Results tagged ‘ State College Spikes ’
This Was No April Fools. This Was For Real.
“News” of dubious validity has been making the rounds today, not a surprise given that it is the first day of April. But what I am about to present to you is gloriously, hilariously real:
On July 11, the State College Spikes will be holding the first-ever “Purr In the Park” promotion.
image credit: cyber-cats.com
“Purr in the Park” is, of course, a new twist on the canine-friendly “Bark in the Park” promotions that have spread like wildfire throughout the Minors. But dogs are generally obedient and social creatures. Cats, on the other hand…not so much. How this all turns out of course remains to be seen, but Spikes GM Jason Dambach seems confident that it’ll go off without a hitch. Or, more accurately, with one. He writes that all cats will need to be “leashed or in a portable carrier” and that there will be “cat-related promotions throughout the night” as well as tributes to the likes of Morris, Garfield, Heathcliff, and the black cat from Sabrina, the Teenage Witch (“Salem!”, as I was just reminded via email).
I’m hoping that Will Feral will also be moved to make an appearance. Regardless, I will make it my duty to follow this phenomenal feline story as it evolves.
– But for now, a personal anecdote: I’ve had some friends from Sweden staying with me this week, and this morning they shared a popular April Fool’s mantra from their country. It goes “April April Din Dumma Sill, Jag Kan Lura Dig Vart Jag Vill.”
This translates to “April April You Stupid Herring. I Can Fool You Whenever I Want.”
Less than five minutes after learning this hilarious couplet, the following bit of news appeared out of Memphis:
This morning a 7’2″ pitcher from Sweden, Sloof Lirpa, signed a season-long contract with the Memphis Redbirds.
The 24-year-old pitched four perfect games while playing in the Sverige Baseball League, leading the league in strikeouts, innings pitched and maintaining an ERA under 1.00 all of last year.
Loek Van Mil was unavailable for comment.
Another team guilty of a suspiciously-timed announcement are the suddenly ubiquitous Akron Aeros, who unveiled the news that “Homer the Polka-Dotted Pigeon” will be their new mascot:
This one might actually be true, as the Aeros had fans vote on the bird’s name throughout the week via an online fan poll. And this is an industry that has created Rally Pickles, Anthropomorphic Biscuits, and a DeerBanana, so is a polka-dot pigeon really that much of a stretch?
Minor League Baseball: Making stupid herrings of us all.
benjamin.hill@mlb.com
twitter.com/bensbiz
Video Voluminosity
It’s early Friday afternoon as I type this, a time in which my readership is likely to be particularly wary of too many words. Who wants to be burdened with the onerous task of reading when the weekend is so near?
So let’s go to the videos! I’ve come across quite a few over the past several days, and would love nothing more than to share them with you, the world-weary word-wary reader:
The State College Spikes have been innovators in the field of mystery-themed promotions, making GM Jason Dambach’s total lack of deductive reasoning skills all the more surprising.
I love videos like that: set-up, punchline, and done in under a minute. Or done in under 30 seconds, in the case of the Tennessee Smokies. This one features a guy who really knows how to make an impression.
And the brevity continues, this time courtesy of the Charleston RiverDogs. Yesterday, the team released their own version of “Cannibal, the Movie”. This one is not for the faint of heart:
The mascot angst continues in Omaha, where Stormy the would-be Storm Chaser has suffered yet another indignity.
Similar feelings of rejection have recently been felt by Wilmington’s Rocky the Blue Moose, who has had difficulty updating his look:
I’ll close things out with what is only a somewhat gratuitous video. The Baseball Project’s excellent second album was released last week, and I highly recommend picking it up. The combination of accomplished rock n roll chops and literate, passionate baseball writing is truly something to behold. Here’s the band playing on Letterman around the time their first album was released:
benjamin.hill@mlb.com
twitter.com/bensbiz
Suspense in the Land of Snakes
In the previous post on this blog, I mentioned my willingness to feature new logos. But like any good internet survivalist, I can make do with less than that.
Today, my biggest piece of news involves a team’s intent to soon unveil a new logo. That team would be the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, who will be releasing three new marks to the public on November 12.
In order to whip said public into an anticipatory frenzy, the Rattlers are releasing a series of countdown videos. Rarely has the inexorable passage of time been so exciting:
In tandem with the above video, T-Rats broadcaster Chris Mehring has written a column detailing the last time the team changed their identity. The year was 1994, and this name and logo was apparently in the running.
