Lowell Spinners elimination huge success

LOWELL, Mass. -- The Lowell Spinners, Class A Affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, have successfully begun to eliminate the Yankees from youth baseball organizations around the New England area.

When the Spinners first announced the idea on February 8 three youth baseball organizations (Chelmsford, Lowell, Methuen) had agreed to the promotion. Since then the idea has taken off and this baseball season there will be 54 less Yankees teams and 54 more Spinners teams.

Part of the 54 new Spinners teams include a youth bowling league, three softball tams, and three men's baseball leagues, including one from Rochester, NY.

"When we first came up with the idea we thought it had potential, but we never thought it would be this big," said Lowell Spinners General Manager Tim Bawmann. "We never anticipated we would be the No. 1 most e-mailed story on ESPN.com or be the subject of Steve Rushin's popular Air and Space column in Sports Illustrated."

There are 31 different communities participating: Amesbury, Beverly, Boston, Boxboro, Brockton, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Dracut, Fitchburg, Georgetown, Harvard, Hudson (NH), Lancaster, Lawrence, Littleton, Lowell, Lynn, Melrose, Methuen, Milford (NH), Mt. Washington (NH), Nahant, North Andover, Oakton (VA), Rochester (NY), Saugus, Southboro, Swampscott, Swansea and Woburn.

"The biggest thing we are excited about is the potential to build relationships with so many baseball organizations across the region," said Bawmann. "We will now help contribute thousands of dollars for these youth baseball leagues and organizations. For everyone involved it's been a win-win all around."

On Sunday, April 2 from 9 a.m. - Noon, in conjunction with the first day of ticket sales, the Spinners are hosting the official "Uniform Pick-Up Day" for all the teams participating. LeLacheur Park, home of the Spinners, will be open and everybody is invited to play catch on the field at no charge. Also that day there will be inflatables, caricatures, karaoke, music and much more entertainment at no charge.

Entering the 2006 season the Spinners have recorded a standing-room only crowd of 5,000 for 233 consecutive games dating back to last century (1999). The Spinners are the only team in Minor League Baseball history to sell every ticket possible for six consecutive seasons and the Spinners are taking names for their season ticket waiting list, which is estimated to be at over five years in length.