Why its almost as if wins and losses don't matter

I am forever entertained by stories like this one.

The headline: Whitecaps' lackluster season isn't keeping fans from Fifth Third Ballpark

The West Michigan Whitecaps, who endured the worst first half in the franchise's 17-year history, are in jeopardy of missing the Midwest League postseason playoffs for the first time in seven years.

The team's struggles on the field, however, haven't stopped fans from flocking to Fifth Third Ballpark to watch the Class A minor-league affiliate of the Detroit Tigers.

Through 43 home games this season, West Michigan has attracted 202,077 fans -- an average of 4,699 per game.

Goodness! It's almost as if people attending minor league games are coming out to enjoy the affordable, family friendly entertainment and not letting wins and losses keep them away.

The Whitecaps rank second among current Midwest League teams in all-time championships. Wisconsin has won eight titles, but all were before 1985 when the franchise was known as Fox Cities and then Appleton.

"We have five championships on the board and many playoff runs, but you're going to have years like this," Whitecaps vice president Jim Jarecki said. "But I know the players definitely appreciate the turnouts. We had 8,000 here on June 17 and another 8,000 on July 4.

"You always want to win and be competitive, and in this market, more than anything, fans pay attention. The hardcore fans talk to me (about the losing), but overall, I don't see it as a big deterrent. The guys on the field are still working hard and giving their best effort."

The current attendance numbers aren't far off from the past two seasons. Last year, a total of 211,705 turned out at the same point in the season. In 2008, 204,085 fans passed through the turnstiles at the same point.

Jarecki said the steady patronage can be attributed to a top-notch facility and the "overall experience" of minor-league baseball.

"I think it's the overall atmosphere and the entertainment that we provide," he said. "The facility, the promotions, the food. The West Michigan community has responded for 17 years, and it is great to see that.

"It's all about coming out and spending time with your friends, family and co-workers. In the summer time, what better place is there than the ballpark?"

Go figure.

Midwest League at SI.com

SI.com has this article available:

Fans flocking back to minor league ballparks

Where does the Midwest League come into play?

Eleven of the 15 minor leagues affiliated with the majors have reported increased crowds through June compared to 2009.

In tiny Clinton, Iowa, home of the Class-A LumberKings of the Midwest League, group sales have help drive a marked increase in attendance. General manager Ted Tornow said the team has sold 79,162 tickets through 42 dates this season, as opposed to just 58,899 through 41 dates in 2009,

It's a jump so large that Tornow has trouble putting his finger on exactly how it's happened. He pointed out that he's seen more local companies and organizations buying groups tickets than ever before.

Tornow believes that businesses might be looking at LumberKings games as an inexpensive way to boost employee morale.

"Are we printing money? Are we lighting the world on fire? No. But at the same point, we're not doing terribly bad either,'' Tornow said.

Right there. That's where.

Recap of a Q&A with our boss

Q&A: Rattlers staff has put a lot into season already
Timber Rattlers president and general manager Rob Zerjav talks goals both on and off field

Click on that link up top and you will see the Newsmakers program from the Post Crescent off on the right side of the page.

You will also see a summary of the Q & A with our boss. I will pull one of the exchanges out of the session.

Fox Cities Stadium completed a $400,000 improvement project during the offseason and has undergone a number of facelifts in recent years. Any other improvement plans on the docket?

(Laughing) I have all kinds of ideas. But it's a planning process. We meet jointly with a committee on the (Fox Cities Amateur) Sports Authority and discuss needs of the stadium. We are going on our 16th year, so obviously, there's some age showing, and we need to continue to do our best to keep up. You never want to be complacent and let the stadium deteriorate to the point where we have to do everything at once. You try to take it in phases.

So there are some ideas that we have and some needs if attendance continues to rise. I think bathrooms are a little bit of an issue. I think we have adequate restroom facilities — same with our point of sale and concession stands. I think there's adequate space there, but in a perfect world, I'd like to see more and be able to take care of the customer a little bit better, where we don't any sort of lines.

Click through for the rest.

Like what you've seen?

