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New app Inside the Park aims to enhance game experience

By
Erin Holden
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A new free app called Inside the Park, developed by Boomaphone for Minor League Baseball, is expected to debut by Opening Day. Illustration courtesy Toledo Mud Hens.

Social media and smartphone use has grown in popularity to the point where a majority of users are on their phones all the time — whether they are watching the Oscars, the Super Bowl or a baseball game, said Nathan Steinmetz, manager of online marketing for the Toledo Mud Hens.

That “second-screen mentality” is why Steinmetz is excited for a new Minor League Baseball (MiLB) app set to debut by Opening Day.

The free app, Inside the Park, was developed by Boomaphone, a subsidiary of sports marketing company Brandiose, in partnership with MiLB and will include all 160 minor league teams, including the Mud Hens.

“You walk around our games the past few years and you’ll see that everyone’s on their phone, whether they are checking their Twitter or texting their friends or posting their own photos on Instagram. It’s happening everywhere,” Steinmetz said.

“At any of these big events that everybody watches, that second-screen mentality is you’ve got your phone out and you’re following along on Twitter to see what everybody else is saying or you’re getting engaged and putting your own thoughts and jokes out there. It’s happening at home and it’s happening at our games. This app is a perfect culmination of all those things and we think it’s going to be really great.”

Each team will supply its own inning-by-inning content for the app, which will be available for both iPhone and Android users.

“We’re confident it will be up and operational on Opening Day or soon thereafter,” Steinmetz said. “Realistically it will probably take us a homestand or two to work through the kinks. But it should be really cool.”

The app is expected to serve as a “companion piece” to the fan experience, Steinmetz said.

Nathan Steinmetz, Mud Hens manager of online marketing. Toledo Free Press photo by Christie Materni.

“It lets fans know what special events might be happening before the game, what promotions will be happening during the game and what’s happening after the game, if there’s fireworks or any special events worth sticking around for,” Steinmetz said.

App users can vote on mascot races, sign up for promotions, earn points and reward coupons, interact through social media accounts, explore the ballpark via an interactive map and more, said app developer Jason Klein of Boomaphone.

The app will use geolocation to recognize what ballpark the user is in and pull up that feed, Steinmetz said. The user can also manually switch to a different ballpark, Klein said.

“This is connecting the ballpark experience in a way that’s never been done before,” Klein said. “It completely enhances the fan experience.”

All the Mud Hens social media platforms will be integrated into the app, so fans following the game will get Facebook posts, tweets and Instagram posts from the Mud Hens within the app.

Fans can also sign into their own social media platforms using the app. Photos, tweets and statuses shared via the app will automatically get a game hashtag that will be searchable and viewable by the Mud Hens and other fans at the game as well as your own friends, Steinmetz said.

“The idea is that if people are here, they can just have this app up the entire time and do everything they would want to do from the app,” Steinmetz said.

Steinmetz said he also hopes the app will help fans take control of their game experience.

“There are events happening all over the concourse and if you walk in the wrong gate, you might not walk by it,” Steinmetz said. “People might not know the mascots sign autographs in the seventh inning because they sit over there and have no reason to come over here for example. So we’re hoping this really helps people increase the value of their ticket and be able to experience more.”

Last year, seven minor league teams participated in a pilot program with the app, including the Buffalo Bisons and Lehigh Valley IronPigs of the International League.

“One of the teams came to us so we built a minor league baseball app from the ground up,” Klein siad. “We’re not bringing this over from any other sport or business. It was designed specifically for minor league baseball fans. We took a lot of notes and a lot of feedback from the teams last year and the app will be way better than last year.”

Many minor league fans are more interested in promotional events than baseball stats, Steinmetz said.

“Sports information is important, but our philosophy has always been that’s part of it,” he said. “Some people just want to know, ‘Is SpongeBob going to be at the game today? Are there fireworks tonight?’ That’s what this app is. Twenty percent of the screen is taken up with information on the game and the rest is information about what’s going on and that’s what most people are here for.”

Steinmetz said he’s excited to use the app both as his job and as a fan.

“They get what we’re all about — the differences between our fans and fans of other sports and even of the major leagues,” Steinmetz said of Boomaphone. “They get how it’s all about fun and entertainment here and that’s all built into the app.”

Social media users comprise all age groups, from children to seniors, Steinmetz said.

“It’s getting to the point where just about everyone’s using it,” Steinmetz said. “A good example is the Throwback Thursday hashtag. We’ve been taking advantage of our storied history and sharing some of our old photos from our archives.”

Each week, the Hens get responses from fans who remember attending games at Swayne Field and Ned Skeldon Stadium.

“The conversations that come out of that are amazing. We get incredible engagement from it,” Steinmetz said. “Right there is a great example of how social media has reached across all age groups and our messaging has changed a little bit to reflect that.”

Because the app is made by Minor League Baseball, it won’t transfer to the Walleye, but it’s something the team would be interested in offering in the future, Steinmetz said.

