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	<title>Toronto &#187; Jason Takefman</title>
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		<title>What A Former GM Would Change About MiLB: Part 4 — MiLB Hall of Fame</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2018/09/28/what-a-former-gm-would-change-about-milb-part-3-milb-hall-of-fame/</link>
		<comments>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2018/09/28/what-a-former-gm-would-change-about-milb-part-3-milb-hall-of-fame/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 28 Sep 2018 10:33:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jason Takefman]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=16797</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The term Hall of Fame resonates really strongly with sports fans. It represents the absolute pinnacle of an individual’s career, no matter the sport. Debates amongst fans on who belongs and who doesn’t are endless, and fuel fun barbershop-style conversations. The National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown opened in 1939, and despite its rich history [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>The term <em><i>Hall of Fame </i></em>resonates really strongly with sports fans. It represents the absolute pinnacle of an individual’s career, no matter the sport. Debates amongst fans on who belongs and who doesn’t are endless, and fuel fun barbershop-style conversations.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://baseballhall.org/"><span style="text-decoration: underline">National Baseball Hall of Fame</span></a> in Cooperstown <a href="https://baseballhall.org/about-the-hall"><span style="text-decoration: underline">opened in 1939</span></a>, and despite its rich history and large annual inductions, is currently wrapped in controversy due to its historically high entry threshold, scandal-plagued stars, and the number of star players implicated in steroid scandals over the last 20 years. Now, this has very little to do with the actual Hall itself &#8212; it&#8217;s more an issue with the ups and downs of the sport writ large, and the <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/baseball-hall-of-fame-changes-its-induction-rules/c-86398586"><span style="text-decoration: underline">odd voting structure and rules</span> </a>that dictate Hall eligibility. Moving forward, though, there are certainly tricky situations facing the Hall, with no easy resolutions coming anytime soon.</p>
<p>The one thing the Hall of Fame does do well is honouring people’s contributions to the game, whether they played or not. Of the 323 inducted members, almost <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_members_of_the_Baseball_Hall_of_Fame"><span style="text-decoration: underline">20 percent are managers, executives or umpires</span></a>. The Hall recognizes that there are many people outside the white lines who helped build the game. In the same vein, as we <a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/04/20/why-smart-teams-stadiums-are-never-empty/"><span style="text-decoration: underline">have mentioned countless times</span></a>, MiLB has been built by many people off the field and on, all creating fun and affordable ways to entertain fans.</p>
<p>Seeing as how <a href="http://www.milb.com/content/page.jsp?sid=l128&amp;ymd=20070427&amp;content_id=234457&amp;vkey=league3"><span style="text-decoration: underline">MiLB leagues</span></a> have their <a href="https://www.milb.com/pawtucket/news/international-league-announces-2018-hall-of-fame-class/c-266371358"><span style="text-decoration: underline">own prestigious</span></a> <a href="http://www.milb.com/content/page.jsp?ymd=20160217&amp;content_id=164773522&amp;sid=l110&amp;vkey=league1"><span style="text-decoration: underline">halls of fame</span></a>, we want to have fun and list out who <em><i>our</i></em> Hall of Fame members would be if the entirety of MiLB had their own hall, similar to Cooperstown.</p>
<p>Some background parameters:</p>
<ul>
<li>The actual Hall would be online, so it could be seen by anybody at anytime. This also makes it easier to add to.</li>
<li>In the spirit of MiLB, elements, pages, and even people would be sponsored.</li>
<li>Ideally, we get a fun narrator, like legendary <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-news/bill-murrays-latest-role-employee-of-the-st-paul-saints-68075/"><span style="text-decoration: underline">MiLB owner Bill Murray</span></a>.</li>
<li>Annual Inductions will be held during the Winter Meetings when the MiLB world convenes in one room.</li>
<li>There have been countless executives and builders that have had incredible impacts on the industry, but for the sake of not wanting to leave people out, we will not mention any.</li>
<li>The inductees can be anyone or anything that has made significant contributions to the MiLB experience: promotions, mascots, all are eligible.</li>
</ul>
<p>Without further ado, let’s get into it, in no particular order:</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline">Post-Game Fireworks</span></p>
<p>In an industry built on promotions, no promotion is more robust and popular than fireworks, no matter the market. Some teams even do it <a href="https://www.milb.com/toledo/news/have-a-blast-at-postgame-fireworks-shows/c-276812228"><span style="text-decoration: underline">MANY times of year</span></a>, with <a href="https://www.milb.com/milb/news/vh-v-def-lep-fireworks-aug-4--with-cmf/c-35149090"><span style="text-decoration: underline">various themes</span></a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RumblePoniesBB/photos/a.129783587102170/1455377694542746/?type=1&amp;theater"><span style="text-decoration: underline">interactive contests</span></a> mixed in to keep it fresh. It is so popular, in fact, that even the historically conservative MLB have adopted some of MiLB’s practices, with <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcySNbT_pKk"><span style="text-decoration: underline">postgame fireworks</span></a> at the forefront.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline">Bobbleheads</span></p>
<p>This promotion is <a href="https://www.milb.com/mahoning-valley/news/scrappers-announce-2018-bobblehead-series-giveaway/c-266358620"><span style="text-decoration: underline">right behind</span></a> fireworks in its popularity. What makes this more popular then Kids Day, Fan Appreciation, or Thursday Thursdays is that <em>every</em> team does bobbleheads for its former player, current mascots, and as this product has evolved, even more fun and unique ones, commemorating a player’s <a href="https://omahabaseball.com/50th-bobblehead-set/"><span style="text-decoration: underline">unique skillsets</span></a> or <a href="http://www.milb.com/content/page.jsp?ymd=20160707&amp;content_id=188567722&amp;fext=.jsp&amp;vkey="><span style="text-decoration: underline">moments</span></a>.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline">San Diego Chicken</span></p>
<p>Yes, technically he is an MLB mascot with an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jot6jMuJti4"><span style="text-decoration: underline">incredible history at other sports</span></a>, but there is no underestimating his incredible impact on MiLB. He has done the rounds countless times, was inducted into the <a href="http://mascothalloffame.tripod.com/id13.html"><span style="text-decoration: underline">mascot hall of fame</span></a>, and is essentially the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jot6jMuJti4"><span style="text-decoration: underline">godfather of mascots</span></a>.He is <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotoDirectLink-g47529-d102933-i159882957-National_Baseball_Hall_of_Fame_and_Museum-Cooperstown_Otsego_New_York.html"><span style="text-decoration: underline">even commemorated in Cooperstown</span></a>!</p>
<p>(Note: Honorable mention go to the Zooperstars and Blues Brothers, who are fantastic, and essentially are his indirect spawns and make money off the industry he created.)</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline">Kevin Costner</span></p>
<p>This is a lifetime achievement award, because very few people are as synonymous with the charm of baseball as the lead for <em><i>Bull Durham, For The Love of The Game, </i></em>and<em><i> Field of Dreams</i></em>. This is not a ‘which movie should be in the Hall of Fame’ discussion, but really, no other person describes the<em><i> </i></em>romance of the sport like Costner has on-screen over the years. He helped bring the sport to life in a way that nobody else could have or did. This would be like <a><span style="text-decoration: underline">Ricky Vaughn</span></a> going into the Indians Hall of Fame.</p>
<p><em><i>A League Of Their Own</i></em> gets really strong consideration, especially considering <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xx8cCDthsuk"><span style="text-decoration: underline">this iconic line</span></a>, but again, the movie wasn’t about the actual minors, so its unfortunate. Who knows, maybe it will get inducted down the road. Honorable mention goes to <em>The Sandlot</em> and <em>Bad News Bears</em>. The former’s cast actually is <span style="text-decoration: underline"><a href="https://www.milb.com/wilmington/news/blue-rocks-holding-the-sandlot-25th-anniversary-night/c-269914418">STILL doing the rounds</a>,</span> and basking in their popularity.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline">Rodney McCray Running Through the Wall</span></p>
<p>We have all seen the <span style="text-decoration: underline"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-VMiaIUD8I">clip ad nausea</a>m</span>, and it totally contradicts what I mentioned earlier about building the business and all the great aspects of the sport off the field. This, however, is a bit different. Aside from this play <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/tbt-remembering-when-minor-league-outfielder-rodney-mccray-ran-through-a-wall/c-122770326"><span style="text-decoration: underline">also being immortalized</span></a> in Cooperstown, in the true spirit of MiLB, the Portland Beavers made it into a really <a><span style="text-decoration: underline">cool bobblehead</span></a>!</p>
<p>McCray is <a href="http://articles.latimes.com/2007/dec/10/sports/sp-crowe10"><span style="text-decoration: underline">still remembered fondly</span></a> for doing <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/tbt-remembering-when-minor-league-outfielder-rodney-mccray-ran-through-a-wall/c-122770326"><span style="text-decoration: underline">whatever it takes for his team</span></a>. What makes this play unique is that it is quintessentially &#8220;minor-league.&#8221; Yes, it makes the stadium look bush league for their fence being a doggie door, but there is something neat about it: The player running his fastest, the fence not being able to contain his passion, the play being monetized for years to come, <span style="text-decoration: line-through">the empty seats.</span></p>
<p>The great thing about MiLB is that in years to come, as the industry <a href="#5dc4551843b2"><span style="text-decoration: underline">continues to grow,</span></a> there will be other nominees, ranging from branding and apparel companies like <a href="https://www.brandiose.com/"><span style="text-decoration: underline">Brandiose</span></a> and <a href="https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2016/06/13/Leagues-and-Governing-Bodies/MiLB-merchandise.aspx"><span style="text-decoration: underline">Lids</span></a>, to khaki pants and hot dog eating contests.</p>
<p><em>Lead Photo Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports</em></p>
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		<title>What A Former GM Would Change About MiLB: Part 3 — Affiliation Duration</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2018/09/12/what-a-former-gm-would-change-about-milb-part-3-affiliation-duration/</link>
		<comments>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2018/09/12/what-a-former-gm-would-change-about-milb-part-3-affiliation-duration/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 12 Sep 2018 10:24:35 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jason Takefman]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=16733</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As we&#8217;ve discussed in previous posts, a minor league team’s relationship with their major league affiliate is incredibly important for civic and league credibility, financial efficiency, and an overall piece of mind. This relationship is only growing in importance, as minor league teams have found ways to highlight and monetize their affiliations, and major league teams have found it useful to [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As <span style="text-decoration: underline"><a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/12/08/the-importance-of-a-strong-milb-relationship/">we&#8217;ve discussed</a></span> in previous posts, a minor league team’s relationship with their major league affiliate is incredibly important for <a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2018/01/18/what-its-like-going-through-an-milb-affiliation-change/"><span style="text-decoration: underline">civic and league credibility</span></a>, <a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/12/08/the-importance-of-a-strong-milb-relationship/"><span style="text-decoration: underline">financial efficiency</span></a>, and an overall piece of mind. This relationship is only growing in importance, as minor league teams have found ways to <a href="https://www.milb.com/northwest/news/hillsboro-hops-and-arizona-diamondbacks-extend-affiliation/c-285638472"><span style="text-decoration: underline">highlight</span></a> and <a href="#&amp;gid=1&amp;pid=1"><span style="text-decoration: underline">monetize</span></a> their affiliations, and major league teams have found it useful to help <a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/05/05/an-milb-experience-at-its-best-in-sacramento/"><span style="text-decoration: underline">promote their team in front of a new fan base</span></a>. A good relationship is a win-win opportunity for both entities and fans. In fact, as fans become more savvy and engaged with MiLB’s business, <a href="https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/2018-minor-league-affiliation-chart/"><span style="text-decoration: underline">affiliation relationships</span></a> are becoming <a href="https://ballparkdigest.com/200905261902/minor-league-baseball/news/affiliate-dance-2012"><span style="text-decoration: underline">more popular</span></a> and <a href="https://www.milb.com/milb/news/flurry-of-affiliation-changes-as-season-ends/c-95105270"><span style="text-decoration: underline">taken very seriously</span></a>.</p>
