Myrtle Beach Pelicans on deck with packed promotional schedule

On April 7, the Myrtle Beach Pelicans launch into their opening series against the Frederick Keys, Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. Next week, they square off at home against the Winston-Salem Dash, Class A-Affiliate of the Chicago White Sox.

The Pelicans are heading into their 18th season – and their second as the Class A-Advanced affiliate of the Chicago Cubs.

The intersection of Grissom Parkway and 21st Avenue North takes on a completely different vibe when the birds are in town – a far cry from the off-season, where it is traversed mostly by locals heading to or from work at Broadway at the Beach or begrudgingly making their way to the DMV or tax office. This time of year, there is an electricity in the air – a carnival atmosphere where locals and tourists alike excitedly drive into TicketReturn.com Field or walk over from Broadway after a few cold ones.

Baseball at the Beach has returned, and with it – a dizzying array of promotions and entertainment – from the first pitch of the season to the final crack of the bat.

The Surge asked Scott Kornberg for help navigating the matrix of entertainment and promotional goings-on at the park this year.

Kornberg, 25, officially became the voice of the Myrtle Beach Pelicans in December, following the 2015 season in the Carolina League as broadcast and media relations assistant with the Winston-Salem Dash. In addition to calling the play-by-play at TicketReturn.com Field and broadcasting games on-air [locally on WRNN AM 1450/online at www.ESPNMyrtleBeach.com.radio]. Kornberg is also media relations manager with the Pelicans organization, and our guide.

“This is my first year with the Pelicans,” he said, adding that in baseball, most teams have two broadcasters on hand, with the exception of one-man shows like the Dodger’s iconic Vin Scully.

“I was called the number two, or the assistant with Winston-Salem. This year I was able to get a lead broadcasting job with Myrtle Beach, and it’s a really cool opportunity for me to be a lead guy. Myrtle Beach is a great organization, and there is a ton of stuff that comes along with being affiliated with the Chicago Cubs – especially because now they are a team that is a favorite to win the World Series. It’s a really, really cool place to be right now.”

Calling the play-by-play is a specialized skill set requiring keen observation, a deep knowledge of the roster and, obviously, a thorough understanding of the game. But if done right, this is also a part of the entertainment folks expect at a Pelicans game.

“The preparation to know all of that stuff is really the key because you can tell who prepares for each broadcast and who doesn’t,” he said. “I spend hours Googling both the guys who play for the Pelicans and their opponents because I want to humanize all of the players – to make them relatable to the audience.”

He is all about the personal stories of individual players – as well as even-handedness in his announcing.

“If there is a guy who had to overcome something or a guy is a huge fan of the Cubs who got drafted by the Cubs – or whatever it is that really endears them to the audience, I like to include that - and I like to do that for the visiting team too. There are different ways to use the inflections in your voice or show enthusiasm for the team that you work for, but I do like to appreciate the other teams.”

Let’s take a look at what’s on deck for the Pelicans’ opening month and beyond, based on a roadmap provided by Kornberg.

GRUB AND SUDS

There are a few longstanding food and beverage promotions that are being reprised this season – namely $2sday Brewsdays, with craft beer on draft to be had for two bucks between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. Wiener Wednesdays feature BOGO Hebrew National dogs for the duration of the game – and of course the stalwart Thirsty Thursdays, returning with dollar Budweiser and Bud Light drafts and $2 cans from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. You know the deal.

But there are also food components that scream Chicago, part of what Kornberg calls “Cubs-ification” going on at the park.

“Last year they brought in very Chicago-foodie things like Italian Beef with Giardiniera [pickled vegetable relish], Chicago-style hot dogs and a deep dish pizza burger. All of that stuff is coming back this year.”

But this year brings with it an ambitious culinary offering called the Double Play, which Kornberg said is an Italian sausage sandwich topped with Italian beef.

“You’ve got to be really hungry to eat that,” he said.