“It’s that second-screen mentality coming right into our ballpark. That’s where we’re at now,” Steinmetz said. “It all kind of comes together, that you can communicate with other people, you can communicate with the team, you can get news and information — all from your seat. It’s pretty cool.”

Return of baseball offers welcome change of pace

By
Matt Culbreath
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The NCAA Tournament is entering its final weekend. The NHL and NBA are deep into their final runs into the playoffs. Even NASCAR is spitting hot fire with its new qualifying format. The sports world is just screaming loud.

So that means it’s suddenly time for the sport that has no clock. The sport that takes its time. The sport that can be played with a mouthful of sesame seeds.

Baseball, Ray.

For baseball purists, it’s a moment of divinity. An opportunity to get out from underneath the roofed arenas and away from the noise. To take an opportunity to enjoy the game that takes the opportunity to enjoy itself.

For the rest of the sports world, it’s a little bit … awkward. “Yeah, I see you over there, baseball, but look, I’ve got these other things going on. I’ll get over to you in a bit.”

And they do. But be honest — between the tournament, playoff races and even some poor souls draining their energy into the glorified lottery draw known as the NFL Draft — they’ll pay attention on Opening Day, but then they won’t come around until everything else settles down.

But baseball most definitely has its place in the world. Consider the winter months — hell, consider THIS particular winter. How many days were you confined to the inside of your house? For more than one day this year, it was literally illegal for you to be on the roads. (I say “you” because this poor sap gets the sad designation of being “essential media,” and has to brave the roads. Yay me.)

So when you’re stuck inside, you need the fast-paced action of football, basketball and hockey. If you can’t run around the house like a madman, at least you can get excited over watching someone else do it.

Finally, in April, the weather breaks. You’re able to leave the house. And between repairing the damage winter caused to your house and doing your typical fair-weather activities — gardening, getting out to a Metropark, I’ve heard rumors some people exercise — it would only make sense that the sport of choice for this time would be the one that moves at the speed of “coast.”

So when it comes to the start of baseball, some of us need it more than others. Quite frankly, after the winter we’ve been through (ranked No. 1 worst by the Weather Channel!), I think Toledo will keep Fifth Third Field packed all season long. The stragglers will come through when their playoffs and drafts are all finished up, and they’ll drink in the sun with the rest of us.

Here’s to baseball, the sport we need at the time we need it.

“Shaggy” Matt Culbreath is director at 1370 WSPD.

Turf Manager Jake Tyler fights effects of brutal winter

By
Don Lee
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Piles of snow shoveled off the field by hand because the field was too fragile for heavy equipment. Photo courtesy Jake Tyler.

Jake Tyler’s job is to see to it the Mud Hens aren’t, strictly, muddy.

Add his job to the list of those made harder by the winter nobody’s sorry to see gone.

Making sure the “Field” part of Fifth Third Field is ready for the Mud Hens’ home opener is generally a laidback job — aerate the soil, add a layer of sand, spread fertilizer on the grassy parts, mow it a couple times.

Add up to 16 inches of snow and ice, though …

“Normally we’ve got four weeks to get two weeks [worth of] work done,” Tyler said, laughing. “Now we had three weeks to get a month and a half worth of work done.”

Normally, snow protects the grass and ground from the worst of the winter cold, then melts in the spring, helping to thaw and warm the ground.

“Definitely not a normal year,” said Tyler, whose official job title is sports turf manager for the Mud Hens. “Depends on how you define normal, I guess.”

The ground froze, and froze deep. Snow and ice piled up — about 16 inches in the part of the field that, until about April when the sun traces a high-enough arc in the sky, gets no direct sunlight at all.

Even on the day before spring officially started, parts of the ballpark’s loading dock was piled deep with snow — snow that had to be shoveled from the field by hand, by a crew of eight men, because the deep-frozen ground was too fragile to use heavy equipment.

And the limited sunlight and near-zero evening temperatures meant there were only a few hours each day to get that work done without causing more damage to the ground.

“It took some ingenuity” to work around that, Tyler said.

That ingenuity included putting one of the infield tarps to unexpected use as a hothouse of sorts, to melt the 16 inches of snow and ice shielded by the stadium walls from the low winter sun.

The tarp was spread atop the ice, its edges weighted down with piled-on snow. Then two industrial-sized space heaters were set up at either end, their exhaust hoses stuck under the edges. The two heaters put out a total of a 1 million British Thermal Unit (BTU), Tyler said. (Just to compare, the space heater that’s been under your desk all winter might be about 5,000 BTU, tops.)

Those two heaters ran three days straight, keeping the temperature under the tarp in the 70s even as the outside temperature passed zero on the way down, before the ice and snow melted, Tyler said.

All that got Tyler and his crew — which includes full-time assistant Cory Myers and, in a “normal” year, two other crewmen — to the point at which they could think about doing the things they usually do to prepare the field: tilling to aerate the clay parts, fertilizer on the grass, the first pass with the mowers.

