Who is Wind Surge CEO Jordan Kobritz?

Growing up in Bangor, Maine, Jordan Kobritz had two goals: To be a cowboy and to play left field for the Boston Red Sox.

Neither happened, but Kobritz remains infatuated with baseball.

“It’s the greatest sport that humans have ever invented. It combines physical talent and mental focus as much if not more than any other sport that exists.”

Kobritz graduated from Cornell Law School and practiced on the East Coast for a decade, but he said he couldn’t picture himself practicing law until he retired. He quit “and headed out (on) what I called my baseball 101 tour.”

He spent a year on the road traveling the country from one baseball destination to another, talking to scouts and asking questions of all kinds of people at Major League and Minor League teams. He wound up owning two of the latter — the Maine Guides and Daytona Cubs — for several years before selling them.

Through the years, Kobritz kept in touch with Lou Schwechheimer, whom he’d met in Pawtucket, R.I., where Schwechheimer worked for a Red Sox affiliate team.

Twelve years ago, Schwechheimer asked Kobritz to help him return Minor League baseball to Cuba, which Kobritz said was the kind of brilliant, visionary idea for which Schwechheimer was known.

“My role was to give Lou advice, business advice based on my experience.”

Schwechheimer formed a group that bought the New Orleans Baby Cakes with the idea of eventually moving the team to Havana. Kobritz made 11 trips to Cuba in preparation. President Trump ended that dream by changing U.S. policy toward the Communist island nation.

Through a city of Wichita consultant who reached out to him, Kobritz learned Wichita was looking for a new team. He said he told Schwechheimer he’d help with the transition without compensation.

“I did this because . . . of Lou. Everybody loved Lou, OK? Including me. He was like a brother to me.”

Other than the stadium construction crew, Kobritz said, no one knew who he was.

He said his two contributions were “to make demands and ask questions,” meaning he had to make sure they were getting what they wanted in the stadium, while Schwechheimer met people and gave tours.

“Lou didn’t have the patience to sit through construction meetings and get into some of the details-type stuff.”

Kobritz said Schwechheimer asked him to lead the redevelopment around the ballpark, which he said is crucial to the success of the team and the area.

“I said, ‘OK,’ then COVID hit.”

Schwechheimer got the virus and died.

His widow, Jane, and another partner asked Kobritz to lead the organization.

“As reluctant as I was, I felt I owed an obligation.”

Kobritz said his goal is to create a foundation “where this stadium and this team would be viable for the long term.”

He spends time in Wichita and upstate New York where he teaches sports law and sports management at the State University of New York College at Cortland.

Though there’s a far way to go financially, Kobritz said Riverfront Stadium already is gaining a national reputation as one of the most stunning Minor League Baseball facilities.

“This is something I’m not really sure people appreciate,” Kobritz said of Wichitans.

“This is a treasure, an absolute treasure, for the city of Wichita.”

This story was originally published April 28, 2022 at 4:47 AM.