THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, April 13, 1995 TAG: 9504110417
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY PAUL WHITE, BILL LEFFLER, and RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITERS
LENGTH: Long : 222 lines
Money when you need it, a tasty treat when you want it and a musical salute to the Norfolk Tides - like it or not - are the highlights of what's new at Harbor Park this season.
The park opens for its third season tonight, when the Tides host Rochester at 7:15 p.m.
Probably the most welcome new item will be an ATM machine, which comes courtesy of Commonwealth Bank and will be located next to the novelty store on the main concourse.
``Fans have been asking for one for close to a year and a half,'' Tides owner Ken Young said. ``Honestly, I'd be getting five or six requests a night.''
Fans won't be able to rely on the plastic through the first homestand, though. The ATM machine won't be installed until May 1.
Also new at the park this year will be funnel cakes - fried dough sprinkled with powdered sugar that resembles a big thick pancake.
``It's something that's been real popular at other ballparks,'' Young said. ``I think it'll be popular here, too.''
The funnel cakes will be available at a new concession stand near the entrance of the first base ramp. That area formerly housed a novelty stand.
What's a home team without its own fight song? Norfolk's Bruce Gray of Big Fun Productions didn't know, either. So he penned ``Let the Good Tides Roll,'' a tune Young hopes fans will make No. 1 with a bullet at Tides games throughout the year.
Some sample lyrics:
Chalk the diamond with that old white lime, take up the tarp, it's party time.
Hit the field, boys and batter up. Good cheer man, please fill my cup.
Grab your kids, your hat and your coat, put on a smile and away we go. To Harbor Park, with Dave, Ken and Riptide, see I'm a big fan of the Norfolk Tides.
So let the good Tides roll, yeah, let the good tides roll. Around the bases, safely into home, let those good Tides roll.
Grab your glove, your bat, your binoculars, too. Don't cost much, it's big fun to do. Under the lights on in the bright sunshine, the Tides are in, and they're looking fine.
So let the good Tides roll, yeah, let the good Tides roll. Jump up and down and lose control and let those good Tides roll.
For what it's worth, Young gives it two thumbs up.
``It's really upbeat,'' he said. ``I think it'll catch on.''
Other new features at Harbor Park this season include an on-field pretzel toss between innings (sponsored by Vinnie's Pretzels) for prizes yet to be determined; a computerized sound system which should make graphics and tunes more timely with the action; and a fan-friendlier RipTide, who plans to be more involved with the crowd in his second season. The mascot will be available at designated times each game to have his picture taken with fans at the Photo Booth.
- PAUL WHITE THE FOOD Beer, pretzels "not a bad business"
The old adage that baseball and beer go together certainly holds true for the Norfolk Tides.
The concession stands at Harbor Park average about 4,000 beer sales a game, according to Stan Hoff, manager for Service American, the park's concessionaire.
But beer is only part of the concession equation at Harbor Park. During a season, Hoff says, fans also will consume about 100,000 soft pretzels and ``around 30,000 orders'' of French fries.
They will also purchase about 6,000 Tides mini-baseball bats, 4,000 Tides baseball caps and 2,000 Tides T-shirts.
``It's not a bad business,'' said Hoff. ``Although I'm not at liberty to divulge just how much revenue we take in, I will say that it's not bad business.''
In all, Harbor Park has about 70 locations where you can buy anything from a $1 bag of potato chips to a $12 stuffed bear to a $60 replica of a Tides' pinstriped jersey.
There's even an imported-beer stand, where you can purchase offerings from Mexico, Germany, Holland and England.
Service America, which has had the Tides' concession contract for 15 years, serves Harbor Park fans with as many as 175 employees on game days.
One of the nice things about Harbor Park, said Hoff, who has been in the area two years, is that all the concession stands are in view of the playing field.
``In some parks, if you go to get a hot dog, you may miss something,'' he said. ``But not here. That's one thing which makes this such a great place.'' THE FANS BOOSTERS ARE TEAM'S BACKBONE
The Tidewatchers Booster Club does much more than just watch.
The club is an avid group of fans who have joined together ``to promote and foster the sport of professional baseball, in particular the Norfolk Tides.''
Current membership is 85 but the actual number is much higher. Families count as a single member.
Most are season-ticket holders, scattered throughout the ballpark. And they pay the going rate. But over the course of the baseball season, the members become first-name acquaintances with the players and a special camaraderie develops.