If you have been entertained, informed, amused, or just bemused by the work I have been doing in Arizona -- you know, with the posts here at Rattler Radio, the updates at twitter, the pictures on facebook, and the columns at the main website...Holy smokes that is a long sentence...where was I....

Let me start over,

If you like what you have seen while I have been in spring training, think about supporting the Timber Rattlers this season.

Purchase tickets here.

Purchase team store stuff here.

Advertise with the team. E-mail me at rattlerradio@timberrattlers.com and I will get you in touch with the right people.

16 days to Opening Day, folks! We want to see you there...and all season long.

Cher-Make Shout Out!

Cher-Make is proudly served at Time Warner Cable Field.

Manitowoc sausage-maker Cher-Make revamps brand, seeks bigger role

After a 25-year hiatus, Emil Chermak is back on packages of Cher-Make wieners.

Chermak, who founded Cher-Make Sausage Co. as a small butcher shop in 1928, graced the labels of the company's sausage packs until 1985, when his then 27-year-old grandson, Tom, marketing manager for the company, decided to update the labels.

Now Tom is the chief executive at Cher-Make, and he's put a photo of Grandpa back on the labels, along with a lot of other folks, in an effort to improve the packaging.

Do you want your face on a Cher-Make Label? You can do it right here.

I already have, but for some reason I cannot get the full image. You're just going to have to follow this link for proof of what a lot of people have been saying for a lot of years.

The first step...

I saw this bit in an AP report.

New baseball players' union head Michael Weiner may speak with management officials during spring training to discuss possible changes to the postseason schedule.

Following criticism by Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia and others last fall, baseball commissioner Bud Selig said he would like to tighten the schedule. Four extra days off were added in 2007 at the request of baseball's television broadcasters.

"I expect that we'll have discussions at some point during the month on that," Weiner said Friday after meeting with the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies, the start of his first spring training tour since replacing Donald Fehr in December.

Adjusting the postseason schedule is -- in my mind -- the first step.

The next step is adjusting the regular season schedule.

Does this mean adding in a few regularly scheduled doublheaders? Do they shorten the season?

Here are the dates of Opening Day for the Milwaukee Brewers from 1970, 1980, 1990, and 2000:

April 7, 1970

April 10, 1980

April 9, 1990

April 3, 2000

Opening Day, 2010 is scheduled for April 5.

I realize that the LCS moved from a best-of-five to a best-of-seven games in 1985 and the divisional round -- which started in 1995 -- added to the number of postseason games, but here are the dates that the last game of the season was played in each of the above seasons:

October 15, 1970 (Game Four Orioles v. Reds)

October 21, 1980 (Game Six Phillies v. Royals)

October 20, 1990 (Game Four Reds v. A's)

October 26, 2000 (Give Five Yankees v. Mets)

And -- for comparison:

November 4, 2009 (Game Six Yankee v. Phillies)

What does this tell us? That -- if the pattern holds -- the Reds are going to be in the World Series this year? That -- and this is just a guess -- I am using dashes too much in my writing today?

The Union and the Owners need to come to an agreement that will be mutually beneficial for both sides, makes the fans happy, and ends the postseason about two or three weeks earlier.

Stay tuned for my next article titled 'How Peace in the Middle East CAN Be Achieved'.

Cooley...Cooley

In the past, when I have heard the name Cooley, I have thought about Mel Cooley from The Dick van Dyke Show.

In the past, when I talked about the home stadium of the Lansing Lugnuts, I have said Oldsmobile Park.

No longer. On both accounts.

Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero and Thomas M. Cooley Law School President and Dean Don LeDuc today announced that the downtown Lansing stadium and home to minor league baseball’s most successful franchise - the Lansing Lugnuts - will officially be named the Cooley Law School Stadium in a sponsorship agreement just signed between the baseball team and the law school.

There is video at that link. Video of a dragon and a politician.

The Wall Street Journal's Law Blog has this:

Okay. And you think the attention is going to increase visibility for the school?

We do. We’re a national school — more than 75 percent of our students come from out of state, and we’ve worked hard to attract more attention, both nationally and in-state.

