A near-constant presence at Bosse Field — often with rolled-up shirtsleeves — Bill Bussing has been a hands-on owner of the Evansville Otters for 25 years, sustaining the city’s professional baseball industry on and off the diamond. The career attorney, now 70, talks about his retirement plans (hint: there are none), his thirst to win, and how the Otters are “trustees of a national treasure.”
How does Bosse Field fit in the American story?
Baseball is so intricately connected to who we are as a nation, and Bosse Field is a national landmark. I cannot tell you how many people come to see that stadium from all over. Maybe they’ve seen it in the movie. [“A League of Their Own” filmed at Bosse Field in 1991.] We get guests not just during the season, but in the off-season. I’m often there on the weekends in November and December, and people show up and peer through the gates because they want to be there. If I’m there, I’ll let them in. They walk around, and for some of them, it’s a life-changing experience … I’ve had people cry because they’ve heard so much about Bosse Field. … We’re trustees of a national treasure.
You’re a Saint Louis Cardinals fan. Who was your favorite player growing up?
Joe Torre. We share the same birthday, July 18. The first year I listened [to Cardinal games on the radio], he won the MVP in 1971, hitting .363.
What motivates you to be so hands-on with the franchise?
We can’t control weather, what else is going on in the community that night, how well our team is playing, how well the other team is playing. We can control how that stadium looks. It’s important to me to project the most attractive facade we can. Fans don’t care who picks up the hotdog wrapper, but they notice it if it’s on the ground.
Speaking of hotdogs, what’s your go-to concession food?
I rarely eat anything out there because I’m usually working … I’m more valuable picking up hotdog wrappers or making sure the lights work than I am watching the game. Not that I don’t follow it, because even throughout the game, if I’m working, I keep track of the score. But I don’t sit and watch.
And yet, winning is critically important to you.
It’s paramount and why I do this. We’ve won two Frontier League championships and came close to a third in 2023. It’s my No. 1 priority.
What do you think of the Savannah Bananas?
I’ve always felt that we need to enlarge our audience by incorporating more of those aspects into what we do. We’re not an athletic event. We’re an entertainment event. … So, to survive, we’ve had to add components that appeal to non-baseball fans or even non-sports fans as well as the basics — cleanliness, friendliness, good food. To that extent, I applaud what the Savannah Bananas have done, and in fact, we’ve had several players go on to play for them. … It is a phenomenon which has been healthy for baseball, and I wish I had thought of it.
What’s the future of Otters baseball?
We’ve been here 31 years, and we have no plans to leave. The Frontier League is not just healthy, it’s growing. It’s the largest independent league in North America, and it is well-positioned to cement its relationship with Major League Baseball. [Editor’s note: It’s also rebranding as the National Association of Professional Baseball starting with the 2027 season.] Major League teams each only have four minor league affiliates, so the big leagues have become reliant on independent baseball. The Otters are well-positioned to continue to flourish. … We’re going to be here as long as the community wants.
EXTRA INNINGS
Beyond two Frontier League championships, Bill Bussing is proud of the club’s greater impact. “I like to think that we have made a significant contribution in terms of the opportunities we offer,” he says. “It’s about 1,000 players and 1,500 other people. … The vast majority of our players are going to wind up doing other work, but we want to equip them with skills and values that they can use for the rest of their lives … Even in the years that we haven’t won, we’ve done a lot of good for the community. I find that really gratifying.”