<p>As currently constructed, affiliations are able to be a signed at a minimum of two years and a maximum of four years. These short-term parameters do not stop<a href="https://www.milb.com/northwest/news/hillsboro-hops-and-arizona-diamondbacks-extend-affiliation/c-285638472"><span style="text-decoration: underline"> long-term relationships</span></a>, and they also allow teams to cut their losses and reverse course if they get into bad situations. But I still think the structure of these affiliations could benefit from a change.</p>
<p>What I would change wouldn&#8217;t be the short-term nature of these affiliations: I think it is important for both teams to not be forced into a situation they don’t want to be in and that doesn’t work. Nobody wins in that situation. My change would be to add a duration option of 10 years, so teams could tangibly get into a long-term partnership, and the fans and teams could reap the benefits of each organization’s faith in one another. The addition of the option, while keeping the minimal risk of the short-term deals, would confer several important benefits for minor league teams and affiliates alike.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Consistency</h3>
<p>It is rare for MLB teams to have consistency with ALL of their minor league affiliates. It is perfectly reasonable to assume there is going to be some mobility. On the Blue Jays&#8217; side, they had a 31-year (!) affiliation with their Triple A team &#8211; the Syracuse Chiefs (SkyChiefs) – from 1979 to 2008. Since then, they were in Las Vegas for four years before settling into what looks to be a stable home for the foreseeable future in Buffalo.</p>
<p>Of their eight affiliates, the Jays own three– the Dunedin Jays (High A), Gulf Coast League Blue Jays (Rookie League), and Dominican Summer League Jays (Rookie League). This consistency is rare, and factoring in long-term relationships in New Hampshire (since 2003), Lansing (Since 2005), and Vancouver Canadians (since 2011), the Jays seem to be an outlier of stability.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2016/09/19/Leagues-and-Governing-Bodies/MiLB-affliations.aspx"><span style="text-decoration: underline">This consistency</span></a> allows fans to follow their players as they ascend throughout the system and into the majors, follow the MLB team, and of course it allows the MLB team to reach kids and create fans for life.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Investing Capital</h3>
<p>Owning the teams allow them to invest capital into the facility, resources and turf, because they know it is theirs to use without fear of an affiliation change. A 10-year agreement allows teams to do the same thing, especially if the relationship is good and has geographic or fanbase overlap.</p>
<p>For example, let’s say a MiLB team has a really good affiliate. Everybody is happy in every capacity &#8212; except that the clubhouse is cramped, the stadium’s facilities are outdated, and the grass doesn’t get proper irrigation, creating a bit of an uneven (but not unsafe) outfield. The MiLB club knows the MLB team wants these renovations, and it could be a sticking point in extending the affiliation. But the MiLB team cannot afford to spend a couple million dollars on upgrades, especially because doing so would not directly generate revenue for the team by selling sponsorships, tickets and food in the way that building suites, a videoboard, or a group area would. The MLB team would not be opposed to picking up some of the costs, but it would need certainty and time to amortize it and see results. A four-year window just doesn’t allow this to happen, so both teams could suffer, all because they didn’t have enough time to amortize investments they both could be making.</p>
<p>Of course, the counter-argument is that if the relationship is good, they could simply keep on extending it. That <a href="https://www.milb.com/milb/news/fisher-cats-blue-jays-extend-affiliation/c-100610444"><span style="text-decoration: underline">has worked in the past</span></a>, and there is no need to be contractually obligated, especially when a lot could change within an MLB team’s baseball operations.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Getting Comfortable</h3>
<p>Another key aspect of a long-term affiliation, outside of investing capital, is that it changes the mindset on activation and allows both teams to get comfortable with the spirit of improvement, as opposed to monitoring every situation and planning an escape route.</p>
<p>Imagine working for a boss that nitpicks everything you do. You never feel comfortable making mistakes or going out on a limb, and you are walking on eggshells all the time. Now imagine you have the full confidence of your boss instead of worrying about how things are perceived you are focused on solutions and getting things done. That could be the difference between a short and long-term affiliation, if only they extended this duration.</p>
<p>The short-term duration of MiLB affiliations makes a lot of sense. But a change from the current four-year affiliations to a 10-year option wouldn&#8217;t change the things that already work &#8212; it would only make those things stronger.</p>
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		<title>What A Former GM Would Change About MiLB: Part 2 – The Name</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2018/08/31/what-a-former-gm-would-change-about-milb-part-2-the-name/</link>
		<comments>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2018/08/31/what-a-former-gm-would-change-about-milb-part-2-the-name/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 31 Aug 2018 10:20:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jason Takefman]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=16668</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Making people happy at an affordable rate is timeless. It is one of the reasons Minor League Baseball has stuck around since its inception in the fall of 1901. Despite its quirky schedule, MiLB is currently as popular as it&#8217;s ever been, with a total of 41.8 million fans attending MiLB games in 2017 &#8212; the fifth-highest attendance in [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Making people happy at an affordable rate is timeless. It is one of the reasons Minor League Baseball has stuck around since its inception <span style="text-decoration: underline"><a href="http://www.milb.com/milb/history/general_history.jsp">in the fall of 1901.</a></span> Despite its <a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2018/08/02/what-a-former-gm-would-change-about-milb-part-1-season-length/"><span style="text-decoration: underline">quirky schedule,</span></a> MiLB is currently as popular as it&#8217;s ever been, with a total of <a href="https://www.milb.com/milb/news/minor-league-baseball-attendance-tops-418-million-in-2017/c-256032320"><span style="text-decoration: underline">41.8 million fans attending MiLB games in 2017</span></a> &#8212; the fifth-highest attendance in history &#8212; and the 13<sup>th</sup> consecutive season of league attendance increases. S<a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/05/05/an-milb-experience-at-its-best-in-sacramento/"><span style="text-decoration: underline">ome MiLB teams even exceed some MLB teams</span></a> in per-game attendance. Clearly, times are good.</p>
<p>Having said that, I think there is something that has hindered MiLB from excelling as much as it can on the business side. That something is the name. <em>Minor</em>. It sounds less-than, not-as-much-as, less than professional. It&#8217;s the kid’s table at a family dinner. The <em><i>minor</i></em> is applicable to the players, not the business, but most people don’t know that. They see minor, and they look at it like a cute pug, not to be taken seriously.</p>
<p>My recommendation, then, is to change the name of MiLB. It could be a way to reverse this misconception among the corporate types.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Preface: There Are No Guarantees</h3>
<p>A name change costs a lot of money and time. There is the immense task of redoing marks and logos, not to mention consulting fees, test groups, and other marketing and operational initiatives. Nobody is suddenly going to invest millions due to a name change, nor will new people immediately find the league more appealing. It won’t increase SEO rankings, and it could very possibly cost more than it initially brings in.</p>
<p>There&#8217;s also the chance that people who <a href="https://www.milb.com/milb/news/fan-journal-why-i-love-the-minors/c-17969"><span style="text-decoration: underline">like the fun and irreverence</span></a> of MiLB might shun the new name. It might seem like MiLB is selling out, and moving away from what has <a href="https://www.foxsports.com/southwest/gallery/top-12-craziest-minor-league-promotions-081014"><span style="text-decoration: underline">made them successful</span></a> for <a href="https://www.milb.com/milb/news/top-promotions-battle-for-milby/c-25003636"><span style="text-decoration: underline">generations</span></a>. Fans turn to MiLB <em><i>because</i></em> it isn&#8217;t Major, or stuffy, or corporate, or non-personal. I get that. There is risk, but I am not advocating for changing the unique ambiance and the fabric of the sport. If anything, I am looking to amplify and bring attention to it.</p>
<p>I know that unlike <a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2018/08/02/what-a-former-gm-would-change-about-milb-part-1-season-length/"><span style="text-decoration: underline">my previous suggestions</span></a>, a name change is not a direct, tangible revenue generator. But I do think there is money being left on the table, and judging from league comparables, better positioning could do wonders with larger companies and team revenues.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>MiLB Is On It Already</h3>
<p>In 2012, MiLB launched Project Brand, which aimed to leverage the aggregate national strength of all teams to secure league-wide sponsorships, similar to <a href="https://www.nhl.com/info/corporate-marketing-partners"><span style="text-decoration: underline">other leagues</span></a>. Project Brand evolved into <a href="https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2017/03/27/In-Depth/MiLB.aspx"><em><span style="text-decoration: underline"><i>MiLB Enterprises</i></span></em></a><em><i>,</i></em> which now has a full-time staff of 20. After speaking with a few sources, total annual revenue generated from this banner should exceed $10 million within a few seasons. They also have a very ambitious goal of <a href="https://www.milb.com/milb/news/minor-league-baseball-exploring-why-its-fun-to-be-a-fan/c-222310582"><span style="text-decoration: underline">increasing total fan attendance to 50 million by 2026</span></a>. With great help from this entity, the industry is starting to get the notoriety of being a <a href="https://partnerships.milb.net/"><span style="text-decoration: underline">business engine on par with other leagues</span></a>, as opposed to just being local gems for 176 cities. This isn’t easy with very little media and content distribution outside of their own stadium and territory.</p>
<p>Let’s look at a notable comparable, Major League Soccer (MLS), to see how a successful MiLB rebranding might look. I have a lot of respect for MLS, and their exemplary business model is worth highlighting when discussing growing a sports league.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>What MiLB Can Learn from MLS</h3>
<p>The league started with ten teams in 1996, and by 2020, they will be at 28 teams, with its <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expansion_of_Major_League_Soccer">expansion fee set at $150 million per franchise</a>. MLS’ 2017 attendance was 8.27 million fans amongst 22 teams, its 2016 total attendance was 7.37 million. <a href="#Average_home_attendances"><span style="text-decoration: underline">This is more then triple the 2.25 million they had in 2002.</span></a>  That is some serious money and serious growth, and in major US and Canadian markets.</p>
<p>But as we mentioned above, MiLB attendance was 41 million in 2017. Nearly five times as many fans attended <em><i>Minor</i></em> League Baseball then <em><i>Major </i></em>League Soccer. Why, then, does MLS <em><i>feel </i></em>much bigger then MiLB? I asked three friends in sports who aren&#8217;t involved with either league, and they all resoundingly said MLS seems bigger.</p>
<p>I think the answer to this question lies in a few subtle aspects that MiLB could learn from.</p>
<p><strong>Scarcity of Games </strong></p>
<p>MLS teams play 17 home games, compared to upwards of 65 for most MiLB teams. The average MLS game draws 22,000 fans, and the average MiLB game draws 3,500. MLS games appear bigger because they <em>are</em> bigger. There are more fans in the stands, more noise, and more urgency to see a game, because there are fewer of them.</p>
<p>This is basic supply and demand. MiLB plays every day, so there&#8217;s no need to go to a game on a specific date, unless there is a <a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/04/05/how-your-favourite-minor-league-team-is-preparing-for-2017-giveaways/"><span style="text-decoration: underline">cool promotion</span></a> or <a href="https://www.milb.com/fsl/news/daytona-cubs-break-attendance-record/c-21813"><span style="text-decoration: underline">the rare case of teams that sell out every game</span></a>.</p>
<p><strong>Jersey Sponsorship</strong></p>