We’ve got a really advanced presence on the Web, and we sponsor a booth at the ABA every year, and continue to have a pretty large marketing budget. We were the first school that I know of to buy a billboard here in Michigan, and now it seems like just about every school in the state has a billboard.

Our feeling is that the naming rights will be much like the billboard. The sign is visible from all four directions for anyone approaching the stadium. You also get the benefit of getting on street signs in town. We also get an advertisement inside the stadium and get on the team’s Web site. There really are a lot of ancillary benefits.

Much more at that link.

In closing, I will be disappointed if this is not part of the logo for the new name of the stadium.

I'm prepared to be disappointed.

Our Friends in High Desert

Since Jim Horner, a former Rattlers player and Manager, is going to manage the High Desert Mavericks in 2010, I'll share the latest on the Saga of the Mavs.

Bretts yet to sell Mavs after waiver period

The waiver period for Brett Sports and Entertainment to sell the High Desert Mavericks ended after six months, but the company still hasn’t struck a deal.

Brett Sports and Entertainment, the owner of the Mavs based in Spokane, Wash., completed a purchase of the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes in August. Because Minor League Baseball prohibits ownership of more than one club in a league under the rules adopted by all clubs and leagues, Brett Sports was given a six-month waiver period to sell the Mavericks.

Brett Sports chief operating officer Andy Billig said he has talked with a number of potential buyers, but nothing is imminent. He added that it’s not unusual for a sale to take a long time because the purchase is large. Billig said even when the sale process starts, it takes months to complete.

“We are talking to Minor League Baseball and the California League on how to proceed,” Billig said. “Those discussions are on-going. Nothing’s been determined.”

Brett group unable to sell High Desert Mavericks

The Mavericks, who reached the championship series in the California League in 2009 before being swept by the San Jose Giants, have been the subject of move rumors for the last couple seasons. One scenario had the team moving to Carolina League along with the Bakersfield Blaze. Those rumors had the Mavericks moving to Richmond, Virginia, which has since seen the former Connecticut, Defenders (Double-A) move into town. More recently, the Mavericks wanted to move to nearby Apple Valley, California until a deal to build a new stadium was voted down by city leaders. The team has been unhappy with upkeep at Mavericks Stadium by the City of Adelanto.

So much right, so much wrong

The Timber Rattlers have had 'Bang for your Buck' Nights for a while now. Tuesday nights are big attendance games at Time Warner Cable Field.

Last night the Sacramento Kings tried their own...well, I'll let this preview article explain what it was called.

Spread the Kings Cheer With Dollar Beer

Cynthia Hubert of the Sacramento Bee wrote the story and gets quotes from MADD and Sacramento Law Enforcement, but there is a glaring error. See if you can spot it:

"It's a high-profile promotion and we'll be monitoring it," said Jon Carr of the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. "The Kings just need to make sure that IDs are checked, and that they don't serve anyone who is intoxicated."

Discount beer promotions, long a part of the sporting landscape, have become less common because of concerns about overconsumption, crowd misbehavior and drinking and driving, observed sports fan researcher Christian End of Xavier University in Cincinnati.

End recalled a notorious "Nickel Beer" promotion 35 years ago in which the minor league Lake County Captains baseball team in Ohio had to forfeit a game after drunken fans went bonkers.

"This is sort of a throwback idea, and it's one of those things you could potentially see backfiring," End said of the Kings promotion. "I don't want to condemn the Kings, but I hope they are encouraging people to drink responsibly because that's a lot of people and there could be quite a lot of beer consumed."

The Sacramento River Cats have offered similar discounts, including $2 beers at their annual "barbecue and brew" event, said spokesman Gabe Ross. The team typically offers cheap brews only at select locations within Raley Field, and usually cuts the promotion off in the seventh inning, he said.

Did you see it?

Okay. I'll pull it down

End recalled a notorious "Nickel Beer" promotion 35 years ago in which the minor league Lake County Captains baseball team in Ohio had to forfeit a game after drunken fans went bonkers.

