At Home With the 66ers

Today we speak with Loren Foxx, general manager of the Inland Empire 66ers (Class A Advanced affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers). The club adopted its current moniker in 2003 after seven seasons as the San Bernardino Stampede. "Inland Empire" refers to a cluster of towns east of Los Angeles and Orange County.

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

LF: The team's fan base is diverse in just about every way imaginable, which is what you would expect in Southern California. We're in our second season back as a Dodgers affiliate, which has helped to regionalize the team even more. For us, though, we're trying to get as many Dodgers fans as we can to make at least one trip to San Bernardino a summer.

MiLB.com: What type of marketing strategies do the fans respond to?

LF: We have our daily theme nights, like most teams in Minor League Baseball, but we've tried to change things up a little bit. One of the best of the bunch is 50-cent Friday, where hot dogs and quesadillas are just 50 cents, sodas and beer are discounted and lawn seats are only $2. We also have had a great deal of luck with our giveaway items, most notably items with the Dodgers logo on them. This is a unique market from a marketing standpoint. However, as it is a large market that is very diverse, I don't know if we've found the "magic bullet" yet.

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

LF: The Dodgers have been helpful enough to provide some of their former players to us to sign autographs on slow days. While that hasn't turned our Mondays into the busiest days of the week, it's helped somewhat. Having former Dodgers like Wes Parker, Tommy Davis and Maury Wills at the park has also helped cement our image in the community as a Dodgers affiliate. And, of course, it never hurts when Tommy Lasorda makes a guest appearance at the ballpark. As close as we are to Los Angeles, we have had some celebrity appearances at the ballpark, including the Pussycat Dolls last summer. As far as ones that didn't really work, we had the world's first Sanjaya impersonator last summer. It was funny, but Sanjaya is just one of a kind.

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

LF: The Internet has provided a way to get information to the fans in real time. In this market, it is an easy way to get in front of our fans quickly. When we have big news, like a player rehab, we can get it out to our e-mail list quickly. Advertising in this market is expensive, and newspapers aren't having the easiest time, so using our e-mail database as a means to stay in touch with our fans is important. The website is also a sales tool; we have all of our marketing materials available on the site, including information on corporate packages, season tickets and group sales. When all of the information about our sales inventory is available online, it helps shorten the sales cycle. As well, we are now partnered with Ticketmaster, which has helped increase our visibility and sell tickets online. We have also sold merchandise all around the world because of the Internet.

At a Glance: Inland Empire 66ers

• First season: The current incarnation of the franchise played its first season in 1993 as the San Bernardino Spirit. They switched their name to "the Stampede" in 1996 and "the 66ers" in 2003. • Affiliation: Los Angeles Dodgers (2007-present) • Stadium: Arrowhead Credit Union Park (1996-present) • League Championships: 1995, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2006 • City Population: Approximately 205,000 • Notable Inland Empire Alumni: Mike Hampton Felix Hernandez Ken Griffey Jr. Paul Konerko • People who've called Inland Empire home: Sean Estes (pitcher, San Diego Padres) Gene Hackman (actor) Jefferson Hunt (19th-century pioneer) Twyla Tharp (dancer and choreographer)

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

LF: We have the world's best tri-tip sandwich. We also have a local Mexican restaurant, Amapola Rico Taco, which does amazing Mexican food, including meat fries -- French fries with cheese, meat and salsa on them. It doesn't stop there. We have a subcontractor, King Corn, who does baked potatoes that are the size of a football. And Insanely Sweet handles the caramel apples and other gourmet candy. He works both at Lake Elsinore and here, and I honestly believe he will dip anything in chocolate.

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

LF: Caps and anything with the Dodgers logo sell very well, and Bernie dolls [the team mascot] are also a favorite. We also have a section of the store called the Fun Corner, where fans can get novelty items provided by a local store that sells costumes and gag gifts.

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

LF: A huge role. Bernie can get the crowd going, and his interplay with the guy who runs our sound is amazing. There are certain nights where, for whatever reason, the crowd just seems flat when the game starts. They don't stay flat for long, and that's because of Bernie. He has a wonderful attitude and is willing to make appearances all day long, even when it's 110 degrees outside. He keeps the crowd entertained all game long, and can get them going late in the ballgame. In the community, he has a reading program that helps kids come see baseball games in the summer just by reading books. He is the face of the franchise in so many ways.

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

LF: Arrowhead Credit Union Park is a beautiful facility that is in its 12th full season. It doesn't show its age. This summer, we have had a majority of clear nights, which means fans have a view of the mountains from their seats. As an employee in this stadium, I can tell you it's easy to get around; I can get from the suite level to the clubhouse in about 30 seconds if I need to. The sight lines are perfect, and there isn't a bad seat in the ballpark. We have also allowed our suite holders to alter their suites as they see fit; as a result, each suite is well-appointed and unique. We have large group areas, allowing us to host large corporate events. I guess the only drawback I can see in this place is that there is no large banquet facility, which would come in handy in the offseason.

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

LF: Every game, everyone on our staff tries to positively impact at least one person -- where someone comes and finds you and genuinely thanks you. Those add up. It really is a lot of fun being a part of someone's first experience at your ballpark, where they tell you that they hadn't ever been there before, but now they will be a fan for life. On the field, however, I've got to go with Luke May's walkoff three-run homer last April, Matt Berezay's two-run walkoff on July 31 and Marlon Arias' no-hitter last May. The day Arias pitched his no-hitter was also memorable because the sprinklers went on in the middle of the game and delayed things for about 10 minutes.

All of us who work here are baseball fans, and we don't get to show it all that much. It's times like that we can be baseball fans, along with everyone else in the ballpark.