Staff Writer
The second year of being the Double-A affiliate of the instate Florida Marlins has so far been as successful as the first year for the Jacksonville Suns.
The hometown minor league affiliate recently secured a chance to defend its 2009 Southern League championship by winning the first half of the Southern League, and the affiliate change hasn’t affected fan support.
“It’s been wonderful,” said Suns President Peter Bragan Jr. “Attendance has been great and we’re on pace to do better than we did last year.”
While strong last year, he said, some attendance figures were affected by a string of bad weather. This year, though, it’s only really affected one game, a trend he hopes will continue the second half of the season.
Bragan was the speaker Wednesday at the Southside Business Men’s Club and told the group that while some players of the winning team have been called up to the big leagues for the Marlins or sent to the Triple-A affiliate in New Orleans, he still sees a winning team and value for fans.
“It’s really not if you can afford baseball,” he said. “It’s more like can you afford three hours of your busy life.”
In terms of advertisers and sponsors, Bragan said there’s been a shift because of the economy, as the big-dollar entertainment spenders disappeared during the recession.
The same goes for some industries that once advertised with the team, such as homebuilders and automobile dealerships, although the team has gained advertisers in the fast-food and hospital industries. Corporate support as a whole has been affected.
“The economy has changed some things in that regard,” he said.
Yet, even with the changes both on the field and among advertisers, Bragan believes the relationship with the Marlins will be one that generates continued visibility.
The parent organization can frequently be seen in the Northeast Florida television market during evening hours, as opposed to the Suns’ former affiliate, the Los Angeles Dodgers, which started later at night and weren’t seen as much on local TV.
Fans will have a greater opportunity to watch Suns players progress through their careers, which Bragan believes will continue to bring fans through the gates.
He relayed an example of a child at the park this year who had received an autograph from pitcher Sean West, who was called back to the Marlins last year after spending time in the early months with the Suns.
West was pitching for the Marlins on TV when the Suns were playing at home and the child told Bragan about getting West’s autograph “right over there” while he was then watching him on TV pitch in the big leagues.
“That’s what it’s about,” said Bragan. “That’s going to be the difference going forward.”
For information on the Jacksonville Suns, visit www.jaxsuns.com.
Schedule
Upcoming home games
Today: Tennessee Smokies, 7:05 p.m.
Tomorrow: Tennessee Smokies, 7:05 p.m.
Saturday: Tennessee Smokies, 7:05 p.m.
July 22-26: Huntsville Stars, 7:05 p.m. (July 25 3:05 p.m.)
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