Spikes pitch recession specials

Guy Cipriano

The State College Spikes hope a fresh promotional tactic helps the franchise endure — and possibly flourish — during the recession.

CDT/Michelle Bixby

Spikes fans line up to get players' autographs during the first annual Meet the Team Pep Rally at Medlar Field Thursday, June 18, 2009. CDT/Michelle Bixby

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The Spikes are touting daily value promotions as they begin their fourth season tonight against the Williamsport Cross-cutters at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. The promotions have replaced minor league baseball staples such as giveaways, traveling entertainment acts and fireworks as ways to increase crowd sizes.

“I think the concept really comes from need,” Spikes President Todd Parnell said. “Even though a lot of us are goofballs, we have a pretty good sense of what’s going on in our world, country and region. You don’t have to be a rocket

scientist to know that people want value these days.”

The Spikes offerings range from “Dollar Dog Mondays” to “Kids Eat Free Thursdays.” Other New York-Penn League teams, including the Crosscutters, are adopting similar concepts.

Both central Pennsylvania franchises thrusted the packages to the forefront of their 2009 marketing campaigns.

The Spikes, who are handling their own concessions for the first time in team history, will sell half-price beers, small sodas, hot dogs and hamburgers on Wednesdays. Food serves as the center of the Crosscutters’ “Messing with Recession” package, with the team offering senior citizens and kids eat free nights along with dollar nights and multiple half-price beer specials.

“We hope it keeps people coming to the ballpark,” Crosscutters director of marketing and public relations Gabe Sinicropi said. “Obviously, the cost is pretty substantial. We aren’t bringing in as many entertainment acts. We are putting more promotional money into giving people free food. We’ll see how it does.”

Judging by the performances of full-season teams, the promotions could prevent significant attendance drops.

Despite a sluggish economy, full-season teams averaged 3,924 fans per game in April and May, a less than 1 percent decrease from last year’s total, according to numbers released by Minor League Baseball.

The Double-A Eastern League, which includes teams in Altoona, Erie, Harrisburg and Reading, experienced a 6.5 percent attendance increase through May.

The Altoona franchise, which was sold from the group that operates the Spikes to the family of former owner Bob Lozinak last December, also offers a series of value promotions, ranging from “Two-For- Tuesdays” to “Thirsty Thursdays.” The Curve, whose staff featured current Spikes General Manager Jason Dambach and Parnell until the sale of the franchise, started implementing value promotions last season.

“We know in minor league baseball we have a product that’s not going to break people’s banks,” Dambach said. “Vacations aren’t being taken by families, but they still need to be entertained.

“They are going to look to us because minor league baseball throughout its 100- plus years of history is still the best value in town.”

Some teams have added corporate twists to their value packages. The Mahoning Valley (Ohio) Scrappers, who play in the same New York-Penn League division as the Spikes, found a bank to sponsor its “Buck Night” and pizza chain to sponsor its “Kids Eat Free” promotion.

The Scrappers face significant challenges for fan and corporate support because they play in Trumbull County, Ohio, which recorded a 14.3 percent unemployment rate in April, according to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Centre County, by comparison, recorded a 5.7 percent unemployment rate.

Still, the Scrappers front office enters this season optimistic about the team’s appeal.

“We’re really confident we can have success,” General Manager Dave Smith said. “We think we can maintain, if not increase our numbers at the box office. We’re being more aggressive with our product.”

If teams maintain or increase attendance figures, value packages might become more than a response to a weak economy.

“Gone are the days that people are going to get off the couch and come out for a figurine,” Dambach said. “People are used to fireworks. They want more. That’s what we are going to give them.”