It's Friday afternoon, and there is very little news emanating from my niche of the Minor League universe.

So, I'll do what everyone else is doing and make my Super Bowl prediction:

Steelers 16, Cardinals 14

Having lived in Pittsburgh for five years, I must admit that my pick is a biased one. It is a truly phenomenal city, with personality to spare. Sometimes, when NYC starts to feel too overbearing and relentless, I think about moving back to Pittsburgh. The people are friendly, the beer is cheap, and the record stores are phenomenal. If you've never been there, I'd highly recommend that you rectify that situation as soon as possible.

But, no matter who you're rooting for in the Super Bowl, your choice of snack for the big game should be an obvious one. Just modify this slightly to fit the football theme, and you're good to go:


Have a great weekend.

Y'know, sometimes I forget just how much leeway I have in writing this blog. I can talk about anything I want. Anything!

And today I want to focus on something near and dear to my heart, something that to a large extent fell through the cracks during the 2008 season. And that something is this: Beyond the Box Score.

This monthly in-season column served as a way to chronicle the offbeat, absurd, and quirky incidents that occurred in the Minor Leagues during the previous month. It was essentially Promotion Preview's on-field equivalent. The two columns, together, represented the duality of the Minor League universe. Here they are: April. May. June. July. August.

Granted, the name "Beyond the Box Score" is overused, and we may change that for '09. But the column will return. It must return. It is too good not to.

But, here's the thing. I hate to be a broken record with this, but I need your help. It is impossible for me to notice all the strange things that happen in the Minor Leagues. I am rarely "in the trenches", unfortunately. Instead, circumstance forces me to take it all in from my idyllic Manhattan observation tower. It is easy for things to get overlooked.

So - broadcasters, media relations directors, GMs, ushers, vendors, fans, etc etc etc -- get in touch anytime something unexpected or unique happens on the playing field. Here are 5 examples from last season. There's plenty more where this came from:

Well, That Was Convenient: On April 8, Lancaster and Inland Empire played an extra-inning game that was eventually suspended after 15 frames. During the game, the Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers executed a trade involving Lancaster infielder Christian Lara, who had spent the ballgame on the JetHawks bench. As a result of the trade, Lara was transferred from Lancaster's roster to that of Inland Empire, a Dodgers affiliate. When the contest resumed the following day, Lara completed it as a member of the 66ers, meaning that he had worn the uniform of both teams during the course of the same game.

Gettin' It Done on Both Ends: Portland outfielder Jay Johnson did it all in the Sea Dogs' 17-inning, 8-7 win over the Connecticut Defenders, on April 16. The 25-year-old pitched two scoreless innings and then made himself the game's winning pitcher by blasting an RBI double off of fellow position-player-turned-pitcher Simon Klink in the bottom of the 17th.

Well, That's One Way to Do It: On May 5, Brevard County's Darren Ford tied a Florida State League record by stealing five bases in a game against Clearwater. But not only did Ford accomplish this feat in a losing cause - he didn't even hit safely in the contest. The 22-year-old speedster reached base on an error in the first inning and promptly stole second and third. In the third, he then reached on a fielder's choice and swiped second. Ford then drew a walk in the sixth and once again stole second and third to give him five stolen bases on the evening. With the record in reach, Ford struck out in his final two at-bats. It then took him 14 games to accumulate another five stolen bases.

You Are About to Enter the Twilight Zone: Games don't get much weirder than Springfield's 7-3, 13-inning win over Tulsa on July 14. In a perhaps unprecedented occurrence, the winning and losing "pitchers" were both catchers. The historic contest was the second game of a doubleheader, and both teams ran out of genuine hurlers as the night wore on. Cardinals backstop Matt Pagnozzi tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings and earned the win, while former teammate Brian Esposito threw three shutout frames for Tulsa before allowing four runs in the 13th -- three of which came as a result of Pagnozzi's bases-loaded double.

His Middle Name is "Good": Over 13 relief appearances for the Princeton Devil Rays, Chris Luck went 6-0 with a 2.25 ERA. No other pitcher on the Rays' staff finished the season with more than three wins.

I'll be sure to shill for this column several more times before now and Opening Day, because I want it to be the best it can be. Please help in my quest to make this a reality.

benjamin.hill@mlb.com
twitter.com/bensbiz

Time is short, and topic reserves are low. Yet, my devotion to this blog is such that I feel I must post today. I can't go on I will go on.

First, thanks to everyone who is now following me on this thing known as "Twitter". I'll do my best to stay active, and I welcome feedback and suggestions of all kinds at any time. I somewhat like Twitter's concept, in which an idea or thought must be conveyed in 140 characters or less. One must get to the point as quickly as possible. Unlike, say, this paragraph.

