At Home With the Whitecaps

Today, we speak with Ryan Alexander, media relations coordinator for the Midwest League's West Michigan Whitecaps (Class A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers). The Whitecaps are coming off a very successful season, both on and off the field. The club won its second straight Midwest League Championship in addition to the Larry MacPhail Trophy (awarded annually for outstanding promotional work).

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

RA: Our fan base is comprised of families, corporate groups in our hospitality areas and the casual baseball fan. From day one, the West Michigan community has embraced and supported the team and organization with both individual and corporate support. Those qualities remain strong heading into our 15th season. Also, we definitely benefit from having a strong fan base of Detroit Tigers fans, which helps our affiliation with the parent club.

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? What are some of your team's most effective recurring promotions?

RA: We try several different avenues of marketing, including billboards, radio commercials and print ads throughout West Michigan. The most effective marketing piece we do all year is our pocket schedule. Our fans consistently say that is how they find information on the games. We use several different ways to get these into people's hands, and one of our most successful was to stick them on the front page of the local newspaper as a one-time promotion.

Promotionally, we are always trying to create a different atmosphere at the ballpark every night, while maintaining the philosophy of "Every day is Opening Day," because for some fans it is their first game. The most effective promotions we do are fireworks. They are consistently a fan favorite, and they turn the game into a four-hour event.

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

RA: The Internet has become a major tool in every aspect of the organization. On the baseball side of things, stats and scores are available and updated by the minute, and information on any player is easily accessible. On the marketing side, our Web site is the best form of advertising, and allows the fans to be interactive with our organization. Not only can you find information on the team and stadium, but today, fans are directed to whitecapsbaseball.com so they can vote on promotional events, purchase tickets, listen to games live, watch videos and read breaking news on the team, along with many other things. We also send out an e-mail blast called "The Breaker," announcing upcoming events to more than 12,000 fans who signed up for the e-mail list. The Internet has become a huge asset in reaching fans.

At a Glance: West Michigan Whitecaps

• First season: 1994 • Affiliation: Detroit Tigers (1997-present) • Stadium: Fifth Third Ballpark (1994-present); called Old Kent Park from 1994-2001 • League Championships: Five (1996, 1998, 2004, 2006-07) • City Population: The team plays in Comstock Park, a suburb of Grand Rapids (population 197,800). The four counties that officially make up Western Michigan have an estimated population of 774,000. • Notable Whitecaps Alumni: Francisco Cordero Brandon Inge Cameron Maybin Jeff Weaver • People who've called West Michigan home: Gillian Anderson (actress, best known as Scully in The X Files) Gerald Ford (38th President of the United States) Anthony Kiedis (Red Hot Chili Peppers vocalist) Sojourner Truth (abolitionist)

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

RA: We always strive to come up with unique, fun promotions every year. Some of the ones that stand out from this past season were our Salute to Bubbles Night, when we had bubble machines that produced more than a million bubbles an hour. The famous clown team of Mr. and Mrs. Bubbles made an appearance for the night, and we handed out bubble wrap to all kids entering the park. We had a different twist on the bobblehead phenomenon with the Ty Cobb Bobble "Foot" Night. The first 1,000 fans received a replica of Ty Cobb sliding with his bobbling leg up in the air. Another promotion that has become a tradition with us is Star Wars Night. We have more than 40 costumed Star Wars characters on hand for pictures and autographs, and one Storm Trooper even played the national anthem on his guitar. They participate in all of our on-field promotions, and fans can stay after the game to watch one of the Star Wars movies. This year we spiced it up a little by having the team wear special Star Wars jerseys.

As for the promotions that didn't work as well as we had hoped, the list is too long to go into here. But we're always the first ones to laugh it off.

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

RA: Our big concession item and fan favorite is the Swimming Pig, a pork chop sandwich slathered in barbeque sauce. We even have a second mascot -- Franky, the Swimming Pig -- at every home game. We also try to add unique items each season like Deep Fried Pepsi, which was added last year. It's deep-fried Pepsi-flavored donut balls with Pepsi syrup and whipped cream poured on top.

Also, we will start serving ears of West Michigan corn for the 2008 season made fresh via a corn roaster, nicknamed "Cornzilla." People are already asking for it.

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

RA: In general, novelties are our best-selling category, followed by T-shirts and caps. Our best-selling novelties are foam fingers, baseballs, mini-bats and team card sets (both ours and the Detroit Tigers). We have a machine that allows us to add your name and number (or your favorite player's name and number) to the back of a T-shirt, and that has helped our T-shirt sales tremendously.

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

RA: Crash The River Rascal is the face of the organization and is recognized throughout the West Michigan community. Fans won't necessarily know all the players, but they know Crash. He is busy traveling throughout the area in the offseason, making appearances at elementary schools, holiday parades, charity events, school carnivals, trade shows, Little League games, etc. During the season, Crash spends his time working hard at Fifth Third Ballpark, participating in on-field promotions, entertaining fans and making rounds to meet every Whitecaps fan each game.

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

RA: Fifth Third Ballpark is a privately owned facility (one of only two in the Minors) that features a variety of seating options for fans and families. Built in 1994, the facility has held up structurally over the years. It seats 10,051 fans, which includes the decks, barbeque areas, 24 luxury suites and the lawn seating located down the left- and right-field lines. We also added the Pepsi Stadium Club (PSC) and Miller Lite House Deck two years ago. Located beyond the right-center-field wall, the PSC provides a plush, climate-controlled area for up to 250 people and offers six plasma televisions, private restrooms and an exclusive bar/buffet. The banquet-style seating is perfect for groups or smaller parties that just want one table. The atmosphere in the ballpark is top notch as we've drawn the third-best attendance in the Midwest League.

There are not many drawbacks with the facility since the renovations in 2006. The biggest is that there is no 360-degree enclosure for the walk-around on the concourse. Obviously, the new ballparks that are coming out seem to get more elaborate each year, but Fifth Third Ballpark has held up nicely for being in its 15th year.

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

RA: There have been plenty of great moments over the past 14 years, including five Midwest League championships, the Kenny Rogers rehab game in June of 2007 and the pre-game craze during the week, our exhibition game with the Tigers in 1999, the 2003 MWL All-Star Game with Al Kaline and Willie Horton as honorary captains, the national coverage of having Laura The Elephant throw out the first pitch one game, and many others.

Next Week: Lancaster JetHawks