Just months after purchasing the team, Dave Heller is ingratiating himself to the Lowell Spinners (Short Season A; NY-Penn League) and their fans.
Since the sale of the team was announced earlier this year, Heller and Main Street Baseball have to gone to work in Lowell. Following a model used at Modern Woodmen Ballpark–home of the Main Street Baseball-owned Quad Cities River Bandits (Low A; Midwest League)–Heller and crew recently installed the Gator Gondola at LeLacheur Park. The installation of amusements in Quad Cities has helped generate fan interest and rave reviews for the ballpark, which won our 2015 Best of the Ballparks for Low-A.
Now that he has control in Lowell, Heller says he wants to tap into the Spinners’ good standing in the community while also sprucing up the fan experience. More from the Eagle-Tribune:
“Lowell has a fantastic history and a passionate fan base,” he said. “And the first thing you look for in a team is if it is in a good market, and Lowell is a terrific market. People love baseball in the area. And LeLachuer Park is a beautiful ballpark sitting on the water.”
Since the sale became official, Heller said he has major plans for the Spinners.
“I believe we can replicate a lot of the success we have had in Quad City here in Lowell,” he said. “The ballpark is so striking. We have already added a swinging pirate ship and done a few promotions. Now we are planning even more for 2017. Lowell is already great, and we believe we can just make it bigger and better.”
As we noted when Main Street Baseball took over in Lowell, Heller and Bob Herrfeldt have a knack for fine tuning ballparks, something that already seems to be carrying over to LeLacheur Park. Main Street Baseball also has the advantage, as Heller states in the Eagle-Tribune piece, of coming in behind Drew Weber, who built a successful operation in Lowell. In addition to the Spinners and River Bandits, Main Street Baseball also controls the Wilmington Blue Rocks (High A; Carolina League), High Desert Mavericks (High A; California League), and the Billings Mustangs (Rookie; Pioneer League).