<p>While other sports <a href="https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2017/10/30/Opinion/Citron.aspx"><span style="text-decoration: underline">hold off</span></a> on jersey sponsorships and others have jumped <a href="https://www.forbes.com/forbes/welcome/?toURL=https://www.forbes.com/sites/darrenheitner/2018/02/15/sponsors-may-be-pleasantly-surprised-with-nba-jersey-patch-roi/&amp;refURL=https://www.google.com/&amp;referrer=https://www.google.com/"><span style="text-decoration: underline">in the deep end</span></a> , MLS has emulated its European peers with high-profile, <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/863916/mls-jersey-sponsorship-revenue/"><span style="text-decoration: underline">high-cost</span></a> sponsorship visibility. This similarity further reinforces that you are watching the most world&#8217;s most popular sport. It also gives <a href="http://www.soccer365.com/2018-mls-jerseys-and-sponsors/"><span style="text-decoration: underline">companies</span></a> the presence, prominence, dominance and importance they crave. For companies that invest hundreds of millions on annual advertising dollars, owning visibility on a sports team is a good change of pace, and complimentary to the global branding they do.</p>
<p><strong>National TV Deal</strong></p>
<p><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_League_Soccer_on_television"><span style="text-decoration: underline">The MLS receives $90 million annual from its TV deal</span></a>, split between FOX Sports and ESPN, and Univision in Spanish. In Canada, TSN and TVA Sports own the National rights. That is just over $4 million USD per team.</p>
<p>This exposure amplifies those jersey sponsorships in front of a national TV audience every game. Splitting up games between competing networks (ESPN and FS1) ensures both networks promote the sport with commercials, promos and, perhaps most importantly, talking about it on their <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxQF8cZ2Du0"><span style="text-decoration: underline">various daily talkshows</span></a>. This puts the game on the same platform as the NFL and NBA, because if <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6P-GytAC9M"><span style="text-decoration: underline">Colin Cowherd is talking about it</span></a>, it must be big.</p>
<p><strong>Players</strong></p>
<p>I am not going to disparage professional athletes of any sort, but a smart thing MLS does is take players who have lost a step in more competitive leagues and use their star power in MLS. Against lesser competition, they dominate again, and the players get to refresh their brand and be stars again. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWDwYSkQj5g"><span style="text-decoration: underline">This is how videos go viral</span></a>.</p>
<p><strong>Better Name</strong></p>
<p>The name Major League Soccer <em>seems</em> bigger and more important, like it should be taken seriously. Regardless of the quality of the players, or what their future holds, the name gives the league a built-in sense of distinction and legitimacy.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>So, What&#8217;s the New Name?</h3>
<p>Hold the drumroll &#8212; I don’t actually have a better name at this point. I hate whining without a solution as much as the next person, but I flat out don’t have one at this point. The good news is that there are <a href="http://www.slate.com/articles/sports/sports_nut/2015/09/how_brandiose_transformed_minor_league_baseball_from_the_hartford_yard_goats.html"><span style="text-decoration: underline">so many good agencies</span></a> that do <span style="text-decoration: underline"><a href="https://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/best_minor_league_baseball_logo.php">tremendous work</a>,</span> and would have a much better handle on it then me. The league could even use some of its ingenuity and get the fans involved, <span style="text-decoration: underline"><a href="https://www.milb.com/south-bend/news/fans-vote-stu-as-new-mascot-name/c-110138018">which has worked in the past.</a></span></p>
<p>I am not advocating MiLB take up exactly these formulas, but the concepts remain the same. At the 2017 Winter Meetings, MiLB Enterprises stressed for teams to focus on using the name MiLB, as opposed to Minor League Baseball. They know it is an issue, especially with large companies competing for valuable and scarce national advertising dollars.</p>
<p>With the right people on board, a new name could help position MiLB to take the next step off the field and greatly enhance teams’ activations and bottom lines.</p>
<p><i>Lead Photo Ⓒ Gregory Fisher &#8211; USA Today Sports</i></p>
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		<title>What A Former GM Would Change About MiLB: Part 1 &#8211; Season Length</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2018/08/02/what-a-former-gm-would-change-about-milb-part-1-season-length/</link>
		<comments>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2018/08/02/what-a-former-gm-would-change-about-milb-part-1-season-length/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 02 Aug 2018 14:43:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jason Takefman]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=16506</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I tell anyone that will listen that minor league baseball is the greatest sport and business model out there. It is about making people smile, giving citizens a reason to be proud of the people that proudly wear their city’s name across their chest, all while doing so at an affordable price. It doesn’t get much [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I tell anyone that will listen that minor league baseball is the greatest sport and <span style="text-decoration: underline"><a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/03/20/the-panic-going-on-in-your-favourite-minor-league-stadium-right-now/">business model</a> </span>out there. It is about making people smile, giving citizens a reason to be proud of the people that proudly wear their city’s name across their chest, all while doing so at an affordable price.</p>
<p>It doesn’t get much better then that. Trust me. It is an easy concept to get behind, and it is also contagious and addictive.</p>
<p>Nothing is perfect, however, and even MiLB could be improved. I am not talking about <em><i>on</i></em> the field right now, as there are plenty of good ideas <a href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/40170/prospectus-feature-mlb-commission-confirms-baseball-changed/"><span style="text-decoration: underline">here</span></a>, <a href="https://ca.sports.yahoo.com/news/heres-worst-idea-improve-baseball-youre-ever-going-hear-195232874.html"><span style="text-decoration: underline">here</span></a>, <a href="https://www.sbnation.com/2017/2/22/14560230/mlb-rule-changes-intentional-walk-rob-manfred-better-ideas-lol-upside-down-smiley-face"><span style="text-decoration: underline">here</span></a>, and <a href="http://www.sportsonearth.com/article/215834406/mlb-rules-changes-experiment-pace-of-play"><span style="text-decoration: underline">here</span></a>. I even wrote about it <a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/08/09/3-major-league-rule-changes-to-test-in-the-minors/"><span style="text-decoration: underline">last year</span></a>. Actually, I implore MLB to make even more changes on the field so that MiLB could be a testing ground and bring that kind of access and interaction to engage fans and serve as a place of learning for players and coaching staffs alike. Imagine a few legends that work for MLB head office come to a local MiLB stadium and hold a town hall before or after a game on rule changes they’d like to see. <em>That</em> would be community interaction, but I digress.</p>
<p>I am instead referring to changes to the business of MiLB; aspects of the industry that the most ardent fan does not notice but those on the inside have been requesting for years.</p>
<p>This piece will be the first of a series throughout the summer and off-season that will detail some of my suggestions. Let’s start with my first suggestion:</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline"><strong>All leagues should begin during the school year.</strong></span></p>
<h4><strong><b>Background</b></strong></h4>
<p>One of the teams I ran was a short season team, and honestly, it felt bizarre not having baseball in the stadium during the Spring. Sure, we hosted a local college’s home games, which is <a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/06/21/why-i-hate-minor-league-opening-day/"><span style="text-decoration: underline">valuable gameday and field practice</span></a>, and generates strong civic equity, but spring was in the air, the days were getting longer, MLB was on TV, and our stadium was…empty.</p>
<p>Something was missing. It was like going to a restaurant when you are super hungry and watching all your friends eat and you have to just sit there on the side sipping water, eating peanut butter packets, and playing with your napkin.</p>
<p>This schedule is nobody’s fault, MLB has its draft in early June to coincide with the ends of the college and high school seasons, and those short season leagues are then populated by players <a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/06/15/what-players-are-thinking-during-the-first-few-days-after-the-mlb-draft/"><span style="text-decoration: underline">who have just been drafted</span></a> and players already in the system who were in extended spring training.</p>
<p>Short Season leagues include New York-Penn, Northwest, and Appalachian leagues, to name a few.</p>
<h4><strong><b>Suggestion</b></strong></h4>
<p>I am suggesting that those short season leagues expand their schedule from 78 games to 100, to be done over the course of three years, so that their schedule ultimately starts on Memorial Day weekend.<strong><b> </b></strong></p>
<h4><strong><b>Challenges</b></strong></h4>
<p>Expanding a season is easier said then done, with challenges including, but not limited to, farm directors not wanting their players away from the spring training complex, added costs, not being able to find housing families as those extra rooms are typically used by students, and teams not being able to use their stadium because they do not control the lease.</p>
<p>That&#8217;s why schedule expansion has to be done in bite size chunks; leagues can’t just go from 78 games to 100. It would be too disruptive for the old guard and the leagues would want teams to be as optimally prepared as possible to succeed.</p>
<p>Teams would have to also notify their city and get dates when their stadium is in use for graduations, high school tournaments and community events. That will be the most difficult portion of the transition, but it is doable, especially if the teams work together to get an equitable schedule. For example, if one team simply cant host games on weekdays in June for the first two years, they will host a disproportionate amount in the coming few years once they are able to accommodate. This has to be done in good faith and with everyone in it together to pull out all the stops.</p>
<p>From the team perspective, it would be challenging to house the players and to deal with the hectic amount of roster changes that would take place in the first month, but those would only affect a few people on staff, and are definitely worth this expansion. If anything, I am sure some teams could rationalize keeping some players at team hotels if they don’t have enough housing families to kick off their season.</p>
<p>One thing I&#8217;m not concerned about is the weather, as three weeks won’t change a thing. Not to mention, if MLB wants to play its most hallowed games – the World Series – in late October and early November, when the weather is horrific for half its teams and the actual quality of the game is compromised, then MiLB teams could tough it out during the last three weeks of spring.</p>
<h4><strong><b>Benefits</b></strong></h4>
<p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Creative Ticket Offerings</span></strong></p>
<p>The obvious benefits are that the team has a chance to make more money through more openings: selling tickets, suites, and sponsorships for 50 games instead of 38.</p>
<p>It also allows teams to get more creative with their ticket packages, like offering a half-season ticket, for example, or to mimic some full-season teams and offer <span style="text-decoration: underline"><a href="http://www.milb.com/content/page.jsp?ymd=20130225&amp;content_id=41967962&amp;sid=t446&amp;vkey=tickets">different pricing for the spring and summer.</a></span></p>
<p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">More Favourable Staffing</span></strong></p>
<p>Staffing the stadium might be difficult because staff might be in school or work. More openings means more shifts.</p>
<p>A lot of part-time staff members have various summer jobs, like working the county fair, for another sports team, or movie theatres. With my short season team, I often lost staff to the job that pays them the most and gives them the most shifts, so we wasted valuable resources trying to cover for them. By providing more games, those employees would get paid more from the team and thus make the club a priority instead of other options.</p>
<h4><span style="text-decoration: underline">Higher Franchise Value</span></h4>
<p>More openings equal a higher franchise value. Plain and simple. The more opportunities there are to generate revenue, in every capacity. This should make owners happy. It also keeps the team relevant in the media a little bit longer, which means more ‘free’ advertising for not just games, but non-game day stadium rentals during the off-season or when the team is on the road.</p>
<p>Also, the greater number of people that are in the stadium, the greater number of people that are exposed to all the fun and possibilities, like a company picnic during a game, or a Christmas party in a suite in the off-season. That functional real-time exposure is invaluable.</p>
<p><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline">Higher Chance of Players Making It To The Show</span></strong></p>