The Fox River Phantoms, represented by what appears to be a homicidal umpire:
At the very least, the insensate arbiter depicted above would make for a good horror movie character. His dispassionate but unstoppable pursuit of his victims would culminate in a coldhearted bat bludgeoning, one bringing new meaning to the phrase “Three strikes and you’re out.”
Sticking with the horror theme, the Trenton Thunder have dusted off a video that purports to reveal a ghostly presence emanating from the innards of Waterfront Park:
In considerably less horrifying news, the State College Spikes will soon be announcing the winner to their inaugural “Ike’s Wacky Weekly What Are They Saying Moment?” The fan who provides the funniest caption to this photograph wins a team-autographed baseball.
Pass me the horseradish.
Finally, it’s time for another installment of Gratuitous Video Friday, the least anticipated feature of the internet’s least-commented upon blog.
This video features the rap stylings of one of the most deeply eccentric sports broadcasters of all time. “Sister Sledge can fall off a ledge!”
benjamin.hill@mlb.com
twitter.com/bensbiz
The Mysteries of the Minors
Last
year the State College Spikes staged their inaugural “Mystery at the
Ballpark”, one of the most inventive (and absurd) promotions of the
year. The team produced a series of short videos that aired on the
videoboard throughout the evening, each one providing a clue in the
mystery of “Who Stole Ike’s Hat?” (Ike being the Spikes mascot).
On July 28, the Spikes staged yet another “Mystery at the Ballpark.” GM Jason Dambach writes that “this year’s mystery involved the Nittany Bank Nookie Monster,
who is trying to find out who stole his milk and cookies (each night at
the end of the seventh inning we have a Nookie Monster Milk and Cookies
special for $1). The videos played throughout our game, and fans who
successfully followed the clues and solved the mystery got to turn in
their guess to win tickets to a future game.”
To whet your
appetite for this stirring saga of dairy product and dessert thievery, I
now present parts one, two, and three of 2010′s “Mystery at the
Ballpark”:
A Shocking Discovery
False Alarm
Rough Interrogation Techniques
There’s no going back now! Watch the rest of this gripping saga HERE.
But
State College isn’t the only locale in which trouble has been a
brewin’. In Sacramento, River Cats mascot Dinger (aka “Sam Spayed”) is
hot on the trail of his arch-nemesis Mascot Von Mascot.
Much is at stake here, as Mascot Von Mascot has stolen the magical Rally Pants regularly worn by reliever Brad Kilby.
Here are Kilby and the pants, in happier times:
Tin Caps broadcaster (and expert blogger)
Dan “Elementary, My Dear” Watson reports that during July 24th’s
ballgame, Burlington Bees outfielder Hilton Richardson was mysteriously
replaced in the bottom of the fifth inning.
The reason became
clear two innings later, when axe-wielding firemen walked onto the field
and into the Bees dugout. Their mission? To rescue Richardson, who had
gotten trapped in the bathroom. The rescue operation resulted in
significant damage to the offending door:
From “The Watson Files“:
When they finally got the door open, Richardson was standing there, done
for the night
, propped against the sink, arms folded, soaked in sweat
(it was humid and the heat index was about 102 at game time), thoroughly
disgusted with life.
And that’s the story of how the bathroom at Parkview Field is a home-field advantage.
Thanks
to Watson for sharing this anecdote, as it ends a three-year lull in
the always-entertaining sub-genre of “Minor League Player Gets Locked in
Bathroom” (lest we forget, Matt Elliot’s 2007 restroom entrapment was featured in the New York Times).
The
final mystery that I’ll mention this afternoon involves this very blog
post, as my humorous closing sentence has gone missing.
benjamin.hill@mlb.com
twitter.com/bensbiz
On the Road: A Walking Sundae Matinee in State College
After a long night of cross dressing and speed dating, it was very difficult for me to get out of bed on Tuesday morning. But a blaring bedside radio eventually aroused me from my slumber, the “open phone” portion of a local talk show. An elderly female caller was informing listeners of a wayward rooster who lived independently on the streets of Williamsport, celebrating the bird’s ability to survive sans welfare or any other untoward government handouts.
I very much enjoyed this idiosyncratic late-morning discourse, the vitality of which propelled me out of bed, into the shower, and out the doors of Williamsport’s historic (and recommended) Genetti Hotel. My next destination awaited: Medlar Field at Lumbrano Park, home of the State College Spikes (from now on I’m going to call the ballpark MF@LP, for brevity’s sake and also because it looks cool).