It’s about more than having a field that looks good, Tyler said. There are plenty of stories about how dirt that’s not firm enough can cause a player to lose his footing, or cause a ball to take a bad hop and injure someone.

“Our goal is to have a safe field for the players. We don’t want to cause any injuries,” he said.

And then there’s the intangible effect of walking into a baseball stadium, through the gates and up to the seats and catching that first glimpse of the playing field.

For the fans, Tyler said, “walking out to that field and seeing the green grass makes it feel like spring even if it’s not.”

A tent erected on the field at Fifth Third Field served as a makeshift hothouse to melt the snow in order to start preparing the field for Opening Day. Photo courtesy Jake Tyler.

Pita Pit location to open Downtown by Opening Day

By
Jay Hathaway
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Kate and Tom Dake will open a Pita Pit restaurant in the Warehouse District on March 31. Toledo Free Press Photo by Christie Materni

Downtowners will soon have a new choice for lunch in the Warehouse District.

A new franchise location of the Pita Pit is opening March 31 at 30 S. St. Clair St.

Franchise owner Kate Dake said the area’s emergence as an entertainment district was appealing when choosing a new location.

“There’s no other service like the Pita Pit over there,” she said. “There’s Jimmy John’s and Subway [on the other side of Downtown], but there’s no quick service in the Warehouse District.”

“We fell in love with the space,” she added. “It’s an old historic building, and used to be a livery, among other things, so that’s pretty cool.”

Dake said she and her co-owners — including her husband Tom and brother Steve — are very much looking forward to their first baseball season in the neighborhood.

“Our goal all along has been to be up and operating by opening day,” she said.

To introduce themselves to St. Clair Village, the Dakes held a holiday party and got to know some of the neighbors. She said employees are sometimes treated to Mud Hens and Walleye games.

“We are huge fans of the Walleye and the Mud Hens,” she said. “We’re hoping for some opportunities to work with them, as well.”

Pita Pit was founded in Ontario, Canada in 1995, and then in 2005 a group of investors and franchisees gained the rights to start Pita Pit USA, based in Idaho. There are currently more than 200 locations in the US, and more than 450 worldwide.

The Dakes currently own two other Pita Pit locations. They purchased their first in Bowling Green from a different franchisee, then opened one of their own on Dorr Street near the University of Toledo.

The Dakes, who have been living in the Cleveland area, originally looked to open a restaurant there, but Kate’s brother worked as a delivery man at the store in Bowling Green while attending school, and had worked his way up to management. It was this connection that brought the Dakes into the business.

While her husband has continued his career in construction management, Kate now makes running the restaurants her full-time job, in addition to mom duties.

Dake said one of the most appealing things about Pita Pit is its uniqueness.

“The whole concept of what Pita Pit is, is that it’s a healthy thing, but it’s a quick thing,” she said. “There really aren’t a whole lot of fast options for healthy food. We have a lot of quality meats and sauces, and fewer ingredients.”

Dake said the menu features a mix of Mediterranean and Greek options like falafel and hummus.

“We also have lots of sandwich options like prime rib and Philly steak, and a lot of vegetarian options,” she said.

“Then we have our chicken breast, and it’s our most versatile menu choice. You can do Buffalo chicken, or chicken and ham with pineapple. Really, each pita is customized for every person who walks into the store.”

While having no immediate or concrete plans, Dake said expansion is definitely part of the long-term business plan.

“We have an optimistic goal of 10 stores between Toledo and Cleveland, and we’re just going to take it slow and steady, and take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves.”

Letters to the Editor, Mar. 30, 2014

By
Dock David Treece
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Tucked Response

I have always enjoyed reading the articles in Toledo Free Press, and especially the Myles Eckert story (March 9). As I was reading Michael S. Miller’s column about his weight loss (“Tucked”), I thought, “Good for you and for your family.”

Then, I get to the part “… eating a chocolate fudge sundae with enough ice cream to fill Sofia Vergara’s halter top.” REALLY!

What about a banana split-eating contest with enough ice cream and bananas to fill your old boxers?

It’s 2014 and unfortunately women are still putting up with comments and implications like that from men.

So, as your son grows up, you can give him an elbow and say, “Hey, son, look at those scoops” and the two of you can have a “ha ha ha” moment.

As a woman, I did not have a “ha ha ha” moment, because it had a sexist connotation.

As I continue to pick up Toledo Free Press from my drive, it will now go into the trash where it belongs! What you implied was not necessary.
Joanne Vargo

Michael S. Miller responds:
Your letter certainly made me feel like a boob. I am doubly sad that because you found one line in one column offensive, you will no longer choose to remain abreast of the local news and content we deliver. I suppose it’s no use to offer to meet you for a double-scoop milkshake to discuss your bombshell. I will rack this up as a bust, as you have made your decision and nothing I can say will shift it.

