July 30, 2008

I guess you could say we are into what is often called the “dog days” of the baseball season.  Those are the days when the summer heat seems to wear both players and fans down a little and the players often find themselves fighting through the mid-season lull that seems to come after the all-star game.  Soon, though, they get their “second wind” and head down the “stretch run” for the playoffs!

It looks like that is happening with the Cats.   We had our lull and now the team is gearing up for the post season.  As most of you know, the Cats won the first half championship.  So… that guarantees our appearance in the playoffs again in 2008.

Now, the league rules for playoff rosters are on the top of the mind of every field manager and player personnel person whose team is in contention for the 2008 American Association post season.  Playoff rosters are frozen on August 13, ten days before the end of the regular season.   So it is important for all contending teams to decide if they are ready to go into the post season with the team “as is” or if they feel they can shore up a weak spot with a late season pickup from a non-contender or a free agent.

The injury situation is also a factor.   It could be that someone is recovering from an injury and may be ready to play in the post season, in which case you may have him on the disabled list.  However, if you plan to re-instate him and you are at the full active limit, you will have to decide who is going to be released.

Trades and acquisitions are not allowed during the last ten days of the season or during the post season.   Our league President Dan Moushon monitors the rosters very closely to be sure that teams do not break this rule and also that we do not sign players who do not fit into our roster rules for experience, salary cap, etc.

I think I’ve explained before that there is a strict formula for the number of experienced players and various levels of experience that each team must adhere to.  In a nutshell, we can only have four veterans (that is players with 5 or more years of professional experience) and only four LS-4 (four years) and we MUST have four rookies.  The remaining players may be from one to three years of experience, however one of them must have just ONE year.  It is a little more complex than this, but I won’t bore you with the details….such as the salary cap that has to fit into this and the fact that we can sign an extra five year guy if we only have three four year guys, but that guy can’t have MORE than five years…. and some other stuff about rookies who have only played in our league, etc. etc.  …… that’s it in a nutshell.

Therefore, when considering roster moves, Chad Tredaway cannot simply “go out and find another pitcher”… for example.   He may have a slot open for a pitcher with one to three years experience so that is exactly what he has to find.

These rules are set forth to maintain competitive balance in the league and to keep teams from loading up on older players.   One of the ideas behind a league like ours is to provide young players with opportunities to showcase their skills.  If the league were filled with 30-35 year old guys who are often, frankly, on the downside of their career, it would truthfully deteriorate into a product on the field which some fans might describe as a bunch of “has beens”. 

As it is, we have a very good product.  Our teams are generally made up of youthful and enthusiastic young men who are enjoying the experience of minor league baseball and trying their best to win for the hometown fans.   One of the most gratifying parts of this business of independent baseball is to be a part of the competitive atmosphere and watch how the players handle the pressure while at the same time enjoying the experience of playing the game they love on a professional level.

I want to share a letter with you.  It was written to Carl Bell from Mr. John C. Molyneux.  Mr. Molyneux is the father of John Molyneux who was just such an addition to our roster late last season.  Young John joined the team for the “stretch run” and the playoffs and was instrumental in helping us to our 2008 league championship.  I am typing the letter word-for-word exactly as Mr. Molyneux penned it.  After you’ve read this letter, you will understand what really motivates someone like Carl Bell… and you will know that it is NOT and has NEVER BEEN about money.

 Dear Mr. Bell,My son, John Molyneux, got his 2007 championship ring about two weeks ago right befor our family bar-b-que.  He was excited to show everyone in the family how beautiful the ring is he received for winning the championship.

We can count on some exciting playoff action again this year at LaGrave Field.  We will host the first two games of the Southern Division playoffs on Monday and Tuesday, August 25 and 26.   If we are successful in the first round, we would then host the first two games of the Championship Series against the Northern Division Champion on Monday and Tuesday, September 1 and 2.  (Monday, September 1 is Labor Day this year.)

