MWL1 Dayton Dragons

Dayton Dragons 2015 Year in Review

Published on December 21, 2015 under Midwest League (MWL1)
Dayton Dragons News Release


Fun at the Dayton Dragons Game
Fun at the Dayton Dragons Game
(Dayton Dragons)

Dayton, Ohio - The 16th year for the Dayton Dragons provided many highlights. Here are some of the stories that made 2015 another great year for the Dragons:

Awards & Milestones

The Streak Marches On

The Dragons consecutive game sell-out streak continued through the 2015 season. Entering 2016, the streak will stand at 1,121 consecutive sold-out games, an all-time record for sports in North America (see more on the sell-out streak below).

Full-Season Attendance

For the 10th consecutive year, the Dragons led all Minor League Baseball teams below the Triple-A level in attendance (130 teams). And for the 16th time in the Dragons 16 years of operation, they finished in the top 10 among all Minor League teams. In 2015, the Dragons attracted 574,830 in total attendance (8,212 per game over 70 home dates) to finish eighth in all of Minor League Baseball (160 teams). The other nine teams in the top 10 were all Triple-A clubs. The Dragons 16-year attendance total of 9.4 million gives them a chance to reach the 10 million mark by the end of the 2016 season.

Dragons Marketing Campaign Selected Best in Minor League Baseball

The Dragons were the recipient of the Ballpark Digest 2015 "Best Marketing Campaign" award, selected from among all applicants in Minor League Baseball. The Dragons received the award for their 2015 season ticket delivery package. Dragons season ticket holders received their tickets prior to the start of the season in a fun and unique form of packaging--a "Heaties" cereal box featuring the Dragons primary mascot, "Heater." The outside of the cereal box was decorated with Dragons branding messages, nutrition facts of being a season-ticket holder, and a kid's puzzle page. Inside the box included season ticket booklets, pocket schedules, magnetic schedule, season ticket holder gift vouchers, a sample of "Heaties" cereal and a secret toy surprise (Dragons keychain).

In a news release announcing the Dragons as the award winner for 2015, Ballpark Digest Publisher Kevin Reichard issued the following statement:

"The Dayton Dragons have one of the most successful operations in all of baseball, and the team's marketing campaign for season-ticket holders is unique and fun. Extending the Dragons fan experience from the ballpark to the home and office is indicative of why the team is so beloved in the community."

Fifth Third Field: Still Earning Recognition in its 16th Year

The home of the Dragons, Fifth Third Field, was selected as the 14th best Minor League ballpark in the nation by StadiumJourney.com, putting it in the top 10 percent of all facilities in its 16th year of existence. StadiumJourney.com ranks ballparks based on "food and drink choices, atmosphere, neighborhood, fans, access, return on investment, and special features." The Dragons completed several major stadium upgrades in 2015 (see below).

Dragons Tyler Mahle wins Reds Minor League Player of the Year

Dragons 2015 starting pitcher Tyler Mahle was selected as the winner of the Sheldon "Chief" Bender Award as the Cincinnati Reds Minor League Player of the Year, the top honor given to a Reds prospect. With the Dragons in 2015, Mahle posted a record of 13-8 with a 2.43 earned run average. He became the first starting pitcher in Dragons history to be selected to the Midwest League full-season all-star team (one player per position). Mahle also pitched in the MWL All-Star Game in June. Mahle led the entire Reds farm system in both victories and earned run average while finishing second in strikeouts. Mahle's 2.43 ERA was the second best in a season in Dragons history, and his 13 victories were tied for fourth highest for a single-season on the Dragons all-time list. Mahle became the fourth Dragons player to win the Chief Bender Award over the 16-year history of the honor. He joins Austin Kearns (2000), Billy Hamilton (2011), and Seth Mejias-Brean (2013).

New Additions

New High Definition Video Board at Fifth Third Field

The Dragons installed a new 2,050 square foot, high-definition video board at Fifth Third Field prior to the start of the 2015 season. The video board features the newest and latest high definition technology, and provides the clearest picture quality of any board ever utilized in a Minor League Baseball venue. The new addition is one of the first "13HD" video boards in a Minor League ballpark. Notably, only three of the 30 Major League Baseball stadiums have 13HD video boards. No Minor League ballpark featured a 13HD video board in 2014 or beforehand. The video board is 35 feet high by 65 feet wide, making it the tallest and widest in all of Single-A baseball and among the top five tallest and widest in any Minor League stadium. It is five times larger than the previous video board at Fifth Third Field.