<p>As I have discussed in the past, players making it to the major leagues is a gift to their former MiLB teams because it allows them to capitalize on their ascension with all sorts of <a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/04/05/how-your-favourite-minor-league-team-is-preparing-for-2017-giveaways/"><span style="text-decoration: underline">promotional items</span></a>. The longer season would mean more players wearing the uniform, which in turn means a higher chance of some of them getting to the bigs, even if it is still only a boost of a few every couple of years.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline"><strong>Allows Teams To Get Into Schools</strong></span></p>
<p>I saved the best for last, as once a community guy, <em><strong>always</strong></em> a community guy. Currently, short season leagues start in late June, just as school is getting out, so it could make for a good field trip the last day of school. But that&#8217;s it, as the rest of the season occurs while students are off for the summer. The schedule does not prevent the team from doing things in the off-season, but it just doesn’t have the same impact.</p>
<p>This is what I mean when I talk about ‘relevance.’ It is one thing to do something fun with the mascot for younger kids, it is another thing to get players in uniform to read to kids or give out cool prizes to reward good students. Minor league hockey teams, for example, do excellent work with schools, with a few examples <a href="http://www.hersheybears.com/fan-zone/community-registration.php"><span style="text-decoration: underline">here</span></a>, <a href="http://www.amerks.com/page/reading%20program"><span style="text-decoration: underline">here</span></a>, <a href="http://kingstonfrontenacs.com/fronts-school"><span style="text-decoration: underline">here</span></a> and <a href="http://stocktonheat.com/read/"><span style="text-decoration: underline">here</span></a>.</p>
<p>Short-season teams should aspire to play more games, especially if the transition is done tactfully and properly. There are too many pros that outweigh the cons, especially if those cons are largely absorbed and operated by the MiLB franchises.</p>
<p><em>Lead Photo © Gregory J. Fisher-USA TODAY Sports</em></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		<title>The Unsung Heroes of Minor League Baseball</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2018/07/11/the-unsung-heroes-of-minor-league-baseball/</link>
		<comments>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2018/07/11/the-unsung-heroes-of-minor-league-baseball/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 11 Jul 2018 10:26:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jason Takefman]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=16321</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As we have extensively covered, MiLB teams insulate themselves against the variable quality of the product on the field with fun, affordability, customer service, and unique promotions and giveaways. And if your team wins, hey, that&#8217;s an added bonus. Given this focus on fan experience over on-field success, there are many subtle roles in a minor league [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As we have <a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/04/20/why-smart-teams-stadiums-are-never-empty/"><span style="text-decoration: underline">extensively covered</span></a>, MiLB teams insulate themselves against the variable quality of the product on the field with fun, affordability, customer service, and <a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/04/05/how-your-favourite-minor-league-team-is-preparing-for-2017-giveaways/"><span style="text-decoration: underline">unique promotions and giveaways</span></a>. And if your team wins, hey, that&#8217;s <span style="text-decoration: underline"><a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/07/14/why-some-minor-league-baseball-teams-dont-want-to-win-it-all/">an added bonus</a>. </span>Given this focus on fan experience over on-field success, there are many subtle roles in a minor league ballpark that are essential to keeping the organization afloat. Frankly, it is kind of scary how a part-time staff member could have such a strong impact, but that’s similar to most retail businesses.</p>
<p>Baseball is aspirational: kids grow up idolizing players, picking up the sport to emulate their heroes. Theo Epstein brought in a new wave of non-players to run his front office, making every sports fan aspire to that route to the Hall of Fame. Rarely, however, do kids grow up wanting to be an usher, a ticket director, or a clubbie.</p>
<p>I always tell people that want to break into sports to learn as much about the business as possible, to learn what they like. A teenager wanting to be a doctor could learn that there are thousands of unique streams they could enter, like being a surgeon, dentist, physical therapist, or a pediatrician. And while you might not get this impression on first glance, MiLB also has something for everyone, with many important roles behind the scenes of every great ballpark experience. So let’s detail a few of the unsung heroes that make the MiLB world go round.</p>
<h3><strong><b>Clubhouse Manager</b></strong></h3>
<p>This is someone that fans do not see, but who is nonetheless invaluable. The Clubbie runs the players&#8217; clubhouse and rarely has any formal interaction with the front office, as they are player- and coaching staff-facing.They ensure food is served, laundry is done, the place is clean, and all the details in between &#8212; like making sure the coaching staff has the right beer, sewing new jersey numbers, making sure the toilets and showers are well-stocked and clean, and making sure new players have the right size pants, socks and BP hats.</p>
<p>It is a tireless and thankless role that cannot be understated in its magnitude, amount of work, long hours, and dedication to the game and team. The clubhouse manager will ‘sleep’ at the stadium the night the team comes home from a road trip, and the night before an afternoon game.  ‘Sleep’ is used lightly, as they are lucky if they get more than two hours&#8217; rest on these game days.</p>
<p>The clubhouse manager&#8217;s hours are spent worrying about the happiness of others, and ensuring all the little things of the clubhouse are taken care of &#8212; all this despite the fact they don’t get to watch any of the games. None. They are busy cleaning and planning to feed players, and the role they play is of the utmost importance. The comfort of the players and coaching staff is at stake, and a bad experience for them definitely gets around the MLB complex, hurting your team’s credibility and endangering your relationship, which as we covered, is <a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/12/08/the-importance-of-a-strong-milb-relationship/"><span style="text-decoration: underline">extremely sensitive and valuable</span></a>.</p>
<h3><strong><b>Ushers</b></strong></h3>
<p>A nice experience from a friendly face as you enter a ballpark and find your seats thoroughly reinforces the warm experience teams work very hard to build throughout their entire organization, in and out of the stadium.</p>
<p>Teams need to be armed with two types of ushers:</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline">Friendly and Fuzzy</span></p>
<p>These are the celebrity ushers, in the sense they know all the season ticket holders, have been there for years, and are often literal celebrities in their stadium. These are the people teams want schmoozing with fans, helping the elderly to their seats, giving a foul ball to kids, dancing during the pitching breaks, helping people move seats, and taking care of all the little things that create stories and memories. Think of going to a diner and seeing your favourite server that exudes the emotions you feel when you are there &#8212; that&#8217;s this usher. They make fans feel like summer.</p>
<p><span style="text-decoration: underline">The Good Cop</span></p>
<p>Having said that, the stands are not all fun and games. There are situations that require a stern, forceful presence and voice. These ushers are typically retired police officers or teachers, and can sniff out a bad scene from a mile away. They command respect, and are the ones teams want to deal with unruly, foul-mouthed fans, those have smuggled drinks into the stadium, are trying to run on the field, and are creating a bad experience for other fans.</p>
<p>Think of this comparison like parents. One parent is the one that typically dishes out the punishment, while the other takes you for ice cream past your bedtime. These ushers don’t generate the same daily admiration from fans as the friendly and fuzzy ones, but they are problem solvers and are invaluable to the team. They discreetly save other fans from bad experiences by diffusing negative scenarios.</p>
<p>One type of usher is no more important then the other, but smart teams have about a 80/20 split of the former to the latter, as the majority of all ballpark interactions require warmth and fuzziness. That’s not to say the latter can’t be nice and welcoming, but their main strength is keeping the peace.</p>
<h3><strong><b>Box Office Staff</b></strong></h3>
<p>Many people will tell you the first interaction with a team sets the tone for their entire experience. I think this holds true for MLB teams as well, but their interactions are predominantly based on what happens on the field. The currency of a major league team is wins and losses, so a trade, injury, or free agent signing sets the tone. Fans talk about the scores of the game at the water cooler, on texts, and on their way to the stadium.</p>
<p>MiLB teams’ currency, in contrast, is customer service, so to have a warm friendly voice on the phone or at the box office is imperative. When factoring in that these staff members deal with money, it is a very important position. Teams have gone away from dealing with Ticketmaster and other larger ticket companies in favour of controlling the fans’ experience and discussion &#8212; people at Ticketmaster don’t know your stadium as intimately as your staff does. Where the sun sets, where foul balls land, near the beer stands, where the loud fans are and where the parking resides are just a smattering of things that someone on a team’s payroll could help fans with that make a difference, and those differences go a long way.</p>
<p>Everybody has a horror story dealing with large ticket companies, from buying the wrong tickets, to their exorbitant fees, to their faceless, impersonal demeanour. Ticket managers are constantly dealing with issues from ticket buyers, and they have to remain calm, while solving the problems with a smile on their face and creating a memory. And while nobody has ever gotten goose bumps ordering tickets from Ticketmaster, they sure have from a friendly face or voice to guide them in the right direction and help create a fun outing at a minor league ballpark.</p>
<h3><strong><b>Concession Director </b></strong></h3>
<p>No sport or entertainment is as tied to food as baseball, except <em><i>maybe</i></em> popcorn at a movie theatre. Food service at the ballpark has to be quick and delicious. There is no excuse for waiting in line for a few innings for a beer and a hot dog, and efficiency, ease, and customer service are essential. Fans typically don’t mind paying a higher price for good ballpark food, because they view it as a luxurious night of indulgence. (This is to say nothing of the <a href="https://www.milb.com/milb/news/minor-league-teams-have-appetite-for-food-based-names/c-258960026">unique food items</a> that are the <a href="https://www.milb.com/milb/news/milbs-unique-dishes-served-up-in-food-fight/c-174898258">hallmark of MiLB</a>.) That said, they better get their food on time and not have to wait in lines.</p>
<p>An element of this relationship that fans don’t see is teams getting sponsorship dollars from food vendors. Teams need to get <em>all</em> their vendors to spend money with them. Revenues are scarce, and they need to leverage their strengths, which are their buying power, and allowing those companies to associate themselves with a popular sports team. This does not just apply to larger, more notable concessions like beer and soft drinks, but also smaller ones like freezer repair, linens, accountants, lawyers, and pest extermination companies. The smaller vendors might have a smaller budget, so they could buy tickets or a suite.</p>
<p>It is imperative the concession director understands this relationship and works hand in hand with the team. They can’t be fighting with the team over wanting to work with a certain bread company when said bread company doesn’t want to buy tickets. The concession director has to maintain the integrity of the business model, or other vendors will learn that they actually don’t need to pay, and the team will suffer, both financially and socially. Whether they are third party or part of the staff, I have seen concession directors try to be autonomous. It does not end well. The food industry has razor thin margins so the team is not expecting much, but there must be<em><i> some</i></em> reciprocation and partnership.</p>
<hr />
<p>Just like a team on the field needs unsung heroes to pull together and come up with clutch moments, so does a team <em><i>off</i></em> the field. There are many aspects of the business I miss, but the people that help create the atmosphere and subtly set the tone for the team are high up on the list.</p>
<div class="modal-image-setImageMetadata">
<p class="ng-binding"><em>Lead Photo © Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports</em></p>
</div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
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		<title>When Nightmares Become Reality for a Minor League Team</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2018/05/04/when-nightmares-become-reality-for-a-minor-league-team/</link>