The Lake County Captains -- who were not even around 35 years ago -- held their Nickel Beer Night this past season. That was part of an anniversary celebration of the Cleveland Indians Nickel Beer Night in which the Indians fans got too "bonkers" and the game was forfeited.

The Captains Nickel Beer Night? Oh, it went off without a hitch.

Beer was only served from when the game opened (6 pm) to when the game started (7 pm). Each cup of beer was five ounces and fans could only get two cups per person.

The team served 2,000 cups of beer, according to Jonathan Levey, the team’s director of promotions. But it appears like lines were long enough so that it would be physically impossible for an average adult to get drunk.

To the team’s credit, they actually had some acceptable draft beers being offered for the nickel. Fans could choose from Bud, Bud Light, Miller Lite and Labatt’s.

I can see how Mr. End would be confused by that, but it's close enough for government work.

Oh, how did things go for the Kings last night?

Well, they won and they drew 16,579. They entered the game at 10-13. With the bump from last night, they are now averaging 12,424 which is still 29th in the 30 team NBA.

"We’re developing a sisterhood in there."

The New York Times takes a look at the just completed Winter Meetings...in about the way the New York Times would take a look at the just completed Winter Meetings.

The old boys of winter were in full stride, standing in a hotel lobby discussing this pitcher’s slider or that outfielder’s arbitration figures.

At the same moment, across the street from where all the scouts, agents, executives and reporters were dealing, gossiping and networking at baseball’s winter meetings, about 90 female baseball employees gathered to discuss the challenges and opportunities available in their male-dominated profession.

It was the second annual Working Women in Baseball conference. Female baseball employees, mostly from the minor leagues, attended the 90-minute seminar to exchange ideas, offer support and encouragement, and build a growing network of women in the sport.

“I love this event,” said Amy Venuto, the executive director for professional baseball at Ripken Baseball, which owns three minor league teams. “It helps to build relationships with other women in the industry. We’re developing a sisterhood in there.”

Anyone see this question coming down the pike?

The conference was the idea of Heather Raburn, a senior account manager for marketing at the Minor League Baseball headquarters in St. Petersburg, Fla. With more and more women joining the workforce, Raburn initiated the first Working Women in Baseball conference at last year’s winter meetings in Las Vegas, and it was enough of a success to conduct one this year, too.

Topics included career and family, leadership qualities and workplace etiquette.

A former softball player at New Mexico State, Raburn said she had not felt direct discrimination or been the victim of harassment during her 12 years in minor league baseball, and did not organize the event to combat oppressive working conditions.

“It’s more of a networking event,” she said. “It’s a chance to talk to other women in the same position and find out how they are handling situations and hear their insights on different topics.”

Then there's this from a Midwest Leaguer:

As the conference was breaking up, Sonya Masse, the director for entertainment and sales with the Class A Cedar Rapids Kernels, talked about how much she adored her sales job and considered her long hours at the ballpark therapeutic. She also considers her co-workers, male and female, like family.

She has experienced no discernible inequity, she said, but at times she has had difficulty convincing men that she knows as much about baseball as they do.

“It can be intimidating when you are the only woman among 30 men,” she said. “This is my third winter meetings, and at the first one I was afraid to ask any questions because there were all these guys around me.

“I’d love to see more women working in baseball because a lot of times there’s only one woman in the office besides the secretary. People think of baseball as being run by men, and I don’t want it to be that way anymore. That’s why this conference is so important.”

Here is our front office roster.

Developing

That last story was intriguing. This story is...interesting.

Couple eyes more shares of L’Kings
Washington family may be seeking majority stake in club

The owners of a North American Hockey League team in Washington have sent letters to Clinton LumberKings shareholders seeking to buy up their shares of stock in a move that could signal an attempted takeover of the Single-A baseball team.

Carla and William Stewart, owners of the Wenatchee Wild and current LumberKings shareholders, sent letters to each shareholder saying they would pay $200 for shares that were originally sold for $10 per share.

However, the proposed deal has met resistance from LumberKings officials. In response to the measure, the Clinton Baseball Club sent its own letter to shareholders recommending they decline the offer.

