Baseball Poll in HD

[herd is the word]

Would you attend Marshall baseball games if they had a local stadium
Here is the link in case you haven't submitted a response yet:
http://www.herald-dispatch.com/spor...oll_4db6c4c4-3758-11e6-ac9b-f3c0f8889e3a.html

pretty overwhelming support thus far.

 

[Herdmeister]

Would you attend Marshall baseball games if they had a local stadium
Here is the link in case you haven't submitted a response yet:
http://www.herald-dispatch.com/spor...oll_4db6c4c4-3758-11e6-ac9b-f3c0f8889e3a.html

pretty overwhelming support thus far.

Easy for people to answer in the positive until they have to shell out the $7-8 bucks for a ticket.

 

[TwolfHerdfan]

I don't think anyone goes to a game thinking it's free. If they had to pay $10 a ticket, that's a bargain.
I do think people would attend if a nice one was built near campus. Jmo

 

[AWS1022]

Easy for people to answer in the positive until they have to shell out the $7-8 bucks for a ticket.

It's already $5 plus the cost of gas to get to Charleston and back (or Beckley).

 

[Herdmeister]

It's already $5 plus the cost of gas to get to Charleston and back (or Beckley).

But we know people answer these polls but when it becomes a reality they don't follow through.

 

[The Real SamC]

It's already $5 plus the cost of gas to get to Charleston and back (or Beckley).

If you think large numbers of people are driving from Huntington to MU "home" baseball games, you are just mistaken. The majority of the, generally quite sparse, crowd at the games consists of players parents and girlfriends, MU alumni who live in Charleston or Beckley areas, and, if the weather is nice, just general baseball fans. Probably not 20% of the crowd are non-student people from Huntington.

This poll is just some person clicking a button. Easy to do.

If MU put up a place where you could irrevolkably commit to buying season tickets if a stadium were built, I doubt 100 deposits would be received.

 

[AWS1022]

If you think large numbers of people are driving from Huntington to MU "home" baseball games, you are just mistaken. The majority of the, generally quite sparse, crowd at the games consists of players parents and girlfriends, MU alumni who live in Charleston or Beckley areas, and, if the weather is nice, just general baseball fans. Probably not 20% of the crowd are non-student people from Huntington.

This poll is just some person clicking a button. Easy to do.

If MU put up a place where you could irrevolkably commit to buying season tickets if a stadium were built, I doubt 100 deposits would be received.

Maybe they don't go because it's $5 plus the cost of gas back and forth and the time and distance to get there. I think Huntington residents would be surprised by the turnout to a nice ballpark. I saw it first hand where I used to live.

 

[ggmike1992]

Last time I got season tickets for FSU baseball I paid $70 and that came out to just over $2 per home game. It is the best deal in town. If Marshall can start to string together some more seasons like they just had, I wouldn't think attendance would be a problem.

 

[WV_Celt]

I'd be there, dragging my wife along, every game.
I'm not driving to and back from, Charleston multiple times a week. I'm sure as hell not driving to Beckley. For anything.

 

[herdalicious]

Getting people to click on an online poll requires a lot less of them than trying to get them to take off work and come out for a 2 p.m. Wednesday day game against Rio Grande.

 

[Herdmeister]

Last time I got season tickets for FSU baseball I paid $70 and that came out to just over $2 per home game. It is the best deal in town. If Marshall can start to string together some more seasons like they just had, I wouldn't think attendance would be a problem.

Herd season tickets are $50. I get one every year. It also gets you into a Power game as well if they are playing later that day.

 

[AWS1022]

Getting people to click on an online poll requires a lot less of them than trying to get them to take off work and come out for a 2 p.m. Wednesday day game against Rio Grande.

You wouldn't need many people to do that if the park was close enough for the students to go. Then you get the residents to come out for the weekend conference games. The common misconception is that a team has to pack the stadium every game. The key is corporate sponsorship and corporate season ticket purchases. If they do enough of that then attendance matters little.