Moving on, Jonathan Mayo has an interesting "Perspectives" piece on the recent launch of the Israeli Association of Baseball. Mayo notes that the fledgling league will try to follow the successful Minor League Baseball business model, in which promotions are key. As to what promotions might work in Israel, Mayo suggests a Golda Meir bobblehead. That's pretty good, but if anyone has any other suggestions then please feel free to leave a comment. Me? I got nothin'

Finally, I am pleased to announce that one of the honored guests at the Missoula Osprey's Hot Stove Dinner is none other than backstop-turned-knuckleballer Houston Summers. As some of you may know, Houston was the winner of 2007's inaugural "Minors Moniker Madness" competition. Surely, this was one of the most ridiculous (yet entertaining) features that has found its way onto MiLB.com, and we had a lot of fun putting it together. I would like to think that Houston's presence at the Hot Stove Dinner is at least somewhat attributable to the notoriety he achieved on our site.

Unlikely, I know...but I must compensate for my own lack of success by taking undeserved credit for the achievements of others. It's the American way! 

Not surprisingly, the dominant topic in the Minor Leagues this offseason has been the economy and the effect it will have on teams' ability to make money.

I have weighed in on the issue several times, most notably here and here. What I have heard time and time again from those who work in Minor League front offices is this -- while there are significant worries regarding the ability to attract and retain sponsors, attendance figures should remain strong. In fact, some teams are counting on an increase in '09, due to the fact that Minor League Baseball offers an unparalleled bang for the buck.

Some teams are doing everything they can to drive this point home -- teams like, oh, I don't know, the Greensboro Grasshoppers. On Feb. 28th, the club will be staging "Tickets On Sale Day." Admittedly, this is probably the most boring name for a promotion that I have ever come across. But the deal being offered is phenomenal -- in recognition of the team's fifth season, ALL seats to ALL games during the 2009 season will be sold for $5 each. Running concurrently with this sale will be the third annual Hoppin' Fun Yard Sale, featuring all manner of team merchandise as well as vendors from within the community.

The bottom line is that events such as "Tickets On Sale Day" make it startlingly clear that Minor League Baseball is a bargain. $5 is about half the cost of a movie ticket, but it will provide access to so much more. 

I am a New York City resident, where $5 bargains are few and far between. The best deal that I am currently aware of is the shot and beer special at Zablozkis in Brooklyn. I like to take advantage of this because the bar has a Sopranos pinball machine in the back, where I can play undisturbed for long periods of time. Yes, I am currently making the most of my life.

Moving On...I am usually wary and vaguely hostile towards new technological innovations, so it was with some trepidation that I signed up for Twitter yesterday. But if this allows me to stay in touch and communicate with readers in a quick and casual fashion, then I'm all for it. Check it out here:

http://twitter.com/bensbiz

In additional "housekeeping" news, I have added four new blogs to the link section. They are:

-- The Watson Files -- News, notes, and observations from Fort Wayne Tin Caps broadcaster Dan Watson.
-- Senators Fans Unite -- Harrisburg fan blog.
-- Will Inman -- San Diego pitching prospect tells some
-- Shawn Haviland -- From the Ivy Leagues to MLB

Am I missing anything? If so, email benjamin.hill@mlb.com

While I don't have enough new logo information to put together a full-blown "Round-Up", let me strike while the iron's hot and provide some info regarding recent changes in the fascinating world of Minor League apparel.

First up is the Buffalo Bisons, who recently unveiled their 2009 jerseys. Here, in lieu of what would surely be a tedious 1000 words, is a photo:

If there's one thing that covering the Minor Leagues has taught me, it's that nearly anything can be turned into a press release.

I mean, why not? The purpose of a press release is to generate publicity for your team. Publicity translates to increased ticket sales, increased ticket sales translates to more money, and more money translates to guaranteed health, happiness, and spiritual contentment. And isn't that what we're all after as we navigate through this fleeting enterprise we call "life"?

Today, let's take a look at two very different, yet equally creative, press releases that have caught my eye this week.

#1 -- BlueClaws Invite Potential Hall-Of-Famers to FirstEnergy Park

In this missive, the BlueClaws announce that they have invited Andre Dawson, Bert Blyleven, Lee Smith, Jack Morris, and "any other player looking to enhance their [Hall of Fame] candidacy" to First Energy Stadium.

Why are they doing this?

"The last two induction classes at the National Baseball Hall of Fame have featured players who had spent a day signing autographs at a Lakewood BlueClaws game.

Goose Gossage signed in 2005 and was inducted in 2008 while Jim Rice signed in 2008 and will be inducted in July."

Oh, okay. That makes sense.

There must be something special in the air here at the Jersey Shore," said BlueClaws General Manager Geoff Brown of the obvious connection between signing in Lakewood and subsequent induction. "We've had the magic touch in bringing people here and those players getting elected to the Hall of Fame. We hope that we can get a few more players to Cooperstown."