For now, keep an eye on the roster as Chad sets the team for the post season…. I think we’re pretty close but we are one under the limit right now, so you could see an addition if the right guy becomes available.  And….. let’s root the Cats through these “dog days” and into the playoffs!

Tickets are on sale now!

More soon.

JPD

The Cats are trailing the Pelicans 8-2 in the eighth inning of tonight’s game as I write.

It is never fun to be trailing in a game and really NOT fun when the score is 8-2.  We have beaten Pensacola 14 out of 15 times this season.  The odds of us winning yet another game against the Pelicans are getting longer every day.   After tonight, we have the three day all-star break and it is much needed by the Cats.   We have a couple of starters with some tired arms and a sore shoulder.  We have relievers who have pitched way too many games in recent days.  Tonight, Tim Haines is coming in to relieve Lee Gwaltney despite the fact that he started a game just two nights ago.   Our pitching staff is tired and depleted.  We need the three day break.

We are going to have to get some things in order before the roster freeze deadling in order to be in top shape for the playoffs.  You can be sure that Chad Tredaway is keely aware of that.

Our core group is solid.  We need one more big hitter to help us break open those big innings and we need some help in middle relief.  Look for moves to be made in those areas.  Rosters are frozen two weeks before the playoffs, so we will need to get our house in order by August 9.

I do like our team and I think we have a good chance to take it all the way once again, even though the odds are stacked against such an occurrence.  Not to mention, just about everyone else in the league would like to have a different champ.  There is no doubt that the Cats have targets on their backs.

There are several very good ballclubs in the league and when it comes down to a best of five series, anyone can win.  It takes a solid effort combined with a few breaks to win a championship.  That’s just a fact.

One of the most interesting phenomenon is how fickle some fans can be.  When we are going good, many people will compliment the team.  When we are going bad, you can see people shaking their heads and you hear people yelling at the manager, the team and yes… even blaming the umpires.  As I’ve said before… the beauty of the game is that it is an every day game and we have to maintain a balance each day.  It is a game that mirrors life…. like the song says…. “some days are diamonds, some days are coal”…..

But when it comes to blaming the umps…..  we should never blame the umps for any failures by the Cats.  The umpires are just like the players.  They are working hard to do the very best job possible.  If you have ever felt like yelling at the umps, and who hasn’t,  you should think about it.

First, think about the fact that these are young men who are aspiring to be at the top of their profession.  They all want to be major league umpires.  They spend the summer driving all around the country in their own vehicles to get to the various league cities.  They spend EVERY night in a hotel room.  Unlike the players, they do not have homestands, during which they can stay in their own apartments, with their family or friends around them.  They are on the road from the first day of the season to the last.  It is, indeed, a lonely and difficult experience.  

Then, take into consideration that they really don’t have any “fans”.  Every fan in the stands is pretty much ready to jump on them if they feel they missed a call, or a pitch.  I think it is interesting how fans tend to de-humanize the umps.  Not only do the umps find no friends in the grandstand, they aren’t exactly buddies with the guys in the dugouts either….. of course, they have to maintain objectivity and that means keeping their distance from the players and managers.   Each team is required to provide hotel accomodations for the umpires.  We are also asked to provide those accomodations at a hotel which is different from that which houses the visiting team.  This is done to maintain that professional distance from the players

Our American Association umps are a clean-cut group of young men who are just trying to live the American dream of pursuing a very lofty career goal.  That is to achieve something that is very difficult and rare accomplishment…. to become a major league umpire.  Believe it or not, it is far more difficult to become a major league umpire than a major league player.  Major league umps stay on the job a lot longer than players, so the opportunities for those openings are few and far between.  These young men are the sons of proud parents who worry about them every day.  I can only imagine how worried I would be if one of my two sons wanted to spend summer after summer driving around the country working night after night in a hot minor league ballpark.  If I were to sit in the stands and listen to some of things people were saying to my son, I would have to be restrained!

Do they miss calls?  Sure they do.  So do the best umps in the world… in the major leagues.