 

[CarolinaHerdZilla22]

Check out.......www.charlotteknights.com and see Charlotte AAA BB&T Stadium (Chicago White Sox)

HerdZilla22 In Charlotte

 

[herdalicious]

Just looking at the skyline of Charlotte makes me feel like I'm in downtown Huntington. Those apples are totally these apples.

 

[TwolfHerdfan]

If we could average 1000 per games, that would be huge. Yeah, a stadium close to campus is the key. And selling beer. Weeknight games may draw 300 but weekend games could get close to 1000 or so, if they promoted it. A 2000 seat stadium would be more than adequate. If you are gonna do it, do it right. Quality over quantity. jmo. Then work to get a Reds, Cardinals or Indians affiliate rookie league team or single A club. I doubt very seriously an Independent team will fly. jmo.

 

[WV_Celt]

I would for sure buy season tickets for both The Herd and a minor league team. And I think a lot of other people would, too.

Hell, just last night the Reds were having the annual in game Cincinnati Reds Community Telethon, and nonstop harping about helping out the Reds nation. If they had a minor league team here, I'm sure they would involved in the upkeep of the ball park.

 

[Herdmeister]

If we could average 1000 per games, that would be huge. Yeah, a stadium close to campus is the key. And selling beer. Weeknight games may draw 300 but weekend games could get close to 1000 or so, if they promoted it. A 2000 seat stadium would be more than adequate. If you are gonna do it, do it right. Quality over quantity. jmo. Then work to get a Reds, Cardinals or Indians affiliate rookie league team or single A club. I doubt very seriously an Independent team will fly. jmo.

If we get a minor league team it most likely will be a short season league that starts after the draft in June. Frankly I'd love to see a college wooden bat league.

 

[TwolfHerdfan]

I just don't see an independent team doing well at all. They tried that after the Cubs bolted and it failed miserably. I think most fans want to see a MLB team name attached in some form or fashion. jmho.

 

[The Real SamC]

IMHO, re: minor leagues.

A "full season" A team, which is what Charleston has, just is too many dates for Huntington. This runs from April 1 through Labor Day. That is 70 home dates, and the first 40% of the season would have to be worked around MU. MU already soaks up most of the live gate $$ in this area.

A rookie team, AKA "short season A" which is what Morganhole, Princeton and Bluefield have, runs from late June to Labor Day, is somewhat better option. These are usually kids just drafted that year or the year before.

A "college summer wooden bat league" which is what Beckley and Chillicothe have, is pretty similar. It is kids who have college eligiability remaining, and runs the same period. Although I don't know what the NCAA says about that at a college stadium. Probably OK.

"Independent" leagues, which are undrafted and released players are people kidding themselves. (Somebody will cite the couple of exceptions, which prove the rule).

As to teams, the Reds' Rookie team has been in Montana since forever. They seem happy with that deal, although the Reds' teams are among the most spread out, which makes things hard on the traveling coaches and to move players up and down. The Indians and Pirates have teams near themselves (Morganhole and Youngstown). I don't know why the Cardinals were mentioned. In any event, most people that follow low-minor baseball do not care if it matches up with the local big league team. In most cases, it cannot.

 

[TwolfHerdfan]

IMHO, re: minor leagues.

A "full season" A team, which is what Charleston has, just is too many dates for Huntington. This runs from April 1 through Labor Day. That is 70 home dates, and the first 40% of the season would have to be worked around MU. MU already soaks up most of the live gate $$ in this area.

A rookie team, AKA "short season A" which is what Morganhole, Princeton and Bluefield have, runs from late June to Labor Day, is somewhat better option. These are usually kids just drafted that year or the year before.

A "college summer wooden bat league" which is what Beckley and Chillicothe have, is pretty similar. It is kids who have college eligiability remaining, and runs the same period. Although I don't know what the NCAA says about that at a college stadium. Probably OK.

"Independent" leagues, which are undrafted and released players are people kidding themselves. (Somebody will cite the couple of exceptions, which prove the rule).