High school games offer teens big league experience

By
Dave Kubacki
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By Dave Kubacki, Toledo Free Press Staff Writer

For most high school baseball players, playing in a professional ballpark never makes it past being a dream. Thanks to the Toledo Mud Hens and Fifth Third Field, that dream is becoming a reality more often than ever before.

For more than 10 years, Fifth Third Field has opened its gates for area high schools teams, providing student-athletes a rare opportunity to compete in the heart of Downtown Toledo. For 2014, Fifth Third Field has 10 games scheduled and will likely add some additional games in the next couple of months, said Michael Keedy, manager of special events for the Mud Hens.

Perrysburg High School and Genoa High School played a game at Fifth Third Field in 2012. Photo Courtesy Dave Hall

The program offers high school players a unique opportunity, Keedy said.

“It’s the experience,” he said. “Imagine being a high school baseball player and having the opportunity to play at such a beautiful facility. A lot of high schools have nice facilities, but it’s different stepping out onto Fifth Third Field. High schools want their kids to have that experience. You can tell the kids enjoy it. We set a game time and it always seems the teams show up an hour or an hour and a half early because they are so excited.”

There is no facility or field rental fee and nearly zero out-of-pocket expenses for the program. Teams receive 300 undated Mud Hens ticket vouchers, which must be sold at a minimum of $10 per voucher. Teams are allowed to mark up the $10 voucher and keep the additional revenue as a fundraiser for their respective programs.

Most schools have no problem selling the tickets, said Emily Croll, special events coordinator for the Mud Hens.

“Most sell their tickets between $11 and $13 to use as a fundraising effort,” Croll said. “These teams go on spring break and have other uniform costs. Most of the time, the teams are very successful in selling their tickets and actually sell over the 300 vouchers we give them. They have their freshman, JV and varsity all selling tickets and they run out pretty quickly. It’s a great way for the community to support their local teams.”

Perrysburg High School baseball coach Dave Hall said playing at Fifth Third Field is a great opportunity for the kids to see how the game feels played on a big stage.

“The experience has been really good for the players,” Hall said. “They love being in a Triple A facility. It’s a really nice atmosphere, especially knowing that you are playing in a place that is one step away from the major leagues. Every year, the kids are excited and the coaches are excited.”

Hall said there are adjustments players make, but notes high school parks are getting bigger and bigger every year.

“You know, there are some adjustments,” Hall said. “However, our kids have experience playing in all sorts of different sizes of ballparks. Not to mention, the high school fields are getting bigger every time. Kids can still hit one out of the park, but it doesn’t happen too often.”

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This season’s high school games include:

  • 4 p.m. April 14: Erie Mason vs. TBD
  • 5 p.m. April 14: Perrysburg vs. Springfield
  • 1 p.m. April 19: Carey vs. Riverdale
  • 4 p.m. April 19: Lakota vs. Old Fort
  • 7 p.m. April 19: Napoleon vs. Otsego
  • 4 p.m. May 3: Gibsonburg vs. Woodmore
  • 7 p.m. May 3: Lincoln Park vs. Dearborn
  • 4 p.m. May 6: Patrick Henry vs. Liberty Benton
  • 7 p.m. May 6: North Central vs. Hilltop
  • 4:30 p.m. May 20: Anthony Wayne vs. Delta

Hens have rich history passed through generations

By
Fred Altvater
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When the Toledo Mud Hens return to the friendly confines of Fifth Third Field for Opening Day April 4, Downtown Toledo will once again feel the warmth of a new baseball season and a renewed hope for the boys of summer.

Fred Altvater

Baseball is America’s game and its leisurely pace is only a camouflage for the hectic activity always lurking just under the surface. The catcher constantly checks the batter’s stance and measures the runner’s lead at first base. The pitcher concentrates on the upcoming pitch and his motion to the plate. The infielders focus on what to do with the ball if it comes to them, while the outfielders prepare for a ball hit in their direction.

All of this quiet mental activity is shattered when the pitcher flings a 96 mph fastball and the batter puts the ball in play.

For the next 10 seconds everyone moves as if a ballet has broken out on the field. In the blink of an eye, the shortstop calculates the best route to intercept the ground ball and nimbly throws it to the first baseman to catch the streaking runner by the slimmest of margins.

Once again quiet and order are restored to the field and fans can discuss in astonishment the activity on the diamond and munch on a delicious ballpark hot dog or buttered popcorn.

Baseball has been passed down from generation to generation. Parents take their children and grandchildren to catch a baseball game and spend the day bonding in an enjoyable family activity.

It’s been this way for years. I vividly remember my father taking me to the old Municipal Stadium in Cleveland for an Indians versus Yankees doubleheader. Even though it was one of the worst ballparks in baseball, it seemed like a shrine to me.

Rocky Colavito versus the mighty Yankees of 1961 was an epic battle for a 10-year-old boy to witness.