The Tidewatchers man the gates at Harbor Park for every ``giveaway promotion'' the team has. They are behind the ``Meet the Tides'' banquet when the players are first introduced in the area. This year that program is set for Tuesday, April 18 in the restaurant at the ballpark, following an afternoon Tides' game with Columbus. The banquet is open to the general public with cocktails at 6 p.m. and dinner at 7. Tickets are $15.
Club secretary Bill McKinney says the club also helps Tides players settle in each season.
``We offer our assistance to the players as they come to our fine city,'' he said. ``We are there to assist in locating living quarters, schools, child care if needed or anything to make the players feel more comfortable in their new environment.'' To join the Tidewatchers Booster Club, send a check for $10, or $20 for a family, to the Tidewatchers Booster Club at 4840 Winthrop Street, Norfolk, Va. 23513 or 1124 Hawthorne Drive, Chesapeake, Va. 23325. For information, call Bill McKinney at 523-0856.
- BILL LEFFLER THE TICKETS
The euphoria hasn't worn off.
Ticket sales once again have been brisk for the Norfolk Tides at Harbor Park. And Ted Hawver, director of ticket operations, expects to surpass last year's total season-ticket sales of 2,850, which was up 350 from the Tides' opening season at their nifty diamond by the river.
``We've sold approximately 2,750 season tickets already,'' Hawver said. ``And we usually sell 300 more between the first game and the end of the season.''
At $325 per season ticket, that equates to $4.58 per game, which takes a large chunk out of the regular box seat price of $7 per game and even beats the regular reserved-seating ticket price ($5).
As was the case last year, Tides tickets can be purchased during regular operating hours at Harbor Park or through Ticketmaster or C.I. Travel, with applicable service charges.
The Tides are a hot ticket, but not so much because of the winning ways of the team. Norfolk has been no better than a middle-of-the-pack team each of the last two seasons and has been out of title contention by early August.
Still, the fans come.
``I think a lot of it has to do with the atmosphere that Ken (Young, team president) and Dave (Rosenfield, general manager) have created,'' Hawver said. ``It's nice, secure and pleasant. We've been at or near the bottom of the standings both years and yet we've finished seventh and fifth in attendance out of 162 minor league clubs.''
For those who can't pick a date but want to give tickets as a gift, the Tides offer gift certificates for either box seat or reserved seating prices.
``We started that midway through the opening season,'' Hawver said. ``Last year, gift certificate business tripled.''
Then there are the Baseball Bucks. The Tides offer $56 worth of Baseball Bucks (manager Toby Harrah's picture adorns the series of $2 coupons) for just $50. The bucks can be used anywhere within the park confines.
``Tickets, food, drinks and souvenirs,'' Hawver said. ``Once you get in the gate, they're good.'' Ticket prices
$ 325 - Season ticket
$7.00 - Box seat
$5.50 - Reserved seating ($1 discounts for children 2-17, senior citizens 60-and-over and active duty military) Common group discounts
25 or more - $1.00 off reserved seating
50 or more - $1.50 off reserved seating
100 or more - $2.00 off reserved seating
Special military group rate for 250 or more - $2.50 off reserved seating Harbor Park Ticket Office hours
Monday through Friday - 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturdays (when Tides are in town) - 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
when Tides are on the road) - 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Sundays (when Tides are in town) - open at noon
when Tides are on the road) - CLOSED Other ticket outlets
Tides tickets can be purchased (subject to applicable service charges) at any Ticketmaster location or C.I. Travel office, or charged by telephone through Ticketmaster at 671-8100. Baseball bucks
$2 bills with manager Toby Harrah's mug, the bucks can be used to purchase tickets, food, drinks and souvenirs once in the park.
- RICH RADFORD MEMO: [For a copy of the roster, season schedule, and the promotions, see page
C7 for this date.]
ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]
This year,fan-friendlier RipTide plans to be more involved with the
crowd. The mascot will be available at designated times each game
to have his picture taken with fans at the Photo Booth.
RICHARD L. DUNSTON/Staff
From left, Bill McKinney, secretary of the Tidewatchers Booster
Club, and president Ann
[Color Photo]
MARTIN SMITH-RODDEN/Staff
Tides pitcher Paul Byrd, center, shares a laugh with teammates
during spring training in Port St. Lucie, Fla.
[Color Photos]
Pitchers
Infielders
Outfielders
Catchers
Management
by CNB