TWO RIVERS (NBC 26) — The Two Rivers Polar Bears will play in the Shore League this summer
- The Polar Bears started in the 1930's and played for most of the last century until folding in 2018
- AJ Lorrigan took charge of getting the team back by drawing community support and welcoming new players
- The team's season starts this May
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
1930s baseball has Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and the Two Rivers Polar Bears. Although they haven't played since 2018 when this snow melts come summer the team will take the field again when they return from hibernation.
"The polar bears to me were like the Milwaukee Brewers,” says Zak Peterson
He was a proud bat boy for Polar Bears in 1984.
"40 years later, I still have my uniform that I wore as a bat boy. Can't fit in it anymore,” Peterson joked.
Serving under legendary coach Howie Timm, neither Zak nor the community knew that 1984 would be the last season for many years.
"I was upset when they left because it's baseball,” he said. “Everyone wants to watch baseball."
The team, part of the Shore League in Northeast Wisconsin, is made up of high school and college players. Though the team disbanded in 1984, they returned in 2001 enjoying another long run until ending again in 2018. This time due to scheduling and not enough players.
"When the team left in 2018, I had already tried to figure out how I could make it happen again,” says the team’s newest GM AJ Lorrigan.
Lorrigan has loved baseball for as long as he can remember. He spent the last few years seeing if another return was possible and if there was enough community support.
"Someone usually brings up, 'I remember going to games when I was a kid. my dad and my brother played,” said Lorrigan. “people are excited and it's really exciting to see people excited."
He says now, with enough sponsor support and player interest, he knew 2025 was the year. A nearly 100-year-old team is back in the league.
"I think it'll be pretty cool,” Lorrigan says. “I'm going to love to look up in the stands and see how many people are there. see faces that I recognize. It's going to be a great day."
"It's just a good time to watch these kids play ball. They play for the love of the game,” said Peterson.
AJ says that he already has 8 players signed up and the new team is playing in memory of longtime coach Howie Timm.
