
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, April 2, 1995                   TAG: 9504040013
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-11   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: MARK BULLOCK STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

STADIUM, EXCITEMENT BUILDING IN SALEM

Ask Sam Lazzaro about running a minor-league baseball team and he responds in a no-nonsense, professional manner. Ask him about marketing and eight consecutive seasons of attendance records and he delivers statistical, matter-of-fact answers. Ask him about the marriage of Salem and the Colorado Rockies and he grows a bit more animated.

But ask him about the new stadium the city is building, or the newfangled scoreboard that will dance in the night sky, or the way baseball fans have embraced the Salem Avalanche and he becomes downright giddy.

Souvenir caps are going so fast ``I'm not sure we can keep any in stock,'' Lazzaro says.

Sales of Avalanche memorabilia ``already have exceeded a number of years since I've been here, and the season hasn't even started,`` he says.

There has been a ``30 to 40 percent increase in season-ticket sales,'' he says, his face breaking into a wide grin.

``Wait until you see the scoreboard. It's unbelievable what that thing does,'' he says, producing a slick advertisement that boasts ``65,536 Color Capability.''

``It has a 16- by 21-foot full-color matrix screen. It comes with a computerized sound system that has up to a thousand sound effects and a thousand songs. Heck, the scoreboard operators have to go to school for three days just to learn how to use it.''

All this translates into what could be a banner season for the Salem Avalanche, the lucky recipient of this state-of-the-art technology and brand-spanking new facility.

The bad news is the stadium will not be ready for the team's home opener on April 14. The target date now for moving in is May 22. But construction delays are beyond Lazzaro's control, and he shrugs at the thought of opening the season at antiquated Salem Municipal Field.

``Look,'' he says, gesturing over his left shoulder at the venerable ballpark, the home of Carolina League teams for more than 25 years. ``Municipal Field served its purpose quite well, and we have some wonderful memories of this ballpark. But we are extremely excited about moving into our new home.''

Lazzaro is keeping his fingers crossed that nothing causes any further delays, and he realizes fan interest is high in anticipation of its opening.

``From a business standpoint, we have to look at every home stand as potentially lost revenue,'' Lazzaro says. ``But when we do get in [the new stadium], it's going to be one of the finest Class A facilities in the country, and that's what we're looking at.''

by CNB