Josh Levanthal of
Baseball America has an article titled
Some Teams Thrived In Tough Economy up at the BA.com website.
The worst economy since the Great Depression didn't stop a handful of teams from welcoming a record number of fans to their ballparks in 2009.
Minor league baseball failed to set an attendance record for the first time in six years, as 102 of 160 teams saw a decrease at the gate in 2009 compared to 2008. Bad weather was partly to blame, but those overall numbers would have been even worse if not for the debut of six new ballparks (which accounted for an additional 920,000 spectators in those markets).
However, even amid such gloom and doom, several teams saw a significant resurgence at the gate. Among those setting club records were the Tacoma Rainiers, New Britain Rock Cats, San Jose Giants, Visalia Rawhide, Wisconsin Timber Rattlers and Hudson Valley Renegades. The secrets to teams' success varied from improved ownership (Lancaster) to ballpark renovations (Harrisburg, Visalia) to better weather (Iowa, Quad Cities) to first-place teams (San Jose, Tacoma).
There are a few more paragraphs and then, the good stuff...
The Wisconsin Timber Rattlers' record-breaking season had little to do with how they played the game, but rather who played it. It also proved once again, just like in Peoria and West Michigan, that affiliating with the hometown team pays off—quite literally.
In their first season since inking a player-development contract with the Brewers, the Timber Rattlers saw a 33 percent increase at the gate while drawing a club record 253,240 fans—all while fielding a team that finished third from the bottom in the Midwest League standings.
Losing had never been so much fun.
"This blew away our expectations," Wisconsin general manager Rob Zerjav said. "We anticipated a nice bump in attendance after signing the agreement with the Brewers, but we didn't expect to break an attendance record and all the things that came with it."
An interest in the team never before seen in Appleton, Wis., is what accompanied a partnership with the major league team located roughly 120 miles away. More than 100 fans showed up at Fox Cities Stadium last fall to cheer news of the affiliation at a joint Brewers-Timber Rattlers press conference—that wasn't open to the public. Offseason ticket sales were brisk, even though minor league baseball was approaching its first full season in the current economic downturn.
I would argue with the editorial aside that 'losing had never been so much fun' because losing stinks. Trust me on that. But overall, well worth the read.
1 comment:
I also found that line about losing never being so good odd to say the least...but yes, good ink.
Cuz when's the last time we won? Was it 2005? I seem to remember that was a pretty good team. There was a guy on that team...what was his name.......ummmmmm....oh right, TUI!!!!
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