At Home With the BlueClaws
Today we speak with Geoff Brown, the general manager of the Lakewood BlueClaws. Since their inception in 2001, the BlueClaws have ranked among the top-drawing clubs in the 16-team South Atlantic League.
MiLB.com: How would you characterize your team's fan base? Has it grown or changed in recent years?
GB: Our fan base has always been very family-oriented. They view the BlueClaws as an opportunity to have a fun, affordable night out, and we think we provide that for them. Each night, however, is different. Mondays, where Kids Eat Free, are full of families with younger kids. Tuesdays, where Seniors Eat Free, we have an older crowd. During the summer, we get a lot of tourists who are vacationing at the Jersey Shore. It's a big group of people from different demographics from all over Ocean and Monmouth Counties.
MiLB.com: What type of marketing strategies do the fans respond to?
GB: We have such a wide variety of promotions over the course of the year, but recently Mondays and Tuesdays have taken off with "Kids Eat Free" and "Seniors Eat Free." Historically, our biggest nights have been our fireworks nights -- every Friday plus another two this year around Memorial Day and the Fourth of July.
We've also been able to bring in celebrities from many different segments of society, from Hall of Famers like Steve Carlton and Bob Feller to professional wrestlers, actors, ESPN personalities, singers and contestants on "Survivor." We really do have something for everyone.
MiLB.com: Has your team staged any notable promotions in recent years? Any that just didn't work?
GB: There have been some really nice ones in the last few years. Last year, the players wore special uniforms modeled after Jersey Shore native Bruce Springsteen's album "Greetings From Asbury Park," and for that night, the BlueClaws became the "BruceClaws." Every year, we host "Bark in the Park," where we let fans bring their dogs to the ballpark and enjoy a nice day at a BlueClaws game. We've had a "Concert Ticket Extravaganza," where fans get raffle tickets and the chance to win tickets for dozens of different shows in the area.
| At a Glance: Lakewood BlueClaws |
|||||
|
• First season: 2001 • Affiliation: Philadelphia Phillies (2001-present) • Stadium: FirstEnergy Park (2001-present) • League Championships: 2006 • City Population: Approximately 60,000. • Notable Lakewood Alumni:
• People who've called Lakewood home:
|
|||||
 |
|||||
In 2006, the day the movie "Snakes on a Plane" was released, we hosted "Snakes in the Ballpark." We brought in a bunch of snakes and had them in cages, all along the concourse. Some fans loved it, but I think some fans were a little freaked out.
MiLB.com: How has the internet affected the way your team is run?
GB: It's been a tremendous aid to us as an organization. Recently we started a BlueClaws Facebook page, where we can directly reach and interact with hundreds of fans at one click. We have a blog we update every day and our Web site is the best source for up-to-the-second team news. Fans can print out their tickets at home, avoiding the long lines at the box office. We have photo galleries, a YouTube page and an e-newsletter. It just gives us so many more ways to reach our fans and let them know what we're doing at the ballpark.
MiLB.com: Does your concession stand serve any regional specialties or otherwise remarkable items?
GB: The most regional item we have at our concession stands is a pork roll, egg and cheese sandwich, which is incredibly popular in central and southern New Jersey. But our most unique item has to be the BellyBuster sandwich. Bring your appetite: it's a half-pound of pulled pork, half-pound of brisket, cole slaw and onion rings. It comes with a free t-shirt too.
MiLB.com: What type of merchandise sells the best at the team store? Are there any unique items available for purchase?
GB: You can walk into our store and we'll put your name on the back of a BlueClaws jersey and it's yours in just a few minutes. That's always been very popular for us. We also have dozens of different BlueClaws hats and shirts. Our "Got Crabs?" shirts have always been popular, and we have them in different languages. For the kids, we have mini-eyeballs, representing the eyeball race we have here during every game.
MiLB.com: How large a role does your mascot play, both at the stadium and within the community?
GB: Buster is a huge part of our operation. He makes a huge number of appearances every year, from book readings at local elementary schools to marching in parades and appearing at charitable events. He's the most visible part of our organization year after year, and he gets the biggest ovation every night when he first appears.
MiLB.com: Minor League stadiums often vary greatly from one another. What are the positives of playing in your facility? Any drawbacks?
GB: We think we have one of the nicest stadiums in the country. And that comes from the scouts, players and coaches -- from our team and others. Different people who get to see different stadiums all have tons of praise for FirstEnergy Park. We have a full 360-degree concourse, an enormous video board, three picnic areas, 20 luxury suites, two party decks, a batting cage and a conference center.
MiLB.com: What are some of your favorite on-field moments since you've been with the team?
GB: Besides the team winning its first league title in 2006, the best experience we had was when Ryan Howard rehabbed in Lakewood in May 2007. We had over 40 media members here and had to set up auxiliary media tables on the concourse to accommodate everybody. He had first been here in 2002, so when he came up to bat we played the theme from "Welcome Back, Kotter." Ryan did what everyone came out to see; he hit a home run that put the BlueClaws in the lead. He was here for two weekday games in May, and we had over 17,000 fans for the two days. It was a lot of fun.
Benjamin Hill is a contributor to MLB.com.