		<comments>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2018/05/04/when-nightmares-become-reality-for-a-minor-league-team/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 04 May 2018 12:29:44 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jason Takefman]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=15771</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I have put off writing about this because there are rare, scary, and traumatic moments in sports. Look no further then the recent Humboldt tragedy. I don’t want to piggyback on that, or take light away from the many, many, many impactful fundraising initiatives that have brought Canadians together. Sadly, I mentioned a tragedy like this [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I have put off writing about this because there are rare, scary, and traumatic moments in sports. Look no further then the recent Humboldt tragedy. I don’t want to piggyback on that, or take light away from the <a href="https://ca.gofundme.com/funds-for-humboldt-broncos"><span style="text-decoration: underline">many</span></a>, <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/4138599/kingston-musicians-song-about-humboldt-bus-crash-goes-viral/"><span style="text-decoration: underline">many</span></a>, <a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2018/04/29/brother-of-injured-humboldt-broncos-player-to-hold-fundraiser-hockey-tournament.html"><span style="text-decoration: underline">many</span></a> impactful fundraising initiatives that have brought Canadians together. Sadly, I mentioned a <a href="https://t.co/T5apP1JoJ1"><span style="text-decoration: underline">tragedy like this was one of the things</span></a> that used to keep me up at night. But there are also moments <em><i>inside</i></em> a ballpark that are violent and unplanned, where someone’s life is in danger in front of thousands of people. Staff members have to react quickly and calmly, which is not easy at all.</p>
<p>I will preface this by saying I have spent my entire life deliberately NOT working in important fields. I have friends who are teachers, brain surgeons, police officers, first responders, nurses, charity directors, and the like. Those are important and valuable roles in a community. Those people genuinely make the world a better place, and allow people like me to worry about life’s smaller things.</p>
<p>That being said, accidents can and do happen in a ballpark, and they often happen fast. Some are <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_3asU-m_2E"><span style="text-decoration: underline">tragic</span></a>, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2015/08/30/us/braves-yankees-fan-falls/index.html"><span style="text-decoration: underline">very well documented</span></a>, and <a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/hockey/blackhawks/ct-nhl-fan-safety-spt-0802-20150801-story.html"><span style="text-decoration: underline">force worldwide stadium improvements</span></a>. If this article does nothing but make you want to high-five an usher or buy water for the First-Aid people, though, it will be a success.</p>
<p>Here are the three worst incidents I have seen in a minor-league stadium.</p>
<h3>Elderly Fan Passed Out</h3>
<p>It was a very hot mid-afternoon getaway game in mid-July. The place was full. Afternoon games usually have an array of kids camps and elderly groups, which is great for business.</p>
<p>Teams always want the pace of the game to move quickly when it&#8217;s sunny, so that fans aren’t in the sun for too long. The team is not worried about the 99 percent of fans who control their alcohol, wear sunscreen, and are there for a good time. They are worried about the 1 percent who didn’t eat breakfast, haven’t spent time in the sun for days, and maybe had a drink beforehand. They also worry about the kids and elderly fans because the sun sneaks up on them, and because they don’t always know how to act, or cannot act for themselves. Ushers walk around with spray bottles of water to help keep fans cool, but also to keep an eye on fans that don’t look well.</p>
<p>One elderly group was sitting directly in the sun from the first inning on. As the game wore on, many left (which is not uncommon), leaving just two people remaining after the seventh inning. Per their story afterwards, one of them got up to go to the bathroom, and then the last remaining person just fell over and passed out. It took a few seconds for fans to react, but they soon began screaming for the ushers.</p>
<p>This elderly man was lying horizontal on a few seats, completely passed out, not moving and sweating profusely. The medics began CPR and physically cooling him down with ice and water. We feared the worst. He had been in the sun too long, but he didn’t realize before it was too late.</p>
<p>The medics were excellent, and brought him via stretcher to an air-conditioned room in the stadium. Once he came to, he began laughing, had a few sips of water, and his friend drove him back to their nursing home &#8212; not before he went to the box office and bought tickets to the next afternoon game. After all, that game was on the same day as his 97<sup>th</sup> birthday. Needless to say, he got seats in the shade, and we brought him some cupcakes to help him celebrate.</p>
<h3>Knock-Out</h3>
<p>When I was an intern, the only games that sold out were our six fireworks shows, mostly because we had a radio and TV station that sponsored and promoted them all summer. This particular fireworks night was warm and muggy, and the game was slow. Long games mean that fans have more time to drink. Weekend night games mean fans can drink beforehand during the day in their backyard, at the park, on a patio, or anywhere else. Add that to a sold out crowd of 8,100, and what you get is not the best combination for fan experience and safety.</p>
<p>I was working in a suite finishing up a very busy food service when all of a sudden our GM yelled over the internal radios: &#8220;EVERYBOY TO THE FIRST BASE SIDE RIGHT NOW, IT’S AN EMERGENCY.&#8221;</p>
<p>Here is what happened, per the police report: There was a stag party in the stands and their members were very drunk. One guy gave his beer to his buddy and said &#8220;hold this, I am going to go punch a guy.&#8221; He walked down ten rows, right up to a random fan sitting with his wife, and punched the defenseless fan right in the face. The latter never saw it coming, nor did he say anything to instigate it.</p>
<p>The fan was knocked unconscious on impact. People around him began to scream. Ushers did an admirable job clearing the stands as this fan lay motionless. This was my first time seeing medics run full speed, and they took the fan to the clubhouse away from people. We had a full-blown issue on our hands. Even a few members of the coaching staff and players in the dugout turned around because they heard the commotion.</p>
<p>Our Assistant GM was a former minor league hockey player, so he ran over, picked up the puncher like a child and carried him out. If there was one image from this night that remained with me, it was this: A fan that could barely stand, about to be arrested, probably with no recollection of what he did, forced in a corner near a huge bathroom lineup, slurring his words as our AGM held him up so the cops could take over.</p>
<p>The police backup arrived at the stadium within minutes, and our stadium looked like (and actually was) a crime scene. There were three police cars with their siren lights on, two entire sections cleared out, all with a baseball game in the background. We even saw a news or police helicopter overhead. The entire stag party was escorted out of the stands to a chorus of boos from the crowd, and it sounded and looked like the bad guys leaving a wrestling match. The police took over the inside of our stadium to formally question everybody.</p>
<p>The fans that were asked to vacate their seats watched the fireworks show while standing in walkways, and were given complimentary tickets to the next fireworks show. This was the first time I left a game without knowing the final score. I vaguely remember how the legal aspect turned out, but I think the assaulter got out on bail, and the fan who got punched ended up settling a civil suit with the city.</p>
<p>The next day our GM smartly gathered our ushers and staff to let them know what to do if such an incident happened again. I have never seen anything like this since. We began keeping visible police and security outside of our stadium at every game, ensuring that drunk or belligerent fans did not enter the stadium in the first place, and small issues inside the stadium were nipped in the bud so they couldn’t snowball into larger ones.</p>
<h3>Getting Hit By A Foul Ball</h3>
<p>I <a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/06/01/what-keeps-a-general-manager-awake-at-night/"><span style="text-decoration: underline">previously touched upon this</span></a>, but it cannot be overstated: It is still the worst sound I have ever heard, and I have been in car accidents.</p>
<p>A young family was sitting right over the first-base dugout for a night game, and the sun was setting right in their eyes. A right-handed batter was late on a fastball and fouled it off right at them, and because the sun was in his eyes, it didn’t matter that the eight year-old had his glove. The ball hit him squarely in the head, and he never saw it coming.</p>
<p>The crowd gasped at the sound. The kid was unconscious and the parents were hysterically crying. Thankfully, the numerous and excellent medical staff on site helped the kid recover. His parents were stunned but surprisingly in good spirits and not combative. We brought him to the clubhouse before a game later that season and he got autographs and pictures from all the players, and even threw out the first pitch of the game.</p>
<hr />
<p>Through these frightening experiences, I was able to fully prepare for things that could go wrong, and think of how to prevent them moving forward. I am thankful for great first-aid and first responders and great staff &#8212; and for the fact that social media and camera phones didn’t exist during each of these incidents.</p>
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		<title>How Rain Hurts a Minor League Club</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2018/04/11/how-rain-hurts-a-minor-league-club/</link>
		<comments>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2018/04/11/how-rain-hurts-a-minor-league-club/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 11 Apr 2018 10:25:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jason Takefman]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=15463</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Rain really is a four-letter word for baseball teams, no matter the league or level. Whereas soccer and football almost thrive playing in the rain, baseball has no problem calling off or delaying games. Rain can impede players’ vision and grips on the ball, cause injury due to slippery surfaces, and generally compromise the integrity of the [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Rain really is a four-letter word for baseball teams, no matter the league or level.</p>
<p>Whereas <a href="../download.jpg">s<span style="text-decoration: underline">occer</span></a> and <a href="../ublog_nfl_112414_10.jpg">f<span style="text-decoration: underline">ootball</span></a> almost <a href="../maxresdefault.jpg"><span style="text-decoration: underline">thrive playing in the rain</span></a>, baseball has no problem calling off or delaying games. Rain can impede players’ vision and grips on the ball, cause injury due to slippery surfaces, and generally compromise the integrity of the game.</p>
<p>This article is not about the actual rules regarding rain delay and postponement procedures, which can be found <a href="https://www.livestrong.com/article/102432-simple-baseball-rules-children/"><span style="text-decoration: underline">here</span></a>, <a href="https://www.baseballprospectus.com/news/article/5026/doctoring-the-numbers-when-the-rains-come/"><span style="text-decoration: underline">here</span></a>, and <a href="http://mlb.mlb.com/documents/0/8/0/268272080/2018_Official_Baseball_Rules.pdf"><span style="text-decoration: underline">here</span></a>, or about debating <a href="http://www.milb.com/content/page.jsp?sid=t416&amp;ymd=20100819&amp;content_id=13646662&amp;vkey=team1"><span style="text-decoration: underline">your local team</span></a>’s policies. This is about the havoc and chaos the <em><i>threat</i></em> of rain and actual rain causes for a MiLB franchise. As you can imagine, months of hard work throughout the entire organization could all be for naught if the situation is not handled properly.</p>
<p>In this article, I will take you through a day in the life of a MiLB team for whom a rainout seems possible. Let’s assume the game is scheduled to start at 7:05 pm. It has not been raining the last few days, but rain has been in the forecast for the night. This is not light rain or a drizzle, but hard rain that merits an umbrella and raincoat. The type of rain that changes people&#8217;s plans.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>1:00pm</h3>
<p>I can’t speak for all MiLB GMs, but I can confidently say that most didn’t study meteorology or weather maps in college. That said, many of us have become weather map experts out of necessity.</p>
<p>When the forecast calls for rain on gameday, a GM will typically be glued to the weather map. If it is pouring with no sign of letting up, it might make sense to cancel the game right away in the early afternoon, long before teams, umpires and &#8212; most importantly &#8212; fans arrive at the ballpark. The earlier a game gets cancelled, the better.</p>
<p>Once cancelled, the box office needs to stay open until game time in case fans arrive, and to communicate with fans on how to use their tickets for other games.</p>
<p>It is sad to see fans arrive from a long trip only to be told their game is cancelled. The earlier that message is out, the better. There will always be a few fans who show up because they aren’t on Twitter or don’t listen to radio. When they arrive, a friendly ticket manager might give a hat to the kids, and over-deliver to make up for the bad experience.</p>
<p>If the game is not cancelled by this point, you are glued to your head groundskeeper to make sure the tarp is put on the field, and that they know what the next 30 minutes look like at all times.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Suites/Groups/Game Night Sponsors</h3>