As you might imagine, I have an intense interest in the outcome of each and every play of our season.  (That is partially why I remain in the press level for most games.  My wife, Lois, would tell you that I am a little too intense.  I know, but I can’t help it.)  …. That said, I sincerely believe that our umpires are excellent.  They are competent, well trained professionals who have proven to be very reliable and capable on a day-in and day-out basis.  We never worry about the umpires.  They are here, looking sharp and ready to go every night… rock solid and dependable.  I tip my hat to our director of officials, Kevin Winn and the entire American Association umpiring staff.

It is an age-old tradition to yell at the umps.  It will never stop.  But when all is said and done….. let us tip our caps to this fine group of young men who come to LaGrave Field every night committed to excellence in their profession and thank them for the role they play in our great game in general and at our beautiful little ballpark in particular.�

JPD  Â

July 15, 2008

Tonight is the Major League All-Star Game.   I am watching the pre-game at LaGrave Field as the Cats prepare to take on the Wichita Wingnuts.   What a silly name for a baseball team.  I don’t care for it, and I don’t mind saying so.  Many teams these days continue to try to come up with the most ridiculous name thinking they will be the next big thing with their logo and their merchandise, etc.

Call me old-fashioned, but I don’t care for the crazy nicknames like Wingnuts, WartHogs, AirHogs, Saltdogs, etc.   I also don’t like the names like Wind, Fury, Fire, Sun, and other elemental things. 

I like good old-fashioned names like Cats, Cubs, Yankees, Dodgers, Rangers, etc.   I guess that’s just my age talkiing.  The “Sox” names are also good…. White Sox, Red Sox in the majors…. here are some good “Sox” names from minor league history:   Amarillo Gold Sox, Reno Silver Sox, Utica Blue Sox…. all good names. 

But… I digress….  It is a great night in the baseball world.  The pre-game ceremony at Yankee Stadium tonight was the best I have ever seen.  Pre-game ceremonies are the best part of All-Star Games.  This one was one of the best.  I have to admit that I teared-up when “The Boss” was brought onto the field in a golf cart to deliver the balls for the first pitch ceremony.  I have heard that George Steinbrenner has Alzheimer’s.  I don’t know if this has been confirmed, but obviously, he is not the man he used to be.  It was truly an emotional moment.

What was particularly thrilling to me was the fact that there were several Hall-of-Famers on the field who have been seen at LaGrave Field in recent times.

I saw Dick Williams, who was here in June.  I saw Fergie Jenkins, who was here last year as well as Bob Feller and Harmon Killebrew who were also here recently.  It is just awesome to think that all of these baseball greats and others, like Duke Snider, Sparky Anderson, Maury Wills and Sam McDowell, who have been at our beautiful little ballpark in recent times.

What a great thing we have going here in Fort Worth.  Our special little ballpark has already hosted many great monents in its short modern history.   In addition to the many hall-of-famers we have already had as visitors, we have seen the 2004 Central League All-Star Game as well as three Championships and many, many other exciting games.  A list of the most memorable for me would include the first ever game in 2002, the aforementioned All-Star Game, the championship clinching games of 2005 and 2007, and the most recent 4th of July.  There have been many nights that I have been proud to be a Cat.

We are gearing up for the 2008 playoffs now.  It looks to be a very exciting time as the Cats try to win an unprecedented fourth consecutive championship.  It will be a challenge to accomplish something that has never been done before.  In fact, the Cats already hold the record in independent baseball having won three consecutive championships.

Right now we are fighting through some injuries both on our pitching staff and with our position players.  We will probably have to make a couple of player moves in order to shore up our roster for the playoffs.  Our league rules prohibit roster moves in the final two weeks of the season, so we will have to make some hard decisions in the next couple of weeks in order to be healthy and at full strength for the playoffs.

Tickets for the playoffs will go on sale in the next few days.  I hope you will be out here at the ballpark to root on the Cats.  You don’t want to miss it because we never know when the next great memorable moment will occur.

