Behind the Scenes: Opening Day of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans
Before the first crack of the bat rings out or the savory aroma of hot dogs waifs into the air, fans of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans only have one concern prior to opening day- getting a ticket. Opening day at TicketReturn.com Field typically sells out for the minor league baseball team, with nearly 6,600 fans in attendance. The staff projects no less on April 9th, when the Myrtle Beach Pelicans open the season against the Wilmington Blue Rocks.
While fans and players anxiously await the arrival of spring and baseball season, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans’ office staff is just as excited, if not more, to see the 2015 season begin. Since the end of the 2014 season back in September, they have been toiling away behind the scenes to generate a calendar full of enticing experiences for fans this season. Whether it’s renovating to incorporate their new affiliation with the Chicago Cubs, scheduling the games, or planning promotions and tasting the food that will tempt fans’ taste buds, every detail is examined to make the fan experience a fun and memorable one.
As a fan you wouldn’t realize the details and time that went into making your time spent in the Pelicans Ballpark notable. On opening day, or any game day, you will likely stroll to the gate, have your ticket scanned, take your seat, and enjoy hours of on and off-field entertainment in a relaxing environment- and that’s exactly what the staff wants.
If a large scale event is planned and properly executed, an attendee won’t know of the tireless hours or planning that has gone into it, they’ll simply enjoy themselves and want to come back again and again.
But what happens behind the scenes to put on a successful event?
That answer, depends on the event. Each month, the Surge will report from behind the scenes of some of the Grand Strand’s most popular events and festivals to see what it takes to make them a success. We’ll examine a variety of factors, everything from coordinating venues and promotion schedules, to performers, food, drinks, and the fan experience.
This month, we go behind the scenes with staff members of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans to find out how they plan and prepare to make fans cheer on opening day and all season long.
MYRTLE BEACH’S PASTIME
For the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, 2015 marks the 17th season for the minor league baseball franchise. The team is currently owned by Myrtle Beach Pelicans LP, which is led by Chairman and Managing Partner Chuck Greenberg, a sports attorney and founder of Greenberg Sports Group.
After a successful 2014 season in which the Pelicans won the Carolina League’s Southern Division Championship title and made an appearance in the Mills Cup Championship Series since their first time in 2008, this year promises to be just as exciting for the franchise.
While the past four years the team has been an affiliate of the Texas Rangers and prior to that, since their inaugural season, the Atlanta Braves, this season marks their first year as a Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Chicago Cubs.
Earlier this year ESPN’s Keith Law released his ranking of major league baseball’s farm systems and named the Chicago Cubs number one, basing it on current players in the system. While the team roster won’t be set until after spring training for the Chicago Cubs concludes, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans staff is enthusiastic for the upcoming season and the possibilities it holds.
“From a fan perspective, we’ve seen a lot of great baseball over the last four years… we expect that we will continue to see that,” says Kristin Call, Senior Director of Marketing for the Myrtle Beach Pelicans.
PREPARING THE NEST
The new affiliation just doesn’t mean changes for the staff, but for the fans as well. Prior to the start of the season, a slew of changes will take place to revamp as well as rebrand the TicketReturn.com Field at Pelicans Ballpark.
While many may think the field needs to undergo an overhaul for opening day, it’s already seen a fair share of action by April. Beginning in February, TicketReturn.com Field hosts Coastal Carolina University’s baseball games, so their turf managers have extensive practice in preparing the field for the season.
In fact, 2014 marked the seventh time TicketReturn.com Field was named Carolina League Field of the Year by The Sports Turf Managers Association. Carolina League Managers vote on several aspects for the award including grass and dirt conditions, field preparation for games, and set-up for batting and infield practice.
With over 270 events taking place within its gates in a year, making small and large scale improvements are a must to keep the field attractive and functional for the fan experience. Everything within the field gets taken into account, whether it’s preparing the concession stands for food service, revamping the signage, or even the seats.
“Every year we sit in every single seat and we mark down ones that are broken, ones that might be sliding forward. Every name tag gets pulled off and reapplied for our season ticket holders. Every scrap of gum gets pulled up,” explains Katelyn Guild, Corporate Sales Manager for the Pelicans.
This attention to detail has also lead the TicketReturn.com Field at Pelican’s Ballpark to be ranked number one in the Carolina League, number four within minor league baseball, and number 32 in all of sports in Stadium Journey’s Top 100 Stadium Experiences for 2014.
