By Ron Wilcox

The new facilities and other improvements unfolding at Damaschke Field will be a tribute to the many who have worked hard to bring them into reality, transforming a negative situation into a positive one for the city and area citizens.

The upgrades will provide the city with a classy new home for baseball, and players and fans alike will enjoy the changes, though I doubt that they alone will have more than a modest effect on game attendance.

Wouldn’t it be great if, to go along with the new digs, some progressive thinking and more creative or imaginative efforts were made in the area of marketing to bring in a larger and more steady fan base that doesn’t fluctuate wildly just to take advantage of the free nights provided by underwriting businesses and organizations? Of course the real purpose of the whole enterprise of minor league baseball is to train young players and prepare them for bigger and better things at the upper levels of the sport, in this case the Detroit Tigers organization, which couldn’t probably care less about having fans in the seats.

Such teaching and learning of baseball skills could probably be conducted in a vacuum, but for the Oneonta Baseball Company and the city of Oneonta, a heftier team following and better, heightened attendance should be of some importance, one would think. Sure, we would have some increase in attendance if suddenly we had a Yankee farm team here again or started dispensing beer at the concession stand, but most likely even that wouldn’t amount to much of a change.

But a lot could be done without much increased cost to enhance the experience at Damaschke for fans, especially families. Anyone traveling to other stadiums where our Oneonta Tigers play could attest to this. We have observed at away games in many different places that they have great energetic and entertaining mascots the kids (of any age) enjoy.

Also for kids, between innings there are stimulating games and mild competitions (a lot more fun than the same tired old egg toss). Before the games, "baseball buddies," kids from area Little League or T-ball teams, get to stand with favorite home team players at their positions during the playing of the national anthem. After the game, kids 12 years old and under get to run once around the bases. How much do these things cost the host organization?

The New Jersey Cardinals have even paraded a "rally cow," yes, a real live cow, along the stands when the home team is struggling. Everyone who wants to, pats the cow as it passes, and the energy and cheering for the Cardinals ratchets upward and more often than not, this has had a positive effect on the scoring success of the team and a tremendous impact on fan enjoyment, which is udderly amazing.

One thing about these imaginative inclusions in the routines of each home game: They provide fun and extra entertainment for the kids _ hence, families, and if you’ve got the kids interested in coming back to future games, you’ve got the parents too, and it doesn’t always matter if they’re free games or not.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I NEVER want to see the WAY over-the-top mean-spirited (to the opposing team) hyperactivity displayed at the Hudson Valley stadium in Fishkill during their games.

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But a few inexpensive forward-thinking marketing techniques here could make a big difference. What about creating marketing internship positions for upper-level State University College at Oneonta or Hartwick College business or marketing majors to develop such strategies as mentioned above?

In addition, to improve the hometown fan experience, why not announce during the game information about new players being rotated in or players being moved up to other Tiger teams? It would also be nice if the Detroit Tiger game scores were announced (we’re not ALL Yankee fans, and, after all, the Detroit Tigers are our parent team!). How about introducing some healthier food choices at the concession stand (like they have in Troy)? The merchants in the area should also get a little more goodwill credit for handling the Tiger schedules and tickets for free nights, not simply, "Get them at the usual locations."

Also, I sure hope that among the improvements that have been made to the physical plant at Damaschke are Internet and other electronic hookups for visiting teams’ broadcast personnel (many of the New York Penn League teams have them) so they won’t have to badmouth Oneonta’s lack of such facilities anymore when they are broadcasting their games to their home stadium towns.

So, let’s hear it for some imaginative, get off dead center, creative marketing for the Oneonta Tigers and the new Damaschke Field. We’ll all be the better for it, and it’ll be a lot more fun.

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Ron Wilcox, of Oneonta, is retired from Hartwick College. He regularly attends Oneonta Tigers home and away games.