niagarapower.org

08/04/2009 6:11 PM - Cal Kern is as passionate and upbeat as they come. 

But even he, the eternal optimist, had a tough time explaining his Niagara Power baseball team's stumble down the stretch, finishing with a New York Collegiate Baseball league-worst record of 11-29.

"Plain and simple, it was embarrassing to Niagara Falls," the team president said of his squad's performance over the second half of the season.  "I do not want to go through another season like that."

And he's planning on doing something about it.  Kern told the Gazette Saturday that he will bring his team back for a fourth season and he's planning "several changes within the organization."

"We cannot go into next season status quo," the Grand Island resident added.  "The NYCBL is quickly becoming a better league and we need to do a better job keeping pace.  Niagara Falls deserves better, frankly."

Kern says it starts at the top and that's why his role within the organization could change during the off-season.  He also backed off previous statements that he made in reference to the return of manager Sam Kirby and pitching coach Eric Ebers.  Kirby has managed the team for all three year of its existence.

"The coaching staff might be different next year," Kern said Saturday.

Most notably, though, Kern promised a better baseball product on the field and thus, better players.  While other teams in the league had several players from Division I schools, a bulk of the Power roster came from Division II, III and NAIA schools.

"We need to recruit better and bring better talent to Niagara Falls," he said.  "We will do everything we can to improve the baseball product for a great baseball town."

One area where Kern was encouraged, though, was the team's attendance.  Where many teams in the NYCBL are known to inflate figures, Niagara's accurate counts put itself in the top half of the 14-team league.

"Despite the record we had, people stayed with us," Kern said.  "The roots of this organization are growing.  Now all we need is better baseball."