Now, obviously, the logistics and financial commitment involved in bringing these baseball heavyweights to Lakewood are considerable. But I truly hope the team follows up on this premise, as it is fun, creative, and fraught with prophecy.

And why not go a step further and aim to get Pete Rose and, especially, the ghost of Shoeless Joe Jackson to the ballpark? (Athough the last time we checked in with that restless spirit, he didn't seem to be doing too well).

I'd also like to see a team launch a "We Still Love You" signing series, featuring players who were knocked off the Hall of Fame ballot after failing to record five percent of the vote. Those who are eligible for this honor include Mark Grace, Matt Williams, Jesse Orosco, Ron Gant, Dan Plesac, and both Mo and Greg Vaughn.

It is absurd that I give these ideas away for free. Take advantage of it now, before I Iaunch a consulting company and start raking in the big bucks.

#2 -- Northwest Arkansas Naturals Recover Three Puppies At Arvest Ballpark

This is simple -- over the past week, members of the Naturals' front office have found three stray puppies at Arvest Ballpark. The team turned the dogs over to a local animal shelter, which I imagine is what most people would do in that situation. But by putting out a press release announcing this fact, the Naturals accomplished two things: they increased the chance that these Rottweiler mixes would find good homes while also generating a little bit of offseason attention for themselves. It's a win-win situation.

The Naturals could have also used this opportunity to promote appearances by Jake the Diamond Dog, who will be at Arvest Ballpark on April 16 and 17. Or, they could have chosen to highlight other fun dogs that can be found around the ballpark -- namely this unique concoction.

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Ben's Biz Blog -- giving away the milk for free since 2007.   

So, as feared, this blog did indeed sputter to a halt for a few days. But now it is time to put the keys back in the ignition, get the engine revving, and see how long it takes to this thing back to cruising altitude.

First things first -- Yesterday, I had the pleasure of attending the Lehigh Valley IronPigs annual Phillies Caravan. The sold-out event was held in the banquet room of a local Holiday Inn, and featured a bevy of Phillies-related guests and events. Some highlights:

-- All in attendance had the opportunity to get their picture taken with the Phillies' World Series trophy. The pictures were then placed in a commemorative cardboard frame that had been autographed by Phillies manager Charlie Manuel.

-- A live charity auction, featuring items such as a Veterans Stadium seats, autographed Phillies and IronPigs memorabilia, and Spring Training getaways. The opportunity to be a "Reporter for a Day" at local station WFMZ 69 went for the shockingly low price of $125. Don't people realize that this is a station that played a key role in bringing the art of Spam Carving to a national audience?

-- The tenacious joke-telling of IronPigs media relations director Matt Provence, who MCed the event. Bad jokes are an art form in and of themselves, and Provence is clearly dedicated to the craft. 

-- Off-the-cuff interviews with Phillies bullpen stalwarts Ryan Madson and Scott Eyre, conducted by announcer Tom McCarthy.

-- Complimentary Budweiser

While off-season Caravan and Hot Stove events will never rival the enjoyment of spending an evening at the ballpark, they are still excellent ways to get the community thinking about baseball while raising money for charity. Also, the manner in which they are run inevitably say a lot about the commitment and competence of the front office staff, and the IronPigs obviously have a good thing going in Lehigh Valley. Special thanks goes out to director of community relations Sarah Marten, who extended the invitation for me to attend the Caravan, and also did a tremendous amount of work to make the event go off without a hitch.

Bottom line is that I am a fan of event attendance! I do my best to accept any and all invitations, so get in touch at benjamin.hill@mlb.com

Finally, here's a photo from last night, featuring myself and longtime friend/former next-door neighbor Ted Arnold. I'm on the left, clearly in "offseason mode" when it comes to hair length:



More blog content tomorrow, for sure. For the first time in little while I've got a small backlog of material, which is a most encouraging development. Thanks to all who got in touch with topic suggestions. 

One of the benefits of my chosen niche is that there is almost always something to write about. Note that I said "almost". Because I'm going to be honest with you here -- today, I got nothin'.

So, help me out, people. As I've mentioned before, I want this blog to be as interactive as possible. So, get in touch with all manner of news and notes from the Minor Leagues, your opinions, or whatever else you see fit to get in touch with. I know you're out there -- according to the fine folks at statcounter, my page views are higher than they've ever been. In the latest MLBlogs rankings, I'm sitting relatively comfortably at #23 on the "Pro Blogs" chart. So come feel the sun. Get in touch.

benjamin.hill@mlb.com

Now, as mentioned previously, I was a guest on Minor League Baseball Radio this past Wednesday night. It seemed to go well, although the fear of my own voice has kept me from listening. It is currently streaming right here. Give it a listen and let me know what you think (for those in a hurry, my segment begins right about the six-minute mark). Also, you know, I know I said "you know" way too often, you know.

