Cheap on Shirts, but New Grass Coming
Posted September 20th, 2007 by Stephanie Storm
I received this angry email from Adam this week and it got me thinking: How do fans feel about the team’s ownership? Take a look at what got Adam all ruffled up and let me know if any of you have similiar or different views. Personally, I hesitate to gripe too much at this moment when the team is in the midst of putting a new field in the stadium.
Anyway, take a look:
It is an absolute joke that the Aeros did not have any playoff t-shirts or Southern Division Championship merchandise available. I asked an employee why they didn’t have any and the answer was “Mr. Agganis did not allow us to order any merchandise of any kind until further notice, including playoff shirts” The belief here is that Mike Agganis is afraid that he wouldn’t make a profit off of the shirts, hats and other merchandise. Any business owner will tell you that you have to spend a little money to make money. I probably would have bought at least 5 of them for my family and friends and all of the employees would have bought one and a lot of other fans. No one told Agganis he had to order 2,000 of these shirts. I guarentee you 500 shirts would have sold out very quickly and Agganis would have netted a profit. I am personally offended by the fact that the Aeros have gone south with promotions and quality merchandise. Cutbacks are everywhere from no commerative t-shirts to only a handful of ushers working for the playoffs. Are playoff crowds more behaved and the duties of an usher are automatically not needed in a playoff game? It is ridiculous he treats his die hard fans like casual, second rate fans.
- Adam
September 20th, 2007 at 4:36 pm
[...] dan wrote an interesting post today!.Here’s a quick excerptI received this angry email from Adam this week and it got me thinking: How do fans feel about the team’s ownership? Take a look at what got Adam all ruffled up and let me know if any of you have similiar or different views. … [...]
September 20th, 2007 at 5:13 pm
I wish T-shirts were all we had to gripe about in Defenderland.
In the owner’s defense, you can’t anticipate winning it all…….and with the seasons end, where would he sell them. A suggestion, why not sell something commemerating the championship at the beginning of next season.
September 20th, 2007 at 10:06 pm
I’m not really bothered by the lack of merchandise commemorating this year’s playoff accomplishments, as Skip says, there wasn’t a big window of opportunity to sell them at the park … especially since it seems that the playoff attendance gets smaller and smaller every year. Also, this is just me personally, but I don’t have much interest in dated merchandise unless they win the league championship.
I definitely agree that the game promotions have become worthless over the past few years, though. I miss the bobbleheads, and I miss the bobblehead promotions even more… the last couple of years that they did make them, they never had give-aways, they went straight to the store. I can’t remember the last time I received something free at the park that was worth keeping. Even aside from giving out free stuff, the Aeros simply have no creative promotions.
Speaking of bobbleheads, I thought this was interesting… They’ve discounted all of them in the store, but some more than others. Coco Crisp for $5 made sense, since he’s no longer in the organization… Cliff Lee for $5 was just hilarious.
I might have to e-mail the team and suggest this… next year will be the 75th anniversary of the 1933 Akron Tyrites (Akron’s lone representative in the negro leagues). It would be nice to see a promotion to honor that team.
September 21st, 2007 at 9:10 am
I cannot understand the rationale that places the value of souvenir trinkets over the players and facilities to watch the team play but to each their own. It sounds a lot like the same logic that causes the Tribe hyper-critics to criticize management even though they go to no games. I expect to watch another good Aero team on its new field next year very comfortably without the benefit to a commemorative t-shirt.
September 21st, 2007 at 11:15 am
I interned with the Aeros a few years ago and I attended a game this season and I cannot believe the decline of the entire atmosphere. Granted they’re not drawing the crowds they were 8,9 years ago, but I almost felt like crying - I couldn’t get over how much the atmosphere had declined. I supposed you can contribute a lot to the ability to get Indians tickets, but it was a shock. I still think the merchandise choices are decent, but you can’t run a ship like you did before without personnel. Taking care of the exterior - new scoreboard, new field - is great, and I’m sure the players appreciate it. But my ‘gameday’ experience wasn’t what it used to be. Anyway, congrats on a great season to the Aeros.
September 21st, 2007 at 2:40 pm
I actually agree that the experience at Canal Park has gone down. It just doesn’t feel the same. The park still looks good, nothing has changed there, but the atmosphere is entirely different.
It feels a little bit over-sanitized, I think. The Aeros take NO risks at all when it comes to giveaways, theme nights, etc. There hasn’t really been anything new added to the park as far as concessions, store items, etc. in a while in my mind. While I’ll still be attending for the Aeros games themselves, I have been disappointed in how the atmosphere has somewhat disappeared there.
