Yankees fans line up for new gear
"This is big for the area, very big," said Neil Marcen, of Scranton.
With a goal to be the first to buy Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees merchandise, Mr. Marcen waited more than an hour to scoop up three hats at $20 each, shortly after the gift shop opened Wednesday at noon.
While he made the first purchase, Mr. Marcen still had to wait while Les and Elaine Sheridan, who won a $250 shopping spree for new merchandise in a newspaper contest, shopped. The couple was allowed in the store prior to its opening and left with several bags full of merchandise.
"We're not fair-weather fans," said Mr. Sheridan, who is scheduled to throw out the first pitch at a game next season as part of his contest win. "We grew up in New York state and are very excited that we will get a chance to see Yankee prospects play here and, perhaps, even some of the big team's superstars, who may come down on injury rehab or for other reasons."
With intermittent rain showering fans who waited outside, the smiles inside the shop brightened the day for stadium officials who were kept busy stocking shelves.
"We have more merchandise ready in case we run out," team spokesman Mike Cummings said, shortly after a customer whipped out his credit card to pay $396.35 for a half-dozen hats, three hooded sweatshirts and 10 T-shirts.
"This is one-stop, holiday shopping," said Johnny Braz, a former Clark Summit resident now living in Los Angeles. "I plan to make another visit to this store before I go back to California, because I am a lifelong Yankees fan, and I think this is huge for this area."
Before opening shop, stadium employees handed out a price list of available merchandise. Traditional New York Yankees caps sold for $27 while the new Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Yankees hats, which came in two different colors, fetched $20. The shop sold out of 240 hats but expected to have more in stock today.
Yankees pens, foam fingers and key chains went for $3 each, while cotton T-shirts in four different colors sold for $12.95 and hooded Yankees sweatshirts, $39.95.
Mr. Cummings said the prices were comparable to Red Barons merchandise.
He said the team would not release any financial information regarding the day's receipts, but was sure it was bound to be a record breaker, adding that at least 1,000 people came through the shop.
"We never had a day like this or a line as long as this," he said. Contact the writer: [email protected]