Stingers giving away free tickets

The Salt Lake Stingers new owner, Larry H. Miller, has made an unprecedented move that has everyone buzzing.

Miller announced that the Stingers are inviting fans to watch them play in their next homestand for free. That's right, free, in an effort to allow families to enjoy Stingers baseball as often as possible.

"They [the Stingers] want families to have such a great time that the next time, they'll want to come even if it's not free," said Brandon Carter who has worked under Miller with the Utah Jazz.

A promotion like this is historic, even in the Minor Leagues, where promotions are geared toward family fun and entertainment.

Miller, a devout traditionalist when it comes to baseball, is also planning to completely revamp his new franchise.

"This is just the start," Carter said. "The stadium is undergoing new developments, the team is getting a new name. Miller wants to get back to the basics of baseball."

Each family can attend any one of eight games during the homestand, which runs through June 7, by registering at www.stingersbaseball.com, calling 325-BASE or going to any Salt Lake-area Albertsons.

"I think this is probably one of the best things that Larry has done in our community in a long, long time," said Dennis Haslam, vice president of Larry H. Miller Sports & Entertainment. "It's a way for Larry to give back to the community, it's a way for Larry to expose our community to Stingers baseball. After all, it's America's pastime, and we want to have people enjoy this opportunity."

Approximately 100,000 tickets have been set aside for the promotion, although there is no limit to the number reach family can request for a game.

"You can bring your whole family. There is no hard and fast limitation (on the number of tickets you can receive). If you go in and ask, they'll say 'How many are in your family?' If you say 10, they'll pull 10 tickets for you. If you say three, they'll pull three," Haslam explained.

Miller wants to give families the chance to remember what it means to attend a ballgame. The Stingers are also confident their community will embrace the promotion, even after it is over.

"We had a little bit of a wet blanket in May. We didn't get off to the charging start we had hoped for. We think this is a great way to get people to come out to the ballpark and see what we've got to offer," Stingers general manager Marc Amicone said. "We think they're [the tickets] going to go really fast."

Haslam agrees with the notion that Miller will continue to reach out to families with promotions like these, hoping the Stingers become a part of their summertime tradition.

"We think this is a great way to get people to come out to the ballpark and see what we've got to offer," he said.