Also, I would like to stress that I am always happy to do this sort of thing, be it a radio show, TV program, podcast, college lecture, town hall meeting, congressional hearing, or anything else. Just send me an email.

Well, that does it for me this week. Come Monday, I hope to make this blog less about me and more about, you know, Minor League Baseball. To quote Jack London:

"Atmosphere always stands for the elimination of the artist. That is to say, the atmosphere is the artist; and when there is no atmosphere and the artist is yet there, it simply means that the machinery is creaking and the reader hears it."

Time to oil up the machinery, tone down the volume, and look into some affordable soundproofing options! Your continued support and assistance in these matters is greatly appreciated.

It's been a busy day for me here at MiLB.com headquarters, but I wanted to take the time to put up a quick little odds and ends post before it got too late.

So, without further ado, here are some odds and ends:

-- Tonight I will be a guest on Minor League Baseball Radio. The show begins at 11 p.m., and I believe that I will be up first. So listen in, and call the studio @ 646-652-2962 if you have any pressing questions for yours truly.

-- Today my first "Perspectives" piece ran on MiLB.com. Check it out here. Not surprisingly, it focuses on blogging. Please give it a read, and then take my suggestion: start a Minor League blog! Find your niche and get writing.

-- Also up today on both MiLB.com and Mets.com is a piece on the "Baracklyn Cyclones" promotion. I did a blog post on this two days ago, but now it is been expanded into article form.

-- Finally, there is this piece on the Bowling Green Hot Rods and their quest to decorate their team store with license plates. If you think this is the kind of story that would have made a good blog post...well, you're right. But this is the kind of information that has got to get to the masses as we all work toward saturating the media landscape with information pertaining to the world of the Minor Leagues. That's what we're doing, right? Hello?

Okay, hopefully tomorrow will include some original content. Goodbye for now, and apologies for the lack of jokes in this post. It goes against every instinct I have to write a post and not include any horrible puns or plays on words.

It would be quite easy to forget, but way back on December 23 I launched the "Ben's Biz Blog-ojevich" contest. The premise was simple -- the first person to contact me with complimentary words about my blogging skill would "win" a free post.

That person turned out to be "BeesGal", writer of "The Sporkball Journals". Who is BeesGal? I'll let her answer that in her own words:

Well, my day job is running a one-woman business that provides writing and editing services for a diverse assortment of audiences--commercial, journalistic and scholarly. My labors of love are split into two seasons: fall/winter is spent pursuing a degree in Japanese language, while spring/summer is spent immersed in the sights, sounds and smells of minor league baseball. I've been a season-ticket holder with the Salt Lake franchise since 1998 and devoted fan of minor league baseball since 1994--except for a one-night stand on October 2, 1995 when I watched Randy Johnson pitch 6 innings of perfection in the ALDS tiebreaker between the Mariners and Angels. I can be contacted via email: editor@chiburibird.net.

For her guest post, BeesGal has provided a thorough dissection of Michael Lewis' "Moneyball". In essence, it is a contrarian view of a contrarian book, and one of the most cutting critiques of the "Stats vs. Scouts" debate that I have ever read. So, without further ado, here it is:

Legerdemain
(noun) The use of skillful tricks and deceptions to produce entertainingly baffling effects: conjuration, magic, prestidigitation, sleight of hand. [source: Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition,  1995, www.bartleby.com/62/44/L0904400.html.]

As incredible as it may sound, I didn't get around to reading Moneyball until this fall of 2008. Not surprising to me, since I am a lousy stathead. It's not that I'm bad with numbers; I'm actually quite the nimble digit-cruncher. It's simply I don't find statistics to be the most interesting perspective from which to view baseball. I don't own stock in a baseball team, real or rotisserie. I don't bet on sports. I don't follow the draft.

But I digress. I finally read Moneyball on the recommendations of so many people whose baseball experience and expertise far exceeds mine. And the published reviews seemed to promise an enjoyable, entertaining read, regardless of whether I care about the stats vs. scouts debate. (I don't.) Hence my disappointment to discover I didn't care for it all that much. I didn't dislike it. I was, um, ...underwhelmed.

So when the opportunity came to guest-write for Ben's Biz Blog, this seemed like the perfect opportunity give Moneyball another shot. Was my indifference justified, or not? More importantly, where the h*ll did it come from? Unfortunately, I must announce liking the book even less the second time, albeit for an entirely different reason than I expected.

As everyone in the English-speaking world knows, this book investigates how the

Oakland A's were able to win so many games with so few financial resources. I would say it uses primarily two techniques to make its case: deductions based on statistical analyses and detailed character profiles. One method appeals to reason and the other to humanity. Obviously, you can't use charisma as the basis for scientific proof. On the other hand, you can use it to influence the way the information is perceived. Here's how Michael Lewis does it.