<p><a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/04/20/why-smart-teams-stadiums-are-never-empty/"><span style="text-decoration: underline">Teams work hard</span></a> in the offseason to sell groups and suites, so if the game is cancelled early, to NOT deliver stings. Unlike the majority of fans, these companies have been planning this for months. They may have ordered a company bus, beer vouchers, and even closed the office the next morning. Essentially, they use a lot of resources for their trip to the ballpark.</p>
<p>A company whose game gets rained out can pick their next date based on availability, but the next time they have an internal meeting to discuss their summer company function, they will be leery of picking something outdoors where poor weather could ruin things.</p>
<p>Teams, then, actually want the game to go on for groups’ sakes, so they can make it to the park and enjoy the experience. While sitting in a light drizzle isn’t the most comfortable or ‘summer’ thing to do, some fans don’t care, embrace the novelty, and <a href="../061715_souza_ll_hr_med_7ezklqw1.gif"><span style="text-decoration: underline">stay throughout the rain.</span></a></p>
<p>Game Night Sponsors are also tough because they want the game to go on with the most optimal crowd, and rain ruins that. Not to mention, part of the decision to cancel a game hinges on whether or not there is a gate giveaway planned, especially a popular one.</p>
<p>(Obviously, there is no rationale to play if players’ safety is at risk. We are talking about a steady rainfall here.)</p>
<p>We once had a rainout on a July 4<sup>th</sup> Fireworks show sponsored by a local union that was bussing in 750 of their members from all over the state. It was an awful conversation because they had to eat the cost of the buses, and we re-scheduled for another date.</p>
<p>Thankfully, they understood, and we gave them additional radio spots for their trouble. If not handled correctly, though, an incident like this one could have damaged a long-term partnership.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>3:00pm</h3>
<p>It is not always actual rain that scares fans away. Simply seeing rain in the weather forecast can have the same negative effect. The sociologist that discovers at what time during the day fans make a decision to buy single-game tickets or not due to rain will make a lot of money.</p>
<p>For example, does the family of four that has tickets for the 7:05 pm game hear the forecast and cancel at 1:30 pm because they don’t want to risk having the kids getting wet and cold?</p>
<p>If the decision to postpone the game has not been made by mid-afternoon, the team has to consider going through with the game. The message that is communicated throughout the stadium and to media is that the game will begin on time.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Simplified Game Presentation</h3>
<p>At this stage, the gameday team has tried to simplify the game presentation as much as possible. That means planning for a game to be four and a half innings &#8212; the minimum amount a game has to be played in order for it to be official.</p>
<p>This includes limiting the between-inning promotions to ones that are most expensive and least interactive, and leaving time for the PA announcer to make announcements about game times. During a rainy game you will rarely see a Kiss Cam, a car drive around a wet and soggy warning track, or a cannon shooting prizes into less-than-full stands.</p>
<p>You also aren’t likely to see promotions that involve a lot of people. Staff have to be on call to help the groundscrew pour field product to keep the infield dry, or to pull tarp should the umps postpone the game.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>More Than One Game Is Ruined</h3>
<p>Cancelling a game not only ruins THAT game, but also another game by having to play a doubleheader. To make matters worse, the timing of that other game is not at a team’s discretion. It has to be the next available time when those two teams play in that city.</p>
<p>Often that means the very next day. Nobody will ever say this on the record, but if a team has a key giveaway, a big crowd expected, or a fireworks night on the next day, they are unlikely to be in favor of cancelling the game and ruining another big game.</p>
<p>We once had a rainout and the next available date for a makeup was a night when we had bookd the San Diego Chicken. Instead of a 7:05 pm start for a historic entertainer, we had a doubleheader that began at 5:30 pm. The Chicken came out for Game 2, which started too late for most kids to wait around and see the famous mascot work his magic.</p>
<p>It must have been the shortest post-game autograph session of the Chicken’s career, as the second game ended at midnight. We also had to change a lot of media and messaging for that game, as we had spent a lot of time and money promoting the original date and time.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>5:00pm</h3>
<p>By this point, the teams have arrived and the coaching staffs have been made aware of the weather patterns. Short-term, that means it might take a pitcher longer then usual to get warmed up, but long-term it could mean planning out their bullpen to not waste arms, or planning to load arms for the doubleheader the next day.</p>
<p>It is now too late to cancel any box office or concession staff to cut costs. The team is in the deep end and committed to starting the game on time.</p>
<p>Neither team takes batting practice, but players work out lightly in the outfield doing long toss and stretching.</p>
<p>All fans calling in have been told the game is going on. Sadly, because of the threat of rain, the team has likely not sold many tickets. They are only assuring fans who have already bought tickets that their game will be played.<strong><b> </b></strong></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Umpires</h3>
<p>Per league rules, once umpires take the field in uniform, it is their decision to call the game, postpone it, or play it out. Effectively, the game is in their hands.</p>
<p>Umpires are former players concerned about the game itself, not the business side. (I will re-iterate, we are not talking about field conditions that put players in danger. We are talking about the grey area.) In my experience, minor league umpires will take these opportunities to leverage their powers to seem more important then they are.</p>
<p>Knowing this, we once had brutal rain the morning of an important game we needed to win to stay alive in the playoff race, and we had a sold-out crowd the next day. A doubleheader the next day with a different game time on 15 hours&#8217; notice would have been awful for us both on and off the field.</p>
<p>Despite my boss telling me otherwise, I called the umpires in the morning to tell them the field was in good shape, we were prepared for upcoming weather, and that we REALLY needed this game to start on time.</p>
<p>The umpires were sympathetic and told me repeatedly they would make the best call for the players only, and not factor anything else in their decision. When they got to the ballpark, they walked the field, saw it was in decent shape, and treated it like a normal game.</p>
<p>The game ended up being called in the bottom of the 6<sup>th</sup> with us in the lead, and as the umpires left the stadium we glanced at each other, giving a subtle nod of the head as we wished each other a good night.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Pulling Tarp</h3>
<p>Most former MiLB GMs will say they miss the people, the game days, and the fun involved with being in a baseball stadium every day. ALL of them will tell you they miss pulling tarp.</p>
<p>This might seem odd &#8212; pulling tarp ruins clothing, makes offices smell like damp clothes and shoes, ruins meetings, is a difficult workout, and enhances your vocabulary with salty words. But there is something unifying and urgent about everybody literally pulling together to make sure their prized possession is looked after properly.</p>
<p>Many business and leadership books could learn a lot from the teamwork involved in a team tarp pull. I am not kidding.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<hr />
<p>When rain is in the forecast, fans are less likely to buy tickets, which decreases team revenue through attendance, merchandise, food, and parking. It&#8217;s a stressful situation for a MiLB team, whether the game goes ahead or is postponsed.</p>
<p>At the risk of sounding like a fortune cookie, though, I will say this: Money comes and goes, but the gift of fans having a great time in your ballpark lasts forever. It brings this writer to tears just thinking about it.</p>
<p><em>Lead Photo © Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports</em></p>
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		<title>What It&#8217;s Like Going Through an MiLB Affiliation Change</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2018/01/18/what-its-like-going-through-an-milb-affiliation-change/</link>
		<comments>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2018/01/18/what-its-like-going-through-an-milb-affiliation-change/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 18 Jan 2018 11:52:47 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jason Takefman]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=14910</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As the dog days of winter pass by and the Hot Stove has never really heated  cooled, let’s touch upon a question I receive quite often. No, not the usual ones, but one that fans pay attention to nonetheless. &#8220;Can you describe what occurs during an affiliation change between MLB and MiLB teams?&#8221; Both of my MiLB [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As the dog days of winter pass by and the Hot Stove has <span style="text-decoration: line-through">never really heated  </span>cooled, let’s touch upon a question I receive quite often. No, not the <a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/08/16/how-great-minor-league-teams-prepare-for-the-offseason/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline">usual ones</span></a>, but one that fans pay attention to nonetheless.</p>
<p>&#8220;Can you describe what occurs during an affiliation change between MLB and MiLB teams?&#8221;</p>
<p>Both of my MiLB teams changed their affiliates, with varying results. Generally speaking, if there is a <a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/12/08/the-importance-of-a-strong-milb-relationship/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline">good relationship</span></a>, it is probably best to keep as is. Having lived through a bad change, it is as though the expression ‘the grass isn’t always greener on the other side’ was made for this particular situation. Many teams have a good situation and think they could do much better – or think they <em><i>deserve </i></em>better &#8211; and get screwed. Some teams even get caught tampering and have to pay a $100k fine.</p>
<p>It is an emotional whirlwind from the time a team decides to make a change – or the change is made for them – to when the ink is dry, the press conference is done, and new MLB team logo patches are ordered for the jersey sleeves.</p>
<p>Let’s look at the timeline involved in an affiliate change.</p>
<h3><strong><b>Types of Relationships</b></strong></h3>
<p>To a fan’s naked eye, a good sign of a strong partnership is if MLB execs show up at their affiliate’s off-season events because they are literally taking time away from their schedules to tangibly help their partners. In reality, a <a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/03/20/the-panic-going-on-in-your-favourite-minor-league-stadium-right-now/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline">good relationship</span></a> between an MLB team and MiLB affiliate takes many forms, but a simple rule to abide by is if it works for both sides, you should leave it as is.</p>
<p>Some reasons an MiLB team would want to leave:</p>
<ul>
<li>Get better players to win and <span style="text-decoration: underline"><a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/04/05/how-your-favourite-minor-league-team-is-preparing-for-2017-giveaways/" target="_blank">promote future MLB players</a></span>.</li>
<li>MLB ownership and management not making them feel a part of their ‘family’ by not visiting their stadium, and not inviting them to Spring Training and home games.</li>
<li>The MLB team isn’t very good on the field.</li>
</ul>
<p>An MLB team’s reasons would be:</p>
<ul>
<li>Poor facilities &#8211; the field, clubhouse, housing and gyms, etc</li>
<li>Geographic location</li>
<li>Nagging from the MiLB side about the elements above.</li>
</ul>
<p>Teams in positive relationships never let the PDC (Player Development Contract) get to less than one year remaining. They look hard for ways to celebrate their consistency like press conferences, appearances at Hot Stove events, and fancy Winter Meetings dinners.</p>
<p>And despite challenges, changing isn’t sometimes worth the work or the risk to your reputation. It really needs to be a positive move, as entering into a worse situation could make both teams look bad and undesirable.</p>
<h3><strong><b>Final Year of Agreement</b></strong></h3>
<p>Let’s set the hypothetical but sometimes typical scene:</p>
<h4><span style="text-decoration: underline">MiLB Side</span></h4>
<p>An MiLB team has been with the same affiliate for a decade. The relationship is functional: both front offices know how one another works, the field staff is the same every year so they are easy to work with, they have their local housing set up and know the road city hotels and restaurants, PDC payments are always sent in on time, and all things that could go poorly never do. It is comfortable.</p>
<p>But the MiLB team hasn’t been competitive on the field in years, the MLB team does not immediately return calls, the hot stove rumours the MiLB front office are fed to feel cool are starting to wear thin, the war stories are becoming redundant, and they never get help with procuring a former player to sign autographs.</p>
<p>Furthermore, the MiLB team has to go to their league meetings every year staring at a new champion, competing owners boasting of playoff gates, championship rings, tales of trips to the MLB playoffs, and MLB guests at their local charitable events.</p>
