[1] The Charlies played in Charleston, West Virginia, in 1983 and Kobritz moved them to Maine ahead of the 1984 season.

Although Old Orchard Beach is not one of Maine's year-round population centers, it is a popular summer vacation destination.

Fans who visited the stadium complained of rampant mosquitos, and the team struggled at the turnstiles almost from the outset.

The Guides, top farm team of the Cleveland Indians at the time, drew 183,300 fans in their maiden season—fourth overall in the International League.

[2] The Guides' attendance had held steady in 1987, but hemorrhaged fans—almost a quarter of its dismal 1987 total—drawing only 80,000 people in 1988 while finishing last in their division.