The letter states that the proposed amount would be a significant increase from shareholder’s initial purchase but they could not assure the price was at fair market value because the overall value of the team has never been determined.

Ted Tornow, general manager of the LumberKings, said any attempt to purchase the team and move it out of Clinton would be challenged.

“Any efforts to snatch it, rip it, grab it or tear it away from Clinton, at least from my staff and I’s position, would be strongly resisted,” Tornow said. “We’re not saying shareholders can’t sell their shares or move them around. But it’s such a large amount and quite frankly it’s a community-owned franchise, and I would say the majority want to see the team stay in Clinton.”

Go read the whole thing for a little of that business of baseball.

The Autopsy

Autopsy of the Florida Winter Baseball League that is. Written by Stephen C. Smith of SpaceCoastBaseball.com has many lines worth quoting. Here are the top three:

FWBL executives privately assured staff and media that its investors had capitalized the league to operate for at least two years. Its collapse three weeks into its first season suggests that was untrue.
...
If one day there arises an FWBL 2.0, it's likely to be greeted with much skepticism by the baseball industry, which didn't have much faith in the original incarnation.
...
League executives said their model assumed an average attendance of 750 fans a game. Many observers thought that number was wildly unrealistic.

15 games

That's how long the Florida Winter Baseball League lasted.

Jim Gabella, the manager of the Burlington Bees, has reaction:

Instead of boarding their white vans for a one-day delayed series in Miami, Space Coast Surge players on Wednesday morning went their separate ways from their home base at the Cocoa Expo because the Florida Winter Baseball League is no more. Fifteen games into its inaugural 60-game season, the league suspended operations on Tuesday and on Wednesday — lacking paychecks they could trust or further word from league President Mickey Filippucci — the four teams scattered like so much dust on the basepaths.

After three inconclusive conversations with Filipucci and unsuccessfully trying to cash his first paycheck, Surge field manager Jim Gabella spent the day ensuring his players they could cash their checks and find their way home.

“They should never be allowed to do anything with the game of baseball again because they tarnished its beautiful reputation,” Gabella said referring to league officials.

Emphasis added.

There is a comment from the league. They posted it at their website, but the article has it -- in its entirety -- in a sidebar. A taste:

“The Florida Winter Baseball League (FWBL) is suspending play for the remainder of the 2009 – 2010 season,” the note said. “Although the inaugural season was shortened, the FWBL will continue on with its mission to provide the only US-based winter baseball alternative for professional baseball players.

“Being a first-year league, the organization was built from a simple idea into reality, and though we are ending the inaugural season prematurely, we now see the commitment and organization needed by our staff in order to be successful long term. We acknowledge that start-up growing pains are real and sometimes overwhelming, but that has only strengthened our resolve. We will be recapitalizing the Company to better accommodate the financial requirements to operate the league more effectively in the future.

Let me know how that 2010 season works out.

It's not all bad for Gabella. He is heading back to Burlington for 2010.

The Kansas City Royals have announced the minor league coaching staffs for the 2010 season. Jim Gabella will return for his sixth season as Bees manager.

Gabella led the Bees to the Midwest League Championship Series in '09. The playoff appearance was the second in a row for the Bees, and the first time the franchise has been in the playoffs two years in a row in 30 years. After a 29-41 first half record, the Gabella-led Bees went 35-34 in the second half and captured the Western Division Wild Card.

Big writeup on the Rattlers

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.

Something off in the future

There will -- at some point -- maybe -- quite possibly -- if someone steps up -- be a new name for Oldsmobile Park, the home of the Lansing Lugnuts.

But, it's not going to be easy.

Lansing mayor Virg Bernero told me Wednesday before he leaves office, with another four year term about to begin, the Oldsmobile Park name will change. No more General Motors money is coming in-- it was $100,000 per year for the 15 years the stadium has existed. Bernero says there are no new prospects to take over the naming rights and he is inviting anyone to step forward and negotiate a new deal. Bernero says a final decision on a name change will be made jointly by the City and the Lansing Lugnuts. The park will remain Oldsmobile Park until a new deal is struck and the Mayor told me the City will not just give the name away for revenue that is considerably beneath what the City has received over the past years.

