Perhaps more than any other West Australian, Eileen “Red” Bond understands the power of business in sport. Watching her late former husband Alan Bond claim Australia’s only victory in the America’s Cup made sure of that.

But attending a New York Yankees baseball game at the invitation of CNN founder Ted Turner during her colourful life also left a positive impression of that sport.

Now, Ms Bond, together with former WA childcare centres boss Rory Vassallo, Showscreens director Christian Galopoulos and Seefeld Investments co-owner David Trimboli, plans to rebuild a State icon of the 1990s — Perth Heat.

The eclectic quartet believe they can rekindle the club’s heady days that once played out at Parry Field.

Ms Bond, whose family has a significant football past at South Fremantle, said she was learning a lot about baseball but already knew enough to know a Heat resurgence would come.

Camera Icon Perth Heat’s Kip Yaughn with cheerleaders in 1991. Credit: The West Australian

“I just hope they play Take Me Out to the Ball Game,” she laughed.

“I like being involved in lots of things and this one suits me well. I was in Coles the other day and a lady was telling me she never misses a match ... there are a lot of WA people who love Perth Heat, because it comes up all the time.

“Sport and business have always been involved together and we want to make this another place to go in Perth.”

Mr Vassallo was a Kwinana Senior High School dropout at the age of 14 before going on to build his $65 million childcare centre empire.

He said he had been approached to be part of the Heat ownership bid because of his sports administration background as a current South Fremantle Football Club director.

He said he had learnt many lessons through his former WA childcare centre business that he could apply to the Heat venture, but stressed it had a diverse leadership structure.

Camera Icon Ray Michell, with baseball, and the Perth-based squad in 1989. Credit: The West Australian

“We all bring something different, which is good, because if you’re sitting at a board table and everyone is saying the same thing, you’ve got three too many people,” Mr Vassallo said.

“David is a passionate supporter of all things sports and has great contacts and a great background in making deals, I’m a passionate supporter of all things sports admin done properly and sustainably and Christian, from a broadcast and game-day experience, he’s been around this club for quite a while.

“Red has been around sports for ever and brings faith. If she is involved, players and supporters know she believes in us. She’s fun, and she’s also a great leveller.”

The Australian Baseball League was reformed in 2009 under the majority ownership of the United States’ Major League Baseball. But the ABL was left with outright ownership after the MLB pulled out of the deal in 2016. A new structure this season has seen clubs taken over by private consortiums.

The Heat’s on-field operations will be run by Baseball WA. The team has already recruited four players from the MLB’s Tampa Bay Rays and is building strong links with South Korea’s LG Twins.

Camera Icon Perth Heat players congratulate Tony Adamson during a match in November 1994. Credit: The West Australian

Mr Trimboli, a Trinity College graduate who built his powerful business profile by working in the global commodities industry, said he used to attend Heat games and believed it had a marquee brand that could be rebuilt. His Seefeld Investments business was a Perth Wildcats sponsor.

“I’m not doing this to make money, but it’s got to be commercial,” Mr Trimboli said, adding he had often attended MLB games during US trips.

“In my mind, this is giving back, especially to the kids. Basketball has really built that and I think we can do the same with baseball. It’s a sport where families can really get involved.

“We’ve got an ingrained winning culture and a bit of history here as well, and I think having a one-team State is important.”

Mr Galopoulos said he had long been a Heat fan and had joined the ownership structure through mutual friends of the other owners. He promised to light up the stadium with his business’ equipment.

“The greatest strength Perth Heat has is that it’s the greatest-value sporting entertainment in Perth,” Mr Galopoulos said. “It’s probably been under-utilised, but with what each of us bring we can lift the level of the game-day experience. We’ll bring in a big screen with the fan-cam and the kiss-cam and all of that type of entertainment to make it much better than it has been.

“The good thing here is you can do just about whatever you want, whereas you have restrictions at other WA venues. You can try crazy promotions and just about anything.

“Perth Heat will be the leader in the competition in off-field performance and on-field you’d like to think we could keep the successful run going.”

Mr Vassallo said his wife Renee’s family home had long been nearby the Thornlie ballpark, which used to be a reserve. While he had never played the game, she had and was also a strong sounding board for his business interests.

“Renee has been the best breakfast test for my decisions ever and this one passed the breakfast test,” he said.

“I really struggle when I see things not being done to the best of their ability and this is a prime example. The people who have run it in the past have done it the best they could, but they were dealing with a higgledy-piggledy structure with a number of different owners.

“It wasn’t that no one wanted it to work, it just wasn’t resourced well enough. But by next season, we’ll be pretty close to perfect and we’ll set the bar higher and keep moving.

“When I spoke to my in-laws, they said they often drove past, but never even knew when a game was on. They’ll know now.”

Mr Vassallo said he had agreed to be chairman for up to three years and the board was also making plans to institute a member-elected director to help add to the community buy-in. He said baseball could consider a version of cricket’s T20 sport to make it more exciting, but the general season was already attractive because it ran only for 10 weeks.

He hoped Heat’s success, which would be based on a strong culture, would help better fund the game in WA.

“This isn’t a money-print machine,” he said. “Us being here helps fund this oval and if we’re really successful we can pay more rent. Then the more rent we pay, the less the local association has to pick up and then that just goes back into local baseball.

“This is one of the most successful teams in the State and we’re pretty committed to do it right. And there are a lot of people who want to come and help for all the right reasons.”

Perth Heat’s 2018 season kicks off at the Perth Harley-Davidson Ballpark in Thornlie on Friday, November 16 against Auckland