]]
|-
|2006||42–52||.512||3rd in FL West||Did not qualify
|[[Danny Cox (baseball)|Danny Cox]]
|-
|2007||64–29||.688||bgcolor="FFEBAD"|1st in FL West||Lost 1st Rd. Playoff vs. [[Washington Wild Things]] 3–0.
|Phil Warren
|-
|2008||51–45||.531||3rd in FL West||Lost 1st Rd. Playoff vs. [[Kalamazoo Kings]] 3–1.
|Phil Warren
|-
|2009||40–54||.426||5th in FL West||Did not qualify
|Phil Warren
|-
|2010||54–40||.574||3rd in FL West||Did not qualify
|Phil Warren
|-
|2011||39–56||.411||4th in FL West||Did not qualify
|Phil Warren
|-
|2012||57–39||.594||bgcolor="FFEBAD"|1st in FL West||Lost 1st Rd. Playoff vs. [[Florence Freedom]] 3–2.
|Phil Warren
|-
|2013||53–43||.552||2nd in FL West||Did not qualify
|Phil Warren
|-
|2014||50–46||.521||3rd in FL West||Did not qualify
|Phil Warren
|-
|2015||45–50||.474||4th in FL West||Did not qualify
|Phil Warren
|-
|2016||44–51||.463||6th in FL West||Did not qualify
|Phil Warren
|-
|2017||32–64||.333||6th in FL West||Did not qualify
|Phil Warren
|-
|2018||38–58||.396||6th in FL West||Did not qualify
|Phil Warren
|-
|2019||39-57||.406||5th in FL West||Did not qualify
|Phil Warren
|-
|2020||--||--||--||Season cancelled due to coronavirus pandemic.
| --
|-
|2021||38-57||.400||4th in FL West||Did not qualify
|Cameron Roth
|-
|[[2022 Frontier League season|2022]]||47-49||.490||6th in FL West||Did not qualify
|Steve Brook
|-
|2023||59-37||.615||bgcolor="FFEBAD"|1st in FL West|| Lost 1st Rd. Playoff vs. [[Evansville Otters]] 2-1
|Steve Brook
|-
|2024||59-36||.621||2nd in FL West|| Lost East Division Wild Card Game to [[Lake Erie Crushers]] 10-8
|Steve Brook
|-
|2025||56-40||.583||2nd in FL West|| Won East Division Wild Card Round vs. [[Washington Wild Things]] 2-0 <br> Lost West Division Conference Finals vs. [[Schaumburg Boomers]] 3–0
|Steve Brook
|-
!Totals!!966–904!!.505!!—!!—
!—
|-
!Playoffs!!10–12!!.454!!—!!3 Division titles, 8 Playoff appearances, 1 championship
!—
|}

==Current roster==
{{IndyLB roster
| league       = Frontier League
| TeamName     = Gateway Grizzlies
| BC1          = #003263
| FC1          = white
| BC2          = #CF7518
| FC2          = #003263
| Date         = May 4, 2025
| Pitchers     =
{{MLBplayer|--|Donovan Burke}}
{{MLBplayer|21|Keegan Collett}}
{{MLBplayer|28|Teague Conrad}}
{{MLBplayer|--|[[Sam Coonrod]]}}
{{MLBplayer|11|Tyler Cornett}}
{{MLBplayer|32|Alvery De Los Santos}}
{{MLBplayer|--|Claudio Galva}}
{{MLBplayer|&nbsp;8|Matt Hickey}}
{{MLBplayer|--|Francis Peguero}}
{{MLBplayer|--|Sam Rochard}}
{{MLBplayer|--|Zac Treece}}
{{MLBplayer|15|Gage Vailes}}
{{MLBplayer|14|Lukas Veinbergs}}
{{MLBplayer|23|Alec Whaley}}

| Catchers     =
{{MLBplayer|&nbsp;9|Jose Alvarez}}
{{MLBplayer|--|Tanner Garrison}}
{{MLBplayer|--|Allante Hall}}

| Infielders   =
{{MLBplayer|--|Ross Friedrick}}
{{MLBplayer|&nbsp;2|Gabe Holt}}
{{MLBplayer|12|DJ Stewart}}
{{MLBplayer|18|Dale Thomas}}
{{MLBplayer|--|Paxton Wallace}}
{{MLBplayer|10|Tate Wargo}}

| Outfielders  =
{{MLBplayer|&nbsp;5|Cole Brannen}}
{{MLBplayer|20|Victor Castillo}}
{{MLBplayer|--|Calyn Halvorson}}
{{MLBplayer|&nbsp;3|Edwin Mateo}}
{{MLBplayer|--|Mark Shallenberger}}

| Utility      =

| Manager      =
{{MLBplayer|13|Steve Brook}}

| Coaches      =
{{MLBplayer|38|Alex Ferguson}} <small>(bench)</small>
{{MLBplayer|&nbsp;4|Kyle Gaedele}} <small>(hitting)</small> 
{{MLBplayer|17|Nick Kennedy}} <small>(pitching)</small>
}}