A few wrapup articles from around the MWL

Some of it is on field. Some of it is off field.

Dayton

Individual talent was there at Fifth Third Field

By the end of the season, the Dragons had some players to watch if not a team to win.

“You really can’t judge the success of a team until two, three years down the road,” Dragons manager Todd Benzinger said as Dayton failed to make the Midwest League playoffs for the fifth time in 10 seasons.

“When the season began, I was informed shortstop Miguel Rojas was going to be our prospect. He not only lived up to expectations, he exceeded them. He hit 50 points higher than anyone thought.”

After running through a list of Dragons who did well in '09, there is this...

It was all watched by more than a half-million fans, who kept the team in the top 10 of all Minor League Baseball teams for the 10th consecutive season.

Quad Cities

Bandits draw crowds despite losing season

There's an old adage among operators of minor-league baseball teams that what happens on the field has little relevance to what happens off it.

That sentiment held true this season at Modern Woodmen Park, where the Quad-Cities River Bandits experienced continued attendance growth despite the club's worst record since 2003.

Manager Steve Dillard's team finished a 61-78 season Monday at Kane County, a record helped by wins in six of the team's final eight games. By then, inconsistency already had assured Quad-Cities that it would miss the playoffs in consecutive seasons for just the second time in the last 15 years.

West Michigan

Economy blamed as Whitecaps finish with second lowest season attendance in franchise's 16 years

A slow economy and a cooler-than-usual summer didn't stop some fans in West Michigan from supporting their minor league baseball team.

The West Michigan Whitecaps closed out the regular season Monday afternoon, as a holiday crowd of 6,005 witnessed a 3-1 loss to the Fort Wayne Wizards.

The Whitecaps (81-59 overall) attracted a total of 356,637 fans to Fifth Third Ballpark this season -- an average of 5,245 for 68 home dates, good for fifth overall in the Midwest League.

And while their attendance numbers were down slightly from last season, Whitecaps vice president Jim Jarecki viewed it as a success in a turbulent economy.

"We're very enthusiastic about the attendance this season, and we can't thank the fans enough, especially with the economic times that we're having," Jarecki said. "I said before that the things that have prospered in economic times have been ballparks and movie theaters.

"And I think the fans came out again and supported us, and hopefully we supported them by giving them a great product on and off the field."

The final tally was the second-lowest in the franchise's 16-year history, narrowly eclipsing the 2006 season total of 356,155.

Fort Wayne

Is Parkview Field a downtown catalyst?
Too soon to tell - TinCaps attendance is promising, but is it sustainable?

In their first season downtown, the Fort Wayne TinCaps far surpassed the largest attendance the team pulled when it was the Wizards playing at Memorial Stadium on Coliseum Boulevard. Some restaurants near Parkview Field say they're seeing more business on game days. And the presence of the team and Parkview Field downtown are clearly drawing thousands of visitors from outside Allen County.

However, it's too soon to say whether the baseball stadium is a catalyst that ignites and supports a broader revival in the heart of Fort Wayne, or a novelty that will lose its draw. It may be years before tax receipts, property values, occupancy rates and other objective measures reveal how well the city's gamble on Parkview Field pays off.

“We have a lot of good anecdotal evidence, and I don't want to ignore that, because it's important,” said Rich Davis, president of the Downtown Improvement District. Through their presence, he said, the TinCaps and the new stadium have drawn “upwards of 400,000 people” downtown and given them a “mind-opening experience” of entertainment available there.

Clinton
L’Kings consider season a success

Yes, the LumberKings missed the Midwest League playoffs for just the second time in the franchise’s past seven seasons. And yes, that ranks as a major disappointment for fans, players, coaches and the front office.

But no, that did not define Clinton’s season.

“It was a good year,” LumberKings general manager Ted Tornow said. “It wasn’t a great year. It wasn’t the worst year we’ve had. It wasn’t the best year we’ve had. It was right up near the top. It was a very good year.”

