Page Nine
I Sunday, April 5,100
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Sunday, April 5, 1970 THE MICHIGAN DAILY Page Nine
(Paid Political Advertisement)
YOU HAVE A GOOD CITY COUNCILMAN/KEEP HIM
Attendance promotion - hit or miss
i
AS COUNCILMAN, LEN QUENON HAS:
-steered through Housinq Code revisions making
Ann Arbor a national leader in the field;
-introduced the maximum possible air pollution
control ordinance for the States of Michigan;
-worked to maximize inter-governmental cooper-
ation and minmize overlap, waste, and conflict;
introduced damage deposit legislation to insure
fair settlements between landlords and tenant;
F 0 R CONTINUED EFFECTIVE RkPRE-
SENTATION OF YOUR INTERESTS....,
RE-ELECT ERNEST L.
IT
A J
.T
.T
F'
By RICKEY CORNFELD
Second of a two-part series
For years Major League Base-
ball managed its affairs with an.
attitude towards Madison Avenue
sinillar to its attitude toward the
black ball player. It did not ex-
ist, so far as the big leagues werej
concerned.
Some teams flourished, and
some floundered, but club owners
knew that baseball was the na-
tional pastime and did not need
to advertise. The general assum-
ption was that a team should of-
fer only baseball to get the
crowds into the park.
Times have certainly changed.
In the past few years baseball
has instituted give-aways, reduc-
ed prices, firework shows a n d
special attractions to get people, to
watch ball games.
Every one of the 24 major lea-
gue teams has an advertising
agency to help it peddle its pro-
duct.
And some teams are flourishing,
and some floundering.
The question arises, then, as to
how much all the promotional ef-
forts help. Are they so great a
f: ltor in a club's attendance to
warrant all the work spent on
- them?9'
T h o s e promotional directors
who would respond to that ques-
tion of the Daily downgraded the
effect of promotions on a club's
attendance.
"Promotions are good and all
clubs definitely need them, how-
ever; the biggest factor is n o t
r.omitions as much as it is, a win-
ning ball club." said Jack Berger,
director of promotions for t h e
r ;tsburgh Pirates.
- -- - --
TO BELIEVE Charles A. Shriv- i Even though the St. Louis Car-
er, manager of information for the dinals flopped on the field last
Chicago Cubs, his team has the year, their attendance of 1,682,583
best attendance situation in the was near the marks for the prev-
maj irs, and it has no promotional1
activities other than Ladies Day
and Senior Citizens Day.
Dino Lucarelli; publicity direct-
or for the Cleveland Indians, said,
"Promotions are like seasoning on
a good piece of meat. The team
has to generate the excitement
we're out to create."
The California Angels have one
of the most elaborate series of
promotional activities in baseball,
yet their attendance has decreas-
ed by almost 600,000 in the past
two years.
Cleveland also has an extensive
slate of promotions. Lucarelli ad-
mits that, "We've been accused of
over-promoting." Cleveland's at-
tendance last year was the second
worst in the American League.
To believe baseball officials'
v'crds a n d not their deeds, it
seems that promdtional plans are
efforts of trying to do something
when they are relatively power-
k.s.
Looking at Major League at-
tendance figures, three factors
can be seen.
TIIE FIRST is the quality of
the team. It is obvious that a good
team will generally draw m o r e
fans than a poor one.
What is not so obvious is that
after a team plays a good season,
attendance will tend to remain at
a high level for the next few years.
Although the Boston Red Sox
have been disappointing on the
field in the two years since their
miracle pennant campaign, their
attendance has increased.
x
ious two pennant-winning sea-
sons.
The story was the same for the
Detroit Tigers. Playing perform-
ance did not meet the fans' ex-
pectations, but enough people
c me to see them anyway to give
the Tigers an attendance of 1,-
577,481, second in the league.
Although Lucarelli emphasized
the importance of a winning team,
he said, "We'd like to have the
situation they have in Detroit and
Boston," two t e a m s with dis-
c uraging playing performances
of late, but excellent attendance.
The second factor apparent in
a team's attendance is the new-
ness of the ball park. The last
team to move into a new stadium.,
St. Louis, increased its attendance
almost half a million the year it
did so.
