News from the MiLB Promotional Seminar in Louisville, as the annual Golden Bobblehead (GHB) Awards for the best promotions in Minor League Baseball were awarded.
The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (Class AAA; International League) took home the Golden Bobblehead for Best Non-Game Day Event and the Best Overall Promotion for their NBC’s The Office Wrap Party promotion. Five GBH Awards were presented during the final event of the 2013 Minor League Baseball Promotional Seminar.
The NBC’s The Office Wrap Party promotion took place on May 4 at PNC Park. After a full day of events throughout Scranton, the cast members bid their farewell to RailRiders fans at that night’s game. The majority of cast members attended the event, including Rainn Wilson (Dwight Schrute), John Krasinski (Jim Halpert), Pam Beesley (Jenna Fischer) and Steve Carell (Michael Scott). The night consisted of blooper reels, question and answer segments with cast members, video clips of the show’s “Biggest Flan,” a sneak peek of the series finale episode and a fireworks show. Clips of the promotion were featured during The Office series recap special, aired before the series finale, on NBC.
“What a great night and what fantastic honors,” said RailRiders president/GM Rob Crain. “This is something all of NEPA should share in. And I must highlight both our friends at The Scranton Times-Tribune and the paper’s regional director of marketing and events, Tim Holmes. Without their efforts, this would not have been possible.”
The Lowell Spinners (short season A; NY-Penn League) won the Best Theme Night category for their Military Hero Baseball Card Set giveaway. The Spinners created a set with 32 local military heroes, spanning conflicts from World War II to the present. The Spinners received more than 200 nominations from friends and family to help build the set, which featured a photo of the serviceman or servicewoman in their military uniform. The card set members and their families, including those of two local military heroes who perished in battle, attended the August 4 game. They signed autographs and were honored in an on-field ceremony.
The Best Charity Promotion or Event GBH went to the Quad Cities River Bandits (Low Class A; Midwest League) for their Autism Awareness Photo Jersey Auction. In the months leading up to the August 9 event, people could buy a small square inside a player’s uniform numbers for $25. The square would either feature a photograph of their choice or one chosen by the Quad Cities Autism Center. All 109 squares available were sold. Each person who sponsored a square received a puzzle piece with his or her name on it which was displayed in the club’s team store. Fans had the opportunity to bid on a jersey in a silent auction during the game. Proceeds from the square sales and the auction went to the Quad Cities Autism Center.
The Lehigh Valley IronPigs (Class AAA; International League) and their interactive urinal gaming systems won the Best In-Game Promotion category. The video game systems were featured in all men’s restrooms in the ballpark this season. Upon completion, users received their scores and a code to enter on the leaderboard so that they can see where they ranked among the rest of that night’s competition. High scores were displayed in real-time across various videoboard displays within the ballpark. The game also carried a message to men about prostate cancer awareness and was sponsored by a local hospital.
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