Holman Stadium was packed in early June with over 3,000 school kids for the Silver Knights Education Day 2. (Telegraph photo by TOM KING)

NASHUA – Perhaps the most surprising thing about the late collapse by the Nashua Silver Knights is this:

It didn’t impact attendance one bit.

“We still had really good crowds going down the stretch even though things with the baseball weren’t going good,” Cook said. “Good fans. Good fans.”

So good in fact it catipulted the Silver Knights to a franchise best average announced attendance of 1,625 fans – surpassing their 2023 mark by, well, one fan (1,624).

“The crowds have been fantastic,” Silver Knights owner John Creedon, Jr. said. “The fan support has been outstanding. Some of the promos I think hit the right notes and got the right traction over the summer. We’re going to keep that stuff rolling. Our goal every summer is when folks come to Historic Holman Stadium and leave the gates at the end of the night that they want to come back for some more Silver Knights baseball.

“That’s always our goal. Win, lose or draw on the field, that’s what we strive for in a game day operation every day. Which think we do a decent job of that.”

How did this happen? Progression, Cook says, that allowed for spending.

“It sounds crazy,” he said. “But the Creedons get the team in 2019. You have COVID in 2020. In 2021, you’re still getting your feet underneath you, then 2022 is good. But we get here, and this year was the first year we have the wherewithal to go and do some promotions. We did it calculated – the Brock Holt Night was a succes, we made money (despite an eventual rainout), it obviously cost us money to come and get Brock Holt, but people left super happy. The Nashua Pride game was Nostalgia 101, the Monkey Boy appearances were fantastic. … We were smart about what the spend was on, and they all paid off. We’re certainly going to be more next year.”

And this was the second year that the Creedons owned only Nashua, and not Worcester as well. “Can’t hurt,” Cook said.

The team began the season with two Education Day Games a week apart that drew nearly a combined 6,000 fans. Creedon credits Cook with a job well done on the business side.

“Cam Cook is the heart of the Silver Knights,” he said. “He’s been here from Day 1 for me. Nobody cares more about Silver Knights baseball than Cam Cook. I can’t thank him enough. I know he’s taken this (baseball collapse) particularly hard.”

The FCBL had success this season with the announced addition of Lowell. Ownership groups are applying for the franchise, and when the league meets at the end of October, Creedon says, it’s hoped that an owner will be identified. And, he said, the FCBL hopes to “leverage into an eighth team if not for 2026, certainly soon after. We always have our ears to the ground and eyes open …”

Again, Rockland, Mass. remains a target; league commissioner Joe Paolucci says the league just needs an owner to take it as there’s a stadium and the parameters of a potential agreement in place.

But first, Lowell. Creedon says the response has been “terrific” with potential ownership applications that are “experienced” and “high caliber”. The FCBL is working with UML and the community, there should be a lot of local input.

“The league has a lot of serious, serious work ahead of us to select the owner for the Lowell team who we think will provide the franchise with everything that community and UMass Lowell deserves down there,” Creedon said. “And I think it will be a great rivalry (between Lowell and Nashua).”

One thing that may happen in 2026 that the Knights might be able to promote: the FCBL All-Star Game could return to Nashua and Holman Stadium. Creedon says he’ll push for it. The last time it was at Holman was in 2018.

“I think it’s due, right?” he said. “By my count on the rotation around the league, it’s probably due back to Nashua. Cam and I have talked about that, we’re excited to put in a bid, collaborate with the city of Nashua. We get tremendous support from the Parks-Rec Dept. , Public Works and of course Mayor (Jim) Donchess. So of course we’ll put our heads together there, make the most compelling proposal to the league that we can what an All-Star Game experience can look like in 2026 if we’re lucky enough to get it here.”

Meanwhile, it’s a period of reflection a week after the season ended. Failure on the field, but success off it.

“But before July 13, things were going great,” Cook said “We had a couple of sellouts, we had the Nashua Pride night, Monkey Boy, Brock Holt was here, there was a buzz.”

And that was one of the highlights the franchise took out of what was a tough ending.

“The fans were far and away the takeaway, the bright spot, that’s going to get me through the off-season here,” Creedon said. “Their support, their love, they invest their hours, their precious time, their hard-earned dollars for tickets, concessions and all those sorts of things. We appreciate everybody’s support in the good times and the bad times. They pick us up when times are tough, and we try to reflect it back to them for success.”

So he has one request:

“I would just ask folks for patience, take the long view with us,” Creedon said, “as we get back to our winning ways.”