This scene has been repeated by countless families throughout the years and I have had the opportunity to take my children to many games. Now I even get to take my grandchildren.

Toledoans are lucky to have two major league teams within driving distance, but right here in our backyard is a minor league team with a storied history that provides quality baseball entertainment for a fraction of the price of the major leagues.

It’s hard to believe this will be the 13th season for Fifth Third Field. It opened in 2002 and provides a comfortable venue to catch a leisurely baseball game on a balmy summer evening in Northwest Ohio.

The Mud Hens enter the 2014 season with a familiar face in the dugout. Manager Larry Parrish is returning for his third stint as skipper. He first led the team in 2003 and, in his second tour, brought the Governors’ Cup to Toledo in 2005 and 2006.

There has been a professional baseball team in Toledo since 1883 and the current franchise can trace its heritage to 1896. Back then the team played at Bay View Park near the marshlands, which were inhabited by the American Coot, also known as the mud hen. The team was dubbed the Mud Hens and the name has stuck for more than 119 years.

Some great names have passed through Toledo on their way to notable careers in baseball. Hall of Famer Casey Stengel was a manager here and led the team to the American Association pennant in 1927.

One of the greatest all-round athletes of all time, Jim Thorpe, played for the Mud Hens in 1921. Brandon Inge, Kirby Puckett and Curtis Granderson are just a few of the other familiar names that spent time in a Mud Hens jersey.

Actor Jamie Farr, born and raised in Toledo, even wore Mud Hens apparel on the popular television series “M*A*S*H.”

The team has been associated with the Western Division of the International League since 1965. Throughout the years, they have been affiliated with teams such as the Yankees, Phillies, Indians and Twins. Since 1987, the Mud Hens have been the Triple-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers.

Toledo’s close proximity to Detroit allows the major league parent to easily shuttle players back and forth. The Tigers can add an injured player to the Mud Hens roster for a short rehab assignment or send down a player who is struggling for some additional training or a confidence boost.

Consequently, Mud Hens fans get a chance to see some of the biggest names in the game playing right here in Toledo.

Even though both Cleveland and Detroit are within short drives, the Mud Hens have thrived over the years. The cost for a family to attend a Tigers or Indians game can run upwards of $200, while a trip to Fifth Third Field will do a lot less damage to the family budget and is just as exciting.

There is something special about a parent bringing a son or daughter to the ballpark to watch a baseball game. I have very fond memories of attending my first game with my dad and have enjoyed taking my children and grandchildren to many games over the years.

It has been an unusually cold and difficult winter in Northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan. The return of the Mud Hens to Toledo signals the rebirth of spring and the hope for another exciting summer of baseball in Toledo.

Leave the smartphones, video games and other mobile devices at home and head to Fifth Third Field. Grab a hot dog and a cold drink at the park. Maybe you can reconnect with your family, just like your dad did.

Parrish pumped about Mud Hens’ pitching prospects

By
Toledo Free Press
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Larry Parrish is returning to Toledo for his third time at the Mud Hens’ helm. Photo courtesy Toledo Mud Hens

The Mud Hens’ all-time winningest skipper is ready to roll for another season of Toledo baseball.

Larry Parrish has returned for his third stint as manager of the Hens, replacing Phil Nevin.

The former All-Star major league player and International League Hall of Famer said the chance to come back was something he could not pass up.

“It was an opportunity presented by the club, and obviously Toledo’s a place I’m very familiar with — nice people, great surroundings,” Parrish said. “It’s a chance as a manager to try to help the guys make the next step, to make the major leagues.”

Parrish, who most recently managed the Single-A West Michigan Whitecaps, is eager to work with a promising group of young players this year, and said strength on the mound will be a highlight.

“It looks like our pitching should be very good,” Parrish said. “I think we’ve got a couple legitimate prospects that are going to be starting for us this year.”

He said Toledo’s current pitching depth provides an opportunity to see possible future stars in action.

“I don’t know if we’ve had that in a long time, where we had this many guys who have a chance to pitch in the big leagues as starters,” he said. “As an organization, we’re strong up and down, pitching-wise.”

He added that some of the pitching prospects brought up by the Detroit Tigers over the past decade — such as Jeremy Bonderman, Rick Porcello and Justin Verlander — often do not stay in the minor league system long.

“They were on the fast track [to the majors], so we didn’t get a chance to see them in Toledo,” he said.

Parrish said his pitchers this year will have some added help behind them in the form of good gloves.

“Defensively, I think we’re going to be a very good club,” he said.

On the offensive side, Parrish noted a lot of potential, but said hitting at the Triple-A level can be unpredictable.

“Offensively, it’s tough to say for the first part of the season, because we’re going to have a lot of first-year guys at this level,” he said. “Sometimes, though, you never know. Guys make big changes from one year to the next.”

Parrish said his roster this year could be unpredictable at times, as early, lengthy injuries to Tigers left-fielder Andy Dirks and shortstop José Iglesias have left the major league club with holes.

