Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - 23
KARL L. MOORE / GWINNETT STRIPERS
Gwinnett Stripers (formerly Braves),
Class AAA affiliate of the Atlanta Braves
Stripers General Manager North Johnson upset hardcore baseball fans on social media by saying he's successful if people leave games without knowing the score.
"If we relied just on baseball fans to come to our
games, we'd have a lot of empty seats," Johnson says.
He hopes fans remember entertainment-sumo
wrestling, "Star Wars" nights, fireworks, giveaways-more
than how many runs the team scores.
"All sports now are very much in the entertainment
business," he says.
April 2018
WILL FAGAN / GWINNETT STRIPERS
Even new-stadium
appeal isn't enough longterm. Baseball teams left Savannah and Macon for new
stadiums elsewhere, but a
new venue's charm wanes
after a few years, according to Baumgardner. Teams
still need more promotional
activities to draw fans-especially casual fans-back
year after year.
But Peach State teams
aim to satisfy both purists and fans who care little for
RBIs (but want bobbleheads). And all the while, they
boost their communities with outreach and economic
impact.
And following a more-positive social media ripple
last year, even more fans enjoyed the fun. Game attendance grew by 20 percent between July and the
season's September end after the Gwinnett team
announced plans to change its name. People confused the then-Gwinnett Braves with the major league
Atlanta Braves on TV and radio advertising. Both share
the metro Atlanta area.
But the Stripers' economic impact, even before the
name change, was strong.
"You're talking millions of dollars," Johnson says.
Dozens of players move there, buying gas, groceries and such; scouts and visiting teams fill hotel rooms,
buy plane and movie tickets and ride buses; 125 gameday employees find jobs; and 20 full-time staff members buy houses and pay taxes.
"The economic impact goes far beyond our
county," Johnson says.
More online at www.georgiamagazine.org
23
http://www.georgiamagazine.org
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - April 2018
Contents
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - Intro
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - Cover1
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - Cover2
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - 3
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - Contents
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - 5
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - 6
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - 7
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - 8
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - 9
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - 10
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - 11
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - 12
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - 13
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - 14
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - 15
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - 16
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - 17
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - 18
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - 19
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - 20
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - 21
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - 22
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - 23
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - 24
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - 25
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - 26
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - 27
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - 28
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - 29
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - 30
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - 31
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - 32
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - 33
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - 34
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - 35
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - 36
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - 37
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - 38
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - 39
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - 40
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - 41
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - 42
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - 43
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - 44
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - 45
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - 46
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - 47
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - 48
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - 49
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - 50
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - Cover3
Georgia Magazine - April 2018 - Cover4
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