In its first season as the Seattle Mariners’ low Class A affiliate, Clinton boasted the league’s top pitching staff and individual ERA champ. The LumberKings overcame promotions and a major trade to contend for the postseason until each half’s final week. Clinton hosted the Midwest League All-Star game for a fourth time.

There’s more to the story than failed playoff races.

“Making the playoffs, it’s something we would have loved to do,” Mariners special assistant to the GM John Boles said. “It didn’t happen. But that doesn’t detract from what took place this summer.”

A lot more...and I do mean a lot more at that last link about the LumberKings.

Let's take a look at the list...

I saw this story in the Peoria Journal Star this morning.

The Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce caught considerable flak for the “It’s Better Here” promotion during the recession. In terms of American cities with minor-league professional sports, though, the chamber was on the mark.

Peoria ranks sixth nationally in a survey of 239 minor-league markets conducted by Street & Smith’s SportsBusiness Journal. Hershey-Harrisburg, Pa., ranked first.

“It’s a measure of stability,” said David Broughton of SportsBusiness Journal. “It’s built on the premise of how people in a market support their teams and how long they’ve supported those teams, through thick and thin.”

Then, I took a look at the list...which will be gotten to in a moment or two.

First the criteria...is that right?...criteria?

Each league studied for this project was asked to provide a list of its member teams’ territories or boundaries. Fifteen minor league teams had no designated boundary. In those cases, if the team shared a market with another minor league team, the same boundary was applied to each club. In the absence of a shared team, one of the 2,759 U.S. Census market designations was used.

Attendance was included for the five most recently completed seasons for leagues whose regular seasons finished by Aug. 9 of this year. For baseball teams, attendance was included for the 2005-08 seasons and for games played through Aug. 9 of this season. The Abilene, Texas; Alpine, Texas; Avon, Ohio; Bowling Green, Ky.; Houma, La.; Madison, Wis.; and Ypsilanti, Mich., markets, whose only teams are clubs playing in their inaugural season this year, were not included in the study.

Attendance figures used were based on team and league official reports, conversations with facility officials, and box scores. As is the case at all levels of organized sports, reported attendance can vary from being an actual turnstile count to number of tickets sold to number of tickets distributed. Ticket prices were not factored in.

The ranking also does not take into account other sports options in each market, such as racetracks, high-profile college programs or major junior hockey leagues. In addition, markets that are home to a major league franchise in addition to having a minor league team were not included in the ranking.

There is more there if you want to read about it...But, it would take a person involved in sports to explain it...um...er...Okay, so...Top 10 list, anyone?

1. Hershey-Harrisburg, Pa.
2. Fort Wayne, Ind.
3. Tulsa, Okla.
4. Billings, Mont.
5. Spokane, Wash.
6. Peoria, Ill.
7. San Bernardino County, Calif.
8. Bossier City-Shreveport, La.
9. Idaho Falls, Idaho
10. Rochester, N.Y.

Appleton....Appleton...Appleton...

21. Appleton, Wis.

Right between #20 Princeton-Bluefield, WV and #22 Reading, PA.

Fort Wayne? #2! Wow. I can't wait to read that press release from the TinCaps.

Other Midwest League cities:
31. Quad Cities
33. Burlington, IA
39. Grand Rapids, MI
54. Dayton, OH
56. Cedar Rapids, IA
68. Clinton, IA
80. Beloit, WI
100. Lansing, MI
109. South Bend, IN
117. Midland, MI
132. Geneva, IL

Geneva...home of the Cougars...#132? Really?

Click the links if you are interested.

Sign of the times

GM dumps sponsorships
Judge lets automaker drop 54 contracts in move to slash costs in advertising

How could this possibly be related to Midwest League baseball?

Among the contracts that will be terminated effective June 22 are the naming rights of Oldsmobile Park. GM agreed to pay the city of Lansing $1.5 million when it signed a 15-year contract in 1995. The stadium is home to the Lansing Lugnuts, a Class A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. A spokesman for Mayor Virg Bernero did not return a call seeking comment Monday.

Note that the dateline for the story is July 14.

Here is the foresight of GM...from the Lansing State Journal article...

Five years ago, GM had toyed with the idea of changing the name of the park. The automaker had discontinued the Oldsmobile brand and GM had spoken to the city about giving the park a new name.

It eventually decided against it.

In hindsight....they may have decided on another path.

This again

Every couple of years, this story pops up...

Could Minor League Baseball Be Coming to Dubuque?


Alternate headline...Could Minor League Baseball NOT be coming to Dubuque?

A few key points from that video above...

"We are going to have some form of minor league baseball in this town. I can't tell you when but as soon as I can make it happen, we will make it happen," says Joe Chlapaty. Chlapaty is a prominent business leader from Ohio. In the past several years he's given millions of dollars to his alma mater, the University of Dubuque. His next mission is to bring minor league baseball to Dubuque. "The challenge we have right now is not building a stadium, it's finding a team we can move to Dubuque that's part of the Midwest league."

He checked and says there are currently no teams in that league for sale.

That would seem to be a rather large stumbling block.

He's also checking out teams in the Pioneer League.

Pioneer League? Really? I'm going to guess that they meant to say Frontier League. Because the Helena, Montana to Dubuque, Iowa road trip will be fantastic for the Pioneer League.

Also...and again...this would seem to be a pretty important fact.

You might remember that in 2003, Dubuque voters turned down a tax levy to build a minor league stadium. Chlapaty says, under his plan, private funding would pay for everything.

The Battle Creek franchise was the one that was supposed to move into that stadium. The levy was turned down and the Battle Cats/Yankees/Devil Rays are now in Midland, Michigan.

Look I really don't want to be this demotivational poster and I would be happy to make a journey to Dubuque for a Midwest League game, but unless there are two new expansion teams in the works for major league baseball and that creates a need for two more Class-A teams, I'll check back in a few years to see if this has made any progress.

Attendance followup

The Prodigal Beat writer gets a front page spot in the PC today for this story that started as one of his blog posts a few weeks ago.

Attendance at [Time Warner Cable Field at] Fox Cities Stadium in Grand Chute bigger than ever for Wisconsin Timber Rattlers

Front office officials recently announced the Rattlers, propelled by their new affiliation with the Milwaukee Brewers, had eclipsed the 100,000 attendance barrier through the first half of a season for the first time in team history as they welcomed 107,362 fans in 33 openings.

A crowd of 3,322 checked out Wisconsin's 4-3 Midwest League win over Clinton on Wednesday, raising the season total to 128,026 through 39 dates for a 3,283 per-game average.

Keep in mind a first-half attendance total of 82,822 was reached in 1996, the same year the franchise produced its overall record of 233,797. That meant nearly 151,000 folks flocked to the park the second half of that year, a number that would easily push the team past this season's goal of 225,000.

The club drew 190,263 last season.

Quotes from a game day employee and a fan...

"I see more people wearing Brewers stuff," said Fremont's Jeff Fahser, a social studies teacher at Weyauwega-Fremont Middle School and in his sixth season as a stadium usher. "More people are excited about these guys possibly playing someday at the major league level. There's a bigger interest. It's the baby Brewers who could someday become the major league Brewers."

Denmark's Ron Grusznski, a 10-game season ticket holder who actually attends between 15 and 20 games a season, has noticed a more intense following in that fans seem interested in what's happening on the field as opposed to stopping by simply for the minor league experience.

"There's a lot more excitement, cheering," said Grusznski, sporting a Rattlers jersey and cap while hunkered down with his wife, Shirley, two rows behind the first base dugout before Tuesday's game with Clinton. "We were to a lot of games last year, and it was dead. Even if they were scoring, nobody was making noise. So it's a lot nicer this way."

Also, I just wanted to highlight this quote from the boss.

"Last year, we had about 75 percent of the people buying tickets actually coming," Zerjav said. "And now we're at 82, 83 percent. And sometimes, we're upwards of 90 percent."

That...as we say in the business...is pretty good.

Go. Read. I'll be back later.