Chapter 2 is a mesmerizing recreation of the Oakland A's draft room on June 4, 2002. It sets up the premise for the book and introduces the main characters. In the second reading, I noticed something that annoyed me to no end. The scouts were very difficult to identify except as a vague collective of nameless, barely-humans--the "Greek chorus."

At first, it was unclear why some scouts were named and described, while others remained literally faceless. For example, eight scouts were mentioned by name in chapter 2: John Poloni [1], Ron Hopkins [2], Kelly Heath [2], Billy Owens [3], Matt Keough [6], Chris Pittaro [16], Dick Bogard [20], Grady Fuson [26] and Erik Kubota [30]. The numbers in brackets indicate how many times they were referred to by their names. My favorite character reference was Hopkins, who got introduced in four words, "Ron Hopkins is 'Hoppy,'" after which we never read of him again. Grady Fuson was the penultimate "bad guy" in this chapter; singled out as the personification of all that is wrong with traditional baseball thinking.

Aside from this handful of names, virtually every other scout was referred to by job title, "scout" or "scouts." What is particularly odd is these nameless entities spoke or acted about 149 times without us knowing who is doing what. When the scouts were somewhat more identifiable, it was by physical attribute. Old/older [31] tops the list, followed by fat [5], vocal [5], folded arms [2], lean [1], pleading [1]. Notice how many of these generic attributes were also rather unappealing. Also notable was how the physical descriptions seem to have been selected for their power to metaphorically reinforce the philosophical differences between the two sides of the room--the forces of ignorance resisting enlightenment.

There were a few scout descriptions offering greater detail, none were flattering. For example, here is one that seems particularly negative and conjectural: "This old scout is pushing fifty-five but still has a lean quickness about him, as if he hadn't completely abandoned the hope that he might one day play the game." Out of all the possible explanations for this nameless man's low percentage of body fat, I'm supposed to presume it's an unwillingness to accept old age? Weird.

As chapter 2 came to a close, I felt as though I'd been handed a media guide with the information for L.O.O.S.R.S.(Luddites On Other Side of Room, Spitting) consisting of a handful of names, four bios, couple of anecdotes and little else. They're wearing road grays, no numbers or names.

The media guide for Team Beane, on the other hand, is filled photos (in home

whites, of course), names, positions, biography, career stats and uniform numbers. Among the scouts, Chris Pittaro is someone "Billy had long ago identified as a person willing to rethink everything he learned, or thought he had learned, playing baseball." Dick Bogard was characterized as "the oldest scout of all," Erik's "baseball father;" a supporter of statistics; the one scout to admit "Billy made us take Zito;" having "vast experience to which he had no visceral attachment;" and having scouted Billy Beane the ballplayer. Erik Kubota [30] is Beane's hand-picked scouting director [3], hired to replace Grady Fuson. And of course there was Billy Beane [92], general manager [3], and Paul DePodesta [61], assistant general manager [2].

Seems as though purpose of chapter 2 is to create an sense of emotional detachment from a certain group of people, namely the scouts. If you can render the opposition less than human, good; if you can demonize it, even better. For centuries, this effective psychological technique has been used in sci-fi  (such as the "Borg" of Star Trek: Next Generation), advertising, politics and war.

I'm not sure if this was kept nagging at me the first time. Once my "covert ops" alerts were triggered during the second read, however, it was impossible for me to shake the feeling I was being played. In the end, I cannot help but wonder why Lewis did it? Since I'm not Lewis, I haven't a clue. All I can offer is my opinion; namely, I would have preferred the chance to decide whether Beane is a great GM or just lucky, or sabermetrics is superior to scouting without the B-movie caricatures. Certainly I would have enjoyed the book considerably more without the syntactical sleight of hand.

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Well, that's it. I suspect my 15 minutes of glory was used up about 400 words ago. In closing, I'd like to thank Ben for letting me crash his blogspace, not to mention handling the crush of email he'll undoubtedly be getting in coming days.  Bye for now! .  .  . BeesGal

Throughout the past month, I have taken the time to highlight some promotions to look out for during the 2009 season (if the content of these posts has slipped your mind, just click here, here, and here).

But an email arrived in my inbox today touting what may be 2009's premier promo thus far: On June 23, the Brooklyn Cyclones will transform themselves into the BARACKLYN Cyclones. The club has established a website that is dedicated solely to this promotion, and is well worth exploring. But here are the most crucial details:

For one night this summer, the Brooklyn Cyclones will be transformed into the Baracklyn Cyclones, honoring the 44th President of the United States with a night of patriotic partying at the ballpark.

