We launch Awards Week on Ballpark Digest by naming Rick Brenner, president/general manager of the Class AA New Hampshire Fisher Cats and president of the Class A Bowling Green Hot Rods, as our Executive of the Year. Wearing two hats in the business world is hard enough, but doing so successfully in one of the worst economies in recent years is a major accomplishment.
We launch Awards Week on Ballpark Digest by naming Rick Brenner, president/general manager of the Class AA New Hampshire Fisher Cats and president of the Class A Bowling Green Hot Rods, as our Executive of the Year. Wearing two hats in the business world is hard enough, but doing so successfully in one of the worst economies in recent years is a major accomplishment.
“Anyone who’s opened a new ballpark after relocating a franchise knows what a fantastically challenging task it is,” said Kevin Reichard, publisher of ballparkdigest.com, the Internet’s leading resource on the culture and business of baseball. “That Rick managed to open a great new ballpark in Bowling Green while setting attendance records in New Hampshire is a testament to his business talents.”
In 2009 the Bowling Green (Ky.) Hot Rods began play at a new downtown ballpark after relocating from Columbus, Ga. The move paid off in the front office, as the team attracted a total of 232,987 fans (3,576 per game) – a 71 percent increase over what the former Columbus Catfish drew in 2008. Meanwhile, in New Hampshire, the Fisher Cats drew 386,991 fans for an average of 5,608 fans per game, both breaking the franchise record set in 2008 – also set on Brenner’s watch. During the course of the season the Fisher Cats also broke attendance records for sellouts and the most fans attending eight-game homestands.
“This prestigious honor clearly demonstrates how strong our front office structure is in both New Hampshire and Bowling Green,” Brenner said. “The collective talent, work-ethic and creativity of the staffs of these two clubs made this award possible. We are fortunate to have so many dedicated people in our organizations, and I thank them for their efforts in 2009.”
“This past season was a rough one for many baseball teams,” Reichard said. “Most would have been happy attracting the same number of fans as they did in previous years. That both the Fisher Cats and Hot Rods thrived in a bad economy says much about Brenner and his team.”
Brenner stood out in a strong group of contenders for this award. Receiving Honorable Mention:
Marc Amicone, Salt Lake Bees. The Executive of the Year in the Pacific Coast League in 2009, Amicone successfully initiated a rebranding of the team after joining as GM in 2005 and last offseason completed a strong naming-rights for the team. And the fans keep coming out in droves to the ballpark.
Craig Brasfield, Shreveport-Bossier Captains. Let’s face it: many had given up on Shreveport’s entry in the independent American Association. Brasfield came into town and dramatically changed how the team did business, first reverting to the popular Captains moniker, rebranding the team with a new logo and look, and then supervised enhancements to Fair Grounds Field. No one is talking about the eventual demise of the Captains anymore.
Katie Dannemiller, Greensboro Grasshoppers. You can pretty much pencil Dannemiller onto this list every year. The Grasshoppers are one of the top franchises in all of baseball, and a lot of that comes from Dannemiller’s steady management of the team and its home.
Kirk Goodman, Quad Cities River Bandits. It was another year of growth for the River Bandits, and supervising things is the ebullient Goodman. River Bandits games went from dull, poorly attended nonevents to matches marked by packed houses, inventive promotions and enthusiastic fans.
Kyle Mrozek, Mankato MoonDogs. It was a crappy year generally in summer-collegiate ball, but the Mankato MoonDogs bucked a trend in declining attendance and actually attracted more fans to Franklin Rogers Park than the year before. We’re now seeing a lot of very talented operators in the summer-collegiate field — the Handelsmans in Fayetteville, Conor Caloia in Wilmington, James Woulfe in Forest City, and Vern Stenman in Madison — but this year Mrozek deserves recognition for years of hard work.
Bob Murphy, Dayton Dragons. The problem with setting a record for most consecutive sellouts is that anything less than perfection will be a step down. But if anything the Dragons stepped up their game this past season, bringing in parent Cincinnati for a historic “Futures” game that pitted the present Reds against the future Reds. The Dragons have customer service honed to a science, and Murphy’s personal touch has a lot to do with that formula.
Darren Parker, Victoria Seals. The executive of the year in the independent Golden Baseball League, Parker launched the expansion Victoria Seals to a respectable finish at the box office despite playing in a middling ballpark.
John Willi, New Britain Rock Cats. Ten consecutive years of attendance growth is a reason for any franchise to celebrate. The Rock Cats don’t have the best situations when it comes to markets and ballparks, but GM Willi and crew have made the best of things; the team is now one of the most solid franchises in perhaps the most solid league in baseball.
This afternoon we announce our broadcaster of the year.
Ballpark Digest Awards are chosen by the editors of the website following nominations from teams and fans alike. Last year’s winner of Executive of the Year was Joe Ricciutti, President of the Staten Island Yankees.
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