Baseball History in Dunedin
July 22, 2014 - Florida State League (FSL1)
Dunedin Blue Jays News Release
DUNEDIN, FL -This past Saturday, July 19th, 2014, was a historic day for baseball, as a baseball "first" took place at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium in Dunedin, Florida. The Dunedin Blue Jays defeated the Jupiter Hammerheads 12-7 in front of an announced crowd of 1,098. But the story actually begins almost two weeks earlier and about 58 miles to the east.
On Sunday, July 6th, the Lakeland Flying Tigers were set to host the Daytona Cubs. The Flying Tigers were looking to bounce back after losing the night before at Joker Marchant Stadium. On this Sunday, though, the Flying Tigers weren't able to get back on the winning side of things.
Because on Sunday, July 6th, in Lakeland, Florida, it rained.
A ticket from that Cubs/Flying Tigers game was redeemed at the box office here in Dunedin, marking the first time in baseball that a fan has made use of the "Universal Rain Check" policy. This policy was created at the beginning of the 2014 season by the Dunedin Blue Jays, and they are the first and only team in Minor League Baseball to offer this unique rainout program.
The program is set up so that fans from all over Minor League Baseball are able to use a rain check from any MiLB game for admission to a D-Jays game. While the promotion is open to teams from all across the minors, as expected, the first redemption came from a fellow Florida State League game.
"I think it's awesome that someone made use of it," said Nate Kurant, the D-Jays director of marketing and social media. "I'm grateful that our GM, Shelby Nelson, allowed us to try something unique and I'm glad that it paid off for at least one fan. Hopefully it gains a little more momentum and more fans take advantage of it, especially here in the FSL."
Kurant joked as he added, "Let Cooperstown know I hung onto the ticket just in case they [the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum] want it."
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