The June 23rd festivities will feature:

Alternate red, white, and blue jerseys adorned with the team's new name

FREE Barack Obama bobbleheads to the first 2,500 fans in attendance, featuring the President in a Baracklyn Cyclones Jersey

The Economic Stimulus Package: From 10am on January 20th - Inauguration Day - to midnight on January 23rd, ticket prices for the June 23rd game will be "rolled back" to the Cyclones' inaugural 2001 season rates: $10 Field Box Seats, $8 Box Seats, $5 Bleacher Seats. Beginning January 24th, tickets will be priced at the regular 2009 rates ($15, $12, $8)

Universal Health Care: Free Band-Aids to the first 1,000 fans

Naming Rights: Anyone named Barack gets in for free (Bring your ID on the night of the game)

Joe the Plumber special: any plumber named Joe gets two free tickets - one for

himself, and one to "spread the wealth" with a friend (Bring your ID and a business card or proof of employment on the night of the game)

Bi-Partisan Consolation Prize: anyone named McCain or Palin will get a free Bleacher Seat (Bring your ID on the night of the game)

A clear-cut Exit Strategy: fans will receive American Flags and discount coupons as they leave the ballpark.

All in all, this stands to be the most talked-about political promo since Bobblection riveted our nation last summer. Now, I realize that some of you may be saying that you just McCain't wait until June 23, because all other promotions Palin comparison. Well, I'm sorry, but I'm afraid you're going to have to Biden your time until then.

Nothing like going out on a high note, right? Email all complaints to: benjamin.hill@mlb.com

I have no idea what it stands for, but I keep hearing people around the office say "TGIF". Can anyone help me out here? My best guess is "Trees Grow In Forests", but I don't know why such an obvious statement of fact would be condensed into an acronym and repeated ad nauseam.

Ah, the mysteries of life. Perhaps some things are best left unexplained. Anyways, because I am grateful to a higher power for the fact that it is Friday, I will now end my blogging week with a compilation of news and notes from the world of the Minor Leagues.

Here They Go Again -- Those front office folks in Quad Cities are downright irrepressible. Fresh on the heels of the innovative "Pick The Improvement Contest", the club has announced a new interactive fan initiative. This time it's the "Name the Promotion" contest. From the press release:

"The River Bandits are excited to welcome a large number of wide-ranging ideas and have set no restrictions to ensure that fans can let their creative juices flow freely. Promotional ideas could cover a single game through a theme night or giveaway, take place during a half-inning break with a game or contest or unfold over the course of the entire season. The promotion could revolve around the baseball being played on the field or it could involve concessions or ticketing. The possibilities are endless.

The first phase of the contest begins on Friday. Fans have the opportunity to submit their suggestion for next season's great promotion online by the River Bandits' website at www.RiverBandits.com. The open suggestion phase of the contest will last until Jan. 30. After Modern Woodmen Bank and the River Bandits narrow down the suggestions to a list of finalists, the second phase of the contest will begin on Feb. 2 and allow fans to vote on the best promotional ideas through Feb. 13."

This contest will undoubtedly result in a veritable boatload of promo ideas, running the gamut from brilliant to completely insane to both brilliant and completely insane. As has become my policy, I will refrain from making suggestions of my own.

Transactions -- Moving on, I learned yesterday via this press release that longtime Altoona Curve broadcaster and media relations director Jason Dambach will be leaving the team. In addition to writing a veritable boatload of amusing promotional press releases over the past decade, Dambach had also established himself as one of the best play-by-play announcers in the Minors (a fact that was illuminated by his recent Top 10 finish in the Pittsburgh Pirates' announcer search). I first met Jason during my 2007 field trip to "Awful Night", and I wish him well in his new job with the Greenberg Sports Group.

Jumping the Shark, Literally -- The Fresno Grizzlies have unveiled the 14th and final episode of their weekly "I Hate the Offseason" web series. For my money, this was the funniest installment yet. Check it out right here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xb153CIP0PI

"I Hate the Offseason" turned out to be a fun and relatively simple way for the Grizzlies to stay in the public eye upon the conclusion of the season, and I wouldn't be surprised if many teams embark upon similar projects at the conclusion of the '09 campaign.

And, speaking of conclusions, this post is now done. In closing, email me at benjamin.hill@mlb.com if you happen to know what TGIF stands for. 

One of my many self-imposed "housekeeping" tasks here at MiLB.com is to compile an Excel spreadsheet of next season's notable promotions.

As most teams have yet to announce their promotional schedules, my 2009 spreadsheet is currently quite barren. In fact, it includes a mere 28 listings. But of these 28, four are scheduled to take place on the same day. That day is June 20, which is shaping up to be quite an action-packed day in the Minor Leagues. Let's take a look at what lies in store thus far:

Bowling Green Hot Rods -- Fan's Choice T-Shirt Night

This design of this shirt will be selected by the fans, who will make their voices heard through the magic of online polling. I'm hoping that the shirt will commemorate an alternate reality in which the team's name is "Cave Shrimp".

