Franks named PCL Executive of the Year
FRESNO, Calif. - Fresno Grizzlies General Manager Derek Franks, who is still in his first year in his current role, was named 2015 Pacific Coast League Executive of the Year. He becomes the second person from the organization to receive the honor, with John Carbray being the first to receive the accolade back in 2002 when the team opened their current downtown ballpark.
Franks, 31, was appointed to general manager on March 5, 2015 after spending the previous year as the executive vice president for the club. Born an hour away from Chukchansi Park in Avenal, he attended Kingsburg High School and graduated from Fresno State in 2006 with a degree in Mass Communication and Journalism (MCJ). He first worked for the Grizzlies in 2004 as an intern and ascended through the sales ranks before being appointed to the executive staff in 2014.
Beyond leading the team through an affiliation change this past offseason, he set the course for a Fresno-centric branding strategy that led to heightened local and national awareness for the Grizzlies brand, as well as the city of Fresno. Nearly half a million fans made their way through the Chukchansi Park gates in 2015, while over 40,000 attended the five home playoff games that culminated with a Game 5 victory over Round Rock to secure the first-ever Pacific Coast League Championship in club history.
"I am very proud of the way Derek has led this organization and our fans through the unnerving change in major league affiliations and into a new era of success as the Central Valley's team, the unapologetically Fresno Grizzlies," stated Grizzlies Owner and Team President Chris Cummings.
The Grizzlies went on to win the Gildan Triple-A National Championship Game in El Paso on September 22nd, where they also picked up the PCL nomination for the Minor League Baseball Larry MacPhail Award. The MacPhail Award is given to one minor league club per season (240 teams total) that demonstrates outstanding and creative marketing and promotional efforts within its community, its ballpark (including non-game day events), in media and other promotional materials. The winner will be announced in December during the Baseball Winter Meetings in Nashville.
The leadership by Franks positioned the Grizzlies for the award due to his decision to place the city name on the 2015 home jersey that also featured an "I Believe in Downtown Fresno" patch on the left sleeve, the execution of the inaugural Grizzly Music and Arts Festival that drew over 6,000 fans to the park on May 16th, and the national success of the Taco Truck Throwdown 5 promotion that saw the team change their name and uniforms to the Tacos for one night. Thanks to multiple rounds of national exposure for the Tacos promotion, the organization was able to draw a Chukchansi Park record 16,916 fans for the August 6th Taco Truck Throwdown game.
During the 2015 season, the Grizzlies established a franchise record in merchandise revenue, and attained their highest group sales revenue since the 2008 season and highest overall corporate sales mark since 2011.
ABOUT THE FRESNO GRIZZLIES
The 2015 Triple-A National Champion Fresno Grizzlies, Triple-A affiliate of the Houston Astros, are a member of the 16-team Pacific Coast League and are one of 30 teams in the world playing the highest level of Minor League Baseball. The 2015 season was one of historic proportions for the team and city of Fresno, as the Grizzlies secured their first-ever Pacific Coast League Championship and went on to win the Triple-A National Championship hosted in the city of El Paso. Learn about 2016 ticket plans by calling the front office at 559.320.TIXS between the hours of 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM Monday through Friday. Visit FresnoGrizzlies.com for more information.