50/50 with Big Brothers/Big Sisters

The Dragons introduced a new partnership with Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Miami Valley for a 50/50 Raffle at each Dragons home game. At each game, fans were able to purchase raffle tickets electronically from Big Brothers Big Sisters volunteers or at a stationary kiosk near the main entrance of Fifth Third Field. Through the use of mobile technology provided by Industry leader Pointstreak 5050, every raffle ticket sale is electronically tallied and updated in real time to display areas throughout the ballpark, letting fans know exactly how large that night's pot has become.

New Friday Night Orange Jerseys

The Dragons introduced a new orange uniform jersey that was worn by the team for all Friday games at Fifth Third Field. The jersey features "Dragons" in black script on the front, outlined in green and white. It also includes black piping around the sleeves and neck, and down the front of the jersey. The orange jersey became the fourth Dragons game jersey. The Dragons primary home jersey is white with green lettering worn with black sleeves. The Dragons road jersey is gray with black lettering and black trim. The Dragons also wear an alternate green jersey with white lettering that is worn with an alternate white cap. The green jerseys are primarily worn on Sundays.

Expanded Dragons MVP Program

The Dragons expanded their elementary school MVP Program into two additional counties in 2015, taking the program to more than 1,100 classrooms. A total of 274 classrooms in 34 schools in Miami and Warren counties were added to the program, which already included 842 classrooms in Montgomery, Greene, and Clark counties. In 2015, the program included 1,116 fourth and fifth grade classrooms in 183 schools over 48 school districts. About 34,000 children participated (up from 26,000 in 2014). The program completed its 10th year in 2015. Due to the support of the participating sponsors, the program is completely free of charge to the schools.

How does the Dragons School MVP Program work? The teacher in each of the 1,116 classrooms over the five-county area selects five MVP's based on the teacher's judgment of performance, effort, citizenship, and improvement. The five MVPs selected by their teacher in each classroom receive four tickets to a Dragons game, tickets to a special Field Day event at the stadium during the season, an MVP certificate and a Dragons MVP hat. Dragons players and mascots visit selected classrooms over the course of the season. Additionally, 12 Dragons games during the season are designated as "MVP Game Nights." On those nights, one MVP gets to throw out the ceremonial first pitch to the game, another does an on-air interview during the Dragons game broadcast on Fox Sports 980, and another participates in an entertainment skit during the Dragons game. Two times each season, all classroom MVP's are invited to attend the Dragons MVP Field Day at Fifth Third Field and interact with Dragons players. The Dragons MVP Program presented by Bob Evans is also made possible by the generous support of Sinclair Community College, WDTN TV and Dayton's CW Television.

Milano's Tap Room

The Dragons introduced a major ballpark renovation in 2015 with the creation of the Milano's Tap Room at Fifth Third Field. Located on the first base side of the stadium, the Milano's Tap Room featured 10 different craft beer selections on tap that rotated throughout the season, spotlighting breweries and craft beers from around the world and those within the local community. The Dragons teamed up with two local craft beer experts in Heidelberg Distributing and Milano's Atlantic City Submarines to design the new concept. Located at the end of the first base concourse, the space was completely renovated into an open-air craft beer lover's paradise. The space was closely modeled after the popular Dayton-based Milano's chain.

On the Field: Season Review

Home Field Advantage

On the field, the Dragons enjoyed one of their finest home seasons ever at Fifth Third Field. The Dragons posted a home record of 43-27, including nine consecutive home victories from July 9-21. Most notably, the home games featured an amazing variety of exciting, comeback wins, and thrilling finishes. The Dragons notched 12 "walk-off" wins at Fifth Third Field, three more than they enjoyed over the previous two seasons combined. From May 28-July 12 alone, seven of the Dragons 14 home victories came in walk-off style, including six extra-inning wins. For the year, the Dragons were 8-0 in extra inning games at home.

The Dragons season began on April 9 and concluded on September 7. Here are some of the facts and statistics:

The Dragons completed the 2015 regular season with an attendance total for the year of 574,830. The Dragons have led all of Single-A baseball in attendance in each of their 16 seasons. Dayton averaged 8,212 per date over 70 home openings in 2015.

