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Saltdogs try to increase Hispanic ticket sales

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BY ZACH PLUHACEK / Lincoln Journal Star

Saturday, Jun 28, 2008 - 10:08:22 pm CDT

When Saltdogs second baseman Eduardo Rios, a Venezuelan immigrant, looked into the stands at Haymarket Park on Saturday, he saw a welcome sight — hundreds of Hispanic faces staring back at him.

“They got one day for Latinos,” he said during the game. “I think it’s nice. ... I’m happy because there’s a lot of Latinos here in Lincoln.”

 Rios and some of his teammates signed autographs and met with fellow members of the Hispanic community before and after the game as part of Latino Night at Haymarket Park.

Story Photo
Anthony Rodriguez (left), Sebastian Perez and Xochitl Perez enjoy Latino Night at Haymarket Park with Lincoln Saltdogs manager Tim Johnson and left fielder Luis Perez. (Eva Barajas)

Many of the kids and parents who showed up at the game were there for free, courtesy of individual and business sponsors who purchased 750 tickets to give out at a festival at Cristo Rey Catholic Church earlier this month.

The Saltdogs then sold tickets to friends and family members of the free ticket holders for $5.

Marty Ramirez, an active member of the Hispanic community who helped Saltdogs president Charlie Meyer organize the event, even brought 10 kids down from the stands to meet with players on the field before the game.

Words were few between players and the kids, but the smiles were beaming.

“They love it,” Meyer said of the players. “It’s a way for them to outreach to their community.”

The idea for the Latino Night came about at the end of last season, after Meyer and a fan discussed the seeming lack of Hispanic fans in the stands.

Antonio Almazan, a University of Nebraska-Lincoln student the team hired in June as a Hispanic marketing liaison, said the number of Hispanic attendees has been low since the team was formed.

“Even the players noticed that,” he said. “We wanted to make Latinos come here more.”

Free tickets certainly did the trick Saturday, but whether that gets more people to pay for tickets in the future is yet to be seen.

Almazon’s job might depend on it. He wasn’t sure how long the team plans to keep him around, but he hoped success Saturday would lead to a more permanent position for him.

“Saltdogs are for everybody,” he said.

Reach Zach Pluhacek at 473-7306 or zpluhacek@journalstar.com.


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what wrote on June 28, 2008 10:42 pm:
" This situation makes me sooooo mad! What about Italian night, Irish night, Russian night??????????? Maybe those of us who aren't Latino don't go to Saltdog games because of the cost - where is our break and our special night? Last I heard, baseball was an AMERICAN tradition! "

 CL wrote on June 29, 2008 1:47 am:
" You don't get a special night because you're too angry and you use too many question marks. "

 What you make no sense... wrote on June 29, 2008 6:39 am:
" What you need to look at your thoughts. This is one night that is hopefully the springboard to Latino's, and all ethnicities and races enjoying something Lincoln has to offer...together! This community has really begun to dissapoint me. for all the good and positive things it has to offer it has become increasing clear why 40 years after Kings I have a Dream we are still a long way from it...amazingly in good old Lincoln, Nebraska! "

 Alexis wrote on June 29, 2008 7:48 am:
" What might make the fans come back is a better team! Last night the Salt Dogs let up 13 runs. It was a long, slow, painful game. "

 Fan not wrote on June 29, 2008 8:51 am:
" Why not just FAN NIGHT. How about if they just try to get people to the games regardless of their ethnicity? "saltdogs are for everbody" but free tickets are just for certain groups we want to pander to "

 Oh Please wrote on June 29, 2008 8:52 am:
" Ah yes, here we are early Sunday morning, and already someone is threatened because some attention is being paid to Latinos. Get over yourselves. It's called MARKETING. Do you show the same outrage when, say, networks cater to their main target demographic, white males between the ages of 18 and 35? I think not. Fear not, o ye downtrodden ones, your white male power structure will remain intact. "

 Erik wrote on June 29, 2008 10:43 am:
" There are more latinos in America than Italians, Irish and Russians combined. "

 separation wrote on June 29, 2008 10:46 am:
" So when is White, middle class American night?? I think it is great that kids and families that have not attended a game before got to go, but targeting ethnic groups just divides our community more. If you really want to bring up attendance and not target specific groups, then have neighborhood nights...heck my neighborhood covers every ethnic group including low, middle and high class whites. Now that is America! "

