Results tagged ‘ self-promotion ’
Creating News By Responding To It
Suffice to say that it’s been a momentous couple of days for the United States and the world at large, with the killing of Bin Laden absolutely dominating the conversation. Not surprisingly, Minor League teams across the country found a way to respond to the news. A brief smattering:
– The Bowie Baysox issued the following missive on Facebook: In response to President Obama’s call of unity and solidarity….the first 300 fans that enter the ballpark receive a mini-American Flag.
– In San Antonio, the Missions wore their camo uniforms as part of an impromptu celebration of the military. It turned out to be quite a game, too, with David Robertson hitting for the cycle as the Missions cruised to a 17-6 victory.
– In an email received just as the blog was going to “press,” the Northwest Akransas Naturals announced that Inspired by the bravery of the Navy Seals in Sunday night’s mission in Pakistan, the Northwest Arkansas Naturals would like to recognize and thank all military members – active and retired – with free tickets to any of the next four home games at Arvest Ballpark, starting Tuesday evening.
– The Altoona Curve offered free tickets to all military members, for games on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Rumors that Steamer was part of the special ops team have not been substantiated.
The team also remarked, facetiously albeit accurately, via Twitter that “In honor of yesterday’s events, July 4th-born Jared Hughes will be tonight’s starting pitcher for the Altoona Curve.” While Hughes only lasted four innings, the Curve rallied for a 10-9 victory over Harrisburg. This put an end to their streak of 19 straight games alternating a win with a loss (!!!)
The aforementioned Harrisburg Senators are more than just the visiting team in this particular narrative. Yesterday the team made its own announcement: In light of the events of the past 48 hours, the Harrisburg Senators want to say thank you to the U.S. Armed Forces for all that they do….Beginning this Friday, May 6th through the end of the 2011 season all active duty and retired military, Air and Army National Guard, and Reservists and their family receive box seats for only $7.50 (normally $9) with their military ID.
One of the few games going on when the news of Bin Laden’s death broke was a tilt in Tucson between the Padres and
Colorado Springs — on Military Night, no less. The team made the decision to announce the news over the PA, resulting in a memorable scene.
“We felt [making the announcement] was an important thing to do,” said T-Pads general manager Mike Feder. “We’ve made a major commitment to reach out to the military; we have very large Air Force and intelligence bases located near us, and there’s a huge National Guard presence as well.”
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A more localized case of dedicated team and and fan support involves Bryan Stow, the San Francisco Giant fan senselessly beaten into a coma on Opening Day at Dodger Stadium. His plight has prompted an outpouring of giving, with everyone from Tim Lincecum to Charlie Sheen chipping in with donations to help support Stow and his family during this exceedingly difficult time.
But one of the most substantial and heartfelt fundraising efforts occurred within Minor League Baseball. Stow often worked as a paramedic at San Jose’s Municipal Stadium, and the hometown Giants therefore dedicated the entire month of April to him. Throughout the month the team raised $36,181, and the Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies pitched in an additional $7,181 after holding a fundraising night of their own. That’s $43, 362 combined, which was presented to the Stow family prior to Sunday’s ballgame.
– And now, the moment in which none of you were waiting for: me promoting my own material. It’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it!
Today, as with every Tuesday, brings a new “Promotion Preview” column. Super Nintendo, bubble gum, mustaches, formal wear, “Charlie Bit Me”, Tiger Blood cocktails, and more. Always more.
And yesterday saw the 2011 debut of “Crooked Numbers“, a monthly compendium of statistical oddities and curiosities. Or, as I like to call it, “an obsessive-compulsive labor of love that I spend way too much time on even though it gets no feedback from anyone, thereby making an already sensitive writer even more sensitive.” That title was rejected by the MiLB.com higher-ups, probably for good reason.
benjamin.hill@mlb.com
twitter.com/bensbiz
The Most Pressing Issue of the Day
In this age of information overload in which we live, it can be hard to cut through the clutter in order to focus on what truly matters.