September 21st, 2007 at 2:55 pm
Norman, please keep your shirt on at the games. This isn’t San Diego.
September 21st, 2007 at 3:16 pm
Hey Larry, One of the benefits of my schedule is the ability to do a lot of things, including Aero games. Although I choose to live in San Diego and New York primarily, I still have a place in Ohio and see about 15 Aero games a year. I just go for the baseball, not the giveaways. My physique will always cause me to go shirted, even in San Diego.
September 21st, 2007 at 5:06 pm
Norman, I go to about 15 games a year myself, and will continue to do so because of what takes place on the field. However, I have to agree with everyone who has said the atmosphere has changed over the past few years, and not for the better.
Kids/family entertainment is a huge market for minor league baseball, and promotions/souvenirs are a big factor with that demographic. I take my nephews to at least one game each season. I hope that someday they enjoy the game on the same level that I do, but in the meantime, the “trinkets” are a big deal to them. An overpriced plastic glow stick that will be broken in two days can still make a 7-year-old’s night. Dumb as that may be, it’s good business for the team because the kids always want to go back.
Souvenirs make the kids happy, which makes the parents happy. Giveaways are even better, because that’s one less thing they need to buy… and they’re like presents to the kid. Even as an adult, who doesn’t like to get free stuff?
You’re certainly familiar with the bam-bams, or as I call them, idiot sticks. I loathe those things. Still, when they hand them out during the early innings of a playoff game, the change in atmosphere is unmistakable. Getting the casual fan involved in the game and wanting to come back is obviously good for the team. You (and I) are proof that even if some of these things annoy the diehards from time to time, we’ll still keep coming anyway.
September 21st, 2007 at 11:54 pm
Hey Glen,
Well said! I get pretty wrapped up in the players and don’t notice the atmosphere, particularly the family atmosphere at my age. I am kind of a nut for scouting the farm players whether it is Akron, Lake County or Buffalo(hopefully to be Columbus in 2009). I tend to give a lot of minor league franchises a pass on the junk sold at stadiums because with the economic conditions in Ohio(and elsewhere), it is difficult to make extraneous merchandise commitments when your attendance is declining.
September 22nd, 2007 at 9:26 am
Well there’s the rub–at what point does the cost of a commitment to trinkets exceed the number of fans that such promotions bring in?
The Aeros organization is fortunate because it is based in an area where serious baseball fans have a natural interest in its prospects, due to the proximity of its parent club.
If the team relies solely on that, however, it will wind up with a bunch of shirtless San Diego residents silently scouting talent instead of happy young families enjoying a festive atmosphere while slurping down their $7 cokes.
September 22nd, 2007 at 12:51 pm
With 25 years experience in specialty retailing, of which the last 15 years were in sporting goods, I applied for the Merchandise Director position the last 2 times the position became available. Included in my cover letter were some of the same observations others have posted about the lack of excitement in the facility as well as within Infield Outfitters.
I made a few suggestions with the desire to discuss them in the interview for the position they were looking to fill. I suggested player appearances tied in with timely promotions (playoffs, World Series, etc), key highlighting of seasonal merchandise, highlighting certain vendors to increase visibility and awareness as well as promotions with local merchants that buy ads and sponsorships. Not only did I not get an interview, Mr Larkins also ignored multiple calls requesting the professional courtesy of a reply to my suggestions.
As far as the playoff shirts go, I’m sure the Aeros were given the same option as all the retailers in the area regarding Indians/Browns/Cavs playoff apparel. Majestic, Adidas, Rawlings, and just about every other manufacturer solicit pre orders on an “if win basis”. To choose not to do so either indicates that someone was asleep at the switch or previous years’ merchandise did not sell enough to meet minimum ordering requirements.
Makes one wonder, doesn’t it?
September 22nd, 2007 at 7:51 pm
In the spirit of the great Tank McLemore, Larry has given you the choice of cheap Chinese made souvenirs from the outsourced jobs you used to have to wrap your kids in when they cannot get healthcare you used to have with those jobs for the tumors caused by the souvenirs to celebrate the glorious Aero season. Well, that works for me. Just call me shirtless in San Diego(but cancer free)!
September 23rd, 2007 at 8:35 am
My wife and I visit my Dad in Barberton each summer and we go to a game. We noticed this year that the souvenir shop was low on merchandise in the middle of June. My wife collects pins, and there were only the same pins as last year. No new baseball card sets (maybe it was too early), and just generally the shop seemed less attractive and not as well stocked. Are there money problems??