“Any time a guy goes down up there, it usually affects us,” he said.

When asked if he finds it frustrating to have to give up players that are going strong for Toledo, Parrish said that he understands the nature of his position.

“That’s just sort of our job,” he said. “Every organization is predicated on how well the major league club does. That’s really what’s it’s all about, getting guys to the major league club. If we’ve got a guy ready to go up and help, then we’ve done our job.”

In addition to working with the players, Parrish said he is also looking forward to working with hitting coach Leon “Bull” Durham, who has been with the Hens for 14 seasons.

“I love the fact that they’ve still got Bull there,” Parrish said. “I hate that he hasn’t gotten the opportunity to be a big league hitting coach yet, but I’m glad they still have him in Toledo with me.”

As for his return to the city itself, Parrish said Toledo has a lot to offer, and he especially enjoys working in the Fifth Third Field facilities.

“It’s got a great clubhouse and weight room for the players. The batting cage is right there by the clubhouse. The groundskeeper, Jake [Tyler], does a great job. It’s just a great place to be.

“It’s a very fan-friendly ballpark,” he added. “Even the people in the upper deck, you can almost have a conversation from the field. There’s really not a bad seat in the ballpark.”

Parrish said, in addition to the excellent fan base, the Downtown business community has also been very supportive.

“Since they put [the ballpark] in the Downtown area, so many places have sprung up.”

Toledo also has a lot to offer in terms of leisure, Parrish said.

“I’m an outdoorsman, so I love to play golf. There are some great golf courses in the area. Then you’ve got Cabela’s up [Route] 23, and Bass Pro Shops down I-75, so that’s great to have those places close by as well.”

Parrish led the Mud Hens to back-to-back International League championships in 2005 and 2006. He was named the International League Manager of the Year in 2005 and was inducted into the International League Hall of Fame last season.

During his playing career, the Florida native saw action in nearly 1,900 major league games. He retired from playing in 1990 and joined the Detroit Tigers organization as a full-time coach.

Mud Hens President and General Manager Joe Napoli said  he is thrilled to have Parrish back.

“As a manager, he’s a great teacher and I know we’ll see improvement in player development,” Napoli said in a news release at the time of the announcement. “For our fans, he’s always been a favorite. They will be glad to welcome him back.”

Parrish and the Mud Hens open the season at home April 4 against the Louisville Bats.

Pounds: 10 Muddy years

By
Tom Pounds
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“Don’t tell me about the world. Not today. It’s springtime and they’re knocking baseballs around fields where the grass is damp and green in the morning and the kids are trying to hit the curveball.”

— Pete Hamill

It’s gone by faster than a double play. For 10 years, Toledo Free Press has marked Mud Hens Opening Day with what’s become the biggest and most comprehensive guide published in the market. We understood from our first season Downtown how important the Hens are to Toledo’s identity and spirit, and we have taken great care to share their successes and challenges with our readers.

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As illustrator Don Lee has captured on this week’s cover, Muddy is expanding his pop culture reach beyond “Star Wars” to incorporate the Ghostbusters in his promotional plans for family fun. Opening Day at Fifth Third Field has become one of the area’s biggest events; every seat will be filled, the suites and hallways will overflow with excited fans and the Huron-Monroe-Washington-St. Clair streets block will hum with foot traffic and activity.

There is truly nothing to match a clear, sunny day at the ballpark. It’s a family event; it’s a guys’ day out; it’s a girls’ night out; it’s smells and sights and emotions that no other public gathering can evoke with such clarity and impact. Baseball can be a few hours’ escape from the travails of life like no other pastime — movies, books, theater, music — can offer. That distinct crack of the ball on the bat and the undeniable thump of the ball in the glove are symphonies, car chases and page turners wrapped in one fluid, unrestrained-by-the-clock afternoon.

Mud Hens Opening Day rocks. The streets around Fifth Third Field are alive with excited conversation, live music and the buzz of people filled with optimism and pride.

This year’s Toledo Free Press Opening Day issue, compiled and edited by Managing Editor Sarah Ottney, positively thrums with the vibrations of a new season. We are grateful to our staff, advertisers, readers and the Mud Hens organization for helping to make this issue one of our biggest and best of the year.

Our 2013 Mud Hens Opening Day Guide was recognized by the Ohio Society of Professional Journalists as one of the best special sections in the state, and we have set an even higher standard for the coverage and look of this year’s guide. We take pride in our home team, and we will continue to show that by offering the best Opening Day coverage we can, this season and every season. See you at the game!

Thomas F. Pounds is president and publisher of  Toledo Free Press. Contact him at [email protected].

Toledo Free Press celebrates 10 years of home team coverage

By
Dock David Treece
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This season marks the 10th year of Toledo Mud Hens coverage by Toledo Free Press. To mark the milestone, we took a trip down memory lane by paging through our old issues and put together this look back on season highlights.