But, today, I am asking my vast readership to do just this. Take a deep breath, ignore all outside distractions, and please give your undivided attention to this most worthy of causes:
Now in its third year, Minors Moniker Madness seeks to determine the best name in all of Minor League Baseball. Any questions you may have about this bracket-style tournament can be found in my introductory article, which is located RIGHT HERE.
When you’re ready to make your voice heard, then please head over to the polls. They are located RIGHT HERE. If you click a player’s name, then a picture, additional biographical information, and a short, ostensibly comedic blurb will pop up.
I would like it be known that I wrote all 64 of these blurbs, and it was no easy task. I was muttering, loosening my tie, and gesticulating wildly throughout the entire process, feeling like a Catskills comedian soldiering through c-list material in front of a bored after-dinner crowd. This despite the fact that I was alone in front of a computer (my usual state of being, as it were).
And, for the record, my eight favorite names in the contest (in no particular order):
Dusty Napoleon, Given Kutz, Flint Wipke, German Sacks, Darlin Duran, Beamer Weems
(pictured), Austin Bibens-Dirkx, and Jetsy Extrano.
Feel free to let me know your favorites. Leave a comment, send me an email, hire a skywriter, or just yell really loud. Its the thought that counts.
benjamin.hill@mlb.com
Going Global
I, like many people who work in the sports industry, visit Joe Favorito’s “Sports Marketing and PR Roundup” blog on a daily basis. Joe is a veteran of this business, and his ability to find interesting stories and provide insightful analysis is unparalleled.
So when he got in touch and asked me to help spread the word on a project he is working on, I was more than happy to oblige. Specifically, Joe is helping the IBAF (International Baseball Federation) and USA Baseball in their campaign to once again make baseball an Olympic sport. More broadly, these entities are attempting to increase baseball awareness on a global scale.
Hey! Minor League folks! You can help with this. Says Joe:
“What do we want from all of you? Nothing other than to offer some
extra hands, eyes and ears and to help you tell your stories globally. The global aspect of the sport on all levels continues to grow, and
the upcoming WBC will help be another platform, especially here in
the States.
Our goal is to continue to supply and collect information
on a global scale, like FIFA does for
soccer and FIBA does for hoops, and to
assist and find stories and collect data on a global basis that media and
all involved in baseball may be able to use.
Therefore if you
come across some great stories of guys you may have (from announcers to
trainers to scouts and coaches to players) that we can help tell anywhere, or
from particular countries that we can aggregate, please let us know. We
would love to find things like “Which organization is the most international”
so maybe there are facts and figures that you come across that may help. No
bit of information is too small, no story too trivial.
We are hoping
that the aggregate info we can collect may also help all of you in your daily
quest for more media coverage, sponsors and selling tickets as well, so if
you would like us to share info that we collect that can help you just
ask.”
If YOU have any info to share, contact Joe — fatherknickerbocker1@yahoo.com
And if YOU would like to tout one of your sports biz-related projects, then email me at benjamin.hill@mlb.com I’m generally quite accommodating.
Now that I have promoted someone else’s project, let me know transition to the far more familiar task of promoting myself. My latest “Perspectives” piece is on MiLB.com. Please give it a read, and get in touch if you know of any ballpark regulars I could profile down the line.
Finally, this blog is currently sitting at #25 in MLBlogs’ Pro Category. This is all well and good, but there is much room for improvement. This thing is a powder keg, just waiting to explode. If only I could find a lighter, or at least a dry matchbook.
Sputtering To A Halt
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.
Internet Radio Killed the Video Star
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.
Here's The Pitch…
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.
New Year, Same Old
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:
they will auction off not one, but two special
“Senate Seats” to eachhome game for the upcoming 2009 season. Just as the United States
Senate Seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama is viewed as the
best opening in the Senate, the “Senate Seats” will be the two best
seats in the house for Chiefs games.
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.
BensBiz
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