The Beloit Snappers (High-A Central) are bidding adieu to longtime home Pohlman Field by auctioning naming rights for every remaining home game, until the team’s new downtown ballpark opens.
This is being billed by the team as the first auctioning of ballpark naming rights in pro-baseball history. (Seems to check out; it’s been done in other sports, most notably with Boston’s FleetCenter.) Before every home game one-time naming rights will be sold through MiLB Auctions. The winning bidder for each game will be able to choose the ballpark’s name for the night and will receive eight tickets to the game, two vinyl signs displayed at the stadium featuring their stadium name, public address announcements throughout the game, a radio interview during an inning, inclusion of their stadium name on the team website, the opportunity to lead the singing of the seventh-inning stretch, and a group photo with team mascot Snappy.
The beneficiary: the Stateline Boys and Girls Club.
“We’re very excited to offer our fans the ultimate ballpark experience in 2021. Our stadium belongs to the community, and there is no better way to show that than letting the fans choose its name each night. For the fan who has always dreamed of having their name up in lights, being able to enjoy a game at YOUR stadium is an unforgettable and unprecedented experience,” team president Jeff Jurgella said. “Our mission as an organization is to improve the quality of life in our community and helping the Stateline Boys and Girls Club is a great way to make an impact and help youth in our community learn, grow and succeed.”
Keeping with the legacy of Harry C. Pohlman, a long-time baseball coach in the Beloit area and an original member of the Beloit Brewers board of directors, ballpark names will be in the following format: “Welcome to Pohlman Field at (insert name here) Stadium (or Park)!”. All fan-submitted stadium names are subjected to a formal vetting process by Major League Baseball and the Beloit Snappers, and both entities reserve the right to refuse any potential name for any reason, including legal, moral, and ethical concerns. Yes, we’re sure there will be folks working to game the system.
Game dates will be up for auction beginning today, Wednesday, April 14. The starting price for each auction is $500 dollars and the auction for each game will end a week prior to the date selected.
Fans wanting to secure their date also have a “buy-it-now” option, which is $1,000 for weekday games (Tuesdays-Fridays) or $1,500 for weekend games (Saturdays and Sundays).
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