CarL1 Myrtle Beach Pelicans

Pelicans Plan Assault On Attendance Record

Published on July 31, 2008 under Carolina League (CarL1)
Myrtle Beach Pelicans News Release


MYRTLE BEACH, SC - Due to tremendous reaction from their local and national fan base throughout the 2008 season, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans have the franchise attendance record within their sights as they prepare to enter the final month of the regular season. An entire community effort will be needed to get there, and the team is preparing a full-scale celebration to honor their fans as they bond together to attempt to reach the historic mark.

Currently, the Pelicans are 66,491 fans shy of the 234,019 fans who witnessed the Pelicans last claim the Carolina League Championship in 2000, making a run to the record possible with a unified push over the course of the Pelicans remaining 19 home openings.

The team will "blow it out" so to speak should the fans accomplish the goal, with plans made for a full-scale celebration should the record-breaking fan enter the ballpark. The team will work in conjunction with their parent club, The Atlanta Braves, to show their appreciation. On the potential record-breaking night, the Pelicans will award a grand prize consisting of a trip to Atlanta to watch the Braves at Turner Field including tickets to the game and hotel accommodations. The lucky fan will also be invited to throw out a ceremonial first pitch at the Pelicans' 2009 home opener, receive a commemorative Pelicans jersey emblazoned with 08 on the back along with every Pelicans giveaway from the 2008 season and join Pelicans manager Rocket Wheeler as he delivers the lineup card prior to one of the Pelicans 2008 post-season games. The fan would also be honored on the field at BB&T Coastal Field in a special post-game ceremony following the record-breaking game.

The celebration will encompass the entire crowd at the ballpark as well, as the Pelicans will literally shower fans with appreciation. The Jiffy Lube J-Team will be creatively distributing authentic Braves and Pelicans autographed memorabilia throughout the crowd during the game. All fans will have the chance to take home autographed baseballs, shirts, jerseys, hats and more signed by Braves' stars Jeff Francoeur, Tom Glavine, Brian McCann, Mike Hampton, Chipper Jones and others. Fans will also have a chance to grab autographed memorabilia from the entire Pelicans 2008 first half championship team, along with autographed items signed individually by stars such as Scott Diamond, Willie Cabrera, Ernesto Mejia, Travis Jones and others.

Additionally, the team has announced that they will celebrate the pursuit of the historic mark, by honoring ceremonial fans throughout the ascent to the record. Starting with the 200,000th fan, the team will award packages of prizes to every 10,000th fan until such time as the record falls. Included in the prize packages will be one-of-a-kind ballpark opportunities such as throwing out a first pitch prior to a Pelicans' 2008 post-season game, serving as the Pelicans radio announcer for an inning, serving as the Pelicans PA announcer for an inning, taking batting practice with the team, joining Rocket Wheeler to take up the lineup card and many more unique ballpark experiences. All lucky fans would also be invited to join the Pelicans for their 2009 home opener where they would help unveil a commemorative banner recognizing the fans' achievement during an on-field ceremony.

Based on their current pace, the Pelicans would fall just shy of the record, besting their 2007 attendance by a large margin, but coming up short of the historic parameters. With that in mind, the team has recruited the help of their local fan base with the "birds of a feather flock together" promotion.

"I know it is a great sense of pride for our great fan base that they support their team like no one else in the region," said Pelicans' General Manager North Johnson. "They've had such a positive impact on this team's on-field success during this magical season, that we think it only fitting that they get a chance to celebrate their efforts off the field as well."

Johnson will be available to media outlets throughout the chase to fill fans in on progress made and additional events and happenings pertaining to the Pelicans home games throughout the final month of the season.

The Pelicans will construct a "birds of a feather flock together" thermometer which will be clearly visible outside of BB&T Coastal Field throughout the assault on the record. The progress made towards the goal will be monitored daily until hopefully the record is reached and the celebration takes place. Fans can also track their record-pursuit nightly during the pre-game on-field Pelicans Gameday Show hosted by Jon Laaser, on-line at MyrtleBeachPelicans.com and during the highly-popular guess the attendance promotion emceed by Pelicans' Assistant General Manager Derek Martin. Additional tracking signs will be posted throughout the ballpark during the stretch drive.

"It is has truly been a great honor to watch the excitement surrounding this team continually increase during the season," said Pelicans' President & Managing Partner Chuck Greenberg. "We're going to need everybody's help to get there, but it's going to be a thrill to watch our fans come together as a team and be honored for their fine efforts as they continue to support the Pelicans during their championship run."

The Pelicans remaining promotional calendar is jam-packed with nights geared towards their local fan-base. Included in their final 19 home games are six Fireworks Extravaganzas, four 10th Anniversary Team Photo-Baseball giveaway nights (First 2,000 Fans/All Ages) and the 2008 Pelicans Bobblehead Giveaway featuring Dinger "The Home Run Dog" and his younger brother "Deuce" (August 30th).

On the field, the Pelicans just finished a series win against rival Kinston with their 69th win on Wednesday night. They hold a 2 1/2 game lead in the second half race, eyeing a litany of franchise marks including the coveted franchise wins record (88 - 2000) and a clean sweep of the first and second half titles.

The birds open a seven-game homestand with Cowboy Night and Thirsty Thursday presented by Land Shark Lager and Malibu's Surf Bar tonight against the Lynchburg Hillcats at 7:05 PM. The evening will feature $1 draft beers from 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM and wild-west themed activities throughout the night. Seats remain for tonight's series opener as well as the remaining six games in the homestand. Seats can be obtained by calling the Pelicans at (843) 918-6000 or toll-free (877) 918-TIXX, visiting the Pelicans BB&T Coastal Field Box Office or logging on to MyrtleBeachPelicans.com.

Check out the Myrtle Beach Pelicans Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



Carolina League Stories from July 31, 2008


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central