SCC Blog

The Wild & Whacky World of Minor League Baseball

It’s early May and the season is already in full swing.  Not baseball, mind you, but marketing.  Well, maybe a little of both.  The season for marketing baseball is in full swing.  As such, it is never too early to look back at a few of the season’s wildest and wackiest promotions.

Last delivered a number of real gems, including the likes of Back Hair night, Britney Spears Shaved Head night, Salute to Indoor Plumbing night, “Price is Right” Night featuring Bob “Parker” Bobblehead, World’s Largest Tighty-Whitey Race and Ugly Sweater Night to name a few.

I’m always amazed by the creative (and often odd) promotion ideas that are hatched in minor league front offices each year.  Minor league baseball franchises most often seem to be the group that won’t hesitate to push the envelope.  There are already a few promotions worth highlighting from this year’s crop.

In the category of entertainers, the Louisville Bats brought in a performer I haven’t heard of before.  The club introduced “Rubberboy” to their fans in April.  Rubberboy is a contortionist (and self-proclaimed “worlds most flexible man”) who can wriggle his way into (and out of) almost anything.  Rubberboy’s claim to fame is his astonishing ability to squeeze through a tennis racket and has three Guinness World Records for his flexibility.  Rubberboy has performed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, ESPN’s Sports Center, Oprah and Cirque du Soleil.  If you’re curious, you can check part of Rubberboy’s act out on YouTube.

For those who appreciate teams who poke fun at social issues, you’ll like the promotion offered by the Altoona Curve:  Economic Stimulus Plan Night.  The first 1,000 fans age 15 or over received $5 Curve gift cards at the door.

If you’re looking for completely wacky, try the Immunization Records Night/Bus Drivers Appreciation Night dual promo offered by the New Britain Rock Cats or Salute to Ramen Noodles Night hosted by the Salem Avalanche in Virginia.

In perhaps the greatest gimmick of this young season, the Harrisburg Senators promoted Guaranteed Rainout Night.  Of course, the game was NOT rained out and all fans received a free ticket to an upcoming Senators game.

And here’s a new one:  The Hagerstown Suns celebrated “National High Five Day” at the ballpark.  The Suns Coaches and players greeted fans with high fives at the front gates, and various high five-related contests were staged throughout the afternoon.  Minor league sports are typically about family-friendly entertainment and fun, so why not, right?

If you’re a minor league baseball fan and appearances are your thing, then you’re probably pleased as punch with this year’s offering.  Baseball hall-of-famers Ozzie Smith and Bruce Sutter were honored at minor league ballparks this year, as were former greats Lee Smith and Mitch “Wild Thing” Williams.  Other non-baseball appearances of note include several legendary NFL figures, icluding former New England Patriots quarterback Steve Grogan, ex-Steelers running back Jerome Bettis and William “the Refrigerator” Perry.  For NASCAR fans, Dale Earnhardt’s car made an appearance at a Lakewood BlueClaws game.

And let’s not forget about give-aways… This season has already seen its share of premium item give-aways, bordering on the standard (t-shirts and hats) and collectible (replica stadiums) to the downright absurd (pedometers and tree saplings).  Other give-aways this season include:  bobbleheads, playing cards, sombreros, gloves, jerseys, figurines, kites and boomerangs.

If the first month of the season is any indication, it would appear that it’s going to be another wild year in minor league baseball ballparks around the country.

*** Questions for Classroom Discussion ***

1) Do you think promotions like these really do help drive attendance?

2) Why is attendance important to a sports team?

3) Why do you think we don’t see more wild promotions like these at major league or collegiate level sporting events?  Explain your answers in detail.

Source:  Information in this blog post contains information published at minorleaguebaseball.com.

Posted in Branding, Marketing, Promotions, Public Relations/Publicity, Ticket Sales |

Comments are closed.