Fortunately State College is only an hour away, and I arrived just in time for Tuesday’s anomalous noon start. The facility is on the Penn State campus, and owned by the University. In addition to the Spikes, it also hosts the PSU baseball team.
From the outside:
Parked just outside the stadium, down the third base line, was a fire truck.
I was hoping the fire truck was there as a precautionary measure, anticipating conflagrations that might be caused by a preponderance of blazing hot coeds.
This was not the case, however, as the truck was in fact providing a cooling mist for the many youngsters who had gathered to enjoy the “Super Splash Day” promotion.
My close proximity to these future safeties was not conducive to the present safety of my non-waterproof camera, so I wandered past to other parts of this sprawling facility.
The best name in Minor League Baseball? (it’s pronounced “N-Go-Pay”):
MF@LP is located in the shadow of massive Beaver Stadium:
Emphasizing the Big 10/New York-Penn League synergy:
Not too many Minor League ballparks feature outfield seating, especially at this level, but MF@LP isn’t just any ballpark. Here’s a view from the top, taken with Mount Nittany at my back and a song in my heart:
A Spike is an adolescent deer, one whom should not be taken lightly:
But if one tires of fearing the deer, he or she can go shoot a few at the arcade (Big Buck Hunter, far right)
The arcade also featured a pinball machine! 
I eventually retreated to the press box, in order to sample a pair of MF@LP’s finest concession items in air-conditioned splendor (thanks to Spikes gm Jason Dambach for procuring these delicacies).
The Deep-Fried PB&J, topped with powdered sugar:
This innovation is known as a “Walking Sundae.” A bag of mini-Oreos is crushed, opened sideways, and topped with vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup, whipped cream, rainbow sprinkles, and two cherries:
Both of the above items can be found at “Coaly’s Cones and Treats”, a concession area named in honor of PSU’s donkey mascot:
I walked off my double dessert as the game was winding down, witnessing a ninth-inning flare-up between Spikes skipper Gary Robinson and both umpires:
Ike the Mascot turns his back on such shenanigans:
But neither Robinson’s theatrics or Ike’s all-business demeanor could inspire the Spikes to victory, as they fell to Vermont by a score of 3-1.
At this point, all that was left to do was to deposit my garbage in the proper receptacles. At MF@LP, conscientious refuse-tossing is a breeze. The environmentally-friendly facility was the first professional ballpark to earn a LEED certification, and recycling opportunities abound.
Unfortunately there wasn’t a hole marked “jokes”, because those are my favorite things to recycle. I’d tell you the one about the blind doe, except I have no eye deer what the punchline is.
benjamin.hill@mlb.com
twitter.com/bensbiz
A Spike in Alternate Realties
The Bowling Green Hot Rods’ “What Could’ve Been Night” was voted the top promotion in all of Minor League Baseball last season, an honor that thoroughly validated the once-fringe promotional concept of alternate reality celebration.
The Hot Rods’ success has inspired at least four teams to follow suit in 2010: The Quad Cities River Bandits, Myrtle Beach Pelicans, Portland Beavers, and State College Spikes. I eagerly await each and every one of these promotions, but for now we shall focus on the goings-on in State College.
For the Spikes’ just released the details of August 27′s “What If Night”, details that I will now share with you.
Ever wish you could go back in time five years? The State College Spikes
are inviting fans to
do just that by turning back the clock to the
franchise’s 2005 “Name the Team Contest” – the one that ultimately led
to “Spikes” being picked as team nickname – and selecting one of the
runner-up choices to have its moment of glory.
To play up the theme of the day, the team will take the field for that
night’s game against the Batavia Muckdogs as either the Anglers, Coalys,
Furnace or Haymakers, and Spikes fans will again have the power to
decide….The winning nickname will be honored with a logo and specially-designed
jerseys, which will be worn by the players during the August 27 game and
then auctioned off to fans in attendance that night.
Further information can be found HERE, and those wishing to vote can do so HERE.
This contest really brings me back, as a young Benjamin Hill wrote a news article in November of 2005 detailing the selection of “Spikes” as the team’s name. This was in MiLB.com’s first year of operation, and I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. In that regard, little has changed.
– But speaking of alternate existences — how bizarre would it be if the universe’s most celebrated Wookie was in actuality a seven-foot tall British thespian prone to making appearances at Minor League ballparks?