Longest Sell-Outs Streaks in Professional Sports History

No. Team League Years

1,121 Dayton Dragons Minor League Baseball 2000-current

820 Boston Red Sox Major League Baseball 2003-'13

814 Portland Trail Blazers National Basketball Association 1977-'95

662 Boston Celtics National Basketball Association 1980-'95

610 Chicago Bulls National Basketball Association 1987-'00

Dayton Dragons 2015 Recap

Final Record: 71-68

First Half: 39-31 (3rd in Eastern Division)

Second Half: 32-37 (6th in Eastern Division)

So Close, Again

In 2014, the Dragons playoff hopes can down to the final day of the regular before they were eliminated as the club came within one win of qualifying for post-season play. In 2015, they came even closer, but again came up short. The Dragons finished the first half with a 39-31 record, finishing in a virtual tie with the Great Lakes Loons for the East Division wildcard spot. But the Loons, who played two fewer games due to rain, finished at 38-30. Their .559 winning percentage was two points better than the Dragons mark of .557, just enough to keep the Dragons out of the playoffs. Just as had been the case in 2014, one more Dragons win, any win, would have put the Dragons in the post-season hunt for the Midwest League championship.

2015 Dragons Midwest League Full-Season All-Star:

Tyler Mahle, Right-handed Starting Pitcher

2015 Dragons Midwest League All-Star Game Participants:

Tyler Mahle, Starting Pitcher

Tejay Antone, Starting Pitcher

Brian Hunter, Relief Pitcher

Midwest League Batter/Pitcher of the Month

Brian O'Grady MWL Batter of the Month in June (.326, 5 HR, 19 RBI)

Tyler Mahle MWL Pitcher of the Month in July (4-0, 0.58 ERA)

2015 Dragons Team Leaders

Batting

Batting Average: Jonathan Reynoso, .273

Home Runs: Narciso Crook, 9

Runs Batted In: Gavin LaValley, 53

Stolen Bases: Brian O'Grady, 21

Games Played: Gavin LaValley, 125

Pitching

Victories: Tyler Mahle, 13

Earned Run Average (qualifiers): Tyler Mahle, 2.43

Saves: Conor Krauss, 9

Games Pitched: Conor Krauss, 42

Innings Pitched: Wyatt Strahan, 164.1

Dragons 2015 Midwest League Leaders

Innings Pitched: Wyatt Strahan, 164.1, first

Games Started, Pitcher: Wyatt Strahan, 28, tied for first

Other Dragons on the League Leader Board

Wins: Tyler Mahle, 13, second

Earned Run Average: Tyler Mahle, 2.39, second

Innings Pitched: Tejay Antone, 158, second

Innings Pitched: Tyler Mahle, 152, third

Strikeouts: Tyler Mahle, 135, third

Earned Run Average: Jake Paulson, 2.60, fourth

Strikeouts: Wyatt Strahan, 132, fourth

Opponent Batting Average: Jake Paulson, .233, fourth

At-Bats: Luis Gonzalez, 497, fourth

Earned Run Average: Wyatt Strahan, 2.80, eighth

Earned Run Average: Tejay Antone, 2.96, 10th

Dragons Club Records Set in 2015

Most Consecutive Home Runs, Game 3, June 13 vs. Beloit (see description below)

Most Triples, Season 49 (previous record: 48 in 2014)

Fewest Walks Allowed, Season 371 (previous record: 396 in 2001)

Fewest Home Runs Allowed, Season 54 (previous record: 84 in 2011 and 2014)

Notable Dragons Performances

On June 13 at Fifth Third Field, three consecutive Dragons batters blasted home runs against the Beloit Snappers. In the second inning, Jose Ortiz started the back-to-back-to-back home run barrage with a two-run shot to center field. Jimmy Pickens hit the very next pitch for a home run to center, and Luis Gonzalez made it three in a row when he hit the second pitch for a home run to left. Four pitches-three home runs. It was the first time in franchise history that three straight Dragons batters connected on home runs. Link to Gonzalez home run:

http://www.milb.com/multimedia/vpp.jsp?content_id=163887283&sid=t459

One of the season's most exciting finishes took place at Fifth Third Field on July 1. The Dragons and the Great Lakes Loons were tied 2-2 in the top of the ninth inning when the Loons Justin Chigbogu belted a two-out, two-run home run to give the Loons a 4-2 lead. In the bottom of the ninth, the Dragons were down to their final out with a runner at first base when Shed Long drilled a triple off the center field fence to make it 4-3. After back-to-back walks loaded the bases, Ronald Bueno singled to right field, driving in Long with the tying run and Jimmy Pickens with the winning run to give the Dragons a walk-off victory. Link to Bueno game-winning hit:

http://www.milb.com/multimedia/vpp.jsp?content_id=220172383&sid=t459

While the July 1 game was thrilling, the Dragons comeback win on Sunday, July 12 against the Lansing Lugnuts was the game of the year at Fifth Third Field. The Dragons trailed 6-5 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth when Paul Kronenfeld lined a single to left field to drive in Jonathan Reynoso to tie the game. On the same play, Luis Gonzalez was tagged out at the plate attempting to score from second with what would have been the winning run, sending the game to extra innings. Lansing broke the 6-6 tie with a run in the top of the 11th, only to see the Dragons, again down to their final out, score once in the bottom of the 11th to send the game to the 12th. Lansing loaded the bases with no outs in the top of the 12th, but Dragons pitcher Jacob Moody got out of the jam. The game appeared to be lost in the top of the 13th when Lansing broke through for two runs to take a 9-7 lead. But in the bottom of the 13th, Kronenfeld again came through with a game-tying two-run triple, and Argenis Aldazoro drove in Kronenfeld with a single to right to give the Dragons a 10-9 win in the 13-inning marathon that finished one minute short of four hours. Link to Aldazoro game-winning hit: http://www.milb.com/multimedia/vpp.jsp?content_id=256459583&sid=t459

Mr. Eight and Two-Thirds: Dragons pitcher Tejay Antone came within a strike, twice, of tossing the first nine-inning shutout by a Dayton pitcher since 2008, but he came up short both times. On June 17, Antone and Dragons led South Bend 3-0 with two outs in the ninth, but Tejay gave up a two-out, two-strike RBI hit. He still earned the win in a 3-1 Dragons victory. Then on July 23 at Fifth Third Field against West Michigan, Antone dominated West Michigan and was within one strike of a 1-0 win. With two outs in the ninth, the bases were empty, and Antone had not even allowed a runner past first base in the game. But incredibly, Mike Gerber belted a game-tying home run on Antone's 100th pitch of the night. Antone did not face another batter. The Dragons eventually won the game in 13 innings. Link to Antone strikeout on June 17:

http://www.milb.com/multimedia/vpp.jsp?content_id=175299283&sid=t459

The Dragons connected on two inside-the-park home runs in 2015, the first at Fifth Third Field since Billy Hamilton did it in 2011. Paul Kronenfeld had an inside-the-parker against Fort Wayne on May 4, and Shed Long circled the bases against Lake County on August 31.

Dayton's Brian O'Grady enjoyed an amazing power surge in mid-June on the way to being selected Midwest League Batter of the Month. Twice in an eight-day period, O'Grady hit two home runs in one game. He did it against Wisconsin on June 12 and against Lake County on June 20. Both games were played at Fifth Third Field. Cory Thompson, Paul Kronenfeld, and Narciso Crook also enjoyed two-homer games for the Dragons in 2015. Link to O'Grady second home run on June 12:

http://www.milb.com/multimedia/vpp.jsp?content_id=162592983&sid=t459

The Dragons beat South Bend on September 2 by a score of 10-1. What made the game particularly unique was that Dragons pitchers Jake Paulson and Jacob Moody did not surrender a fly ball over the entire game. No Dragons outfielder recorded a putout. Only three balls left the infield, all on base hits.

Other 2015 Highlights at Fifth Third Field:

Hometown Heroes Celebration Nights: Two times during the 2015 baseball season, the Dragons partnered with the Dayton Development Coalition and their partners to pay tribute to all service men and women associated with Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and the Springfield Air National Guard Base. Festivities included a welcome home to servicemen returning from their deployment, a video greeting card from an airman serving oversees to his family back in the Dayton region, and swearing in ceremonies for a group of local Air Force recruits. Dates were May 30 and August 15.

Home Run for Life: Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield and the Dragons teamed up to provide five kids battling serious medical conditions with once-in-a-lifetime opportunities during Dragons games. Each honoree got to take an honorary home run "lap" around the bases of Fifth Third Field during a game and receive an honorary bat from Dragons manager Jose Nieves. Dates were May 6, May 27, June 10, July 22, and August 12.

Community All-Stars: For the fourth straight year, the Dragons Community All-Stars Program honored individuals who have gone above and beyond to improve the quality of life in the Miami Valley. From fire fighters to first responders to volunteers and good Samaritans, the Dragons honored 35 all-stars, five of whom appeared on the field during a game with a tribute video telling their story. Dates were May 8, June 15, July 9, August 11, and August 27.

Honor Them: For the second year in 2015, the Dragons partnered with Dayton Area Ford Dealers to honor Miami Valley veterans at Dayton Dragons games. The Honor Them program was a season-long tribute to local veterans. Five veterans were specially honored at Dragons games. Dates were May 31, June 14, July 12, August 2, and August 27.

High School Baseball: For the 10th consecutive season, the Dragons played host to high school baseball at Fifth Third Field. In April and May, 35 area high school teams participated in 18 games and raised over $30,000 for their athletic programs.