== "Baseball's Best Burger" ==
The team offers their own version of the [[Luther burger]] named "Baseball's Best Burger". Featured on [[ESPN]],<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 10, 2006 |title=Illinois team counts on calories to draw attention |url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=2362369 |access-date=April 11, 2022 |website=ESPN}}</ref> [[Fortune (magazine)|Fortune]],<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=April 24, 2015 |title=The 11 craziest foods sold at ballparks this year |url=https://fortune.com/2015/04/24/mlb-ballpark-craziest-foods/ |access-date=April 11, 2022 |website=Fortune}}</ref> and [[Man v. Food]], the 1,000 calorie burger uses a deep-fried doughnut in place of a traditional bun.

== Broadcasting ==
Grizzlies games are currently broadcast on Mixlr, and can be watched live on [[FloSports]] with a subscription. The team's current director of Broadcasting and Media Relations is Jason Guerette.

==Notable alumni==
* [[Scott Patterson (baseball)|Scott Patterson]] (2002–2005), a retired pitcher, had his contract purchased by the [[New York Yankees]] in 2006. Patterson was called up to the majors for one game in 2008 before being sent back down, and was claimed three months later by the [[San Diego Padres]]. Following that year, he played for 8 more seasons between various minor league and international teams.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Scott Patterson Stats {{!}} Baseball-Reference.com |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/pattesc01.shtml |access-date=April 11, 2022 |website=Baseball Reference}}</ref> As a member of the 2011 [[United States]] National Baseball Team at the [[Pan American Games]], Patterson won a silver medal.{{citation needed|date=June 2022}} He later retired in 2016.
* [[Justin Erasmus]] (2013), pitcher, played in the [[Boston Red Sox]] organization and in the [[Australian Baseball League]] before joining the Grizzlies for the 2013 season. He went back to the [[Australian Baseball League|AUBL]] afterwards, and is currently on the [[Canberra Cavalry]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Justin Erasmus Minor & Independent Leagues Statistics & History {{!}} Baseball-Reference.com |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=erasmu001jus |access-date=April 11, 2022 |website=Baseball Reference}}</ref> Erasmus was a member of the 2009 [[South Africa]] roster and the 2017 [[Australia]] roster in the [[World Baseball Classic]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=2009 World Baseball Classic - Provisional Roster |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/downloads/2009classicprovrosters.pdf |url-status= |archive-url= |archive-date= |access-date=April 11, 2022 |website=MLB.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Randhawa |first=Manny |date=January 14, 2017 |title=WBC 2017 preview: Breaking down Australia |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/world-baseball-classic-preview-team-australia-c213549596 |access-date=April 11, 2022 |website=MLB.com}}</ref>
* [[Trevor Richards (baseball)|Trevor Richards]] (2015–2016), pitcher, was signed by the [[Miami Marlins]] in 2016, and called up to the majors in 2018. He has since pitched for the [[Tampa Bay Rays]] and [[Milwaukee Brewers]], and is currently on the [[Toronto Blue Jays]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Trevor Richards Stats {{!}} Baseball-Reference.com |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/richatr01.shtml |access-date=April 11, 2022 |website=Baseball Reference}}</ref>
* [[Josh Lucas (baseball)|Josh Lucas]] (2023), former major league pitcher who played with the [[St. Louis Cardinals]], [[Oakland Athletics]], and [[Baltimore Orioles]] from 2017 to 2019. Signed with the Grizzlies for the 2023 season where he made 21 appearances for the Grizzlies, recording a 2.84 ERA with 43 strikeouts and 4 [[save (baseball)|saves]] across {{fraction|31|2|3}} innings pitched.

==References==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{official website|https://www.gatewaygrizzlies.com/}}
* [https://www.flobaseball.tv/teams/7494100-gateway-grizzlies?view=live-and-upcoming&rtid=&coverage_id= FloSports streaming]

{{Frontier League}}
{{Illinois Sports}}

[[Category:Sports in the Metro East]]
[[Category:Frontier League teams]]
[[Category:Baseball teams established in 2001]]
[[Category:Professional baseball teams in Illinois]]
[[Category:2001 establishments in Illinois]]