Sky Sox enjoy best season ever at gate
No wonder Tony Ensor was smiling. Before the promotion-packed final four games of the season, the Sky Sox's best season at the gate was assured.
Friday night's attendance of 5,037 brought to 314,489 the number of people to visit Security Service Field this season.
"I think our staff has done a phenomenal job in filling this ballpark on a consistent basis,'' Ensor, the Sky Sox president and general manager, said Friday. "I think we've done a better job of communicating our promotions and advertising message to our fan base. ... we've had a team that people could get excited about and want to root for, and we got a break from Mother Nature. And the fans have responded.''
Friday night, the crowd watched as the Sky Sox tried to prevent the Sacramento RiverCats from winning the Pacific Coast League's Pacific South Division title. After the game, fireworks.
"The economy is tough out there. People are looking for ways to stay in town and have a great night out,' Ensor said, "and we've always been value-based, minor league baseball in general and the Sky Sox in particular. I think the market has been pushing people toward us.''
The Sky Sox got off to a slow start this season. "We started with some tough weather in April and May, but then it broke ... From a weather standpoint, it's been fantastic, and that has helped bring people out the ballpark.''
Ensor said the Sky Sox tweaked their promotions this season, bringing in fewer entertainers and adding more giveaways and fireworks shows. The impact has been about a 13-percent increase in attendance.
Also helping attendance was having some high-profile Rockies come to town, All-Star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki highlighting that list.
"It's so hard to tell (the spike of visiting Rockies),'' Ensor said. "You might see an additional 500 or 1,000 come out, maybe a couple of thousand for Troy (Tulowitzki).''
The Sky Sox have another fireworks show scheduled for tonight. Sunday afternoon features a blanket giveaway and 50-cent hot dogs and Monday is the shirts of their backs promotion.