Each year, the magazine compiles the list based on a compilation of categories including food and beverage options, access to the field, fans, and overall atmosphere. For comparison, in the rankings Baltimore’s Oriole Park at Camden Yards came in first, while Carolina Stadium, home of University of South Carolina’s Gamecocks ranked 9th, and Wrigley Field, home of the Pelicans’ new parent club the Chicago Cubs, came in in 25th place.
However, as opening day nears, certain areas of TicketReturn.com Field will undergo changes to incorporate a more Chicago style feel.
The pro-shop will offer new Chicago Cubs and Pelicans branded t-shirts and souvenirs, while the Clubhouse will be renovated to reflect the new affiliation and feature inspiring quotes from iconic Chicago Cubs players Ron Santo and ‘Mr. Cub’, Ernie Banks.
The Ring of Fire Grille, which is located down the right field line, will be revamped into the Clark & Addison Grille in homage to Wrigley Field, which sits at the corner of Clark Street and Addison Street in Chicago. While it and the various other concession stands throughout the stadium will continue to serve classic ballpark menu items, a few new Chicago themed dishes will tempt taste buds this season.
Fans can chow down on the Chicago Dog, Polish Sausage Sandwich, or try the Buckner Beef Sandwich, an Italian beef sandwich named for Bill Buckner, who played for the Cubs from 1977-1984. They will also be serving the Jack Brickhouse Burger, named after the sports broadcaster best known for covering the play by play action of the Chicago Cubs.
Each year before the season begins, the staff holds a menu tasting to try all of the food items served at the park and vote on what works and what doesn’t. One of the staff favorites and last year’s signature dish, Chicken and Waffle Bites, even made the top 20 in the Minor League Baseball’s Food Fight competition for the best ballpark concession, which is voted on by fans.
Once the menu is set, it’s time to order. In preparation for opening day this year, Brad Leininger, the Director of Food and Beverage for the Pelicans states that 500 pretzels, 150 gallons of ice cream, 300 slices of pizza, and 600 pounds of hot dogs will be ordered, along with 100 kegs of beer and 300 gallons of Pepsi fountain products.
TAKE A SEAT
All the preparation, ordering, and renovation will prove pertinent on opening day, which usually sells out with up to 6,599 locals and visitors alike in attendance.
Guild says ticket sales have increased substantially this year, especially season ticket holders.
“The Cubs have had a huge impact on our ticket sales,” she says.
Looking for the best seat in the house?
“If you want to be close to the action, it’s the Field Box level seat,” says Call.
The Field Box is comprised of the seating sections 103-116 that enclose the field, and Call says sections 105-110, which fall behind the Pelicans dugout, are often full throughout the season.
Online ticket sales started at the end of February, while single game tickets went on sale on March 5 at the field.
In 2012, around 12% of single game tickets were sold online. Through their partnership with TicketReturn.com and a go mobile campaign, that number has increased to close to 40%, which Call says is a large percentage over the minor league baseball 11% industry standard.
“We’ve made it really simple and convenient to buy tickets online,” says Call. “We have scanners that can scan your phone; you don’t even have to have a piece of paper.”
After purchasing tickets, fans can simply have their ticket barcode scanned directly from their phone by attendants at the gate.
FLOCK TOGETHER
The Myrtle Beach Pelicans’ season consists of 140 games, with 70 games being played at home. While the staff does put a priority on preparing for opening day, they also have the entire season to consider afterwards.
Before the 2014 season, Call says they readdressed the way they approached scheduling the season, ensuring that at least one home game would take place each week.
“This way every tourist that comes to town has the opportunity to see at least one game,” she says.
Their schedule also ensures that the fan experience reaches its full potential each week. No matter what day of the week a game is held, their schedule features something fun and exciting happening off field.
“We treat every night like a Friday night,” says Nathan Barnett, Media Relations Manager for the Pelicans. “I forget what day of the week it is because they’re all big nights, especially the way we market the games and how the fan experience is emphasized.”
During the off season, they set about creating an all-encompassing promotion schedule for the next season. Along with a few fan favorite themed nights returning, they also take a look at the upcoming season from a multi-faceted view.
“What movies can we tie into, what current events, holidays, or historical events that are happening are all part of the process,” says Jen Borowski, Senior Director of Community Development for the Pelicans.
The first ever ‘Geekend’ will happen April 23-26 and fans attending are invited to dress up in accordance to each night’s theme. Thursday will feature the Hunger Games Night, Friday is Star Wars Night, Saturday will benefit the Special Olympics of South Carolina with its Superhero Night theme, and Sunday is Retro Game Night.