<p>At some point in the season, the MiLB braintrust will decide to make a change. Usually there is a straw that breaks the camel&#8217;s back after years of thinking about it, or sometimes they simply realize that the MLB club does nothing for their fans and the bottom line.</p>
<p>They <em>very</em> quietly begin sniffing around to see who might be available at the end of the season. It is easy to track and database which teams have PDC contracts that are expiring and thus who <em><i>might </i></em>be available because they send out press releases when they renew and each contract can be two or four years only. And with MLB teams not restricted to keeping their affiliates in a specific league (Blue Jays moving their AAA team from Las Vegas of the PCL to Buffalo of the International League, for example), the club has some options.</p>
<h4><span style="text-decoration: underline">MLB Side</span></h4>
<p>Chances are, the MLB team is happy with this arrangement. Everything is on autopilot, they don’t have to send good players or go out of their way to show their affiliate any love outside of a small cocktail reception at the Winter Meetings with a few pats on the back &#8211; an ‘our staff loves your city and fans’ and a promise to personally show up to the stadium during the season. In their eyes, the extension is a formality, so they have small talk with the MiLB team about it, and promise to send out the contract soon.</p>
<p>But as the season wears on, and during an internal meeting, the GM will want an update from the Farm Director or AGM in charge of their MiLB affiliates, and they won’t have a signed contract to present their boss. They still won’t worry, though, because it&#8217;s paperwork and teams are busy during the season. But May turns to June, then July, then to August and people begin to sweat. These things are usually sewn up by now.</p>
<p>The Farm Director knows his neck is on the line because this should be finalized. A change could result in a downgrade, a lot of unexpected work, a massive unexpected cost to the team, and make his bosses look bad and unwanted. So he starts calling the MiLB office, or maybe even travels to visit (which also costs unexpected money and time). The MiLB team will say ‘we haven’t thought about it yet’ or ‘we are crazy busy’ or some variation of the ‘cheque is in the mail’.</p>
<p>At the next internal meeting, the Farm Director will have yet to present a signed contract and will <em>really</em> start to sweat. The relationships and affiliate consistency are his responsibility and his boss now might have to step in to help him out. He now will have to begin unexpected research and see what else is out there, just in case. They might send good players from other affiliates to help them make a push for the second half playoffs or to tangibly show them they care.</p>
<h3><strong><b>Deadline &amp; Two-Week Period</b></strong></h3>
<p>At the end of the MiLB season, a team that aspires to become a free agent (for lack of better term) has to submit a form to the Minor League Baseball head office stating this intention. Two weeks will go by and then they will receive an email from the head office stating who else did the same and the timeline to officially talk to other teams. During those two weeks, some agreements get renewed because teams are too nervous to change and their gossip search didn’t yield very helpful intel.</p>
<p>The very biggest fear is that this gamble doesn’t pay off and the team is left like the last person at the dance. It will cost time, money, and credibility if they downgrade. Not to mention, if it doesn’t work, they have to repeat the process 18 months later. They will have to learn how new teams work, do their payments, if they are effective communicators, are they available 24/7, etc…</p>
<h3><strong><b>Onset of Free Agency</b></strong></h3>
<p>The email with the list of other available teams is sent at 730am EST. My favourite experience was an unexpected MLB team calling my cell at 732am and letting me know to pick them up from the airport at 930am. They had heard good things about us and wanted to see if we could be the right fit.</p>
<p>I took them to our gym, a few housing families to check out the homes, to the ballpark to check out the training room, field, and clubhouse, and then for dinner with our ownership group. At dinner, they told their bosses that this was the right fit. Within 48 hours their team owner, GM, and Farm Director were at our stadium for a press conference announcing our new partnership, how excited they were to be a part of the city and community, how many great things they had heard about our fans, and how they looked forward to winning for them.</p>
<p>To their credit, this team maintained most of their promises and the affiliation still lives strong to this day. That day, I received a call from another team, albeit not with the same urgency and research. It was only an introductory call, so the decision for our owner was easy.</p>
<h3><strong><b>Behind The Curtain</b></strong></h3>
<p>This deserves its own separate article, further to the <a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/12/08/the-importance-of-a-strong-milb-relationship/" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline">other one</span></a> I wrote, because a lot of work goes in to make sure all the small stuff is taken care of before the season. The first thing I do during an affiliate change is order new business cards for the staff, so they can proudly show off their new partner.</p>
<p>The second thing is order our new MLB partner’s patches for our 200 on-field jerseys and hats, so they arrive nice and early to sew them on. After a few local media requests for both teams, maybe some lunch, everyone goes their own separate ways to handle their individual duties.</p>
<p>The MLB head trainer plans a separate meeting with the MiLB GM to go over exercise equipment, medication and how they will space out the clubhouse. The stadium ops team has to take down every single logo of the old affiliate and replace it with a new one. This includes little things like on jerseys, the box office, clubhouse carpeting, merchandise, program stands, and the field, just to name a few. The marketing and sales team does the same with its website and sales collateral like ticket forms and schedules.</p>
<p>There is a lot of risk that is involved with this particular portion of the industry, and a lot of times it is better to stay put then to move. That said, there are definitely <a href="https://twitter.com/EugeneEmeralds/status/794039525278248960" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline">rewards</span></a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/bcreekastros/status/926068544906940416" target="_blank"><span style="text-decoration: underline">perks</span></a> to taking that risk.</p>
<p><em>Lead Photo © Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports</em></p>
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		<title>The Importance of a Strong Relationship with MiLB Affiliates</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/12/08/the-importance-of-a-strong-milb-relationship/</link>
		<comments>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/12/08/the-importance-of-a-strong-milb-relationship/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 08 Dec 2017 15:59:06 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jason Takefman]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Featured]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=14535</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[As the business of baseball grows and fans become more educated, a facet that is growing in importance is the working relationship between the MLB &#38; MiLB affiliates. As we have mentioned, traditionally, most minor league teams work hard to insulate their business should that relationship not be very sturdy or should they not receive much help from [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As the business of baseball grows and fans become more educated, a facet that is growing in importance is the working relationship between the MLB &amp; MiLB affiliates.</p>
<p>As <a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/07/14/why-some-minor-league-baseball-teams-dont-want-to-win-it-all/">we have mentioned,</a> traditionally, most minor league teams work hard to <a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/04/20/why-smart-teams-stadiums-are-never-empty/">insulate their business</a> should that relationship not be very sturdy or should they not receive much help from their MLB club.</p>
<p>Speaking very broadly, a strong working relationship could be built on the following, at minumum:</p>
<ul>
<li>MLB team sends their affiliate good on-field players</li>
<li>Team has a field staff with good leadership that helps out with community initiatives like kids camps, hospital visits and post-game player autographs</li>
<li>Players stay out of trouble off the field</li>
</ul>
<p>There are also rare situations where the two clubs share a geographic, historic, or national connection that works in both teams’ favours.</p>
<p>Relevant examples are the Rome Braves –playing just 60 miles away from Atlanta &#8211; owned by the MLB club, the <a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/05/05/an-milb-experience-at-its-best-in-sacramento/">Sacramento River Cats</a> affiliated with the San Francisco Giants just 80 miles away, and for Blue Jays fans, having the only current Canadian MiLB team being their affiliate in Vancouver.</p>
<p>Those synergies make logical sense.</p>
<p>While those anomalies are increasing, they are still few and far between. Changing affiliates and the tight deadline process involved is a topic that merits its own article – which I will cover next &#8211; but for now, let’s look at a few characteristics of a standard affiliation and how it affects the MiLB team.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><b>A Bad Relationship Takes Up A Lot of Resources </b></h3>
<p>Behind the curtains, a lot of work goes into an affiliation. Some MLB teams bring their own weights, hot tubs, medicine, batting cages, and other elements so their players have access to all the proper amenities. Some teams even hire special chefs or get their meals catered to make sure the players have proper nutrition.</p>
<p>As a result, changing an affiliation is like moving houses. Think of how time consuming, costly, and shameful it would be if you had to move every two years. That is what it is like changing affiliates. Not only does the MLB team have to send someone – usually a trainer or strength coach – to pack up everything, but the MiLB affiliate also has to have someone to supervise or determine what items belong to whom.</p>
<p>It could get messy.</p>
<p>In addition, the MLB merchandise the MiLB team has purchased is now useless. Obviously, the rational and logical thing to do is have the new major league affiliate buy some of the stuff off of the previous one, seeing as how there is so much overlap amongst the items. But teams are leery of sharing secrets, even in the minors, so they don’t mind spending the extra money and time to keep their own belongings.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><b>Fans Could View Change As An Insult</b></h3>
<p>If fans see that their MLB affiliate is changing every two or four years (the standard contractual length per the Collective Bargaining Agreement), it signals to them that <i>their team, THEIR city</i> is not a desirable location.</p>
<p>The emotions might range from their city not being good enough to feeling ripped off because they might have just purchased a hat or jersey with the MLB club logo on it. That doesn’t even include the time some of the fans might have invested in following a new club daily, or even travelling to other affiliates.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><b>Front Office/Ownership Looks Bad</b></h3>
<p>Imagine not being able to hold down a job for more than 18 months at a time, or constantly having to move apartments every two years. That is essentially how changing affiliates appears from the outside.</p>
<p>It is embarrassing to roll out the red carpet for a team and then have them leave town and certainly not the type of PR teams want to generate. Also, it looks bad amongst the minor league community as word could circulate that your field is poor, your stadium isn’t up to standard, your coaching staff does not like their interactions with the staff, and all things related to their negative experiences. Also, don’t underestimate how owners feel at League and Winter Meetings when they are the butt of the joke amongst other owners, and within their social circles at their golf clubs, gyms, and friends.</p>
<p>More often then not, they bought the team as a way to do something good in the community, so this negative press is disheartening.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><b>Consistency is Key</b></h3>
<p>If a bad relationship takes up a lot of resources, a good one saves them. Just as a bad relationship takes time and might make the city and team look bad, the inverse is true for a sustained affiliation.</p>
<p>For a long term relationship, the GM of the MLB club will come to the minor league city for a Hot Stove event in the off-season and/or for opening day and tell the local media and fans how happy they are with the affiliation and publicly declare they are extending it moving forward. A side effect that relationship is that fans start following the MLB club, meaning that club starts to develop new fans. The MLB club is investing in them, so the fans are reciprocating.</p>
<p>Like a valuable player on field, if both sides are happy, there should be a concerted effort to not let the contract go into the final year and to instead work towards an extension. Also similar to a player on field, sometimes the grass isn’t always greener on the other side and it might make sense for both teams to swallow their pride and to work through any challenges.</p>