As to teams, the Reds' Rookie team has been in Montana since forever. They seem happy with that deal, although the Reds' teams are among the most spread out, which makes things hard on the traveling coaches and to move players up and down. The Indians and Pirates have teams near themselves (Morganhole and Youngstown). I don't know why the Cardinals were mentioned. In any event, most people that follow low-minor baseball do not care if it matches up with the local big league team. In most cases, it cannot.

The Cardinals were mentioned because believe it or not, there are many Cards fans in this area. Frankly, I mentioned those teams for obvious reasons. Point being, as long as a the minor league team (whatever form that takes) has an MLB association to it, chances are it will have a much better shot at success than an independent team due to branding alone.
I just don't think fans will come out to see a bunch of Crash Davis wannabe's

 

[Herdmeister]

The Cardinals were mentioned because believe it or not, there are many Cards fans in this area. Frankly, I mentioned those teams for obvious reasons. Point being, as long as a the minor league team (whatever form that takes) has an MLB association to it, chances are it will have a much better shot at success than an independent team due to branding alone.
I just don't think fans will come out to see a bunch of Crash Davis wannabe's

I don't think an Independent team was ever mentioned as a possibility. As I mentioned a short season or college wooden bat league.

 

[herdalicious]

Hell, just last night the Reds were having the annual in game Cincinnati Reds Community Telethon, and nonstop harping about helping out the Reds nation. If they had a minor league team here, I'm sure they would involved in the upkeep of the ball park.

Here's how the Reds Community Fund works: local businesses and Reds fans give money to the Reds, the Reds use those dollars on charitable, feel-good PR events with Reds logos all over them, and then write off the expenses. Not to ruin anyone's perception of the Reds, but they are the most carelessly capitalist organization I think I have ever encountered.

Also, MLB teams do not give monies to their minor-league affiliates outside of the contracts they sign with them. Stadium construction/maintenance is not included in those contracts - if your stadium is falling apart, the Reds will just change affiliations to a team in better standing.

 

[The Real SamC]

Cardinal fans locally are just like all bandwagon fans of distant pro teams in any sport.

In any event, really it does not matter that much. The Charleston team has been Cubs, Reds, Royals, Blue Jays, Brewers, and now Pirates and the attendence has not changed. Maybe it makes more of a difference at the AAA level, where the players are actually going up and down to the big club, but really at the Rookie or low A level, I don't think anybody thinks about it much. 95% of the players will not make it, and many low minor players get traded multiple times before they do make it. You are not watching the 2021 Pirates when you watch a Power game.

I agree 100% about "independent" leagues. The real minor leagues (where every team is affiliated with a MLB club) are one thing. These "independent" leagues are pretty much just people who will not take no for an answer. Much lower level. Much rather see a summer wooden bat college league team.

As I understand it, the MLB team pays the players and the coaches, training staff and other on-field costs, and a very few other things. The minor league team has to pay for most travel (the big team just delivers the team to town for the first game and sends them home after the season, and pays to move players up or down), uniforms, and all costs associated with the field's rent and or upkeep. It is not a way to get rich. Pretty much Bluefield and Princeton are run out of a cigar box. And the Morganhole deal was, as we know, just a subtrafuge in the first place.

 

[jocktalker]

Cardinal fans locally are just like all bandwagon fans of distant pro teams in any sport.

In any event, really it does not matter that much. The Charleston team has been Cubs, Reds, Royals, Blue Jays, Brewers, and now Pirates and the attendence has not changed. Maybe it makes more of a difference at the AAA level, where the players are actually going up and down to the big club, but really at the Rookie or low A level, I don't think anybody thinks about it much. 95% of the players will not make it, and many low minor players get traded multiple times before they do make it. You are not watching the 2021 Pirates when you watch a Power game.

I agree 100% about "independent" leagues. The real minor leagues (where every team is affiliated with a MLB club) are one thing. These "independent" leagues are pretty much just people who will not take no for an answer. Much lower level. Much rather see a summer wooden bat college league team.