That’s the mind-bending reality experienced by Oklahoma City baseball fans last week, as Peter “Chewbacca” Mayhew pressed the flesh and smiled for the flash at Bricktown Ballpark.
Here he is with a young Jedi:
And here he is in the dugout with RedHawks manager Bobby Jones:
No word yet on what Chewbacca would select as his on-bat music, but while we wait for this crucial information please peruse THIS LIST of personalized player intro tunes provided by the Pacific Coast League’s Reno Aces.
In an alternate reality, I am a member of the Reno Aces hoping to make it back to the bigs. Each time I come to the plate, the crowd is regaled with THIS.
benjamin.hill@mlb.com
twitter.com/bensbiz
There's Always Something
It’s a slow Tuesday in January, but Minor League news, like an indomitable tumbleweed, keeps rolling along.
The biggest thing to come down the proverbial pike today was the announcement that the Asheville Tourists have been sold to an ownership group led by the family of former United States Senator Mike DeWine. Once the deal becomes official (in March, most likely), Brian DeWine will assume presidency of the club. Brian, the fifth of eight DeWine children, is no stranger to Minor League Baseball. He interned with the Greenville Braves and Savannah Sand Gnats before spending four seasons with the Southern League’s Carolina Mudcats.
Read all about it HERE (at the very least, know that I am very proud of my lead sentence).
And since I’m on the more serious tip today, I wanted to highlight one of the State College
Spikes’ most recent initiatives. The club is encouraging fans to write letters to Chris Simmons, a member of the 2008 Spikes who is currently serving in Iraq.
Simmons’ story is an interesting one. He was drafted in the 41st round of the 2008 draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates, and sent to the Spikes in order to begin his professional career. He was one of three West Point cadets to be drafted that year, joining teammate Cole White and Drew Clothier of the Florida Marlins. Soon thereafter, the military amended its policy regarding professional athletes and the three were forced to put their baseball careers on hold.
Read more about it HERE.
But regardless of the specifics, the fact remains that Simmons is now in Iraq, serving as a Platoon Leader for the First Armor Division. Those wishing to send him a letter can do so via the following address:
State College Spikes
c/o Chris Simmons
112 Medlar Field at Lubrano Park
University Park, PA 16802
And more on the Spikes’ initiative can be read HERE.
Finally, it has become my habit as of late to re-post interesting photos that I come across via team Twitter and Facebook accounts. Here’s one I found today, which shows how decidedly un-Spring-like it currently is in Erie, PA:
And since there’s “snow” more to write about, I’m going to call it a day.
benjamin.hill@mlb.com
twitter.com/bensbiz
State College Now Safe From Mascot-Robbing Relievers
Way back on July 9, when the Earth was young and men were men, the State College Spikes held an interesting promotion. I have been meaning to dedicate a blog post to this promotion, but other things kept getting in the way.
But you know what? Nothing is going to get in my way tonight. I am going to do what it takes to make sure I write about the Spikes’ July 9 promotion, because that promotion was this: CSI Night.
Inspired by the depressingly popular police procedural show, the Spikes’ production team put together a series of shorts that ran on the videoboard throughout the ballgame. Each video provided fans with a clue related to one of the great mysteries of all time: “Who Stole Ike’s Hat?” (Ike is the team’s mascot). Wrote Spikes general manager Jason Dambach:
“Any fan who solved
the mystery by submitting their answer to our customer service booth won a
ticket to a future Spikes game. This turned out to be a promotion that got fans
really involved and we got a lot of very positive feedback on it.”
I’m going to go ahead and assume that you, the reader, would like to solve the mystery for yourself. Therefore, I will engage in the heroic task of posting the videos that aired on the videoboard throughout the evening (and yes, you do have the time to watch these).
Here’s the set-up:
What kind of criminal leaves his birth certificate at the crime scene?
Like New Coke and the Fox Network, the suspect was conceived during the height of the Reagan Era:
For reasons I do not understand, I am unable to post the next video. Just click HERE, and then come back to me. I’ll be waiting.
Okay, good. Moving on…
You’d think a media relations manager wouldn’t get flustered so easily.
The Spikes should probably adjust the positioning of their security cameras:
“It looks to be a baseball.”
Thank God for technology:
The criminal is apprehended, after no struggle whatsoever:
Hat’s All, Folks!
While I felt compelled to make a series of snide remarks throughout this post, let me make it clear that I really like this promotion. One, because it was funny. Nearly every video made me laugh, and the bizarre leaps of logic and inexplicable motives only made it funnier. It reminded me a lot of the videos that my friends and I made in high school.
And, two, this promotion is excellent on the conceptual level. It is imminently adaptable, gets the fans involved, and has room for a nearly endless amount of absurd humor. The offseason is almost upon us, meaning that those who work in front offices will have a little more time on their hands. Why not get a jump on the 2010 promotional schedule by writing and recording a ridiculous videoboard “Whodunit”?
And as soon as you do so, send me the link.
benjamin.hill@mlb.com
Promotions 101
One of the most unique and attention-getting promos staged in the Minor Leagues last season was the State College Spikes’ “Night of 100 Promotions.” This special evening was exactly what its name implied — over the course of nine innings, the front office staff incorporated 100 unique promotions into the game presentation. Sure, the definition of “promotion” may have been stretched passed its breaking point just a tad (Free Smells? Ballpark Air Giveaway?) but that was all part of the fun.
The Spikes have decided to up the ante this season, because taking place on Monday is — wait for it — “The Night of 101 Promotions.” Thanks to my vast network of clandestine Minor League sources, I have been able to obtain a list of every single promotion that will be taking place.
Prepare Yourself:
| 162 Free student tickets from SPA |
| 4 Lucky fans will get their seats upgraded |
| Be a lucky wristband winner |
| Be Ike’s sweetheart for the night |
| Be on the Dance Cam |
| Be on the Fan Cam |
| Bounce in the Kids Zone |
| Buy tickets from Scott Walker |
| Catch a bag of peanuts |
| Catch a t-shirt |
| Chant “Fear the Deer” |
| Clap when the Spikes score |
| Compete in the Big Shoe Race |
| Compete in the Hamster Ball Race |
| Compete in the Scrub Race |
| Complimentary mints in the bathroom |
| Do the chicken dance |
| Do the wave |
| Do the YMCA |
| Dollar Dog Night |
| Draw on the concourse with sidewalk chalk |
| Eat 5 hot dogs for $5 |
| Eat as much as you want in an All You Can Eat Seat |
| Eat milk and cookies in the ballpark |
| Find out score from other Pirates affiliates |
| Find Waldo in the ballpark |
| Flyover (by a bird) |
| Follow along with the game on 3WZ |
| Free high-fives |
| Free laughs |
| Free low-fives |
| Free memories |
| Free napkins at all concession stands |
| Free Pocket Schedules |
| Free programs at gates |
| Free Smells |
| Free statistics sheet at Customer Service |
| Gates open 1 minute early |
| Get a player’s autograph |
| Get a schedule poster |
| Get your picture taken with a lifesize hot dog |
| Get your picture taken with a lifesize ice cream cone |
| Give your recyclables to Gang Green |
| Go green with the Spikes |
| Guess the Attendance |
| Guess the player of the game |
| Guess the speed of the 3rd pitch of the 3rd inning |
| Guess which eyeball will win the 20/20 Dash |
| Have your birthday announced |
| Hear the weather from Mountain Man Matt |
| Help support the Children’s Miracle Network |
| Hug an intern |
| Hugs from Nookie Monster |
| Hula Hoop on the concourse |
| Ike the Spike Autograph Session |
| Inhale ballpark air |
| Invisible Giveaway |
| Jeer the Jammers |
| Kids Run the Bases after the game |
| Look for the lucky Sheetz ad |
| Look for the lucky Wegman’s ad |
| Man-powered program cooling system |
| Meet the front office staff |
| Meet the GM of the Spikes |
| Pet Bob the Baseball Dog |
| Play “I Spy” with your friends |
| Sanitize your hands on the concourse |
| Save money with Ike’s Headlight Special |
| Score the game in your program |
| See the future Florida Marlins |
| See the future Pittsburgh Pirates |
| See the view of Mt. Nittany |
| See your favorite Spikes player |
| Self-guided concourse tour |
| Sing “Take me out to the ballgame” |
| Sing along to the National Anthem |
| Sing the 7th inning stretch |
| Skittles Giveaway |
| Socialize with fellow Spikes enthusiasts |
| Superhero headshots |
| Superhero walkup music |
| Talk to an usher |
| Throw out a first pitch |
| Toss tennis balls onto the field |
| Try the Chef Special |
| Try to catch a foul ball |
| Use your ticket stub at McDonald’s |
| Vote for a special song to be played |
| Watch for a broken bat |
| Watch for upcoming promotions |
| Watch Ike’s “Single Ladies” Dance |
| Watch the Gameday Show Live |
| Watch the Gang Green superhero skit |
| Watch the rockets red glare |
| Watch the World’s Fastest Infield Drag |
| Wear Spikes gear to the game |
| Win 5 free car washes |
| Win a free pizza |
| Win a free taco when the Spikes score |
| Win a prize if the Spikes get a home run |
| Win a team autographed ball |
—————————————————————————————————————————————
So there you have it. Check out the Spikes on Monday for a jam-packed evening of being,
bouncing, buying, catching, chanting, clapping, competing, doing, drawing, eating, finding, following, getting, giving, going, guessing, having, hearing, helping, hugging, hula-hooping, inhaling, jeering, looking, meeting, petting, playing, sanitizing, saving, scoring, seeing, self-guiding, singing, socializing, talking, throwing, tossing, trying, using, voting, watching, wearing, and winning.
