Q&A and a Huge Clue

February 10, 2007 - Florida State League (FSL1)
Brevard County Manatees News Release


Questions from fans during the past 24 hours:

1-What is the prize that is associated with the Manatees cookie entry this year? Last year you had a big prize with your cookie; what will it be Saturday night?

Each cookie that is auctioned off in the Coffee and Chocolate Fundraiser must have a prize attached. Our prize is this: a 21-person suite for opening night, 21-Hot Dogs, 21-Soft Drinks, 100 game tickets for your company, family and friends, participate in the Opening Night First Pitch Ceremony, two rounds of golf on the new Par Three lighted course at Duran Golf Club and two medium buckets of golf balls at the Duran Golf Club Development Center. That's a monster prize, and of course, it'll come with an ugly large Chocolate Chip Cookie. Last year the cookie went for $125. All the prizes involved with our cookie are donated by our friends at Ovations, the official concession company of Space Coast Stadium, Duran Golf Club and the Brevard County Manatees. Proceeds benefit the Brevard Achievement Center.

2-Where do the players stay when they come in from spring training in April?

We never make public players' addresses or telephone numbers. Players are free to live wherever they choose and our staff arranges some rental opportunities in the county such as Via Tuscany, the official apartment of the Manatees, however, players live wherever they choose to live. Please don't call us stating to be a player's agent and ask for his telephone number. All we're going to do is ask for your number and pass it to the player, who should, if you are an agent, have his number anyway. Well, Jerry Maguire would have it.

3-Are we getting Will Inman this season?

All the baseball web sites project that, but nothing is certain. We never know who are players are until that plane lands at OIA and we meet 'em at baggage claim. Inman, who is on the fast track to Major League success, could have a fantastic spring and start in AA Huntsville. There are just so many factors involved in it personnel issues that I've always taken the approach that who shows up, shows up! There could be a last second injury at the MLB level and players get notched up a level at the last second. You never know what's going to happen.

4-Is Yovani Gallardo going to make it to Miller Park this year? I read on line that the Brewers project Yo to be in Milwaukee by season's end.

Wouldn't surprise me in the least. Last year's Minor League Pitcher of the Year for the Brewers is definitely proving his worth and if you look at what Milwaukee is doing with their youth you know that the Brewers are being careful, not rushing them in and risking injury and letting them gain success as they develop. I think he'll be there, but like the response above, it's all a crap shoot. But, we're rooting for Yo to make the Show!

5-What's the allure with Miller Park? What's Miller Park like? Anybody (fans) going to Miller Park this year?

I used to think Cleveland's Jacob Field and the Ballpark at Arlington were fun places to watch baseball. They both had their charm, amenities and uniqueness. That was until I went to Miller Park for the first time in September 2005 and took the stadium tour. I wouldn't care if we're affiliated with the Brewers or not, that ballpark is amazing. After it opened and just before my father passed away, he called me after attending a game there. He was convinced he'd hate it, but called me singing its praises. This from a blue collar construction worker that took us to old County Stadium. The place is just simply amazing and even other teams' fans vote it in the top five in every category in MLB stadiums (check out online surveys). The construction design left beams and other things exposed to give it an old-time feel, and yet, even with the roof closed and the side window panels open you'd swear you were sitting outside. The place is simply an awesome place to watch baseball and we encourage all baseball fans to make the trip to Milwaukee once in your life to experience it for yourself. At this time we know of no fans making the trip this season but we'll let you know if there are some that are going.

6-Why do you do the treasure hunt? How can you afford to do the treasure hunt and give away a pair of tickets?

In the beginning (or is that In The Big Inning...?) there were people and businesses that took out traditional advertising. That advertising is expensive and it's splattered everywhere. Those businesses think that the 'shotgun' approach' is the way to advertise. Then there are those that take the 'rifle approach.' You fine-tune your target, aim careful and go for it. Then there are Guerilla Marketers that believe that the cost of an ad in today's world has gotten way out of hand. The Super Bowl was $85,000 per second. The War in Iraq, in comparison, is $30,000 per second...get the picture on how expensive advertising can be? Anybody think all those ads were that appealing that you had to rush out an buy those products? To prove my point, here's a test: real quick, describe five Super Bowl ads and the products they pitched. See what I mean? You've forgotten them already except for maybe the Rock, Paper, Scissors one. OK, we could place an ad like that and never know how many people would read it or skip it. Buuuutttt, if we hid a coin and released the clues in our email newsletter and buried the clues in that newsletter to make you read and reread that newsletter, well, that's more effective advertising, especially from all the responses we've received this fall. See, we even went as far to tell you not to delete those emails because you'll need to reread them for clues. For example, remember me telling you to cut and paste all emails and save them? I did that because in one of our newsletters there was one line of text under the words Rock On! If you didn't cut and paste it, you missed that clue! Go head, go back to the email on February 6th and highlight the line beneath Rock On! See it? The bottom line is that the cost of two tickets for each game far exceeds the advertising cost of reaching our most loyal fans. That is why we do it. The cost is minimal. Every day, just as the gates are opening I receive a phone call from the clubhouse from players and umpires asking to put two or three people on the pass list. That's all were doing, really, is adding two more people to the pass list and thereby saving our team thousands in advertising. The treasure hunt is fun, fans love it, it keeps you interested in Manatees baseball during the off-season and now you know why we do it.

Speaking of the treasure hunt, you got me...I promised I'd always include a clue in each email newsletter until the coin is found: here's your next clue:

Who can find the hidden plaque

With the coin's final clue?

Yer brains ye'll have to rack

T'claim what ye feel is yer due.

On that piece of bronze, Mate

Lies a simple four-digit key

Don't confuse it with a date

Because it's from the Wapiti.

Those of you that are running crazy looking day and night are now a lot closer. Everybody else, it's time to catch up to the pack.



Florida State League Stories from February 10, 2007


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