Subway Dragons 5K: For the fourth time, the Dragons and SUBWAY® partnered for a 5K run around downtown Dayton. The 2015 event took place on June 27.

Other Events:

Boy Scout Overnighter: May 29

Girl Scout Overnighter: July 21

Dragons Experience Youth Baseball Clinics: June 30-July 1; July 21-22

Heidelberg's Great American Beer Tasting: August 8

Donatos Pizza Movie Night: August 22

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Health & Fitness Carnival: August 16

o Yoga in the Outfield: August 25

Home Build on the Plaza in partnership with Habitat for Humanity and Coldwell Banker Heritage Realtors: August 29

Fifth Third Bank College Prep Night: September 30

Six "Walks" at Fifth Third Field in 2015

Miami Valley Down Syndrome Association: September 19

American Heart Association: September 26

Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Walk: October 3

Walk to End Alzheimer's: October 10

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer: October 17

Free to Breathe Walk: October 24

Community Honor Becoming a Tradition

Infielder Avain Rachal, who spent the entire 2015 season and most of 2014 with the Dragons, was given the Reds Minor League Community Service Award for his frequent participation as a volunteer in community events. Rachal visited local hospitals and elementary school classrooms and also participated in the Great American Clean-up, Dragons Youth Baseball Camp, Dragons Boy Scout Clinic, and Frisch's Kids Club events as well as numerous other activities. For the fifth consecutive year, the player selected for the Reds Minor League Community Service Award was a Dragons player. Previous winners were Drew Hayes (2011); El'Hajj Muhammad (2012); Brent Peterson (2013); and Jon Matthews (2014).

In the News

Dayton Daily News columnist Tom Archdeacon authored a story entitled "Dog's Act Never Gets Old" about Dragons head groundskeeper Britt Barry and his constant companion, Cooper, an Australian Cattle Dog. The story was picked up by hundreds of newspapers and websites across the nation. Go to this link for the story: http://www.mydaytondailynews.com/news/sports/arch-dogs-act-never-gets-old/nmtpH/

The Dragons were featured in a national story at Forbes.com titled, "The Unique Sports Marketing Challenges Facing Minor League Baseball." The story included quotes from Dragons President Robert Murphy and Executive Vice President Eric Deutsch. Go to this link for the story:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/blakewilliams3012/2015/08/11/the-unique-sports-marketing-challenges-facing-minor-league-baseball/

Parade Magazine, a national publication, selected Fifth Third Field as one of the top-5 ballparks in America. Go to this link for details:

http://www.bizjournals.com/dayton/blog/morning_call/2015/07/magazine-fifth-third-field-among-top-5-u-s.html

Other Accomplishments

For the 16th straight year, the Dragons utilized community non-profit groups to operate the concessions stands for every Dragons game at Fifth Third Field. With a percentage of each game's concessions revenue donated back to the non-profit groups who operate the stands, approximately $300,000 was raised in 2015 for those groups. Over the Dragons history, approximately $4.8 million has been donated to local non-profit groups through this program. More than 40 non-profit organizations participate.

Former Dragons who Made Major League Baseball Debuts in 2015 (75 total since 2000)

Ryan LaMarre, Cincinnati Reds

Michael Lorenzen, Cincinnati Reds

Josh Ravin, Los Angeles Dodgers

Josh Smith, Cincinnati Reds

Kyle Waldrop, Cincinnati Reds

Ronald Torreyes, Los Angeles Dodgers

Broadcasting

The Dragons televised 25 games from Fifth Third Field in 2015 on WHIO Digital Channel 7.2 MeTV (channel 23 and digital channel 372 on most Time Warner Cable systems in the Miami Valley). The telecasts were available to more than 500,000 households and were produced by the organization's in-house 12-person technical crew. They featured six camera angles, replays, and constantly-updated graphics. The Dragons also broadcast all 139 home and road games in 2015 on radio in the Miami Valley on Fox Sports 980, WONE AM. The games were also available worldwide via the internet and the Dragons Mobile App.

Social Media

The Dragons continued to expand into social media in 2015. The Dragons Facebook page climbed to over 33,000 "likes" while the Dragons Twitter page jumped to over 8,300 followers.

Check out the Dayton Dragons Statistics

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Images from this story

View from Fifth Third Field, Home of the Dayton Dragons
View from Fifth Third Field, Home of the Dayton Dragons
 View from the Dugout of Fifth Third Field, Home of the Dayton Dragons
View from the Dugout of Fifth Third Field, Home of the Dayton Dragons
 Fun at the Dayton Dragons Game
Fun at the Dayton Dragons Game



Midwest League Stories from December 21, 2015


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