As I understand it, the MLB team pays the players and the coaches, training staff and other on-field costs, and a very few other things. The minor league team has to pay for most travel (the big team just delivers the team to town for the first game and sends them home after the season, and pays to move players up or down), uniforms, and all costs associated with the field's rent and or upkeep. It is not a way to get rich. Pretty much Bluefield and Princeton are run out of a cigar box. And the Morganhole deal was, as we know, just a subtrafuge in the first place.

So I guess the time spent with the WV Power by current Pirates Starling Marte, James Tallion and Gerrit Cole doesn't count?

 

[The Real SamC]

When citing three players out of multiple seasons where 30 to 35 different players per year are on the Power, what part of "95% of the players don't make it" did you not understand?

 

[jocktalker]

When citing three players out of multiple seasons where 30 to 35 different players per year are on the Power, what part of "95% of the players don't make it" did you not understand?

I'm talking about 3 of the current 25 man roster. That's 12 per cent in case you didn't take math in college.

 

[The Real SamC]

Umm, retard, what part of

three players out of multiple seasons where 30 to 35 different players per year are on the Power

did you not understand?

When determining the %age of Power players that make it to the Pirates, you do not figure what %age of Pirates are ex-Power. You figure what %age of ex-Power are Pirates.

The Power have 30 to 35 different players per year. Over 3 years, that is about 90 to 100 different players. Three are currently 3, or THREE PERCENT, that have "made it".

You did GO to college, right?

 

[jocktalker]

Umm, retard, what part of

three players out of multiple seasons where 30 to 35 different players per year are on the Power

did you not understand?

When determining the %age of Power players that make it to the Pirates, you do not figure what %age of Pirates are ex-Power. You figure what %age of ex-Power are Pirates.

The Power have 30 to 35 different players per year. Over 3 years, that is about 90 to 100 different players. Three are currently 3, or THREE PERCENT, that have "made it".

You did GO to college, right?

I went to college but unfortunately, I never took classes to teach me how to effectively deal with special needs people.

 

[The Real SamC]

You look really foolish.

 

[cincyherdfan]

IMHO, re: minor leagues.

A "full season" A team, which is what Charleston has, just is too many dates for Huntington. This runs from April 1 through Labor Day. That is 70 home dates, and the first 40% of the season would have to be worked around MU. MU already soaks up most of the live gate $$ in this area.

A rookie team, AKA "short season A" which is what Morganhole, Princeton and Bluefield have, runs from late June to Labor Day, is somewhat better option. These are usually kids just drafted that year or the year before.

A "college summer wooden bat league" which is what Beckley and Chillicothe have, is pretty similar. It is kids who have college eligiability remaining, and runs the same period. Although I don't know what the NCAA says about that at a college stadium. Probably OK.

"Independent" leagues, which are undrafted and released players are people kidding themselves. (Somebody will cite the couple of exceptions, which prove the rule).

As to teams, the Reds' Rookie team has been in Montana since forever. They seem happy with that deal, although the Reds' teams are among the most spread out, which makes things hard on the traveling coaches and to move players up and down. The Indians and Pirates have teams near themselves (Morganhole and Youngstown). I don't know why the Cardinals were mentioned. In any event, most people that follow low-minor baseball do not care if it matches up with the local big league team. In most cases, it cannot.

Reds AAA team is in Louisville, 2 hour drive from Cincinnati, have a low A team in Dayton, a 45 minute drive from Cincinnati, and high A team in Daytona, and AA team in Pensacola. So not too spread out with exception of rookie team in Billings.

So getting guys from Louisville to Cincinnati and vice versa not a issue, easy to do on same afternoon, unlike many other teams. And having Dayton and Cincinnati so close also easy for rehab stints for guys in MLB to get to and back to Cincinnati for treatment immediately after playing at either place.

With all minor league games being on MiLBTV now front office members of teams don't travel like they used to.

Roving instructors spend time with each team 7-10 days at a time, and even that's been cut down with video being used so much. So travel no issue.