<p>We have all seen a team with a star player in a good position think they could do much better, maybe save some money, or get too technical with analytics to rationalize why a player isn’t worth that extra year. Well, those thought processes go on inside an MiLB front office. The owners think the MLB team isn’t sending them good enough players and not helping them make money. Many times those thoughts might be correct, but it might net out as a negative result to try and see what exists on the other side.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><b>Strong Communication</b></h3>
<p>This is applicable to all working relationships in all industries, but I will give two examples of how this sometimes goes awry. Thankfully, these examples never happened to me, but people in the industry talk.</p>
<p>Many years ago, an MiLB team had a player that was going to fail a drug test. That player was going to get a 50 game suspension, and perhaps worse have his credibility shattered and professional momentum stunted. The player and big league club were informed of the failed test by the league and told that the results would be made public within a few days.</p>
<p>However, nobody told the MiLB club, who had to deal with the media and fan backlash.</p>
<p>One day before it was going to go public, a member of the minor league front office found out through that player’s housing family. Needless to say, that didn’t sit well with the MiLB club, and they were livid with their major league affiliate. They didn’t have time to prepare a media statement, a proper exit for the player, or deal with things internally.</p>
<p>Things started to go south with that relationship and they never signed another extension.</p>
<p>The second example is through payments. Essentially, the minor league team fronts the cost for travel, transportation, and a few other costs, and the big league club reimburses them. It is commonly known as The PDC (Player Development Contract). When a relationship is good, there are no sneaky accounting tricks by either side.</p>
<p>With one team many years ago, the field staff tried to submit their meal receipts on the PDC and have their bosses pay for it, as opposed to it coming out of their own pockets. Now, my friend who worked in the MiLB front office took offense to it, not because they tried, but because ‘how stupid could I be for missing $1200 worth of Applebee’s receipts over the course of 4 months’.</p>
<p>Needless to say, in a good working relationship, that doesn’t happen.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><b>Need To Be All In</b></h3>
<p>I have been a part of affiliations where the MLB club doesn’t care if they win, doesn’t send top players, and is not really interested in the market. There is nothing wrong with that at all. In fact, it is common and expected out of the relationship, as we <a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/03/20/the-panic-going-on-in-your-favourite-minor-league-stadium-right-now/">covered</a>.</p>
<p>Fans, however, can tell when the relationship is strong. Public cues are usually the MLB team sending former players to sign autographs and be ambassadors, giving tickets to staff and housing families, for giveaways online and on radio shows, and sending the same on-field staff year after year.</p>
<p>The latter is key, as the staff will ceremoniously arrive and say how much they love spending their summers here, how this is their second home, they love the fans and community, and all of this validated by the fact they keep returning! It is literally walking the talk, and it goes along way with the locals.</p>
<p>Larger cues are fans wearing merchandise from the MLB club. The MLB ownership and front office will treat the MiLB city’s media very well and grant them access, interviews, and time, and the <a href="https://www.milb.com/milb/news/hosts-make-players-feel-at-home/c-5280810?tid=185364810">former players</a> rave <a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/05/17/where-do-milb-players-live-during-the-season/">about their experience</a> there.</p>
<p>In a long-term partnership, the MLB club sees its affiliate as an extension of themselves, and a way to market the team, grow their fanbase, all while developing players.</p>
<p><em>Lead Photo © Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports</em></p>
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		<title>Why It&#8217;s Important to Have a Great Team Mascot</title>
		<link>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/11/16/why-its-important-to-have-a-great-team-mascot/</link>
		<comments>http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/11/16/why-its-important-to-have-a-great-team-mascot/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 16 Nov 2017 12:10:07 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Jason Takefman]]></dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Articles]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/?p=14166</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[When I detail the value and importance of a team mascot, I typically receive one of two reactions. Those who think it is silly and irrelevant smile condescendingly, and those who get it, who understand how important the mascot is to the development of the team’s brand, and how rigorous the actual job is for the [&#8230;]]]></description>
				<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>When I detail the value and importance of a team mascot, I typically receive one of two reactions. Those who think it is silly and irrelevant smile condescendingly, and those who <em>get it</em><i>, </i>who understand how important the mascot is to the development of the team’s brand, and how rigorous the actual job is for the person in the costume.</p>
<p>There is often no middle ground in their reactions.</p>
<p>A mascot is not just a way for an MiLB team to interact with kids: it connects with people, establishes and furthers a team’s identity and message, and creates a positive image and conditioned promise to the general public.</p>
<p>If you don’t believe me, think of how many global companies have <a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/97/M%2526M_spokescandies.jpeg">established mascots</a> <a href="http://vignette4.wikia.nocookie.net/p__/images/9/9b/Tony.gif/revision/latest?cb=20120624225612&amp;path-prefix=protagonist">that everyone</a> <a href="http://jewel925.com/wp-content/uploads/HomepageCleaningProductsSolutions.jpg">around</a> <a href="https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/p__/images/4/4b/Energizer-bunny.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20170211045003&amp;path-prefix=protagonist">the world</a> <a href="https://md.proty.re/v/v_2017_10_27_1600/7023257/img/store/michelin_us/exit/main-navigation/WhyMichelin.jpg">could identify</a>.</p>
<p>We have covered the <a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/07/14/why-some-minor-league-baseball-teams-dont-want-to-win-it-all/">major difference</a> between MLB and MiLB, but a strong mascot allows those MLB teams to still create a great experience for fans even if they aren’t winning, and to also engage young fans that are too young to know the score but still want a pleasant sensory overload.</p>
<p>Coming back to the MiLB lens, seeing a giant, friendly stuffed animal makes kids smile. When kids have a good time, and tickets are affordable, a family will come back. The necessity for family friendly prices and value is touched upon <a href="http://toronto.locals.baseballprospectus.com/2017/04/05/how-your-favourite-minor-league-team-is-preparing-for-2017-giveaways/">here</a>, but that topic merits its own article, so I won’t go into extensively now.</p>
<p>Let’s look at a few key factors needed for a team to have a strong mascot.</p>
<h3></h3>
<h3><b>How Teams Pick A Mascot</b></h3>
<p>There are two things at play here. One is the actual mascot design and the other is the person who <i>plays</i> the mascot and wears the costume.</p>
<h4></h4>
<h4>Mascot Design</h4>
<p>More then the players, the mascot is the face of the team, a living, breathing embodiment of the logo; someone fans can identify in the ballpark and the community. Teams and even non-sports companies have opened up their <a href="http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/hillsboro-hops-unveil-barley-as-team-mascot/n-4627429">mascot design to fans,</a> to allow the general public to pick how they their mascot could look.</p>
<p>Financially, smart teams know how to monetize their mascot through sponsorship <a href="http://www.gettyimages.ca/detail/photo/the-nations-football-club-mascots-race-high-res-stock-photography/139798144?esource=SEO_GIS_CDN_Redirect">logos on its jersey</a>, <a href="http://pelicans.milbstore.com/store_contents.cfm?store_id=102&amp;dept_id=4660&amp;product_id=24467">retail merchandise for kids</a>, and <a href="https://i.ebayimg.com/thumbs/images/g/K0YAAOSwImRYhlOz/s-l225.jpg">mascot-branded giveaways</a>. As mentioned above, it is <a href="https://worldofwarships.com/en/news/common/wows-mascot-campaign/">not just sports teams</a> that see the value of having a mascot. The business world is also taking notice of its importance.</p>
<p>The mascot is so important to the industry and inclusion to their city that a few companies are beginning to specialize specifically in this aspect of the business.</p>
<h4></h4>
<h4>Mascot Employee</h4>
<p>The person <i>in</i> the mascot outfit obviously needs to be energetic, but they also have to understand the role the mascot plays. Similar to a good salesperson, they have go out and seek opportunities.</p>
<p>For example, kids to high five, opportunities for photo ops, being chased by fans, and infants to stare at while they become accustomed to a giant furry animal in front of them.</p>
<p>Keep in mind, the majority of their work is in a heavy outfit in the middle of the summer, so to say the outfit gets hot is an understatement. Most outfits have room inside for ice packs and even a fan in the head. Very few things are more annoying than not being able to wipe sweat off your actual face when you are in the mascot costume.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><b>It&#8217;s a Full-Year Job</b></h3>
<p>I took incredible pride in how our teams’ mascots were portrayed and how often we took it into the community.  Our mascot would go to birthday parties, civic parades, Little League Opening Days, children’s hospitals, and events around the city. We even unexpectedly went to see elderly fans in the hospital.</p>
<p>We went everywhere, it was our way of saying: &#8220;‘we are YOUR team, not just in-season. You are not too far away and inconvenient for us, we hope that we are not too far away for you’.&#8221;</p>
<p>It’s easy for teams to NOT attend that 8am Saturday appearance 45 minutes away. Trust me when I tell you, those appearances are where teams generate the most amount of credibility. Showing the community we cared, and not just going to primetime events in the heart of the city, built a ton of emotional equity and integrity to our team.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><b>Those who know, <i>know </i></b></h3>
<p>People that have worked with companies and teams that have a mascot understand its importance, prestige of the position, and how careful and meticulous the position needs to be.</p>
<p>An example of this is I was recently a reference for a former mascot (let’s call him Dan). This job had nothing to do with being a mascot; it wasn’t even with a sports team. The HR representative had kids and had been to his local MiLB stadium a few times and completely understood how much Dan had to learn about consistency, following instructions, always being ‘on’, being the symbol of the organization, and the nature and importance of the mascot.</p>
<p>Needless to say, this experience was vital for Dan. To this day, he is incredibly grateful for the opportunity to learn all the valuable traits of being a mascot.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><b>Secrecy</b></h3>
<p>Many companies do not even allow the person in the mascot to tell people they are the mascot. On their resume or LinkedIn, they are in ‘community relations’ or ‘HR’ or some long explanation about creating memories through sport.</p>
<p>That is because those companies want to maintain the aura of the mascot, and not have another face associated with it.</p>
<p>I know of a few large corporations, with brand name global mascots known throughout the world, with the following protocol:</p>
<ul>
<li>They cannot tell people their job</li>
<li>They cannot change in front of others, so nobody knows who they are</li>
<li>They cannot be in the same room as other mascots because they want to be the center of attention</li>
<li>They have to enter a building through a back door, or somewhere away from the public, so nobody sees them walking around with a super large bag</li>
</ul>
<p>Ideally, a team has a mascot or team van with no seats in the back so the mascot can get changed inside and then magically pop out of the car to surprise kids and fans.</p>
<p>From a financial perspective, a mascot van not only serves as a marketing tool at all of their appearances, but also serves as a great sponsorship opportunity; many team vans have company logos on them.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><b>T</b><b>hink of Your Own Memories</b></h3>
<p>Sports fans typically don’t think about mascots as important, but if they think to their childhood, they&#8217;ll likely have fond memories of their local mascot, or highlight reels of clips and bloopers of iconic mascots like the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jot6jMuJti4">San Diego Chicken</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pf6WSanqyvs">Philly Fanatic</a>, and two-sport star <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIC1OKMjHRU">Youppi</a>!</p>
<p>The latter is even in the rare company of getting <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pmzeK6oAtkk">thrown out of a game,</a> perfectly described <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/radio/day6/episode-352-pardoning-sheriff-joe-tossing-youppi-sidelining-kaepernick-staying-in-afghanistan-and-more-1.4257608/jonah-keri-saw-a-lot-of-expos-games-this-one-was-the-weirdest-1.4257633">here</a>. How’s THAT for important!</p>
<p>People really appreciate when something they love goes out of their way and over-delivers for them. It not only makes a great memory and photo, but also helps makes fans for life.</p>
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