See you at the ballpark!      JPD

Some of you may have seen the “guest column” in this week’s Fort Worth Business Press.  I am grateful to the Business Press for accepting my submission.  Due to space limitations, the column is edited and thus some of the detail is lost.  The editors did a great job of keeping the meaning and intent of the piece, but I thought my blog readers might enjoy the subject in more detail.  Below is the detailed and “unedited” version…..    JPD

Minor League Baseball in Major League Markets

by:  John Dittrich, President and C.O.O. - Fort Worth Cats

 The City of Grand Prairie turned more than a few heads when it announced last year that it would build a baseball stadium to house a new independent minor league baseball team.  Among those who took notice was the Texas Rangers Baseball Club.  Rangers management was concerned that the addition of another minor league franchise just six miles from the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington would cut into their fan base. 

 Ironically, when the Rangers made their concerns public and actually made a financial investment in an effort to stop the construction of the Grand Prairie facility, it effectively backfired.  The “David vs. Goliath” sentiment was evoked and Grand Prairie voters reacted by endorsing the construction of the new facility in the entertainment district.  That is the acreage which already contained Lone Star Park and the Nokia Theatre. 

 The new facility is home to the Grand Prairie AirHogs.  The AirHogs are members of the American Association along with our Fort Worth Cats.  They have made a successful debut in 2008 under former Rangers’ star Pete Incaviglia, finishing second to the Cats in the first half of the 2008 season.  The AirHogs have attracted an average attendance of 2,800 per game for the first half of their inaugural season.  This compares to the Cats’ average of over 4,000 per game.  Industry experts would describe the Grand Prairie attendance figures as solid but not specatacular considering the fact that it is their “honeymoon” season and that the stadium in Grand Prairie is a very nice, state-of-the-art facility complete with a dozen luxury suites, a swimming pool and a cigar bar.

 These attendance figures raise a question prompted by a newspaper report that attendance at Texas Rangers games was down by an average number per game which was very close to the 6,800 fans currently being attracted by the Cats and AirHogs.  The obvious assumption is that these two minor league franchises are pulling the fans away from the Rangers. 

 I can say with a high degree of certainty, that nothing could be further from the truth.  You would expect me to take that position given my current position with the Fort Worth Cats, but I assure you, there is evidence to support this.

 It is a fact that minor league baseball has proven to be a “boon” to our major league bretheren in a majority of the current markets in MLB. 

It all began with one minor league team…. the Pawtucket Red Sox.   The “PawSox” have been operating very successfully less than 35 miles from Fenway Park for over 30 years.  They have been the Red Sox class AAA affiliate for decades, packing crowds into historic McCoy Stadium for years.  It is very obvious to any New Englander that the PawSox do not detract from the Red Sox, but rather they CREATE fans for the big league team. 

Then about 15 years ago, the Red Sox added YET ANOTHER affiliate club in the Boston suburb of Lowell, Massachussets.  The Lowell Spinners, in the short class A New York-Penn League, have been SOLD OUT for virtually every game in the history of the franchise!  LeLacheur Park in Lowell has a capacity of 5,000 fans and their average attendance is 5,030! 

Add to that the fact that the Red Sox class AA club is located in nearby Portland, Maine, less than 100 miles from Fenway.  The Portland SeaDogs play in another great minor league facility, Hadlock Field, which has its’ own version of Boston’s famed “Green Monster”.  The SeaDogs are currently averaging  over 5,500 fans per game. 

What have these teams done for the Red Sox?  They have helped, over the last two decades, to create what is known as “Red Sox Nation”.  These three teams are all clearly inside the Red Sox market and between them, attracting almost 20,000 fans per night!  Yet, it is nigh impossible to get a Boston Red Sox ticket at Fenway Park. 

 Now, you could argue that this is a unique phenomenon.  But you would be wrong!

 Over the last 20-25 years, dozens of minor league teams have found a niche in the suburban major league markets.   In virtually every case, these teams have ENHANCED interest in baseball in general and in the major league teams in those markets in particular. 