!
ped a million, are more limited.- has cut deeply into Sox attend-
To Baltimore's south is Wash- ance since the Cubs' resurgence,
ington, to the east is the Chesa- and last year only 382.762 saw the
peake Bay. and to the north are 70 games in Sox Park.
Philadelphia and New York. Faced with more important de-
terminants of attendance, then,
SAN DIEGO'S region of f a n baseball promotional men try to
support is also limited. Bounded improve the situation with little
by Mexico, the ocean, Los Angeles effect.
and the desert, San Diego drew Lucarelli may have been hint-
only 609,562 last year. ing at his own failure when he
Faced with a similar, but relat- said, "If the team isn't winning on
ed problem are the Chicago White the field no promotions will help
Sox. Competition from the Cubs completely."
A. LEE KIRK
The NL East ...
..an ocean of sI
torms
COUNCILMAN
SECOND WARD
VOTE DEMOCRATIC
VOTE Mon., April 6
(Paid Political Advertisement)
Jack
Kirscht
r 1st Ward Democrat, asks your
support to c re a t e the conditions
for a livable, humdn environ ment.
-Increase the employment opportunity and the
upgrading of skills of black citizens
G e
~& h
C"s,
AUSTIN
DIA.MON D
1209 S. University 663.7151
Palmer break
has dinner wi
GREENSBORO, N.C. IP - Arn-
old Palmer stormed into sole
control of first place in the Great-
er Greensboro Open Golf Tourna-
ment yesterday, then went wing-
ing off to Washington for a White
j House dinner with President Nix-
on.
The fabled Palmer, gdlf's great-,
est gate attraction, broke out of
a first place tie with T o m m y
Aaron by firing a four-under-par
67 for 131, 11 under par and the
best 36-hole score of the year
on the pro tour.
It took him about a half an
hour to fight his way through a
howling horde of fans - he call-
ed the gallery "about as big as
I've ever seen"-to the c l u b -
house.
The first $1 million winner in
the game had left almost im-
mediately for his home in La-
trobe, Pa., to pick up his wife,
Wijmnie, before continuing on to
Washington. Palmer, who has
his own jet, planned to return to
Greensboro late last night.
A heav rainstorm forced a
THIS SEASON three teams,
Cincinnati, Philadelphia a n d
FLttsburgh, are due to move into
new playing quarters.
The Pirates are anxiously await-
ing the help in attendance that
new Three Rivers Stadium will
give them. "We are looking for
this to give our attendance a tre-
mendous boost," said Berger.'
T h e third determinant of a
team's total attendance is the size
of the surrounding geographical
area.
THE ST. LOUIS Cardinals,
Houston Astros a n d Atlanta
Braves can draw from a wide ar-
ea. The Baltimore Orioles, whose
attendance last year barely top-
tie for first,
ith Nixon1
one-day postponement in the start
of the $180,000 tournament and
Palmer faces a 36-hole windup on
Sunday.
"I don't. really mind playing
36," said the 40-year-old Palmer,
who dropped off the tour briefly
last year because of trouble with
an arthritic hip. "My hip gets a
little tired, that's all. But I can
still make it around."
Palmer led lanky R. H. Sikes, a
non-winner since 1966, by a single
stroke. Sikes had a 67 for 132.
Aaron, who matched Palmer's
opening 64, fell off the fast pace
with a 69 for 133 and was tied
at that figure with Miller Barber,
64, and the on-rushing Gary Play-
er.
Player, a South African who was
accompanied by plainclothes po-
licemen in his gallery, fired a
brilliant 63 and said "it was as
close as I've ever come to break-
ing 60."
Today's pairings for the final
two rounds will have Palmer,
Player and Aaron in the 1 a s t
threesome.
'4
-Assure tenants' rights
-Prevent creek, river, and drain flooding
-Clean out the junk yards from the First Ward
-Enact anti-pollution measures
-Improve safety through provision of sidewalks,
intersection changes, and better control of speeding
-Provide more recreational and park use
along the Huron River
-Achieve a sound, human overall plan for our area
ET JK KR H TO PCOUNCIL
VOTE MONDAY~, APRIL 6
LAST YEAR was the year of the Mets.