About half of MLB teams don't even send out advance scouts anymore, again due to video being so readily available.

 

[cincymike]

The best minor league ball park in the nation is currently Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati!

 

[CarolinaHerdZilla22]

Just looking at the skyline of Charlotte makes me feel like I'm in downtown Huntington. Those apples are totally these apples.

"Come on knucklehead.......you must know I am not comparing the population of Charlotte vs Huntington." "We, the baseball fans of Charlotte were LAST IN ALL MINOR LEAGUE TEAMS IN ATTENDANCE when the Knights played across the border (NC--SC) in S. Carolina near Carowinds. Finally, BB&T Park was built uptown and now Charlotte is NUMBER 1 in fans in the stands (last to first in one year).

My point, knucklehead (herdalicious)....Build something in Huntington (3,000--4,000 seats) and the FANS WILL SUPPORT IT. What else is going on in Huntington from the end of May---to early August? Baseball is a FAMILY event and affordable.

I long for the day I can watch HERD baseball in a nice stadium (somewhere) in Huntington.....and just perhaps.....The HERD could enjoy what Coastal Carolina Chants is celebrating. A Championship====a First for CUSA.

HerdZilla22 in Charlotte

 

[alphasig1053]

"Come on knucklehead.......you must know I am not comparing the population of Charlotte vs Huntington." "We, the baseball fans of Charlotte were LAST IN ALL MINOR LEAGUE TEAMS IN ATTENDANCE when the Knights played across the border (NC--SC) in S. Carolina near Carowinds. Finally, BB&T Park was built uptown and now Charlotte is NUMBER 1 in fans in the stands (last to first in one year).

My point, knucklehead (herdalicious)....Build something in Huntington (3,000--4,000 seats) and the FANS WILL SUPPORT IT. What else is going on in Huntington from the end of May---to early August? Baseball is a FAMILY event and affordable.

I long for the day I can watch HERD baseball in a nice stadium (somewhere) in Huntington.....and just perhaps.....The HERD could enjoy what Coastal Carolina Chants is celebrating. A Championship====a First for CUSA.

HerdZilla22 in Charlotte

Didn't Rice win a national title as a member of CUSA?

 

[AWS1022]

Didn't Rice win a national title as a member of CUSA?

No they won it two years before they joined the conference.

 

[herdalicious]

Listed in the order of rarity:

1) People who think what Coastal Carolina won was a major national sports championship
2) People who still remember a week later that they won it
3) People who know which Carolina they are on the coast of

I think it speaks volumes for what lucrative business college baseball is that the National Championship Game is played on a Thursday afternoon in June. It did a 0.3 in A18-49, which puts it somewhere between a re-run of "The Dog Whisperer" and the 2:38 a.m. forecast on The Weather Channel.

 

[Herdmeister]

Listed in the order of rarity:

1) People who think what Coastal Carolina won was a major national sports championship
2) People who still remember a week later that they won it
3) People who know which Carolina they are on the coast of

I think it speaks volumes for what lucrative business college baseball is that the National Championship Game is played on a Thursday afternoon in June. It did a 0.3 in A18-49, which puts it somewhere between a re-run of "The Dog Whisperer" and the 2:38 a.m. forecast on The Weather Channel.

Regardless of that, there are some ardent college baseball fans. Keep in mind BTW the championship was set for the previous night in prime time. Storms forced the change in date and time.

 

[herdalicious]

Believe it or not, this year was actually pretty average for the CWS in terms of ratings. Hell, it was on ESPN and you had ESPN Radio jockeys mocking it while the game was on, debating about which they'd rather watch, CWS or Euro 2016.

College baseball is a lot like C-USA - there's no historical evidence to indicate it has any positive revenue potential, so the passionate defenders talk about an opaque "upside." There's not one, in either case.

 

[The Real SamC]

No one in their right mind thinks that college baseball is going to make $$ similar to college football or basketball.

