At Home With the Chukars

We recently spoke with John Hadden, Idaho Falls' director of media relations this past season. Founded in 1964, the Chukars have been a Pioneer League mainstay for the past 45 seasons.

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

JH: We opened Melaleuca Field just in time for the 2007 season and there was a major increase in our fan base. In 2006, 73,802 fans attended a Chukars game and, in 2007, we set records by a wide margin as we brought in 104,960 (2,762 per game). This season we still averaged 2,512 fans and added four new marks to our top 10 single-game attendance list.

As far as what types of fans we have, I would say it varies. Although we have a small ballpark, it includes seating in eight luxury suites, two picnic areas and, of course, reserved and general admission seating. With all of these options we feel like we have something for everyone's interest and budget.

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

JH: Baseball fans in Idaho Falls are similar to fans throughout Minor League Baseball. Fireworks and giveaways are always our most popular promotions. Since the opening of Melaleuca Field, Chukars' games have become one of the most popular places in the region for businesses to have company outings.

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

JH: Being in Idaho, one of our most unique promotions is Potato Night. Every year on this night hundreds of employees from regional potato companies come out to enjoy a baseball game as we celebrate "America's favorite vegetable." Being in a town that has a very high population of LDS (Mormon) people, we have a No Alcohol night each season. Although we always have great attendance on this night, there's usually some fans who feel beer and baseball shouldn't be separated and are left a little disappointed.

At a Glance: Idaho Falls Chukars

• First season: 1964 • Affiliation: Kansas City Royals (2004-present) • Stadium: Melaleuca Field (2007-present) • League Championships: 1998, 2000 • City Population: Approximately 51,000 • Notable Idaho Falls Alumni: Jose Canseco Clay Condrey Felix Jose Mike Witt • People who've called Idaho Falls home: Dame Darcy (cartoonist) Gregg Hale (Spiritualized guitarist) Yo Murphy (NFL receiver) Wilson Rawls (children's book author)

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

JH: The internet's effect for us has mostly involved allowing fans from outside the Idaho Falls area to keep up to date on what the Chukars are doing. During the season fans from around the country, even some fans from outside the U.S., are constantly checking for the latest information and listening to the game Webcast.

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

JH: We work with a local company called Farr's Ice Cream and Candy to supply the ice cream at the ballpark. Included in the ice cream selection is huckleberry, which is the state fruit of Idaho. Also, as the only member of the front office that went to every other ballpark in the fPioneer League this season, I'd say that we do all the ballpark staples right. In my mind our concessions were the best in the league from the top of the menu to the bottom. In addition, we are the only team in the Pioneer League with suites and we offer a special menu to those fans.

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

JH: There's no doubt that hats and mini-bats are our best sellers. The mini bat is one of those items that is cheap enough that kids can purchase it and they do at a rate so high we have trouble keeping them on the shelves during games. Hats are not only a big seller for individuals, but also to children's baseball teams. There's more than one group of Chukars playing in Idaho Falls each summer and I even know of a team outside of Los Angeles who sported our hats this year.

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

JH: Our mascot, Charlie the Chukar, is hard at work each night at the ballpark. After stretching out with the team as the fans enter Melaleuca Field, he makes his way through the crowd throughout the game. Charlie can be found signing autographs, riding a Segway through the stands, dancing on the dugouts and posing for pictures. After every game he runs around the bases with kids until the stadium lights go down.

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

JH: The increased attendance since we opened Melaleuca Field has made our ballpark a favorite place to play for our players.

At one point during the stadium's construction the wall in the right-field corner fell over. When we put the wall back up we decided to bring it in a ways, but no one ever measured the new distance. This means we don't know the exact distance to the right-field foul pole.

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

JH: This was my first season with the team, but the brawl the Chukars had with the Ogden Raptors (made famous by YouTube) will always stick with me. To see both benches and bullpens meet along the first-base line and hear the fans get into it verbally is not something that I'll likely forget.