September 23rd, 2007 at 9:53 pm
Nothing will change for the better at Canal Park until the team gets new ownership — plain and simple. Current ownership has bled the franchise dry, resulting in the declining game-day experience mentioned in several previous responses. When I first attended an Aeros game in 1997, I thought Canal Park was a mini-Jacobs Field. By this summer, it looked and felt more like Cleveland Stadium in its final years. When you devalue your product by continually giving away discount and free tickets (why do you think so many season ticket holders failed to renew?), just so you can make a profit on concessions, you eventually lose your fan base. We have seen it happen before our eyes the past couple seasons.
September 25th, 2007 at 9:54 am
Wow. good to see this post really take off. So many of you have made some very informed and really relevent posts on this subject.
I hope that instead of just giving up on the franchise, those of you who have valid complaints will make your voices heard to managment.
I am a firm believer that complaining does little to force change, it takes action.
September 25th, 2007 at 1:51 pm
What kind of action do you propose, Stephanie?
September 28th, 2007 at 3:22 pm
Stephanie:
Your above post does not make any sense. In one breath you ask us not to give up on the franchise and to make our voices heard. Yet, in the next breath-you state that you are a “firm believer that complaining does not force change,it takes action.”
The only kind of action we, as fans, can take-other than complaining-is to stop going. From the looks of the few games I went to this past season, many have already done just that.
It’s very sad what has happened at Canal Park. A friend of mind who worked for the Canton Indians has said for years that Mike Agganis is a cheap, greedy, self-absorbed man. Though, I’ve never meet him personally…it certainly rings true when you look at what has become of the Aeros franchise. I personally believe that we, the fans, deserve better.
October 1st, 2007 at 8:07 am
David M.:
I didn’t understand Stephanie’s point at first, either. Stephanie means we should complain directly to the team, rather than clutter up her blog with complaints. Stephanie does not abide negativity.
October 1st, 2007 at 10:57 am
Hi everyone.
I apologize for taking awhile to get back to you all (I’ve been pretty sick, but beginning to feel better now - knowing there’s postseason baseball helps!), especially on a subject that has become so heated.
First of all, let me say thank you to everyone who took the time to post their feelings about the franchise and talk about the things you like and dislike.
David - here’s what I was getting to: Once everything is out on the table, then we can sift through it all and see what are the valid points and what are just gripes about things we have no control over.
I’d hate to everyone give up on the Aeros players and franchise because they are growing unhappy with management. What I would hope is that we can find a way to talk to management and see if there are anything we can do help make the necessary changes to bring the fans back.
To some of you more jaded readers, that may sound like a pie-in-the sky attitude. But trust me, anyone who knows me will tell you I’m much more of a half-glass-empty type.
The point is, like me, a lot of you love baseball. And despite some of the valid gripes, we are blessed to have a Double-A team right downtown playing in a state-of-the-art stadium that really needs just a little cosmetic help and a good cleaning.
I wuld hope you won’t give up on the players - guys like SS Asdrubal Cabrera and P’s Jensen Lewis and Aaron Laffey - who started the season in Akron THIS YEAR and are now going to be Cleveland in the postseason in a matter of days.
I just think there’s a way to present your concerns to the Aeros management rather than just giving up on the team. I’m willing to help, so let me know what you think I can do. I’ll gladly ask to meet with management on your behalf, or better yet, I can help set something up for a group of you to meet with them if they’ll agree.
Any more ideas?
October 16th, 2007 at 6:46 pm
I was disappointed that their was not any post season merchandise from the Aeros. I had planned on buying stuff. Maybe cheap Mr. Agganis next time can do ALOT better and reward those fans that show up and have stuff. For crying out loud Mr. Agganis. Remember it isn’t all about money and you
November 1st, 2007 at 8:26 pm
I know I’m about 6 weeks late on this, but can you reply has to why there was a limited staff on hand for the play-offs? I heard a few things that makes me wonder if the owners really care about the staff (ushers, ticket takers,etc, and workers in the food areas.) I have been going to games in the past and knew who was who, but the play-offs left me with some doubt has to what is in store for the staff and the public when they come back ?? in the spring..Sure you have new grass, but that is part of owning a baseball team as much as having the right people taking care of the ticket holder.Clean seats, clean restrooms, not walking over last weeks spilled pop, is what a ticket holder whats to see, so I will be down for a few games, and if I don’t see some sense that the said items above were not taken care of, I will not be back. (But wait you say.. that’s just $10.00..but if I went on to spend say another $20.00 on food and drinks and then another $30.00 in the team shop so that adds up to $60.00 and if I can get a few of my family and friends to do the same –guess what you will soon be losing money out of you pocket.)DON’T BE A CHEAP A…….