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SportsMarch 20, 2004

The Capahas -- Cape Girardeau's tradition-rich summer baseball team -- will be known as the Plaza Tire Capahas at least for this season and probably for the next several years. Plaza Tire Service -- which has several stores in the region, including one in Cape Girardeau -- officially became the Capahas' new primary sponsor on Friday, when company president Mark Rhodes and Capahas manager Jess Bolen made the announcement...

The Capahas -- Cape Girardeau's tradition-rich summer baseball team -- will be known as the Plaza Tire Capahas at least for this season and probably for the next several years.

Plaza Tire Service -- which has several stores in the region, including one in Cape Girardeau -- officially became the Capahas' new primary sponsor on Friday, when company president Mark Rhodes and Capahas manager Jess Bolen made the announcement.

"We're very excited about getting involved with the Capahas," Rhodes said. "We're expecting this to be a long-term deal. We wouldn't be doing this if we didn't think it would be for a while."

Said Bolen, who has managed the Capahas the past 37 years: "We were in desperate need of a sponsor, and I couldn't be happier with the commitment Mark and his company have made to the Capahas."

The Capahas, who primarily feature current and former collegiate baseball standouts along with players who have competed professionally, were sponsored the past three years by Craftsman Union. Before that, McDowell Ford was a three-year sponsor, after Kohlfeld Distributing carried sponsorship for 14 years. The Capahas had no primary sponsor prior to 1984.

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"We are so appreciative of what our last three sponsors have done," Bolen said. "Without their support, we would have really had to cut back or maybe even folded. It's a big commitment to be the primary sponsor, and now Plaza Tire has really stepped forward to help us out."

The Capahas have been playing baseball since 1894, and they have won 12 state or regional titles in the past 20 years.

"We're very happy to be associated with something that's been around so long. I really like the history and tradition of the Capahas," Rhodes said. "This is a way for us to funnel advertising in a way that helps the community. And we are not only going to support the sponsorship by funding the team's season, we will also work towards increasing community awareness of team events and gain fans."

Rhodes, 40, is a lifelong Cape Girardeau resident. The family-owned business, which also has stores in Jackson, Perryville, Sikeston and Anna, Ill., was started by his father nearly 41 years ago.

"I've always been a sports fan," Rhodes said. "The Capahas have been a great thing for the community over the years. We're looking forward to helping keep the tradition in their organization going the way it has been for the next several years."

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