At Home With the ValleyCats

The Minor League Baseball landscape is endlessly diverse, and encompasses everything from rookie league clubs nestled in mountainous rural areas to Triple-A teams located in the heart of major urban centers. Accordingly, each club must develop marketing and promotional strategies that resonate with their unique fan base. Each week, MiLB.com profiles a Minor League club, in order to spotlight just how interesting and varied the world of professional baseball can be.

Today, we speak with Vic Christopher, the assistant general manager of the New York-Penn League's Tri-City ValleyCats. This season, the ValleyCats will be the proud hosts of the 2008 New York-Penn League All-Star Game.

MiLB.com: How would you characterize your team's fan base? Has it grown or changed in recent years?

VC: In 2007, the ValleyCats set a new single-season attendance record of 136,809 fans despite a last-place finish (27-47). This is the fourth consecutive year that a new attendance milestone has been reached.

MiLB.com: Working in a Minor League front office is all about getting people in the seats. What type of marketing strategies do the fans respond to?

VC: Fireworks have been a huge draw, so the amount of shows has increased each year. In 2008, we have fireworks shows scheduled for 14 dates. Also, we realize that people like when you throw things at them, so we have two scheduled T-shirt tosses and up to four impromptu "throwaway" events during the night.

MiLB.com: How has the internet affected the way your team is run?

VC: The ValleyCats are the only Short-Season club that is broadcasting their games on MiLB.TV, a service that enables fans all over the world to watch our games live via the internet. Our in-house video production staff has a four-camera crew that follows every pitch during the season. Past games can be viewed through the archives on the Multimedia tab of our website.

MiLB.com: Has your team staged any notable creative or offbeat promotions in recent years? Any that just didn't work?

VC: The whole vibe at a ValleyCats game may be considered offbeat. We have seven different mascots that appear during the course of an average night, including an evil bunny that enjoys squirting kids with a super soaker.

MiLB.com: Does your concession stand serve any regional specialties or otherwise remarkable items?

VC: Buckeye Kettle Corn, Salt Potatoes and Lupo's Chicken Spiedies sandwiches are somewhat remarkable.

At a Glance: Tri-City ValleyCats

• First Season: 2002 (relocated from Pittsfield, Mass., after the 2001 campaign) • Affiliation: Houston Astros (continuing a relationship that began in Pittsfield in 2001) • Stadium: Joseph L. Bruno Stadium (2002-present) • League Championships: None (lost in the NYPL Finals in 2004 and 2006) • Town Population: The Tri-Cities are comprised of Albany, Schenectady and Troy, N.Y. The ValleyCats are based in Troy, which has a population of approximately 48,000. • Notable Tri-City Alumni: Jason Hirsh Hunter Pence Devern Hansack Ben Zobrist • People who've called Troy home: Samuel Wilson (believed to be the model for Uncle Sam) Mame Fay (famous bordello operator and prosperous businesswoman) Kate Mullany (organized the first successful woman's labor union in the United States) Rev. Henry Highland Garnet (noted African-American abolitionist)

MiLB.com: What type of merchandise sells the best at the team store? Are there any offbeat or unique items available for purchase?

VC: The ValleyCats merchandise store sells "Spiedie the Chicken Marinade," a barbeque chicken product based on one of the mascots at the stadium.

MiLB.com: How large of a role does your mascot play, both at the stadium and within the community?

VC: SouthPaw (the original ValleyCats mascot) is on tour 12 months a year throughout New York's entire Capital Region, visiting Little League openings, parades and veterinarians.

MiLB.com: Minor League stadiums often vary greatly from one another. What are the positives of playing in your facility? Any drawbacks?

VC: The last few seasons, we have made some major improvements to the facility, including a new 25-foot by 100-foot picnic pavilion and a left-field party area with a breathtaking view of the stadium.

MiLB.com: What are some of your favorite on-field moments since you've been with the team?

VC: Fan Appreciation Day last year was especially memorable. Several rainouts toward the end of the season created a build-up of items in the Promo Room. On the final day of the season, we had to give away everything that was left over to make room for the next season's products. For nine innings, it seemed like it was actually raining T-Shirts, softee balls and frisbees. People were leaving the ballgame with shopping bags full of stuff.

Next Week: Fresno Grizzlies