FIREWORKS AND FUN

If you live here, flaunt it. Present your ID when buying tickets at Saturday games and get $3 off Grand Strand Reserved and Reserved Box tickets – for Locals Appreciation Saturdays.

And if you live anywhere in the vicinity of TicketReturn.com Field, you have come to expect the report of fireworks. 20 such postgame shows are slated for this season, including 11 East Coast Pyrotechnics Fireworks Extravaganza shows in June and July – with productions [July 2 and 3] in celebration of Independence Day.

“For the first time this year, we’re doing fireworks after every single Saturday home game for Locals Appreciation Saturdays.”

Meet and greet your favorite players and take advantage of the opportunity to snag an autograph for 15 minutes after the gates open before every home game from Monday through Saturday.

As a nod to an event at Wrigley Field, a new feature is being added to home games.

“We will actually have either a fan or a sponsor sing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” during the seventh inning stretch,” he said.

Kids have got it made at TicketReturn.com Field. After every home game, children [12 and under] get a chance to run the bases. And for mascot Splash’s birthday celebration on April 23, your kid could win one of 100 bikes.

There’s a Wiffle ball field down the left field line.

“It’s modeled after Wrigley Field,” said Kornberg. “They have a brick wall in the outfield – it’s fake brick – and there is also fake ivy on top of it. All of the little kids can run around and play Wiffle ball or just run around and pretend to be future Cubs. It’s a really cool touch to the ballpark.”

Another Cubs tradition adopted by the Pelicans is the flying of flags to signify wins or losses.

“Wrigley Field is second oldest in MLB behind Fenway Park,” he said. “Back in the day before radio and TV, when they had to find out for the newspaper the next day if the Cubs won or lost or for the people either walking by Wrigley Field, or on the subway – they would fly a W flag if the Cubs won or an L flag if they lost. The Pelicans actually do that – and it’s visible from all the roads around the ballpark.”

SUPERHEROES AND STAR WARS

For those who enjoy cosplay with their baseball, the Pelicans will host Superhero Night with special appearances during the game on April 8 as well as Star Wars Night on April 22. Come in costume for either of these events and you have a shot at winning prizes.

On Star Wars Night, be on the lookout for a special appearance from members of the 501st Legion Carolina Garrison will be in stadium for a special appearance. The Carolina Garrison, according to its Web site is “the North Carolina/South Carolina chapter of the 501st Legion, an all-volunteer international Star Wars costuming organization with more than 6,000 active members representing more than 47 nations.”

But can Jedi and Caped Crusaders peacefully coexist with baseball?

“Yes – absolutely,” affirmed Kornberg. “That’s the goal because in minor league baseball, you have to do cool promotions to get people excited because it really is a family-oriented atmosphere.”

Many come to games for the fun of it, some are hardcore hardball aficionados and then there are those who follow everything to do with the Cubs organization.

“Obviously there is a baseball game going on, so people who love baseball really will digest everything,” he said. They listen to our broadcast, read out blog and all of the Cubs blogs about all of these minor league players. “It’s really incredible how much information there is, and that goes back to how good that fan base is.”

WORLDS COLLIDE

To this day, some visitors often confuse fantasy with reality by the mistaken assumption that The Myrtle Beach Mermen, the team portrayed in the bygone HBO series, “Eastbound & Down,” is real, and that actor Danny McBride is in fact a pitcher. That being said, the Pelicans will feature a Myrtle Beach Mermen and Replica Jersey Giveaway on July 21.

“People still make that connection about the Mermen and the Pelicans,” he said. “I know the baseball players love that, because every time we are on bus rides to whatever city we’re going to, that seems to be the thing they watch – hours of “Eastbound & Down.”

It’s all about striking a balance between the family-friendly promotions and the game itself.

“It’s kind of a way to merge the best of both worlds,” he said.

This story was originally published April 7, 2016 at 1:25 AM with the headline "Myrtle Beach Pelicans on deck with packed promotional schedule."