2005

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Coming off a 65-78 record in 2004, the Mud Hens had a lot to prove in 2005 and had their eyes on an elusive International League title. The losing season didn’t seem to deter fans, however, as the team reported more than 300,000 tickets sold before Opening Day. Outfielder Curtis Granderson led a “squad of players expected to graduate to major league success,” according to a TFP headline. “This team looks good on paper, but let’s see what we can do between the lines,” manager Larry Parrish told TFP. “I am very excited about the prospects of the 2005 season.” His instincts were correct — as the Hens did go on to win the International League (IL) championship, sweeping the final series 3-0 against the Indianapolis Indians to earn the Governors’ Cup. It was Toledo’s first championship since 1967. “A franchise record 556,995 fans witnessed the Hens go from worst to first,” Toledo Free Press reported. Team president and general manager Joe Napoli later told Toledo Free Press, the team averaged nearly 7,500 attendees per game during the playoff run, which is “really unheard of” in Minor League Baseball and Minor League playoff games, he said. He said typical attendance for minor league playoff games is around 2,500 people. Describing the season, Napoli told Toledo Free Press: “In ‘Field of Dreams,’ someone said something along the lines of ‘the cosmic tumblers clicking into place.’ That happened here this summer. Toledo got to enjoy that where everything just fell into place.”

2006

With Hens fans still basking in the glow of the league championship, TFP’s Opening Day cover in 2006 featured a championship ring and the headline “HENS RULE.” The team, looking to repeat their IL championship, once again enjoyed high attendance, setting an all-time Toledo baseball season attendance record of 569,380. Third baseman Mike Hessman, who led the 2005 squad with 28 home runs and 74 runs batted in, was quickly becoming a Toledo star. The team hosted the Triple-A All-Star Game that July, which coincided with the LPGA Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic. Packo’s at the Park opened Downtown. And  the Hens achieved their goal, earning back-to-back league championships.

2007

Opening weekend 2007 featured a celebration of the Hens’ back-to-back championship seasons and a focus on defending their title. Had they succeeded, the team would have been only the second to ever three-peat as IL champions. Batters Mike Hessman, David Espinosa, Jack Hannahan, Kevin Hoooper and Ryan Raburn returned along with pitchers Corey Hamman, Jason Karnuth and Jordan Tata. Hessman pounded 31 homers for the Hens, setting a new Toledo record with 83. Frank Gilhooley started his 55th season as a sports broadcaster and his 21st season with the Mud Hens. The team of Gilhooley and Jim Weber were recognized as the longest-running broadcast duo in IL history.

2008

Manager Larry Parrish returned to the Mud Hens after a year off recovering from ankle surgery and A.J. Sager, a former University of Toledo quarterback, joined the club as pitching coach. Mike Hessman hit .271, crushed 34 homers and drove in 72. He also hit five homers for Detroit and one more at the summer Olympics, where he won a bronze medal with the U.S. team. The Tigers trade for third baseman Miguel Cabrera and pitcher Dontrelle Willis was expected to bump a few good players back to Toledo, making the Hens lineup stronger.

2009

Opening Day 2009 was double the fun with back-to-back games April 16-17. Wilkin Ramirez joined first baseman Ryan Roberson, another slugger from Double-A Erie, and returning third-basemen Mike Hessman, outfielders Brent Clevlen and Ryan Raburn and catcher Dusty Ryan to give the Hens and manager Larry Parrish another powerful lineup. A new video board was installed at Fifth Third Field.

The team also jumped into social media in 2009 and reported “447 followers on Twitter and more than 767 friends on Facebook at press time.” Former Mud Hens star Curtis Granderson, now with Detroit, recalled Toledo fondly, telling TFP he still regularly consulted hitting coach Leon “Bull” Durham. PizzaPapalis had opened Downtown in February and owner Joe Sheena reported being excited for baseball season to start. “We expect to be busy from open to close on game days,” he told TFP. Huntington Center and the new Walleye hockey franchise started their inaugural seasons.

2010

In 2010, the Hens were feeling the pinch of the recession. “Companies and people are spending fewer dollars for entertainment,” Napoli told TFP. “We understand and have made appropriate adjustments.” Ticket sales were also impacted negatively by uncertainty regarding an entertainment tax proposed by Mayor Mike Bell, Napoli said. Still, overall attendance in the history of Fifth Third Field surpassed 5 million toward the end of the season. By comparison, that same milestone took 30 years to reach at Ned Skeldon Stadium, Napoli said. Elliston native musician Crystal Bowersox helped with attendance, drawing a record-setting Fifth Third Field crowd of 13,200 when she visited the ballpark during her “American Idol” finalist hometown tour in May. “When she made the final three, she told the ‘American Idol’ folks, if you’re going to do something in Toledo, it has to involve the Toledo Mud Hens,” Scott Jeffer, former assistant general manager of  marketing later told TFP. Among other celebs to have watched a game at Fifth Third Field are Katie Holmes, Chris Klein, Bret Michaels, Kurt Busch, the Goo Goo Dolls and more. Among the Hens’ promotions was a Royal Wedding theme night in honor of Prince William and Kate Middleton’s upcoming nuptials.

