Missions Named TL Organization of the Year
San Antonio - Texas League President Tom Kayser announced earlier today that the San Antonio Missions have been named the league's 2016 Organization of the Year.
It marks the second time the club has earned the Texas League's top honor after being named Organization of the Year following the 1997 season.
"In a market that is very competitive and sometimes difficult, the Missions performance in 2016 was remarkable," said Kayser. "Not only did they sell more tickets than they have in over a decade, the Missions significantly increased revenue in nearly all facets of their operation. To do that, you must have a motivated, creative and hard working staff as well as excellent leadership, something that the Missions certainly demonstrated in 2016 that they possessed."
"It is such a honor for us to be recognized by the Texas League, which has so many, outstanding clubs," said Missions president Burl Yarbrough, who was elected into the TL Hall of Fame in June. "I am very proud of our staff and what they accomplished during the 2016 season, setting franchise records, in groups and corporate sponsorships. This is also a great tribute to our fans, who have helped us realize an increase in attendance for the fourth year in a row and highest total in 16 years.
San Antonio drew 317,607 fans to Wolff Stadium during the 2016 season, the organization's highest total attendance since drawing 325,137 fans in 2000.
The club's presence was once again felt throughout the San Antonio community. For the 20th season, the Missions teamed up with the Police Athletic League to fund and run the Missions Rookie League, an inner-city youth baseball league for kids 8-12 years old.
The Missions continued to build on their relationships with various San Antonio non-profits, raising over $40,000 on specialty theme nights for organizations like the Alzheimer's Association, Autism Community Network, South Texas Blood & Tissue Center, American Heart Association and the State of Texas Kidney Foundation.
The Missions will kick off the 112th season of professional baseball in San Antonio on April 6, 2017 at Arvest Ballpark in Springdale, AR against the Northwest Arkansas Naturals.