Take the case of the Kane County Cougars in suburban Chicago.  The Cougars set up shop in 1991 amidst a flood of skeptics who thought it would be impossible to attract fans in Chicago’s strong major league market with not one, but TWO MAJOR LEAGUE TEAMS, the Cubs and the White Sox. 

Not only did the Cougars succeed, but they have set a spectacular standard with average attendance over the last 16 years nearing 7,000 fans per game.   Their fabulous success has spawned not one, but no less than FIVE minor league franchises in suburban Chicago.  Today, in addition to the Cougars, there are new facilites and teams in the suburbs of Schaumburg, Crestwood, and Joliet in Illinois as well as Gary, Indiana.  All of these teams are attracting solid attendance numbers. 

Has this proliferation of minor league baseball in the Chicago suburbs had a negative effect on the Cubs or the White Sox?  Quite the opposite, both major league clubs in Chicago are experiencing record attendance numbers. 

Again, I cite this phenomenon is prevalent in many other major league markets:  

 Philadelphia has minor league teams just minutes from Citizens Bank Ballpark in Camden, Wilmington, Atlantic City and Trenton.

 New York has a proliferation of teams with teams in Newark, Montclair and Somerset on the Jersey side in addition to the Yankees very successful farm club in Staten Island, the Staten Island Yankees and the Mets thriving affiliate in Brooklyn, the Brooklyn Cyclones.

 The Seattle Mariners have established a solid base in the Pacific Northwest.  Their class AAA farm club is in South suburban Tacoma and they have a class A affiliate in the Northern suburb of Everett.

 We have yet dozens of additional situations such as the smashing success of our own St. Paul Saints just five miles from the Metrodome in Minneapolis, the very successful teams in Akron and Lake Coutny, Ohio near Cleveland, and two thriving ballclubs operating in the shadows of the new Busch Stadium in St. Louis.

The fact that Rangers’ President Nolan Ryan’s teams in Round Rock and Corpus Christi are Houston farm clubs cannot be ignored.  Although neither of these cities is an actual suburb of Houston, we cannot escape the fact that Houston is the nearest major league ballclub.

 The San Francisco bay area and greater Los Angeles are also home to many minor league teams.  Even “small market” Kansas City has the “T-Bones” operating very successfully in Kansas City, Kansas opposite the big league Royals on the Missouri side.

Now, the Atlanta Braves have also realized that having a minor league team within their market only serves to build interest in pro baseball and whet the appetite of fans to get out to the ballpark.  They are abandoning their long time affiliation with Richmond, Virginia in favor of a beautiful new facility in suburban Atlanta’s Gwinnet County which will house the Braves’ class AAA affiliate next season.  The Braves already have a class A affiliate playing in nearby Rome, Georgia.

 It has become obvious to many in both major and minor league baseball that the place to be is right in your own back yard!  Not only does it serve to stimulate interest in the game itself, it can also build fan loyalty as folks follow players through the organization on their way to the major league club. 

 The Rangers have done this in Frisco and there is evidence to suggest that it is working.  It will take a little more time for the totality of the fan loyalty effect.  But, the backlash against their opposition in Grand Prairie is good evidence that a good marketing strategy for the Rangers would be to embrace the Cats and the AirHogs…….   or maybe even more than “embrace”.

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY TO ALL!
Congratulations to our manager, coaches and players on a first half championship, clinching a spot in the post season!  It was a good run for the Cats and a lot of fun!

Now, we are off on the chase for the second half and the team had a good start, winning two of three in Shreveport.  As we’ve always said, if you can play .500 or a little better on the road and win at home, you are going to be contending for the top spot in the standings.

I know it has been a while, since I’ve blogged.  It is a very busy time of year for us at LaGrave Field.   Although the Cats have been on the road for the best part of the last two weeks, it doesn’t mean that our staff is not working hard! 

