Results tagged ‘ Huntsville Stars ’
A Review of the Previewed
It’s Tuesday, which means that a new “Promo Preview” column is live and ready for your reading enjoyment over on MiLB.com.
I hope that folks are reading the column, and digging the new format. The amount of feedback I’ve gotten thus far has been humbling — and not in a “humblebrag” sort of way, just humbling. I haven’t heard a single word, good or bad, about it.
But on it shall go, and on this post shall go. You may recall that in the season’s first Promo Preview column I wrote about supercentenarian first pitch tosser Shelby Harris, who kicked off the River Bandits’ season with a ceremonial offering. After the ballgame, I received the following photo and recap from River Bandits’ director of promotions Shane Huff.
Not only did [Shelby] participate in a pregame interview on the field with our media relations manager, Marco LaNave, but he overhand threw the ceremonial first pitch in front of a standing ovation of 4,783! Shelby talked about his love of baseball and his favorite team, the Chicago Cubs, in the interview, throwing in a comedic crack about the chilliness of the evening. He then followed that up with a very successful ceremonial first pitch. He stayed until the third inning – there we a combined 15 runs in a very lengthy second inning – and watched the game from a suite down the third base line.
Shelby, after delivering the pitch
[A]s the on-field emcee I introduced a lot of ceremonial first pitches last season, and none we as rousing and anticipated as tonight’s when Shelby took the mound. Between the media and the standing fans, it was by far one of the best experiences I’ve had since working in Minor League Baseball.
Another Home Opener of note occurred in Huntsville, as the Stars paid tribute to native son and distinguished baseball jack-of-all trades Don Mincher in a pre-game ceremony.
The Mincher family:
Oh, and stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but the Memphis Redbirds now have the largest scoreboard in all of Minor League Baseball.
And Rockey the Belly Bouncer is ready to welcome this 60×60 behemoth with open arms.
And, finally, here is the latest (and therefore greatest) addition to my slowly expanding roster of Ben’s Biz headshots. It was sent by a Florida-based operative, and comes with it’s own track listing (!)
- Rolling in Deep Left
- Southpaw Has It
- Turning Doubles
- Don’t You Remember that Rundown
- Set Fire to the Rain Tarp
- He Won’t Go Home
- Take It to the Alley
- I’ll Be Waiting in the Dugout
- One on Deck
- Late Inning LoveSong
- Someone Like Hak-Ju (Lee)
Keep ‘em coming, folks. Keep ‘em coming.
benjamin.hill@mlb.com
twitter.com/bensbiz
An Anomalous Date Leads to Phenomenal Deals
Maybe it’s an example of my sticktuitiveness, maybe an example of stagnancy. Probably both. But, at any rate, I am able to begin today’s Leap Year post by looking at what I wrote about 2/29 the last time it rolled around.
So let’s leap to it!
San Jose's got the spirit!
The year was 2008. While most Americans were busy listening to the 10th anniversary edition of the Baha Men’s epochal Doong Spank LP, the Lancaster JetHawks made their presence felt by staging a Leap Year promo. Most notably, all fans with a leap year birthday received a box seat season ticket!
Not to be outdone, the Altoona Curve soon announced a season-long “Leip Year” celebration, all in honor of skipper Tim Leiper.
Leiper the Skipper
This one had the Rainmain-like fixation on numbers that is a hallmark of any good Minor League promotion, including the provision that if any Curve player was batting .366 after April 29′s ballgame, he (or she, you never know) would be awarded $366.
Maybe I’m just jaded, but I don’t think we’ve reached that level of inspiration in 2012. But a lot is going on. Here is a thorough (but by no means authoritative) rundown of who’s doing what how. Said rundown is in alphabetical order, but starting with “N” and then continuing back around through “M.”
Most notably, the above deal includes a $29 Citgo gas card.
$17 all-you-can-eat seats, to any game. I’m just not sure who would want to eat seats in the first place, though.
More bang for the buck than a bringing an exploding dollar bill along on a deer hunt! $29 gets four tickets to exhibition game vs. Triple-A Sacramento, four ticket vouchers to opening weekend, and two souvenir caps.
Interesting twist to this one, in that the $29 ticket packages includes admission to all games falling on the 29th of the month.
This offer comes with a $29 concession stand credit. Beet eggs included?
Two extra games included with the purchase of a five or 10-game pack!