Another new theme night this year is ‘Christmas Vacation in July’, which will be held on July 26th. It’s a take on Christmas in July, a common promotion in minor league baseball, twisted with the iconic movie “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation”.
“With the Cubs signing Joe Maddon as their new manager, he mentioned in his press release when he was first hired about an RV that he had named ‘Cousin Eddie’, so we took Cousin Eddie and ran with it and made a whole night out of it with Christmas in July,” explains Borowski.
Along with the players wearing Christmas light wrapped ugly sweater jerseys, the ballpark will be fully decorated for Christmas, a Cousin Eddie style alpine hat will be given away to the first 1,000 fans, and attendees coming to the event are encouraged to bring unwrapped toys to donate to the Salvation Army.
June 6th will feature Myrtle Beach Hurricanes Night, which will honor the Myrtle Beach Hurricanes, a Class-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays that played from 1991-1992.
“Myrtle Beach Hurricanes were a team here in the 90’s, and while Myrtle Beach doesn’t have a long history of minor league baseball, we did want to pay tribute to them and why we exist today,” Borowski explains.
The players will don special jerseys in honor of the Hurricanes and one fan with a ticket to the game could win $25,000 if a hurricane were to make landfall in Myrtle Beach the day of the game.
Many fan favorite theme nights will also return this season. Military Appreciation Night and Daddy-Daughter Date Night are on the calendar, as is the popular Strike Out Cancer series, which will run six different nights throughout the season. Each night will raise awareness for a different form of cancer.
Last year, the Pelicans Prostate Cancer Awareness Night made local and national headlines thanks to President and General Manager Andy Milovich. Challenged to receive a prostate exam during a home game, Milovich sang “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” during the seventh inning stretch of the July 24th game while receiving a prostate exam.
The night was even named Best MiLB Promotion of the Year for 2014 by Ballpark Digest magazine thanks to its distinctive premise.
Daily promotions also fill the Pelicans schedule each season.
Fan favorites returning this year include Locals’ Appreciation Night, which runs every Saturday. Locals with proper ID can receive $3 off tickets for Grand Strand Reserved and Reserved Box seats. Fans can also receive half price admission on Backpack Buddy Mondays with a donation of an item from their approved Backpack Buddies Donation list.
Also back by popular demand are $2sday Brewsday every Tuesday, with $2 craft beer drafts from 6-8 p.m., Weiner Wednesday which offers buy one, get one free hot dogs, and Thirsty Thursday, which features $1 Bud and Bud Light drafts from 6-8 p.m.
Fridays are now Ladies Night, with wine discounted at half price from 6-8 p.m., and during Family Sundays, all fans can participate in an on-field catch prior to the start of the game.
Opening Day at Pelicans Ballpark falls on a Thirsty Thursday, and there will be a magnet with the Pelicans’ season schedule given away to the first 5,000 fans. The evening will conclude with their post-game fireworks display.
If your child is in attendance, they too can briefly experience the thrill of being on the field; after every game, they open the gates for children 12 and under.
“We do that every single night, so even if you’re just coming to one game, your kid has an opportunity to run the bases,” says Call.
And if you were curious about Deuce returning, never fear. The adorable English Labrador Retriever and official dog mascot of the Pelicans will be back to his usual antics of running the bases and delivering baseballs to the umpires. Through a new sponsorship with Camp Bow Wow, Deuce even has his own Facebook page.
PLAYING IT FORWARD
Another focus for the Myrtle Beach Pelicans is their commitment and support to the Grand Strand community.
Each season they map out ways they can encourage and strengthen their Play It Forward Campaign and Myrtle Beach Pelicans Community Fund. Along with charitable tie-ins, like Backpack Buddy Mondays, or bringing awareness to different forms of cancer, the staff and players hope to initiate positive change through donations, by volunteering, and giving back to the community.
Since 2013, fundraising goals for the Myrtle Beach Pelicans Community Fund have been surpassed. The fund provides support to charities and organizations throughout the Grand Strand. In 2014, they raised $465,912. This year, they hope to surpass their $500,000 goal.
“With the Play it Forward Campaign, we’re encouraging everyone, from here in this community to other minor league teams, to not only do your community service, but talk about what you do,” Borowski says.
“The more you share, it gives other people ideas about how they can help and get involved… if one person in the stands takes it away and plays it forward, then it’s worth everything we put into it.”
This story was originally published December 21, 2015 at 4:51 PM with the headline "Behind the Scenes: Opening Day of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans."