Results tagged ‘ State College Spikes ’
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!
A Jam-Packed Night in Jamestown
Last week, I blogged about the State College Spikes’ epic “Night of 100 Promotions”, and wondered if any other teams would soon follow suit.
One has: the Jamestown Jammers.
The Jammers have toned the concept down a notch while also adding a unique hometown twist. The club is currently in first place in the New York-Penn League’s Pinckney Division, and just 14 wins away from a franchise-record 42 victories. In honor of this march to immortality, tomorrow will be “The Night of 42 Promotions.”
Utilizing the hard-nosed investigative journalism skills that I have built my reputation upon, I was able to secure a complete list of the Jammers’ promotions (thanks to Director of Baseball Operations Scott Eddy). Tiny font, activate!
1. Answer some fun and exciting trivia and win a
small prize that will last forever!
2. Through out the game so you do not forget the
stats or your favorite players, we will be giving away colorful post-it
notes!!!
3. Free Bubba Hugs
4. Learn the Robot Dance with Bubba!
5. Receive 100 of this special prize and you
will have a $1.00 aka Penny Giveaway!
6. Number 1 music hits from around the world on
the PA all night long
7. Meet the wonderful Jamestown Jammers staff of
2008!!!
8. Attempt to start the largest Wave in Chautauqua County history
9. Join in while we do the Macarena
10. Bull-pen player name game
11. You have been wondering?
Ask the GM one question of your choice!
12. Salute to the chia pet
13. Watch your Jamestown
Jammers interns take on one another in the Intern Olympics
14. 42 bugle calls
15. 15% of a non-sale item in
the Gift Shop
16. Salute to the Yodel
17. Jammers Card set toss into
crowd
18. Electric Slide on the
field
19. Look out for flying
peanuts! Catch them if you can!
20. Wrestling theme music
21. Tribute to 42nd
President Bill Clinton
22. Pay tribute to your
hometown girl by doing I Love Lucy impressions!
23. J-E-L-L-O toss on-field
24. Kids bring your muscles to
join in on a tug of war challenge
25. Test your running skills
by running in clothes backwards
26. Anyone who throws 42 at
Speed Pitch wins a prize!
27. Water balloon toss
28. Salute to our manager,
Darin Everson
29. Salute to baseball caps
30. Meet the grounds crew
31. Meet outfielder Ray White
32. Moment of silence for our
troops
33. Come to the game with your
blue tooth and win a small prize
34. Salute to the Eggplant
35. Free high fives
36. Spend a fun filled inning
with Bubba!
37. Jr. PA Announcers
38. Free T-shirt toss
39. Salute to Boy Bands
40. Salute to the 42nd
state, Washington
41. Free stadium tours
42. Free pocket schedules
I will now elaborate on a few of these most-exciting innovations.
#3: Bubba is the Jammers’ mascot, whose full name is the quite awesome “Bubba Grape the Baseball Ape“. It is fitting that he shares a name with 42nd President Bill “Bubba” Clinton, who the club will be paying tribute to that evening (see promo #21).
#6: In addition to playing #1 hits, the club might wish to consider playing the song that is currently #42 on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart: “Realize” by Colbie Caillat.
#10: RIght-hander Wayman Gooch should be a lock to win the bullpen name-game.
#19: This sounds more like a threat than a promotion.
#22: Lucille Ball was indeed born in Jamestown.
#25: This is obviously preferable to running naked backwards.
Meanwhile the aforementioned State College Spikes are running full speed ahead with more innovative promotions. The club’s on-field play has left much to be desired this season (the Spikes are 18.5 games behind Jamestown in the Pinckney Division), so the front office has declared Friday’s game as “We Win, You Win” night.
If the Spikes win that evening, fans receive a ticket voucher for an upcoming game against Staten Island. But if they lose, then “General Manager Rick Janac and Director of Ticket Sales Chris Phillips
will walk around the bases on Saturday for the equivalent amount of
hours as runs the team is beaten by.” The full press release is located here.
The Spikes' Promotional Cup Runneth Over
Given the absurd amount of details involved in hosting a professional baseball game, almost all Minor League front office staff members are highly-skilled in the fine art of multi-tasking.
Yesterday, the State College Spikes took multi-tasking to the limit with their highly innovative (and somewhat masochistic) “Night of 100 Promotions.” The evening was exactly what its name implied, as the Spikes crammed an absurd number of promotional endeavors into the span of nine innings. Some of these activities are really stretching the limit of what could be called a “promotion”, but such boundary-pushing is what Minor League Baseball is all about.
Spikes promotions and community relations manager Jennifer Orlando was kind enough to send me a list of all 100 promotions, which I will now reprint in tiny font:
1. Paper Airplane Contest
2. Pet Rock Petting Zoo
3. Rubber Band Shooting Contest
4. Sock Puppet Show
5. Crazy Straws at Concession Stands
6. Bubbles at the Gates
7. Stick of Gum…Win a Contest, win a stick of gum
8. Paper Clip Giveaway
9. Free Laughs
10. 10 Free Popcorn Gloves @ Gates
11. Paper Plate Mask Making Station
12. Dum Dum Giveaway
13. Sunflower Seed Giveaway
14. Pixie Stick Giveaway
15. Face Painting
16. Amazing Christopher Appearance
17. 70′s Night
18. Family 4 Pack
19. Stadium YMCA Dance
20. Disco Dance Off
21. Hippie Cam
22. Groovy Grounds Crew Dance
23. Free Programs at gates
24. Free T.P. squares at gates
25. Free High Fives
26. Free Hugs from Ike
27. The Hustle dance instructions
28. Free Smells
29. Spend an Inning in the Press Box
30. Spend an Inning with Ike
31. Bag of Ballpark Air
32. Hula Hoop station on Concourse
33. 70′s Trivia…Valpak?
34. Leftover Night
35. Kids Run the bases
36. Balloon Giveaway
37. Arts and Crafts…Coloring stations?
38. Mini-Golf
39. Self-Guided Concourse tours
40. Spikes Trivia
41. Curve Trivia
42. Pirates Trivia
43. Penn State
Trivia
44. New York
Penn League Trivia
45. Meet the Spikes Staff
46. Gates open 1 minute early
47. Do the Wave!
48. Free Hugs
49. Intern Olympics
50. Ike Autograph Session
51. Merchandise Sales
52. Front office carnival at the gates
53. Play in Porter
Gardens
54. Wing Eating Contest
55. Spread the “Peace” Signs
56. $1 off burgers
57. ½ off 16 oz. beer from 6-8
58. ½ off small soda from 6-8
59. Free Pocket Schedules
60. Free Half sheeters
61. Free lists of 100 promotions
62. Free Business cards
63. Sidewalk Chalk
64. Free Trash Disposal
65. Free Recycling
66. 162 Free Student Tix from SPA
67. Ike’s First Pitch
68. Nookie Monster’s First Pitch
69. K Contest – If the Spikes Get 9 Strike Outs, One Lucky
Fan Gets $9 off a Hat
70. Triple Play Contest – If the Spikes Turn a Triple Play,
One Lucky Fan wins Three Free Tickets
71. Walking Taco Walk – If the Spikes Get 4 Walks, One Lucky
Fan wins a free Walking Taco
72. Be the Playball Kid!
73. Fan of the Game Contest
74. Hot Dog Launch
75. Throw Out the Last Pitch of the Game
76. Be the PA Announcer for an inning
77. Jimmy John’s Frozen T-Shirt Contest
78. Weis Market Hamster Balls
79. Mt. Nittany
Wheelworks Tricycle Race
80. T&B Medical Karaoke
81. ValPak Trivia
82. McDonald’s Waterballoon Toss
83. Sweet Tooth Bakery Candy Toss
84. Dominoes Pizza Scream
85. Heimer Eyecare 20/20 Dash
86. Nittany Embroidery T-Shirt Toss
87. Wegman’s Playbill Signature
88. Sheetz Playbill Signature
89. Pre-game Player Autographs
90. Be the Honorary Bat Kid Pre-Game
91. 4 Lucky Fans will get their seat upgraded
92. Grounds Crew Tip of the Day
93. Birthday & Anniversaries will be announced
94. 4 Free Pizzas!
95. One Lucky Row will win free car washes
96. Ike Skit
97. Play Ball Launch at the end of the game
98. Guess the Attendance
99. Lucky section will win a prize when the first Spikes run
scores
100. Be on the Fan Cam!
There are many, many highlights here, but perhaps my favorite is #61 — “Free List of 100 Promotions”. This list could then serve as a handy checklist throughout the evening, as fans participated in a veritable promotion scavenger hunt. I am also partial to the free bag of air (#31), free smells (#28), and the chance to win a “walking taco” (#71).
So now that the Spikes have set the bar with this promotion, will any team be able to top it? Will we soon see a night of 101 Promotions? 200? 567? The sky’s the limit, really, and I am hoping that a full-fledged battle now erupts as teams vie for the coveted honor of “Most Promotions Staged in A Single Night.”
I would also like to see a team host a “Knight of 100 Emotions”, featuring a medieval warrior with bi-polar disorder.
BensBiz
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