A $95 savings!
Buy a six or 12-game ticket pack, get an additional game free.
Lake Elsinore Storm
Self-explanatory.
This concludes THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE RECAP OF MINOR LEAGUE BASEBALL LEAP DAY PROMOTIONS EVER ASSEMBLED. And yet I still don’t have my own Wikipedia page.
benjamin.hill@mlb.com
twitter.com/bensbiz
Moving Forward In Reverse
My original plan was to devote today’s post exclusively to food (shocker, I know), but you know what they say about the best laid plans:
They are often interrupted by a reversible hat!
The Altoona Curve announced their new logos and uniforms earlier this offseason, and the shape-shifting item seen above represents the final piece of the puzzle. Remarks the franchise:
[T]he Altoona Curve’s new home cap is believed to be the first in Minor League Baseball to feature a specially-designed, rally cap lining. When the Railroad Red cap with the new Engineer head logo is turned inside out, a bright orange lining with large black eyes is displayed to simulate the look of popular Curve rally mascot, Al Tuna.
The cap is the work of Plan B Branding, who are understandably excited by their latest innovation. I chatted briefly with company co-founder Jason Klein over IM yesterday, but all he wrote was “Al Tuna! Al Tuna!” before my connection gave out. But perhaps that’s all that was needed.
Al Tuna! Al Tuna!
But in case you were wondering, the players themselves won’t be wearing the rally caps. Curve manager PJ Forbes told the Altoona Mirror “I can emphatically say no. But it is a nice touch for the fans, and it’s another way to get the fans involved, which is what it’s all about.” Which reminds me, why isn’t there a “Come to the Park in Your PJs” night on the Curve promotional calendar? It would be a great way to honor the manager while getting the fans involved. And that’s what it’s all about!
Speaking of getting the fans involved, the Huntsville Stars are going to be broadcasting games in a most interesting fashion this season:
The Stars will be replacing the traditional radio broadcast with a live web show for every home game. The webcast, “The Living Room Show”, will bring a different level of entertainment to the ballpark, putting the broadcast in the hands, and seats, of fans. Ryan “Pokey” Hayden, a former voice of Troy University athletics, will host the show and keep things rolling. He’ll also be in charge of calling the play-by-play, and it won’t be from the press box. Hayden will be seated on a couch in the seating bowl, calling the game with the people who love it most: the fans.
I’m definitely interested to hear (and see) how this turns out. It could be the future of Minor League Baseball broadcasting, or it could be a crazy and quickly-forgotten anomaly. But it won’t be both. I’d also curious to hear YOUR thoughts. Yes, you.
Believe it or not, I have not embedded a video since MLBlogs made its momentous conversion to WordPress (who, according to the logic of Rob Neyer, must be doing something wrong). That situation is going to be rectified right now, with a video that just happened to fall into my lapse. Courtesy of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, here’s the offseason condensed into 118 seconds.
But the offseason, in real time, was approximately 4.2 billion years. I, for one, am glad that it ends tomorrow. It’s time to not enjoy life in a whole new way!
Oh, and that food-related post is coming soon. I think I’m going to call it “Appetite For Destruction” because how is it possible that I have never written a post with this title?
benjamin.hill@mlb.com
twitter.com/bensbiz
Fostering Intimacy Across the Digital Divide
Well, now that the hot dog furor has subsided I suppose it’s once again time for me to update this blog. So update, I will — by giving you a peek into my world.
I spend the bulk of my day in a remote corner of MiLB.com HQ, where few individuals dare to tread. It’s where the stagnation magic happens!
Amidst the plastic cutlery and teetering tower of cans, you’ll notice an array of Minor League memorabilia. To gaze upon it is to take a trip down memory lane.
Who could ever forget Subtle Butt?
Here lies the customized 4XL “MiLB.com” shirt I wore during my brief stint as “Giorgio the Bloggerman.”
This shirt, which I received during my 2010 visit to Huntsville, has been worn on many a first date.
Next to the shirt, and laid atop a Wisconsin Timber Rattlers pennant, is another Huntsville memento. It’s a postcard featuring sword swallower Dan Meyer, one of the most interesting people I have met whilst on the road.
A new addition to my burgeoning pile of Minor League detritus are customized Baseband Bracelets, resting comfortably on the almighty Cave Shrimp Bobblefoot distributed by the Bowling Green Hot Rods this past season.