Speaking of working hard, one of our young staff members, who is very excited to be working for the Cats, was telling me that his friends are envious of his position with the Cats.  They often ask “how on earth did you get that job?” or, the ever popular…… “gee, that must be a lot of fun!”

Yes, we have fun, but sometimes it is hard to tell exactly when we are having fun!

For example, yesterday, I had a lot of fun at Sam’s Club.  We were there to pick up supplies for the locker room for the seven game homestand which starts today.  I was at Sam’s for about two hours loading a big flatbed cart with cases of granola bars, sunflower seeds, cleaning products, peanut butter and jelly, toothpaste, razors, paper plates, sliced turkey, bread, and other assorted items which are used by our players in the clubhouse.  Most people probably don’t even think about the amount of small, miscellaneous supplies which are needed in the locker room, but it can be a lot!  Our bill was over $350.00.  That will not last the enitre 7 days of the homestand because the guys will eat the turkey, bread, etc. in the first couple of days so we will be back at Sam’s again probably on Sunday.

We also stopped for more fun at Lowe’s while we were out. We needed stakes, nails, some white plastic chain and a host of other small items needed to prepare for today’s big game.   The Fort Worth Police Department requested that we not allow street parking this weekend in order to make exiting safer and more efficient when the huge crowd attempts to leave the stadium all at once tonight.  So we had to purchase two hundred stakes and our stadium operations folks were nailing the signs to the stakes and putting them out yesterday afternoon.

Upon arriving back at the ballpark with a truckload of supplies for the locker room and stadium operations people, we had a lot more fun unloading it in the 100 degree heat. �

That was followed by some real fun times….. our General Manager, John Bilbow had phoned while we were at Sam’s Club to inform us that when Frankie Gasca arrived at the park to upload some new things on the video board computer and check everything out in the sound and video booth in advance of the homestand, the video board was not “booting up”.  Now it is the eve of the biggest day of our season, and the big video screen is not working.  Of course, it is the afternoon of July 3 and we are NOT going to be able to get a service technician to come out on the afternoon before a holiday.  There are only a couple of people in the entire DFW area who are capable of diagnosing and repairing equipment such as this.  So, we are depending on Chris Howard, our IT director from the Bell Company (Carl Bell’s company) to try to figure it out.  Chris was here at the ballpark well into the night  on July 3 and back again this morning… still working on it… while my stress level is through the roof, of course!  Like I said… really FUN!

Another fun element right now is the fact that we are selling standing room only because every reserved seat and general admission ticket has been sold.  While it is fun to think about having a MONSTER crowd, it is NOT fun to be scolded by fans who are frustrated because we don’t have tickets in the reserved seating area even though they waited until the day of the game to buy the tickets.  Every person on our staff dreams of filling every seat, and they can get a little demoralized when folks scold them FOR SELLING OUT THE STADIUM!   But, that is part of dealing with the public.

Of course, I am kidding about the “fun”.  These are just a couple of quick examples of what is involved in a given day and how stressful it is when getting ready for a homestand.  The physical labor involved on my part is actually minimal these days…. I am “over the hill” when it comes to the daily grind of running a minor league team.  That work is for a younger person.  And believe me, we do work our people very hard.  The reason I am picking up things at Sam’s or Lowe’s and delivering them to the ballpark is two-fold… (1) To avoid taking our hard working staff off-task.  If they have to run errands, then they cannot get on the phones and sell group tickets, they cannot be getting the stadium ready for our guests, they cannot be placing the advertising for the upcoming series or selling tickets to customers at the window, or cleaning the clubhouse and washing the uniforms, or cleaning the stadium, or mowing trimming and edging the field, or stocking the souvenir shop and receiving the next shipment of goods for sale or…. you get it….. on and on and on…. and (2) Because I have the credit card!

Anyhoo……  We are looking forward to THREE GREAT FIREWORKS SHOWS this weekend… we have shows on the 4th - 5th and 6th!  And we wish everyone a happy and SAFE holiday weekend.

GOD BLESS AMERICA!

JPD