OKC Dodgers New Nickname

[Jersey Boss]

if that is the worst harassment they can come up with.... then that is why you select it. lol. baseball is a game and meant to be fun. and if opposing fans have to us 2nd grader on recess bulling tactics. then i think that is a win.

Agree with your sentiments. It is time to look forward, not backward. No crying or snowflakes in baseball.

[Pete]

I just saw highlights from the OKC AAA baseball team home game last night, and it looked like attendance was only in the hundreds.

Baseball is an increasingly hard sell which is why they permanently blocked off the upper sections of the stadium several years ago.

It sure doesn't help with not only having no team name but the turnover in parent clubs; can't establish any sort of marketing brand.

[amocore]

I won’t disagree with the fact baseball may not be the hottest sport anymore.
Yesterday was a scorching day with cooler days coming this weekend, some metro school districts going back to school today, so a probably a bad combination of events.
I think the OKC aaa team has been doing well overall in last few years. The dodgers ownership has been sending good players and seeing good results; it helps !
It is true the stadium is too big for AAA baseball in this part of the century but, also, well taken care off and improved.

[Pete]

Just looked it up and even as part of the Dodgers last year, OKC was 19th in attendance out of 30 AAA teams.

The citizens of OKC own and pay for that stadium; we deserve better team ownership.

[jedicurt]

Just looked it up and even as part of the Dodgers last year, OKC was 19th in attendance out of 30 AAA teams.

The citizens of OKC own and pay for that stadium; we deserve better team ownership.

the advertising of the team has been horrible. i used to hear all the time what the special promotions were and things like that, but i haven't heard about them at all since probably 2020

[PhiAlpha]

Yeah I constantly compare OKC to what Tulsa has done with the Drillers (who have had the same recognizable brand for years while we’re about to be on our 4th during the same timeframe). Night and day difference in advertising, branding, and quality of the in-game atmosphere and that is often reflected in the crowd size/engagement. It’s a better product from a fan perspective as a AA team than OKC’s is as a AAA team in a larger city. While it’s not the teams fault here, even the layout/positioning of Oneok Field (starting with positioning it so the fans see the skyline from nearly every seat in the stadium) and how all the surrounding developments interact with it is far better than the OKC ballpark (I can’t even remember its actual name now and I drive by it every few days). A lot of that is probably the benefit they had of looking at OKC’s for 10+ years before building their own but still.

First mistake the ownership here made was dropping the long time 89er name for some dumb generic bird mascot (a “red hawk” isn’t even a real bird though it does roll off the tongue better than red-tailed hawk). The OK LA Dodgers branding looked cool but what do the Dodgers have to do with OKC? How does that help endear the team to the community? And then dropping that brand despite still being affiliated with the Dodgers to become the freaking OKC Baseball Team for an indefinite amount of time before coming up with a new name is the icing on the cake. They are putting a pretty decent product on the field and doing everything they can from a marketing perspective to ensure no one shows up to see it. They really need to nail this next brand change and stick with it.

End rant

[Jeepnokc]

I just saw highlights from the OKC AAA baseball team home game last night, and it looked like attendance was only in the hundreds.

Baseball is an increasingly hard sell which is why they permanently blocked off the upper sections of the stadium several years ago.

It sure doesn't help with not only having no team name but the turnover in parent clubs; can't establish any sort of marketing brand.

They have also increased prices and changed up what you get with it. Used to have club seats and dropped them after they started limiting the free beer and wine while increasing the price. We usually did a office outing once a year but they had a significant increase in group package options (suite rentals/outer deck private parties) where they priced themselves out of the market for us. By that,,,I mean if we were going to spend the increased money, there were other group entertainment options in the higher price range available that my staff was more interested in.

[Jake]

Think the OKC market has evolved enough to a point where mediocre offerings, whether it be a restaurant, retail, or even a minor league team, just don't really work anymore. There's just too many things competing for your dollars now. I haven't been to a baseball game here in maybe 4-5 years.

[jn1780]

How do the other markets do it? Are we in this awkward spot where there are more things to do besides minor league baseball, but don't yet have a large enough population who are dedicated baseball fans.

[Anonymous.]

Me personally, I do not care about baseball. However, I used to go to 2-3 games per year as "something to do" on a Thursday - cheap fun and beer - why not? You could buy the cheapest lawn tickets and then just sit wherever you wanted, no one cared. Then I think since like 2020 - they moved the "thirsty Thursday" to Tuesdays (wtf) and made it $2 Tuesdays. And now I don't even know if you can get lawn tickets anymore.

Side note - I did a large seat package deal last summer for a birthday and got a decent deal that even included some merch, but ever since then they literally call me once a month to try and get me to buy tickets. I told them I wasn't interested and I would let them know, but they kept calling. I literally had to block the sales number office because it was so annoying.

Bring back cheap tickets and thirsty Thursdays - hell make beer $2 every game and people would show up and then spend $30 on hotdogs and nachos.

[Jake]

How do the other markets do it? Are we in this awkward spot where there are more things to do besides minor league baseball, but don't yet have a large enough population who are dedicated baseball fans.

Other markets have teams that do a better job convincing the public to attend their games.

[Thunderbolt]

How do the other markets do it? Are we in this awkward spot where there are more things to do besides minor league baseball, but don't yet have a large enough population who are dedicated baseball fans.