The above 43 verbs pretty much sum up the Minor League Baseball experience. They also sum up the experience of being alive.
benjamin.hill@mlb.com
Meet the MacPhail Nominees: State College Spikes
The Larry
MacPhail Promotional Trophy is awarded annually to the Minor League team that
did the most outstanding promotional work during the recently concluded season.
Throughout the past week, this fine blog has run interviews with
representatives from the nominated teams, in an effort to shine some
light on their promotional strategies and philosophies.
Due to a health setback suffered here at the Ben’s Biz Blog headquarters, today’s post is a few days behind schedule. But, as you shall soon see, it was well worth the wait (unlike “Chinese Democracy“).
Today’s featured team is the State College Spikes of the New York-Penn League. Answers are courtesy of Spikes promotions and community relations coordinator Jennifer Orlando.
Prior to the season, had your team ever been nominated for a
MacPhail Award? If so, ever won it?
JO: No, our team has never been nominated! However, in 2004, our
sister team the
Altoona Curve won the MacPhail Award.
How would you define your team’s promotional philosophy?
JO: Our philosophy is to always keep our promotions new and
fresh for our fans. We want to be sure that for our season ticket holders,
every night seems different to them. We also want to be sure that we treat
every night like Opening Night so that the entertainment looks top notch to a
fan that has never come to a game before.
What were some of your biggest promotional successes from
last season?
JO: Last season, our “Night of 100 Promotions” got a lot of
attention on MiLB.com. Another big promotional success for us was our “We Win,
You Win” promotion. We had a lot of fun and got a lot of attention for this one
because our team did not have the greatest record* in 2008. The deal was, if the
Spikes won, everyone got a voucher for a free ticket to any of the next three
games. If they lost, our GM and Director of Ticket Sales would have to walk the
bases for as many hours as the margin of defeat in that game. Lucky for them,
the Spikes won that night! The fans really caught onto this promotion and had a
lot of fun pulling for their team! Two of our most entertaining nights
for the fans were our “Salute to Duct Tape” and “Salute to the Mustache”.
We also had a series of “Going Green” nights. These were a huge success
and we are definitely going to continue these next year.
*18-56
Any misfires, mishaps, or ideas that just didn’t work?
JO:
We tried having a “Singles Night” this year which
didn’t work out as well as we’d hoped. We had a date auction with some of our
most eligible front office staff members, and the auction raised money for the
American Heart Association. It ended up being a little awkward, but in the end,
still raised some money for AHA, which was our goal. It wasn’t a complete
disaster, but wasn’t one of our finest either.
What are your favorite sports promotions of all time?
JO: I think mascot races are one of the best promotions that can
be done. They engage
the fans to the fullest extent, which is the point of any
promotion! This year, we had an eyeball race, where 3 inflatable eyeballs raced
around each game. The fans would cheer for their favorite eyeball and we were
sure to keep fans aware of the standings. It was quite a “sight” to watch this
race and it was great to see the fans really get into it.
In a perfect world, what sort of promotions would you like
to stage in 2009 and beyond?
JO: Well, without giving away too many secrets, we do have some
great ideas planned for 2009! We are definitely going to continue our vow to
going green and try to continue that theme several times during the season.
We are hosting the 2009 NYPL All-Star game on August 18, so that will
lead us to many new and exciting things also!
BensBiz
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