ESPN The Magazine Honors Four Weddings and a Funeral Promotion

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ESPN The Magazine Honors Four Weddings and a Funeral Promotion
09/15/2009 1:49 PM ET
By Kevin McNabb / Omaha Royals

OMAHA, NE - For a second straight season, the Omaha Royals have been honored by ESPN The Magazine with a Veeckie award. The national publication tabbed the Royals' "Four Weddings and a Funeral" promotion as one of six minor league promotions nationwide for recognition. As the magazine states, the awards are named for the "late, great MLB owner and showman Bill Veeck."

The awards are contained in the September 21st issue of the magazine which is currently on newsstands. The article lists the Royals' category as "Best Yin and Yang." The unique promotion was held on Friday, July 31st, when four couples exchanged vows on the field at Rosenblatt Stadium between the end of the Royals' game against the Iowa Cubs and a post-game fireworks show. One lucky fan also won an all-expenses paid funeral during the night, which was presented by the Arbor Society.
The Royals were the only Triple-A team tabbed for a Veeckie this year and one of two teams honored for a second straight season, joining the Huntsville Stars of the Double-A Southern League. In 2008, the Royals won a Veeckie titled "Best Exploitation of Interns" for Ty Cobb Night. The Royals' former marketing intern, who has the same moniker as the Hall of Famer, spent the night signing an old-style baseball card featuring him in a retro uniform.
"We always look for different promotions to keep things buzzing and we definitely hit a home run with Four Weddings and a Funeral," said Martie Cordaro, Royals Vice President/General Manager. "We live and die by our promotions and Four Weddings and a Funeral was the icing on the cake."
The Royals drew 371,046 fans to Rosenblatt Stadium over 68 home dates in 2009, going over 300,000 fans for the 22nd consecutive season. The team's attendance was up more than six percent compared to 2008, when a total of 349,376 fans watched Royals games. The Royals' average attendance in 2009 was 5,457 fans, which ranked 10th in the 16-team Pacific Coast League and was up from last season's average crowd of 5,375. The 2009 campaign marked the Royals' largest total and average attendance figures in the past nine years.
For more information, contact Kevin McNabb, Director of Media Relations, at (402) 738-5103.

This story was not subject to the approval of the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues or its clubs.