Hudson Valley Renegades -- Benchwarmer's Night

I have already dedicated a post to this most entertaining of promotional nights. Inspired by the Knicks' laughable Stephon Marbury situation, the Renegades will be paying tribute to benchwarmers all game long. The night even includes a wooden seat cushion giveaway.

Lakewood BlueClaws -- "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan Appearance

In which the BlueClaws will welcome the WWE's oldest wrestler, whose weapon of choice is a 2x4.

Peoria Chiefs -- Lee Smith Appearance

Even more intimidating than "Hacksaw" is Lee Smith, the legendary 6'6" closer who amassed 478 saves over 18 Major League seasons.

So there you have it folks...June 20 is still more than five months away, yet we are already assured of four above average promotions. Please get in touch if YOU are aware of anything going on in the Minor Leagues on June 20 (or any other day, for that matter):

benjamin.hill@mlb.com

And now, courtesy of Wikipedia, here are a few other somewhat notable events that have occurred on June 20:

451 -- Flavius Aetius defeats Atilla the Hun at the battle of Chalons.

1782 -- The U.S. Congress adopts the Great Seal of the United States.

1893 -- Lizzie Borden is acquitted of the murders of her father and stepmother.

1976 -- The birth of Rob Mackowiak.

2008 -- Reading Phillies stage Spam Carving Competition.

Thank you, as always, for making it through to the last sentence.

This blog has covered a diverse range of topics over the past several weeks, and I am proud of that fact. However, it has come to my attention that I have been neglecting that most tried and true content resource: the team press release.

So, today, let me rectify the situation by composing a post that is based largely upon the work of another. Journey with me to Charleston, South Carolina, where the RiverDogs have announced a most interesting promotion, one that is tied in with their upcoming Hot Stove Banquet and Silent Auction. Take it away, press release:

The Charleston RiverDogs are offering a unique chance of a lifetime by auctioning the opportunity to enjoy an inshore chartered fishing trip with Hall of Fame pitcher Gaylord Perry.

Bidding for the fishing charter begins Monday, Jan. 12, at 9 a.m. and concludes Monday, Jan. 19 at 3 p.m. Those wishing to bid on this opportunity should submit their bid, along with contact information (full name, address, and phone number) to specialevents@riverdogs.com

I don't know about you, but for me, "fishing with Gaylord Perry" ranks very highly on my comprehensive list* of "aquatic activities I would like to do while in the company of a celebrity". It's not as high as "White-Water Rafting with John Fogerty" or "Scuba Diving with David Lynch", but it's pretty close.

At any rate, kudos to the RiverDogs for working Perry into a promotion that goes above and beyond his appearance at their upcoming Hot Stove Dinner (and raises money for charity, to boot). I wanted to close with a joke that somehow incorporated both fishing and ball-doctoring references, but I couldn't come up with one.  Any help in this regard would be greatly appreciated. 

*for a complete copy of this list, email me at benjamin.hill@mlb.com

Something that I have become aware of over the past several months is that I am recognized as a "blogger" first and a "journalist" second. That's fine with me.

But I nonetheless must occasionally draw my readers' attention to the work that I do that appears on the mighty MiLB.com, such as this recent article on the effect that the economy is having on Minor League Baseball.

While this piece came out well enough, I was somewhat hampered in writing it by the fact that it was so close to the Holidays. Time was tight, and it was a bit more difficult to get in touch with people than usual. Therefore, some decent material fell by the wayside.

But what is the function of this blog, if not to provide a home for such material? For example, one of several things that did not make it into the article was an email from Andrew Seymour, the General Manager of the Vancouver Canadians. In this email, Seymour took the time to outline the ways he thinks his club is well-positioned to deal with the economy (outside of the fact that his team isn't located in the United States, of course).

I figured I'd share the contents of this email, and include along with it an invitation to any of my readers to get in touch with lists of their own. You know, reasons why YOUR team (be you fan or employee) has what it takes to make it through the tough times.

benjamin.hill@mlb.com

And now, let me turn the floor over to Mr. Seymour.

In an effort to take care of our #1 asset, our fans, we've instituted a price freeze across the board. We have kept our ticket prices the same for 09 -- for flex/mini packs (which we call NatPacks), season tickets, groups and game day/walk-up tickets.

Our advertising prices are the same for in-stadium advertising (and we plan to deliver more and more impressions -- aka butts in seats).

Parking is the same rate as it has been for years!

We have created a kids club at a tremendously inexpensive rate ($20) that gets kids in for free to 14 home games (7 Sunday + 7 Monday dates). We also have a $50 family rate for families that have 3 or more kids.

We've furthered our outreach in the community --we like to see it as giving back. Now that we have a mascot, we have a much better avenue to be out supporting the events in our immediate and surrounding communities. This allows us to reach-out and connect with all the people we hope will take interest in a Canadians game.

We're also expanding our no-cost information network, in order to help build our fanbase. From facebook to an amped-up website with audio and video, we have a viable opportunity to reach fans everywhere.

We'll have a number of ball park upgrades that will be pleasant for our fans - upgrades that we won't ask our fans to shoulder!

And whatever we do, it is always a result of having a generous local ownership group (jake kerr, jeff mooney + andy dunn) and a first class, dedicated staff that cares dearly for our community.

 

All in all our m.o. will be to deliver first class, affordable family fun in a safe and friendly

environment. Our goal is to provide consumers with a great value on their entertainment dollar!

Pretty solid sales pitch, is it not? Again, get in touch with similarly self-promoting screeds of your own, and I'll do my best to post it up here on this ever-growing little niche of the blogosphere.

Folks, the bottom line here is that I need content, and its easier to have you create it than me. Let me be the conduit through which your self-expression can reach its full potential.

As you may or may not be aware, the inexorable passage of time has resulted in the fact that we are now living within the realm of a new calendar year: 2009!

I, once again, find myself either unable or unwilling to make an earnest bid for literary immortality. But I have to do something to pass the time and pay the bills, so I may as well engage in a task that serves the betterment of mankind. Therefore, I am pleased to announce that I have updated my links section. There have been a few additions and many subtractions, as I work toward the ultimate goal of providing the most well-curated Minor League link list ever known to man.

I must credit Joey over at "The Consumption Of..." blog for motivating me to undertake this most recent round of link list updates. For it was he who asked me, in the comments section of a recent post, what were some of my Minor League team blogs.

My answer, in good old alphabetical order:

BlueClaws Blog -- A recently revitalized destination, offering behind-the-scenes insight into anything related to the BlueClaws.   

The Brooklyn Baseball Blog -- All sorts of inside tidbits on life in the Cycones front office, written in a light-hearted and humorous style.

Greg's Connecticut Defenders Blog -- Updated regularly throughout the offseason, and chock full of exclusive pictures.  

Notes From the Nat (Vancouver Canadians fan blog) -- Surprisingly thorough and wide-ranging coverage from a short-season superfan.

Rattler Radio (Wisconsin Timber Rattlers) -- As someone who has engaged in my own half-insane blogging adventures, I greatly enjoy announcer Chris Mehring's wide-ranging, highly-detailed, and humor-laced posts.

Travelerocity (Arkansas Travelers fan blog) -- No other Minor League blog I've come across enjoys a greater level of user interaction than does "Travelerocity."

Of course, please get in touch (by email or the comments section) with YOUR favorite blogs. If I'm missing anything, please let me know. And, as always, thanks for reading.

benjamin.hill@mlb.com  

Hello, and Happy New Year. I hope that the just-concluded Holiday Season served as a much needed chance for rest and respite, because now we're all right back in the thick of things. As if we never left.

But judging by the deserted state of the MiLB.com headquarters, it was rather unnecessary for me to come into work today. There are no other people here, or any other living things save for the occasional squirrel. But that's okay with me. I thrive in solitude.

So, as 2009 commences, what is there to write about?. First off, I must dutifully piggyback off of my last post and mention that the Peoria Chiefs are the latest team to have been bitten by the Blogojevich bug. Last week, the club announced that they would be selling off "Senate Seats" for each 2009 home game. The details, italicized and in fine print for your pleasure:

The seats, which are located in the second row of section 108, are directly behind home plate and protected by the screen sell for $10 per game. They will be available via auction on the Chiefs website beginning Feb. 1. The auctions will end 24 hours prior to each home game and begin at $20. All proceeds from the "Senate Seat Auctions" will go into a pot which will be distributed at the end the season among various local charities.

Moving on, I must commend my colleague Lisa Winston for using her finely-honed journalism skills to

decipher one of the more mysterious ballplayer utterances of all-time. On Dec. 19, Lisa ran an interview with Tigers prospect Casper Wells on her blog. In response to the question "What is the best Minor League promotion or visiting act you have ever seen?", Wells replied that he liked "the monkey guy with the floating thing."

No one could figure out what Wells was talking about, and it caused a many a sleepless night for those who care about such things. So Lisa dug a little deeper, and was able to solve the mystery. Read all about it here.

And, finally, because I must operate in threes -- At 11 p.m. EST on January 14th I will be a guest on the weekly Minor League Baseball Radio Show. I'll post more specific info on this in the near future, but mark your calendars now. It's not like they were going to stay all new and shiny much longer anyway.