Review from July 27, 2019
High Point Rockers vs. Sugar Land Skeeters
High Point Rockers vs. Sugar Land Skeeters
The New Alternative
By: Matthew Preslar
Beginning play in 2019 in an already crowded market are the High Point Rockers. High Point is a small city very near what is called the Triad area of North Carolina. Yes, I know TRIAD means three. However, in the greater Triad area there are affiliated minor league teams in Durham, just east of Raleigh, Winston-Salem, Greensboro, and Burlington. All of these teams are just out of limited mileage not to infringe on each other’s market per (MLB) affiliated professional restrictions.
Per affiliated rules, a team in High Point can’t exist. It’s too close to a couple of these markets. Therefore, ownership knew their only option was to be an expansion team in the Atlantic League: a league that has played traditionally in the Northeast with franchises opening closing in bunches along the way.
I’m a hardcore baseball fan and I love new stadiums. If the trip can be done in a day I will see that stadium in its Inaugural Season. I may represent 10% of the fan base. However, I know I’m not the 90% of the population needed for ownership to be profitable. Compared to their close neighbors, especially in Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and Burlington, the Rockers need to promote themselves as THE NEW ALTERNATIVE.
With home about two hours away from High Point, I’m not familiar with Rockers advertising in local newspapers or television. I do follow them on IG. Most notable posts are usually posting the score of that night’s game. In whatever platforms available to them I would like to list ways I feel like they could brand as THE NEW ALTERNATIVE.
My advice to High Point? Promote the pricing, promote the players, promote crazy new rules, promote that you are an outside the box operation not confounded to the norm. The main thing I want to see is that the High Point Rockers just promote.
We went to BB&T Point not intending to evaluate the park. Afterward, though, we decided we were curious how they would organically score on our criteria amongst their MiLB neighbors. Some rare weekends, the Rockers may be one of six baseball choices in about an hour of each other. I hope they are doing enough to make sure that YOU know they are worth the experience!
By: Matthew Preslar
Beginning play in 2019 in an already crowded market are the High Point Rockers. High Point is a small city very near what is called the Triad area of North Carolina. Yes, I know TRIAD means three. However, in the greater Triad area there are affiliated minor league teams in Durham, just east of Raleigh, Winston-Salem, Greensboro, and Burlington. All of these teams are just out of limited mileage not to infringe on each other’s market per (MLB) affiliated professional restrictions.
Per affiliated rules, a team in High Point can’t exist. It’s too close to a couple of these markets. Therefore, ownership knew their only option was to be an expansion team in the Atlantic League: a league that has played traditionally in the Northeast with franchises opening closing in bunches along the way.
I’m a hardcore baseball fan and I love new stadiums. If the trip can be done in a day I will see that stadium in its Inaugural Season. I may represent 10% of the fan base. However, I know I’m not the 90% of the population needed for ownership to be profitable. Compared to their close neighbors, especially in Greensboro, Winston-Salem, and Burlington, the Rockers need to promote themselves as THE NEW ALTERNATIVE.
With home about two hours away from High Point, I’m not familiar with Rockers advertising in local newspapers or television. I do follow them on IG. Most notable posts are usually posting the score of that night’s game. In whatever platforms available to them I would like to list ways I feel like they could brand as THE NEW ALTERNATIVE.
- Brand new BB&T Point ballpark
- Best ticket prices in baseball, a family of four can park and get in for $23
- 100% turf field, bright and vibrant
- Higher level players, many with MLB experience and many from the state
- More patriotic baseballs with BLUE and RED seams. (A buddy of mine was a fill in umpire there one night and grabbed me a non game used baseball!)
- Room to relax with less vendors crowding the walkways
- An array of experimental and ALTERNATIVE rules in partnership with Major League Baseball.
- Most notable for the fan experience: no trips to the mound other than pitching changes and less time between innings, meant to increase pace of play
- Batters CAN STEAL FIRST on any bouncing pitch
- Balls and strikes called by an automated system and relayed to plate umpire through and ear piece
My advice to High Point? Promote the pricing, promote the players, promote crazy new rules, promote that you are an outside the box operation not confounded to the norm. The main thing I want to see is that the High Point Rockers just promote.
We went to BB&T Point not intending to evaluate the park. Afterward, though, we decided we were curious how they would organically score on our criteria amongst their MiLB neighbors. Some rare weekends, the Rockers may be one of six baseball choices in about an hour of each other. I hope they are doing enough to make sure that YOU know they are worth the experience!
BB&T POINT
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TICKET VALUE 10/10
CONCESSIONS 8/10
FAMILY FRIENDLINESS 5/5
ATMOSPHERE 9/10
CHARACTER 8/10
PARKING 5/5
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