2011

The Hens celebrated their 10th season Downtown with a doubleheader. “It’s interesting because people tend to only remember all of the fond memories around opening Fifth Third Field,” Napoli told TFP. “It took us the better part of five years to persuade the community that this might be a good idea.” 2011 was the first season with the Mud Hens for new manager Phil Nevin, the first year for the Chicklets dance team and the first that Mud Hens games were available via Internet radio, through the iheartradio app. The Hens marked their 25th season as the Tigers’ affiliate. “I can’t say enough positive things about the Toledo organization, about how our relationship works,” Dan Lunetta, Detroit’s director of minor league operations told TFP. Napoli cited statistics that showed half of polled Mud Hens fans indicted no interest in minor league baseball. Instead, they come for the food, the drinks and the affordable family-friendly summer entertainment. Longtime Hens staffer Scott Jeffer left for a job with the New York Yankees, who had specifically sought him out, impressed by his work with targeted marketing strategies in Toledo. Bob Seger wore a Mud Hens jersey during a March concert at the Huntington Center. TFP’s Opening Day issue featured a photo illustration by lead designer James A. Molnar featuring Muddy rockin’ out in the ballpark with an electric guitar.

2012

The big excitement in 2012 was a sold-out exhibition game against the Detroit Tigers. It was the first time since 2000 the Tigers had come to Toledo. 2012 marked the 76th anniversary of the Tigers’ affiliation with its spring training facility in Lakeland, Fla., the longest in minor league baseball. “We’re a smokeless factory in the community,” said Ron Myers, the Tigers’ director of Lakeland Operations. “And our job is to produce major league players.” The season also marked the 85th anniversary of the 1927 championship Mud Hens team led by Casey Stengel, who would go on to a storied Major League career, most notably with the New York Yankees. The Hens debuted their now-iconic Star Wars theme night, May The Fourth Be With You, on May 4. The Hens reported ticket sales were returning to pre-recession levels and the team debuted a signature beer, Broken Bat Kolsch, brewed by Maumee Bay Brewing Co. Penny Collins’ whimsical TFP Opening Day cover illustration featured a “Where’s Waldo?”-style scene, featuring various local celebs in a Mud Hens crowd, including Mayor Mike Bell, former Mayor Carty Finkbeiner, Crystal Bowersox, Jamie Farr, Katie Holmes, and more.

2013

Fifth Third Field underwent a series of renovations, including a new suite-level lounge and viewing area that offered a behind-the-scenes experience for club- and suite-level ticket holders. The result was a full-fledged TV studio — rare for the minor league level. Along with the typical slate of new foods, the Hens also debuted a full concourse facelift, featuring new names, signs and renovated facades for all concession venues to evoke the feel of a “downtown streetscape.” The signage at Fifth Third Field also got a facelift, changing colors from the former Fifth Third Bank colors of black and red to its new blue and green signage. Former Hens manager Larry Parrish was inducted into the International League Hall of Fame and Tigers’ No. 1 prospect Nick Castellanos started the season in Toledo. The Hens expanded their popular Star Wars Night to two days, adding Revenge of the Fifth to May the Fourth be with You, and the team’s Chewbacca jerseys garnered national attention. As an “Angry Birds” craze was sweeping the nation, TFP’s Opening Day cover by cartoonist Don Lee featured Muddy the Mud Hen as  an Angry Bird. The team also announced an ambitious Downtown development project, now called Hensville. The project, which is said to include an expanded Swamp Shop, restaurant and rooftop viewing, is expected to be completed by 2016.

2014

Opening Day 2014 will feature the first multisport doubleheader, with the Mud Hens opener April 4 leading into a Walleye hockey game that night. The 2014 winter, one of Toledo’s coldest and snowiest on record, forced the Mud Hens groundskeeping crew, including Sports Turf Manager Jake Tyler, to take drastic measures to make sure the field is in tip-top shape by Opening Day, including a heated tent to melt the on-field snow. Longtime Hens broadcaster Jim Weber will be inducted into the International League Hall of Fame and former Hens manager Larry Parrish is returning to lead the team, which will feature a strong pitching lineup. Also returning is Mike Hessman, who was part of the Hens’ championship 2005-06 seasons and who holds the Hens’ all-time homerun record. The Mud Hens have gained a reputation for creative promotions, said Manager of Online Marketing Nathan Steinmetz. The team’s “Ghostbusters” jerseys, in honor of the 30th anniversary of the film franchise, drew national attention. In December, Fifth Third Field will host the long-awaited Winterfest, featuring an outdoor hockey rink erected on the field.

— Compiled by Toledo Free Press Managing Editor Sarah Ottney

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