 Tought Luck What wrote on June 29, 2008 10:47 am:
" This is a business and a numbers game. If you are going to live her in 20 years you had better learn to speak spanish. "

 Kan wrote on June 29, 2008 10:53 am:
" "what"'s comments are hilarious!!Why dont you step up to the plate and sponsor "Italian Night" or what ever,"WHitey"night for all I care.It's all about pride and community and the fact that there is no caucasian oriented event speaks valumes don't it?Notice that they had there cultural get together without hatred towards other groups?Notice that?Let's learn sonething from the hispanics instead of hating what we don't have.AT least try..PS Most Latinos are Americans.Get a life. "

 truth wrote on June 29, 2008 10:59 am:
" Hey "What".It's all about pride and community.The fact that your idea of caucasion oriented night doesn't happen speaks volumes.And did you happen to notice that they had their event without spewing hatred towards other groups?Notice?Heck,these brown people are more American than you are "what"!They don't hate and love diversity. "

 Nicole wrote on June 29, 2008 8:25 pm:
" Every day is white middle class American day, so get over it. I applaud the Saltdogs for reaching out to a minority. I am so tired of the bigotry in this city expressed by people that have never experienced discrimination. "

 Still surprised wrote on June 29, 2008 10:44 pm:
" I can't believe that I'm still surprised by comments I read on here, but I am. As soon as somebody does something nice for one group of people, there has to be someone crying about not getting the same treatment. Where does this incredible sense of entitlement come from? Of course, in the end the goal is to increase attendance at the games, but why is it such a bad thing to prod people to become invested in their community, to engage in some fun family entertainment? It's always better if the Saltdogs win, but really, their games are more about a relaxing time to enjoy the company you are with. Everyone deserves that. "

 Outside the Box wrote on June 30, 2008 8:36 am:
" I would argue the Saltdog's annual performance by the Jimmy Buffet impersonator qualifies as Middle Class White Male Night. "

 Soylent Green wrote on June 30, 2008 10:38 am:
" White, Middle-Class Nite is reserved for the day Wierd Al shows up... "

 tradition FOR ALL wrote on June 30, 2008 11:49 am:
" "Last I heard, baseball was an AMERICAN tradition! "

Carlos Zambrano, Miguel Tejada, Aramis Ramirez, Ivan Rodriguez, Albert Pujols....the list continues. What do these guys have in common?

Loved your response CL. "

 KC wrote on June 30, 2008 12:51 pm:
" CL...That was one of the best responses I've seen yet!! It says it all! NICE ONE "

 Lost a fan wrote on June 30, 2008 1:14 pm:
" They just lost a fan. I don't care if they have a special night, but they need to do it for others as well. There are lots of kids that would love to go to a game, but the parents can't afford the tickets. And NO, I'm not racist. "

 fomer lincoln resident now in DFW... wrote on June 30, 2008 2:50 pm:
" how can you complain about the cost of saltdogs tickets? the grand prairie airhogs charge the same amount for tickets, charge a little for parking, and they are STILL cheaper than going to a Rangers game by a wide, wide margin.

if i were a saltdogs fan, i would maybe think of how this team sold off everyone like josh patton, pichi, kevin sullivan, and forced bryan warner into retirement. like i have said before, any promotion won't work if the product on the field isn't very good. "

 Oh please.... wrote on June 30, 2008 4:30 pm:
" The difference between this and every other night is it is labeled as Latino night. Why? Can't we as a society get passed color. And if you don't think Latinos are racist you obviously do not know one. Why isn't every night labeled "White Night"? Because that would be racist, but Latino Night isn't. How ironic. "

 RE nicole wrote on June 30, 2008 5:53 pm:
" Nicole, just to clarify. white middle class people do get discriminated against more than most would think. I have been a victim of racism many times and I'm white. by you saying that white middle class people have "never experienced discrimination" is a discriminating remark. racism and discrimination can apply to ANY race.

im glad to see the saltdogs embrace diversity. "

 Huh wrote on June 30, 2008 10:37 pm:
" Did they sell tickets to everyone that attended the game that night at $5 or just Latinos? It sounds like they were being selective on who they met with and signed autographs for also. I don't care if they name it Latino night, or whatever, but I haven't heard them do anything special for anyone else. Apparently most of you are just hung up on the name, not the deed. "

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