Other markets in the north and midwest have the advantage of not hosting games when its 100 degrees outside.

[Jake]

Having literally any team identity whatsoever would be a good start.

[Dob Hooligan]

Many things in play here.

I think baseball is a shrinking sport overall in the USA. The average viewer is over 60 years old. I'm in that group and I will watch a Summer League replay instead of a live MLB game. Talked about sports to another old guy buddy yesterday, and he just blurted out "I NEVER watch baseball anymore. Just don't like it". And we are both old, white, Republican types.

MiLB (Minor League Baseball) has become much more corporate and streamlined within the last 10-15 years. Our OKC Baseball Club is now owned by Diamond Baseball Holdings, which is part of a huge media conglomerate. Diamond Baseball Holdings owns/operates 35 MiLB teams, including the Tulsa Drillers. And 10 of the Diamond teams are fellow AAA operations. The know the numbers and why they are operating as they do.

I will say that weeknight games in August have always been a challenge. MiLB has streamlined AAA scheduling to where Monday is a universal travel day, and all series are 6 games played Tuesday through Sunday. Thursday is traditionally cheap beer night.

OKC is a Big League City in our own right, and I don't think being a Dallas minor league affiliate is necessary for success. Personally, I think being associated with a top 4 or 5 MLB team is better for us.

But, being a Big League City means minor league sports, like AAA baseball, or USL soccer, are no longer going to play a major role in our entertainment scene IMO.

[Swake]

Yeah I constantly compare OKC to what Tulsa has done with the Drillers (who have had the same recognizable brand for years while we’re about to be on our 4th during the same timeframe). Night and day difference in advertising, branding, and quality of the in-game atmosphere and that is often reflected in the crowd size/engagement. It’s a better product from a fan perspective as a AA team than OKC’s is as a AAA team in a larger city. While it’s not the teams fault here, even the layout/positioning of Oneok Field (starting with positioning it so the fans see the skyline from nearly every seat in the stadium) and how all the surrounding developments interact with it is far better than the OKC ballpark (I can’t even remember its actual name now and I drive by it every few days). A lot of that is probably the benefit they had of looking at OKC’s for 10+ years before building their own but still.

First mistake the ownership here made was dropping the long time 89er name for some dumb generic bird mascot (a “red hawk” isn’t even a real bird though it does roll off the tongue better than red-tailed hawk). The OK LA Dodgers branding looked cool but what do the Dodgers have to do with OKC? How does that help endear the team to the community? And then dropping that brand despite still being affiliated with the Dodgers to become the freaking OKC Baseball Team for an indefinite amount of time before coming up with a new name is the icing on the cake. They are putting a pretty decent product on the field and doing everything they can from a marketing perspective to ensure no one shows up to see it. They really need to nail this next brand change and stick with it.

End rant

Tulsa's baseball teams:
Oilers 1902 to 1976
Drillers 1976 to Now

Hockey Teams:
Oilers 1928 to Now

[The]

Bring back the 89ers. The mustached player is also a quintessential baseball logo.

[Dob Hooligan]

Bring back the 89ers. The mustached player is also a quintessential baseball logo.

I'm guessing that is what they are going to do. They are currently operating under "89ers Thursday" every home stand.

[Thunderbolt]

Bring back the 89ers. The mustached player is also a quintessential baseball logo.

From the Oklahoman in February: https://www.oklahoman.com/story/spor...s/72675331007/

"What about just going back to the 89ers brand? Byrnes said it wasn’t just that easy. So, don’t expect the popular brand used from 1962-1998 to be the final choice."

[PhiAlpha]

From the Oklahoman in February: https://www.oklahoman.com/story/spor...s/72675331007/

"What about just going back to the 89ers brand? Byrnes said it wasn’t just that easy. So, don’t expect the popular brand used from 1962-1998 to be the final choice."

They’re overthinking things per usual

[Dob Hooligan]

They’re overthinking things per usual

I tend to agree. I'm thinking if they are using the name weekly, then they can use it all the time. The issue then would be money. I have no idea how, but money is always the issue.

[Plutonic Panda]

Funny because I have never been a huge sports guy but I have just recently started getting more and more into baseball.

[dankrutka]

I went to a Tulsa Drillers game earlier in the summer and there was a good crowd with a lot to do. A big perk for my friend's with kids is the splash pad and things kids can do. We all sat in the outfield and their kids would come and go throughout the game.

[Jake]

I went to a Tulsa Drillers game earlier in the summer and there was a good crowd with a lot to do. A big perk for my friend's with kids is the splash pad and things kids can do. We all sat in the outfield and their kids would come and go throughout the game.

Drillers games are fun. The view and orientation of the field towards the skyline really helps. Feel like the stadium is the perfect size.

[BoulderSooner]

I went to a Tulsa Drillers game earlier in the summer and there was a good crowd with a lot to do. A big perk for my friend's with kids is the splash pad and things kids can do. We all sat in the outfield and their kids would come and go throughout the game.

and they average less fans per game then the OKC team does ..

[Dob Hooligan]

Drillers games are fun. The view and orientation of the field towards the skyline really helps. Feel like the stadium is the perfect size.

Can you recall where home plate is located on the lot? I recall both Bricktown and All Sports had/have home on the SW corner. Kinda thinking it is that way in order to protect from the setting sun, and that drives the views. But, I could be wrong in that