A Thank You From GM Rob Egan
We want to thank you for a successful 2012 season. There have been so many positives over the course of the past nine months that helped us prepare for and celebrate our 14th season of Curve Baseball. We are truly blessed to have such tremendous support of our franchise from all of you. The Curve ownership, management, front office staff, coaches, players, and game day employees aim to repay that trust every day by giving you great value when you come to a ballgame or event. In addition, we're constantly looking for ways to give back to the community through our charitable efforts inside and outside of the ballpark.
Since January, the Curve have enjoyed some significant highlights including:
• Securing of our first-ever facility naming rights partner for Peoples Natural Gas Field
• Announcing/scheduling the first Pirates'-Curve exhibition game in Altoona since 2000
• Increasing per-game attendance for the second straight season - first time there's been a per-game attendance increase in consecutive seasons since 2003-04
• Establishing our first-ever video marquee on Park Avenue to promote upcoming games/events at Peoples Natural Gas Field
• Helping raise funds and awareness for numerous local charities like Miracle League of Blair County, Children's Miracle Network, Make-A-Wish, The Griffith Family Foundation, Prevent Child Abuse Pennsylvania, and all of our non-profit groups who earn a portion of the proceeds from concession stands they work at each Curve game
• Bringing two active sports all-stars to Altoona in the same season: Steelers' Pro Bowl WR/KR Antonio Brown and Penguins All-Star Forward James Neal
• Producing our ninth winning season in 14 years by finishing with a record of 72-70
• Celebrating the promotion of several former players to the Major Leagues - including the 2011 and 2012 Curve MVPs Starling Marte and Brock Holt. There have now been 99 Curve alumni that have gone on to play at the game's highest level
• Selection as a finalist for the second straight year for a Minor League Baseball Golden Bobblehead Award for Best Promotion.Our 2012 entry is for the charitable, season-long promotion: "Curve, PA Blue Out Saturdays" to benefit Prevent Child Abuse PA
• Staging several unique promotions that garnered national acclaim on MinorLeagueBaseball.com including: Andrew McCutchen Dreadlocks Cap Giveaway, Alex "Not Elvis" Presley Figurine Giveaway, Moyer Megabowl celebrating Jamie Moyer's feat of being the oldest pitcher to win an MLB game, and our second-annual Summer Cruise Series with giveaways and themes to match Tom Cruise films of the 1990s
• Being home to the top two pitching prospects in the Pirates' organization during the second half of the year with 2011 first round pick Gerrit Cole and 2010 first rounder Jameson Taillon both pitching for the Curve
We are extremely proud of these accomplishments and highlights which are made possible, in large part, by your continuing support. So, again, on behalf of the Curve, thank you for a successful 2012. While we just completed this past season, we are eagerly preparing for our 15th year which will include the March 30, 2013 exhibition game with the playoff-hopeful Pittsburgh Pirates. We hope that you will continue to be a big part of making it all happen!
Sincerely,
Rob Egan, General Manager