Never in the history of sports has one team used up so
much ink. Never in the history of sports has one team so com-
pletely inundated all others in a plethora of publicity.
Now, all of this is in the past. The new season is nearly
upon us, and the Mets, playing in what is probably the toughest
division in baseball, will have to prove themselves all over again,
and there is no way it will be as easy this year, although from
a purely aesthetic point, it should be a lot more exciting to all
baseball fans except for the expatriates land residents of the
fun city at the mouth of the Hudson.
Except for the Phillies and the Expos, any of the other three
teams in the division are capable of taking the pennant away
from the Mets, but there is a certain "iffy" nature to all the
challengers.
AT THE TOP of the "iffy" list one finds the Chicago Cubs.
They wil be forever remembered as the team that blew it to the
Mets, and a more dubious distinction is hard to come by.
Whether they will be able to vercome the dissession that
surfaced in the twilight of last season- and the stigma of a team
that "choked" remain to be seen, but these are the two things
that appear to be holding the Cubs back from making a strong
run for it. Their infield is at least as good any in baseball, and
the addition of Johnny Callison should strengthen the outfield.
Callison, however, has had injury problems this spring, 'and if
he can't play often, the Wrigley outfield will revert to a com-
muter stop. The Cub bullpen never draw any raves, but when the-
team- folded, it was the front-liners, notably Ken Holtzman,
who vanguarded the descent.
Injuries have to strike fear into manager Leo Durocher's
heart, for the Cubbies have a bench that wouldn't qualify for
the "Who's Who of Burbank." If the day to day grind doesn't
exhaust the regulars by August and injuries and dissent boil
far enough below the surface, the Cubs should be in it until
the end.
TO PARAPHRASE FERLINGHETTI: "I am waiting for Ike-
to act, and I am waiting for the Cardinals to make their move."
St. Louis owner Gussie Busch waited all last year for the latter
phenomenon, and he waited in vain. The Cardinals, apparently
swollen by baseball's biggest payroll and flushed with thee success
of two consecutive pennants, stayed lackadaisically poised in the
starting blocks all season and finished an astounding fourth.
So Gussie decided he would have to act himself. He started
trading, and he didn't stop until practically all the old familiar
Cardinal names found themselves in new nests. But trade though
he might, Gussie still couldn't get all the unhappiness out from
under the Gateway Arch.
He got the temptestuous Richie Allen, who just might turn
into the best hitter in baseball. But that wasn't enough for
' Gussie; he and Allen got embroiled into a salary dispute. Then
Gussie got into a money fight with Steve Carlton, the man who
struck out 19 Mets (and lost, naturally). If. the Cards can get off
to a good start, they could prove the "experts" right and take
it all, but if they don't, it'll be a downhill year for old Gussie's
beer.
PITTSBURGH JUST might surprise everbody. They closed
last season with a fairly healthy kick to finish third, and if they
can a get a little pitching,'look out. The Pirates can hit (about
15 a game down in Florida) and there is little doubt that they
will continue to pound the ball over, under, around and through
the Astro-Turf in their new stadium.
The Pirat brass is confident that they have enough pitching
to make a run for it. The Pirate hurlers are young and they
throw hard, but whether they can throw with any accuracy re-
mains to be seen. Roberto Clemente has the strongest arm on
the team, but he plays the outfield. If Dave Giusti can move
into .the starting rotation, -Pirate pitching will cease to be stop-
gap, and maybe, just maybe they can make it to the top.
The Mets cannot be discounted, even though one can't help
but wonder how they did it last year. It will be pitching that
keeps the flag in New York. It pitching is 80 per cent of baseball,
it is 95 per cent of the Mets, the rest being Ron Swoboda's glove.
Third base, the Met's achilles heel since their inception, has
seen about five tenants a year, a record that would do the
Tenants Union proud. Now Joe Foy has arrived, but how much
he will be worth remains to be seen. The Mets rarely hit last year
unless someone bluffed his way onto base. Then, they were
murder. This sounds like the Tigers in '68, and everyone knows
what happened to them in '69. The Mets might just be a little
spoiled by the whole thing.
Still, facing Seaver, Koosman, et al is about the most
Herculian task in baseball, and rating the Mets less than even
money with the other three contenders is the height of folly.
3
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