From the Desk of the GM - Apr. 20, 2009

“A Blog about Blogs”

Since I started this whole blogging thing in January, I’ve been reading other blogs that are out there. I’ve found a few that I enjoy reading on a regular basis, either to find some promotional or ticket sales ideas, to find some future blog ideas or just to read about topics that I am interested in. Here are some of my favourites thus far:

Lakewood Blue Claws Baseball Club (South Atlantic League)

Brooklyn Cyclones Baseball Club (New York Penn League)

Both the Cyclones and the Blue Claws do a lot of things very well, which is why they are on my list of blogs to check up on. The Cyclones last year averaged 7,172 fan per game, more than 600 fans per game more than the second highest averaging team. Two of their promotions this summer that caught my eye are; one game this summer they will change their name to the “Baracklyn Cyclones” in honor of President Obama. At another game, called “Bellies & Baseball” the Cyclones will salute pregnant women and will feature promotions such as expectant moms walking the bases barefoot and a “craving station” where pickles, ice cream and anchovy pizza will be served. My favourite idea for this promotion is if someone actually gives birth at the ballpark by the end of the game, everyone in their family receives free season tickets for life. The Cyclones blog features various staff members who contribute to this often humorous blog. I can admit that I’ve borrowed a few ideas from this blog for my own.

The Blue Claws are also tops in attendance in the South Atlantic League and have some great ideas when it comes to promotions and value-added initiatives.

“Ben’s Biz” – written by Benjamin Hill, a writer for MiLB.com. Ben has some great stuff from around the minor leagues. Two things that Ben does that I enjoy reading is his minor league promotions preview. On the weekly preview page, Ben highlights his “Top 10 Upcoming Promotions” and then does a review of one of the promos that he had previewed. There are some very interesting promos happening around the minor leagues, some that would only have regional appeal and some that we could “borrow” for our market.

“Baseball Nerd” – written by Keith Olbermann, host of “Countdown with Keith Olbermann” an hour-long nightly news and commentary television program on MSNBC. Longtime journalist and sportscaster, Mr. Olbermann reports from around the majors on a variety of topics. Often very humorous and frequently with a bit of an edge.

“The Spence Report” – written by Spencer Fordin, beat writer for MLB.com. A blog about the Baltimore Orioles. I like to keep tabs on former Goldeyes pitcher George Sherrill and his team.

Baseball, The Yankees, and Life… – written by Jimmy Curran. What can I say, I’ve been a Yankees fan for as long as I can remember.

If you’ve come across some good baseball blogs, please leave a comment with the link.

Until next time…
-- Andrew