Orioles' Honeycutt joins The Show Before the Show
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Red Sox prospect rips double THROUGH Fenway-esque scoreboard
Red Sox No. 4 prospect Franklin Arias, an infielder for High-A Greenville, REALLY didn’t want to let visiting Asheville score any runs in the top of the eighth inning on Friday night. With runners on first and second base in the bottom of the fourth, Arias showed he apparently held
April's hottest hitting prospects -- one for each organization
The Minor League season is a month old and several of the game's best hitting prospects are off to fast starts. Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony is tearing up Triple-A (just like he did at the end of last year), Padres shortstop Leo De Vries is leading the High-A Midwest
Check out the best -- and wackiest -- Minor League promos happening in May
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
MiLB podcast coming LIVE to a Somerset this June
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
New ballparks highlight 2025 MiLB road trip stops
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from the Baseball Traveler newsletter, presented by Circle K, is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
Minor League Baseball partners with TruGreen
FRANKLIN, Tenn. -- TruGreen, the nation's leading lawn care treatment provider, is proud to announce a groundbreaking partnership with Minor League Baseball that includes activations across all 120 clubs, a makeover of the home dugout in each market, sponsorship of select MiLB team grounds crews, and a new initiative called
Podcast explains why the Syracuse Mets are looking for Jim Morrison
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Dash im-prom-tu promo and Mets' Suero joins the podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Minor League Baseball partners with Circle K
Minor League Baseball announced a new national partnership with Circle K, which will see the convenience store giant become the “Official Convenience Store of Minor League Baseball.” During the 2025 season, the Circle K brand will be integrated into the MiLB in-stadium experience through in-game video board assets at most
These 15 moments led to season No. 15 of Minor League road trips
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
MiLB podcast crew makes Opening Day predictions
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Everything you need to know for Triple-A Opening Day
First, there was big league Opening Day. Now it's Triple-A's turn to take the spotlight. The Minor League season opens Friday when the Triple-A International League and Pacific Coast League seasons get underway for the first of MiLB’s two Opening Days. And right out of the gates, several of baseball's
Top prospects to watch at Triple-A -- one for each organization
It’s Triple-A’s turn up to bat on Friday. The regular season begins for the Minor Leagues’ highest level one day after the action starts on the Major League side. Fun fact: it’ll be the earliest start to a Minor League season since 1951 (March 27). Double-A, High-A and Single-A will
Here's where every Top 100 prospect is expected to start the season
The 2025 Opening Day prospect roster announcements began last week when the Cubs informed Matt Shaw (MLB No. 19) he was making the trip overseas to compete in the Tokyo Series. Roki Sasaki (No. 1) also received the good news, but his assignment was much less of a surprise. Now
Nationals prospect King joins MiLB podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Here are the 2025 All-Spring Breakout Teams
Fifteen games, several jersey swaps and countless highlights later, the second edition of Spring Breakout has officially concluded – and it lived up to its billing. Of the 16 contests sprinkled across four days, only one game (Dodgers vs. Cubs) was rained out. Coincidentally, the Cubs were one of two
Rox young sluggers aim to bring pop back to Coors Field
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Coors Field may provide the best run-scoring environment in Major League Baseball, but the Rockies haven’t taken advantage of it in recent years. Even without adjusting for Coors, they have fielded offenses worse than the league average the past three seasons, and they scored the fewest runs
Astros brass sees potential in consistently 'underranked' farm system
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The last time the Astros landed in the top 10 of MLB Pipeline’s farm system rankings was before the 2019 season. Since those rankings expanded to all 30 teams ahead of the 2020 season -- 11 lists in total -- they’ve never ranked higher than
Complete results and highlights from Spring Breakout
The second edition of MLB Spring Breakout is complete, and there was no shortage of highlights from the future stars of Major League Baseball over the four-day showcase. Here's a complete breakdown of the 16-game exhibition:
Southpaw Spring Breakout: White Sox future on display with Schultz, Smith
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- If all goes as planned for the White Sox, left-handers Hagen Smith and Noah Schultz won’t spend much time following each other to the mound in a single game. Schultz, the No. 1 White Sox prospect and No. 16 overall, per MLB Pipeline, and Smith, who is
In first pro game, Rainer offers pop, promise to Tigers fans
NORTH PORT, Fla. -- Bryce Rainer’s pro career consisted of workouts and batting practice until Sunday.
'Me and Brady on the dirt again': House, King reunite at Spring Breakout
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The 2025 Spring Breakout was a flashback for Brady House and Seaver King. Over 10 years ago, the infielders were travel ball teammates in Georgia who shared the dream of making it to the Major Leagues. Now, they are top prospects in the same organization,
Lambert -- 'an adrenaline guy' -- hoping to be next Mets bullpen gem
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Ryan Lambert loves throwing hard. He relishes the idea of getting to two strikes and blowing hitters away. “Get me in a game,” Lambert said, “cool things will happen.”
Stewart embraces Spring Breakout: 'What's not to love?'
PHOENIX -- Sal Stewart was one fired-up Reds prospect. On Sunday in the first inning during the organization's 9-7 Spring Breakout win over Brewers prospects, Stewart lifted a 2-2 pitch that sailed over the center fielder's head to the wall. Already not known as a speedster, he stumbled running between