Let's Get Personnel

As has been previously been established on the pages of this fine blog, I am not in the habit of reporting on the personnel movement of Minor League front office staffs. But I’ve made exceptions before, and will do so again.

Like, now.

On Tuesday, the Midwest League’s South Bend Silver Hawks announced that a celebrity of sorts had joined their front office: Notre Dame women’s basketball star Jackie Batteast (who has since played professionally in the WNBA as well as in Greece). Batteast, who suited up for the Fighting Irish from 2002-05, will work for the Silver Hawks as an account executive. In a press release sent out by the Silver Hawks, Batteast is touted as "one of the top five women’s basketball players ever to wear a Notre Dame jersey." To begin her career in Minor League Baseball, she will work in group sales and also take part in community-oriented projects.

Moving on, the Huntsville Stars have introduced Buck Rogers as their new General Manager. Rogers had established himself as one of the Florida State League’s great promotional minds over the past

several seasons, first with the Daytona Cubs and then with the Brevard County Manatees. With the former club, he made news when he offered lifetime season tickets to anyone who would get a tattoo with the team’s logo. With the latter, he became known for his "Ceremonial First Pitch" record attempts (6,130 before one game last season!) as well as for conducting elaborate baseball-themed treasure hunts around the Brevard County area. Not to mention that the club routinely staged off-beat promotions such as plunger giveaways and "Desperate Househusbands Night."

With both Rogers and Andrew Seymour gone from the Florida State League in 2008, a void will surely be felt in the circuit. It’s time for the next generation of promotional gurus to rise up!