The LuLac Edition #1262, Aug. 11th, 2010

PHOTO INDEX: WRITE ON WEDNESDAY LOGO.

WRITE ON WEDNESDAY

THE LOCAL YANKEES

Another great article was written about the plight of the Scranton/Wilkes Barre Yankees. The Times Leader recently offered these thoughts in an opinion piece:
YANKS NEED BETTER PITCH TO LURE FANS
Just the ticket!
Despite its success on the baseball field, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees franchise can’t claim to be “top of the heap” unless it reverses its poor showing in the stands.
Attendance at the minor league stadium in Moosic recently lagged behind all but one of the 13 other venues in the International League, eclipsed by ballparks in places such as Rochester, N.Y., Toledo, Ohio, and the Allentown area. The Triple-A club, which drew almost 600,000 pinstripe faithful during its first season at PNC Field in 2007, has since then bombed at the ticket booth. Last season’s attendance: 363,000.
You don’t need the business acumen or drive of the late George Steinbrenner, the New York Yankees no-nonsense owner, to recognize this empty seat phenomenon needs to be addressed – pronto. Heck, even George Costanza, the “Seinfeld” character who once served as Steinbrenner’s underling, could see the writing on this outfield wall. The vitality of a local baseball franchise is important to this region for economic as well as quality-of-life reasons.
Certain people have tried to link the lackluster attendance figures with the perceived condition of the playing field and age of the stadium. This suggestion mystifies us. The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre team, after all, is affiliated with one of the most storied franchises in sports history. Are you telling us that the Yankees don’t have the star power, tradition, swagger, cash or promotional strength to overcome a few quibbles about weather-beaten plastic seats? C’mon.
Before buying in to the notion that a new stadium will make a difference, we’d like to see the minor league team try boosting attendance with other techniques. Install a billboard along busy Interstate 81, alerting travelers that a Yankees-affiliate plays here. Better yet, use an electronic board that displays details about upcoming home stands and, on game night, real-time scores.
In all likelihood, more families can be drawn to the ballpark with lower ticket prices – something below the $10 mark. Has the team done all it can to advertise its existing bargain nights, held in conjunction with sponsors such as Kraft and Domino’s? Can it further improve affordability for foursomes and larger families? Can it schedule more promotional events, calling upon certain Yankee greats of years gone by to make guest appearances?
Certainly, with some extra effort, this ball club can again draw big audiences – numbers befitting a team that is “A-number one.”