And is not the point. The point is that the NCAA requires a school have 14 total sports (either 6 men's and 8 women's or 7 and 7, depending on football) and it requires schools actually fund scholarships and make an actual effort to win. You cannot just have football and basketball and enough girls sports to keep the Title IX cops happy, and you cannot just have foootball and basketball and make a nominal effort at this and that. You HAVE to play and actually offer scholarships in at least four more men's sports past football and basketball.

Here is the list. Baseball, Track/X-country, Fencing, Golf, Gymnastics, Hockey, Lacrosse, Rifle, Skiing, Soccer, Swimming and Diving, Tennis, Volleyball, Water Polo, and Wrestling. We have X-Country (Track would not count as another sport), Golf, and Soccer. Of those the only one CUSA sponsors a championship in that we don't have is Tennis.

No one in their right mind, likewise, would argue that baseball does not have a potential many dozens of times greater than whatever we would replace it with. So we have to get serious about baseball, or forget about baseball.

Baseball can probably break even, or certainly lose FAR less money than whatever we would replace it with. The revenue potential in Huntington, WV, of water polo, or skiing, or tennis is zero.

 

[oldeherd]

No one in their right mind thinks that college baseball is going to make $$ similar to college football or basketball.

And is not the point. The point is that the NCAA requires a school have 14 total sports (either 6 men's and 8 women's or 7 and 7, depending on football) and it requires schools actually fund scholarships and make an actual effort to win. You cannot just have football and basketball and enough girls sports to keep the Title IX cops happy, and you cannot just have foootball and basketball and make a nominal effort at this and that. You HAVE to play and actually offer scholarships in at least four more men's sports past football and basketball.

Here is the list. Baseball, Track/X-country, Fencing, Golf, Gymnastics, Hockey, Lacrosse, Rifle, Skiing, Soccer, Swimming and Diving, Tennis, Volleyball, Water Polo, and Wrestling. We have X-Country (Track would not count as another sport), Golf, and Soccer. Of those the only one CUSA sponsors a championship in that we don't have is Tennis.

No one in their right mind, likewise, would argue that baseball does not have a potential many dozens of times greater than whatever we would replace it with. So we have to get serious about baseball, or forget about baseball.

Baseball can probably break even, or certainly lose FAR less money than whatever we would replace it with. The revenue potential in Huntington, WV, of water polo, or skiing, or tennis is zero.

Spot on, SamC. Only possible chance to make any significant revenue from an Olympic sport at MU has to be baseball. No way that with a quality venue in Huntington, reasonably close to campus, that the Herd shouldn't draw 800-1000 or more per game. What did WVU draw in their new stadium this year, which is actually out of Morgantown similar to Kennedy Center here in H-town? About 2000 or more, I believe. Whatever it actually was, I'm sure that it was a lot more than they drew for games at old venue, Hawley Field. And I'm sure that revenue figures for WVU baseball are up dramatically from those amassed at the old park. If MU has potential to realize some positive revenue from baseball in a new venue, then it has to seriously explore that possibility, as, per above post, NO other Olympic sport has such potential. And its no secret that Mike Hamrick's top task as AD now and for foreseeable future is REVENUE GROWTH AND ACCUMULATION!!!

 

[herdalicious]

Baseball can probably break even, or certainly lose FAR less money than whatever we would replace it with. The revenue potential in Huntington, WV, of water polo, or skiing, or tennis is zero.

If Mike Hamrick could start a water polo team and shelve baseball, he'd do it yesterday, and so would most athletic directors at schools who field baseball teams. Its not the NCAA that compels teams to play baseball, it's their conferences.

We only started playing conference games in Charleston because C-USA mades us, otherwise we'd be playing up at the Y. WVU had the state drop a ballpark in Morgantown because the Big XII required it. It takes a ton of scholarships, expensive equipment, massive facilities, and it generates nothing but red ink.

Give Hammy the chance to pull the plug, hand out a couple schollies and toss some kids in a pool? He's all over it, and the new football lockerroom is getting done a year ahead of schedule.