Finally, and apropos of nothing, an unopened R.Kelly bobblehead. I plan on sending my kids to college with this thing, so long as I have kids and they attend a college that costs less than $45.
And today it was announced that the purchase of the Triple-A Padres has been finalized.
Very little has changed since my November story on the topic, but it is likely that the team will play in Tucson for two seasons before moving to Escondido, CA (providing the ballpark there is officially approved by city council, recent events indicate that it will be).
Two more articles of note:
– A look at a new Minor League literary effort: Dave Hoekstra’s “Cougars and Snappers and Loons (Oh My!): A Midwest League Field Guide.
– A profile of Studio Simon’s Dan Simon, one of the primary players in the Minor League logo scene.
I have two more blog posts lined up for 2010, and they will be decidedly less me-centric. Thanks, as always, for reading.
benjamin.hill@mlb.com
twitter.com/bensbiz
A Day In the Life
Tomorrow, as it’s been said, is only a day away. And tomorrow’s tomorrow, when it becomes the present, presents a bountiful array of enticing presents to fans gracing Minor League ballparks with their presence.
Wishing to continue my reign as a preeminent prescient promotional prognosticator, I now present this truncated list of just what, exactly, is taking place tomorrow. Taken in toto, it serves to illuminate the the voluminous vitality of the Minor League landscape.
I know many of you would like to punch me in the face after reading the above two paragraphs, but you can’t. I’m light years away, and ensconced in bubble wrap.
To the list!
Hank Conger Bobblehead Giveaway (Arkansas Travelers) — In honor of the switch-hitting backstop who suited up for the team in ’08 and ’09.
William Seward Bobblehead Giveaway (Auburn Doubledays) — In honor of New
Yorkstate’s 12tgh governor, who suited up for the commonwealth from 1839-1842. He later served as Secretary of State under Abraham Lincoln. Now he’s a bobblehead.
Three World Record Attempts (Bowie Baysox) — As detailed in this week’s “Promotion Preview” column, the Baysox are attempting to reach new heights in the categories of “Most People Sitting on a Whoopee Cushion”, “Most People Doing ‘The Twist’”, and “Most People Engaged in Simultaneous Air Guitar.”
Farmer Axle Bobblehead (Bowling Green Hot Rods) — It’s “Agriculture Night” in Bowling Green, hence a giveaway featuring a tractor-driving mascot.
Lumberstock (Clinton LumberKings) — An all-day festival featuring live music, cornhole tournaments, and plenty of food and drink. “Wood”n’t you like to go?
Retro Jersey Giveaway (Corpus Christi Hooks) — An inimitable item mimicking the ’80s incarnation of parent club the Houston Astros.
Ryan Dempster Theme Jersey Auction (Daytona Cubs) — Proceeds benefit the Ryan and Jenny Dempster Family Foundation.
Buster Posey Bobblehead (Fresno Grizzlies) — If you want one of these then you better Buster move to Chukchansi Park.
Jimmy Hart Appearance (Lexington Legends) — The “Mouth of the South” attempts to devour Applebee’s Park.
Ladies Night w/ Rafe Hernandez (Mahoning Valley Scrappers) — The “Days of Our Lives”
star visits Eastman Field, delighting fans with hourglass figures.
Jacoby Ellsbury Bobblehead (Pawtucket Red Sox) — Free to the first 4000 fans age 14 and under. Or at least those, like Ellsbury, who can pass for 14.
Hacksaw Jim Duggan and Jerry Lawler Appearance (Richmond Flying Squirrels) — Because two legendary grapplers are always better than one, unless they gang up on you.
A few odds and ends before closing up shop:
– A new “Farm’s Almanac” feature is up now, about the Frederick Keys’ “Volt Night” and executive chefs in Minor League Baseball. “Volt Night”, in which Top Chef’s Bryan Voltaggio manned a concession stand, was a huge hit in Frederick (attracting a near-sellout crowd on a Tuesday night). The Baltimore Sun ran an excellent recap and photo gallery of the event.
– For sheer wordplay lunacy, it will be hard to top the Huntsville Stars’ September 6 promotion. The game will be preceded by the “Okra Win-Free Labor Day Marathon”. 103 people will split the duties of running the race (no one will “win”, see?) and okra will be a side dish in the steak dinner following the race. Plus, an invitation has been extended to Oprah Winfrey, who once ran a marathon. The entire event should be soundtracked by THIS.
– Finally, from the “Why Didn’t I Think of That” department, the Lancaster JetHawks have passed along word that they’re planning a “90210 Night” promotion for September 2. Get it? 9/02/10. It’s been right there in front of us, all along.
benjamin.hill@mlb.com
twitter.com/bensbiz
Sit In It To Win It
In 2004, the Brevard County Manatees staged a “Car Survivor” contest. Five people got into a car, and six days and 23 hours later only one person remained. That person won the automobile.
Car Survivor II is now being staged in Huntsville, right outside of the Stars’ Joe Davis Stadium. The sequel, a joint effort between the Stars and Jerry Damson Honda, has just surpassed the original. Despite searing Alabama heat, lack of sleep, and limited personal hygiene opportunities, two contestants have managed to stay in the car for a full week.
Mr. Daniel Rice, 28:
Mr. Jeremy Hatley, 18:
These two have a lot more legroom these days, as three of the initial five contestants have left the automobile. One of these individuals was fan favorite MJ Gillikin:
But Gillikin was driven out of the automobile by Hatley and Rice, who kept her awake through a series of sleep-depriving maneuvers (anything from tapping on the hood of the car to loud sing-a-longs).
The Machiavellian maneuverings seem to have come to an end, as Hatley and Rice are at a standstill. Anyone wishing to see what the duo are up to can check out the streaming Car Survivor audio and video located HERE. It’s oddly compelling viewing. When I last checked in, the contestants were in the midst of a discussion about eating maggots. Then they were interviewed by a local TV news station.
Hatley says he doesn’t have anywhere to be until his freshman year of college begins in the fall. Rice has a job and is married, but has the full support of his employer and spouse.
The contestants do receive some time out of the car, however. To do otherwise would be uncivilized. From the rules:
Every six hours, the contestants will get a 15-minute break. They can
use the restroom, freshen up, grab a bite to eat, get a drink, stretch,
etc. Each contestant must drink 128 ounces of water, soda, lemonade,
coffee (or any other liquid they prefer) every 24 hours. If they fail to
drink one gallon in those 24 hours, they are automatically eliminated.
At this point, the contestants aren’t the only ones who are worn out. The Stars’ front office
staff has been working three hour “car guarding” shifts, including such unsavory time slots as 3-6 a.m.
“I’m bringing some classic-rock, two liter soda bottles, and No-Doz next time I’m out there [by the car],” said Rogers, who previously staged Car Survivor in Brevard County. “I’m going to be looking at those guys like, ‘You’re never getting these days back, you know that?’”
Perhaps Hatley and Rice will reach a compromise, but by now there may be too much at stake. In addition to winning the car (a 2004 Honda LX valued at $15,500, NOT the one they are currently sitting in), local businesses have contributed to a prize package that includes window tinting, the installation of a dvd player, a 55″ inch TV, jewelry, a $1000 gas card, and more.
A quick resolution to this now-interminable affair seems unlikely. With that being the case, Rogers has just one request.
“Our ratings are down, those guys are just sitting there!,” he said. “Do something stupid in there!”
benjamin.hill@mlb.com
twitter.com/bensbiz
On the Road: Mingling With the Stars in Huntsville
Greetings from the Huntsville Holiday Inn. It is late at night, so late that I just threw caution to the wind and got a package of Hickory Smoked Beef Sticks and a Mello Yello from the vending machines. The slogan on this beef stick package says “Taste the Magic” but as of yet I have not been able to discern what’s so magical about Lactic Acid Starter Culture and Hydrolyzed Soy Protein.
And did you know that Elvis once stayed in this hotel? I bet you didn’t. It was on May 30, 1975, according to a plaque in the lobby. The Huntsville police stopped by his room and presented him with an honorary badge, which surely must have ranked among the top billion moments of Elvis’ life.
This is what happens at 2:09 in the morning — I start to ramble. But my main purpose in
crafting yet another blog post is to post some pictures of my evening at the Huntsville Stars game. The Stars went down in defeat to the Mobile BayBears, with former facial hair cult celebrity Josh Collmenter earning the win.
But I am not concerned with game results, I am concerned with game experience. And while Huntsville’s Joe W. Davis Stadium is one of the less-inspiring facilities in the Southern League, I enjoy visiting here. One of the reasons is the chance to talk to GM Buck Rogers and his wife (and assistant GM) Babs, who are adept at creating memorable promotions and surreal moments (some of you may remember my last visit here, which was highlighted by an on-field sword swallowing).
I wrote an MiLB.com article on Buck, which can be found HERE. Here he is in his cluttered office, which he claims will be cleaned very shortly:
The evening’s quite ridiculous promotion was that anyone flashing the “pitching sign” of five fingers and then four fingers would receive admission for 54 cents. This deal was in conjunction with local TV station Fox 54, and resulted in a nice walk-up crowd:
I am now the proud owner of an XXL “Thirst Aid Thursday” t-shirt, which features a picture of a keg and the words “I’d Tap That”. I’d include a picture, except the shirt is currently residing on the passenger seat of my rented Mercedes-Benz with Texas plates (I’m not going to get tired of writing that).
What I can include is this picture of the stadium rules, written in NASA-inspired outer-space font (in deference to Huntsville’s prominence in the aerospace industry). Although cut off slightly, note that rule #6 prohibits fans from bringing “nukes” into the stadium.
Here’s another NASA-inspired sign, this one advising fans to keep an eye on the field of play. Also, there appears to be a ghostly skull hovering in the lower right hand corner:
I wandered around the spacious stadium throughout the first half of the ballgame, taking pictures. Some of these pictures shall now appear below, for your perusing enjoyment:
And, of course, the obligatory concession menu:
Being the discerning gourmand that I am (see opening paragraph), I opted to visit two specialty stands. At one I procured a lemonade, and at the other boiled peanuts. I am of the firm belief that boiled peanuts should be purchased wherever they are an option.
Finally, I am very pleased to report that for the second time in as many days I was recognized at a ballpark by a baseball civilian. In this instance it was Stars’ season ticket holder Darrell Carmichael, who sent an email after the game that concluded “you keep posting and I’ll keep reading.”
Sounds like a deal to me! Thanks to everyone who reads this blog, as I really do appreciate it. And now, having tasted the magic, I am off to bed.
See you tomorrow, Chattanooga.
benjamin.hill@mlb.com
twitter.com/bensbiz.
On The Road Again
I sure do love living New York City, but it is nonetheless crucial that I periodically leave my domestic lair in order to report live and direct from the ballpark. Only two of Minor League Baseball’s 160 teams play in the Big Apple, meaning that there are 158 cities perpetually on my list of places to visit.
2009: The Year in Photos
I am ready to embrace the offseason. I really and truly am. But if I come up with a blog post idea that will let me re-visit a time when Minor League Baseball was actually played every day, then you best believe I’m gonna do it.
And today, that idea is this: to present my favorite photos that appeared on this blog during the 2009 season. I did not apply any specific criteria when making these selections, other than to ask myself “Does this photo make my inner-most being cry out in rapturous wonderment?.” If the answer was in the affirmative, then you will see it listed below. Hopefully, your innermost being will respond similarly.
What follows are my top 10 pics of the year, listed in the order in which they appeared on this blog.
Master Yogi Berra Lets Loose — On April 21, Greensboro Grasshoppers canine mascot Master Yogi Berra had a bit of an on-field accident. The following is one of two pictures I obtained of the incident (the “clean version”, if you will):
(Photo credit: Dano Keeney)
Ceremonial Centenarian — On April 24, Round Rock Express season-ticket holder Chris Nocera threw out the first pitch. She is 102 years old — and very determined:
Cream Stick Gets Creamed — The Akron Aeros nightly “Cream Stick Race” was, by all accounts, a chaotic free-for-all. Here, Vanilla feigns innocence immediately after pushing Maple to the ground:
A Moo-ving Image — A key component of the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers’ “Salute to Cows” was a mooing contest. The following picture depicts the eventual champion as he readied himself for the moo of his life:
An A-peel-ing Photo – As part of the Idaho Falls Chukars’ “Potato Night”, so-called “Spuddy Buddies” were thrown into the crowd. It was a thing of beauty:
Belly Quickly Busted — This guy couldn’t even make it out of the first round in the Williamsport Crosscutters’ annual “Belly Buster” contest:
If you have any photos from this past se
ason that you think are worthy of inclusion in this blog, then by all means get in touch. I’ll be waiting patiently for your correspondence.
benjamin.hill@mlb.com
twitter.com/bensbiz
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