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| Vipers Step into Circuit Steeped in Celebrity |
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By Rita Mingo - Calgary Herald 5/10/2008
Vipers Step into Circuit Steeped in Celebrity
Gary Carter, Steve Yeager among skippers
Rita Mingo, For the Calgary Herald
Published: Saturday, May 10, 2008
The Calgary Vipers may be the new kids on the block, but they bring with them a cachet that has opened eyes in the Golden Baseball League.
"It's funny. I talked to one manager at meetings in Anaheim who told me, 'How are we going to compete against you guys if we don't stock up?' " said team president Peter Young.
The Vipers, who came within a game of winning the Northern League championship last fall, have taken up residence in the eight-team GBL, an independent circuit that will bring to Foothills Stadium both glitter and curiosity with teams from -- among others -- Reno, Long Beach and Chico, Calif.
Gary Carter |
"The big thing first is the quality of level of play,'' suggested Young. "It's moderately superior to that of the Northern League. This league plays out of L.A., Arizona, Nevada . . . there are scouts at every game. That's been a great recruiting tool. And it's the only league where the managers are more famous than the players!''
Young may have a point there. Former Expo and Hall of Famer Gary Carter manages the Orange County Flyers and the Vipers are already planning Gary Carter Day sometime in August. Ex-Dodger catcher Steve Yeager is at the helm of the Long Beach Armada.
The eight-team GBL, in fact, is steeped in celebrity. One of the league owners is Mr. I'd-Like-To-Buy-A-Vowel himself, Pat Sajak. Another name attached to the league is that of James Denton, whom Desperate Housewives' fans recognize as the hunky plumber on Wisteria Lane. Denton is among the owners of Carter's Flyers. Fittingly, the Vipers are also eyeing Desperate Day at Foothills.
The GBL could indeed be a marketer's dream. When Reno comes to town, expect to see blackjack tables or something of that gambling ilk; when Yuma hits Calgary, don't be surprised to hear mariachi bands playing.
"Maybe there's a little sex appeal to this league,'' Young pointed out, "which will appeal to our fans. Many of them didn't even know where Joliet (of the NL) was.''
Then there are the financial practicalities of running the franchise.
"Our travel budget is less than one-third what it was last year,'' Young acknowledged. "We'll be taking five airline trips and three buses to Edmonton. We took 11 trips last year. The scheduling was terrible and it cost us $180,000, plus a $50,000 subsidy. We're paying $80,000 now. It makes it easier to come up with a viable operating budget.''
There's already talk of adding to the Canadian content for next year. Kamloops, Victoria and Saskatoon are among possible expansion markets for the GBL.
Last year, the Vipers attracted 460 season-ticket holders. But season tickets aren't the end-all and be-all for the team, according to Young; it's the flex-pass concept that is key.
"This is a flex-pass city, because of the weather,'' he suggested.
"Our pack sales have probably doubled this year and I'd say we've probably quadrupled in our group sales. I believe we'll see 25 per cent more fans in the stands this year, based on flex-passes and group bookings and I wouldn't be surprised if that's a low estimate.''
The Jeff Gidney-owned Vipers have not been idle over the winter, in terms of adding onto their sports dominion. The Absolute Baseball Academy and Fitness Centre is being built right next door, while a lacrosse-soccer facility is expected to go up beside it in the fall.
At intimate Foothills Stadium, meanwhile, $1 million was spent on a new scoreboard from Italy, which is expected to be up and running by the home opener on May 29.
"In the Northern League, we were the ugly ducklings,'' Young noted. "Everyone had these Taj Mahal-like facilities. We've had to do some work on (Foothills) and we have.''
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