# Minor League Baseball Announces 2021 Award Winners

- Link: https://www.nyrdcast.com/minor-league-baseball-announces-2021-award-winners/
- Published: 2021-12-10T10:00:00-06:00
- Author: Eugene Tierney

_Two teams and two executives honored_

**NEW YORK CITY, Dec. 6, 2021 — **[Minor League Baseball](http://www.milb.com/index.jsp)
™ (MiLB™) today announced the 2021 winners of the Organization of the Year Award,
Executive of the Year Award, Future Star Award and the CommUNITY Champion Award.
Nominees from each league were selected by their peers and were candidates for the
overall awards.

**ORGANIZATION OF THE YEAR – Spokane Indians (High-A Affiliate of the Colorado Rockies)**

The Spokane Indians claimed their first Organization of the Year Award after setting
a franchise record in sponsorship sales, posting a 95% increase in online ticket
sales and partnering with a local Air Force base for a program that generated national
attention and was critically acclaimed.

As a team that runs its own concessions operation, the Indians introduced mobile
concessions ordering in 2021, which accounted for 11% of total transactions and 
16% of the total food and beverage revenue. On average, orders using their mobile
app were 52% higher than other concessions transactions.

The Indians continued to build their partnership with the Spokane tribe of Indians,
collaborating with the Tribal Council on multiple events and initiatives. In 2021,
the partnership led to the revitalization of a nearly unusable baseball and softball
field complex at the entrance to the Spokane Tribe of Indians Reservation in Wellpinit,
Washington. Additionally, the club continues to honor the Spokane Tribe’s Salish
language dialect by using Salish lettering on its home and road jerseys and in signage
at Avista Stadium. The club also collaborated with the Tribe on a Native-themed 
basketball court in Spokane that features artistic imagery and Salish lettering 
on the court.

The Indians’ partnership with Fairchild Air Force Base became known as Operation
Fly Together, which won the Golden Bobblehead Award for Best Community Promotion/
Event. The initiative celebrated the KC-135 Stratotanker (a refueling aircraft based
at Fairchild) and the active airmen and women serving on the base as well as the
thousands of veterans from all branches of the Armed Forces who reside in the Spokane
community. On “Operation Fly Together Fridays,” the Indians wore special uniforms
designed to look like the dress blue uniforms worn by servicemen and women. The 
uniforms were auctioned off with the proceeds going to local veteran organizations
through the Operation Fly Together Fund. A full line of Operation Fly Together merchandise
is available in the team store, with a portion of each sale going to the Operations
Fly Together Fund. Additionally, a Fairchild Family of the Game is recognized on
the field at each Operation Fly Together game.

The Indians have also made a commitment to sustainability at Avista Stadium through
their Zero Waste Campaign. In year two of their goal to eventually become a Zero
Waste Facility, over 60 Zero Waste stations were installed throughout the stadium
to help fans get their waste into the proper stream – Landfill, Compost or Recycling.

In 2021, 42% of waste from Avista Stadium went to the landfill (down from 80% in
2018), 12% of waste was recycled and 46% of waste went to a local compost facility(
up from 1.5% in 2018). The compost waste is commercially composted and then bought
back by the Indians for use in flower beds at Avista Stadium, creating a closed 
loop system. The Indians have also switched cups and cutlery to compostable material.

The team also remained active when the pandemic shut down their 2020 season, with
the team’s staff assisting the Spokane Regional Health District as a COVID-19 Call
Center, answering pandemic-related questions from Spokane residents as well as helping
parents and students returning to school online.

“The Spokane Indians Baseball Club is overwhelmed with gratitude at being named 
the Organization of the Year by Minor League Baseball,” said Indians Vice President
Otto Klein. “It’s a true testament to our outstanding front office and gameday teams,
as well as our community partners and fans. There are 120 outstanding organizations,
and to be selected alongside so many clubs that we respect and admire is an honor
and we look forward to continuing to provide affordable family entertainment and
positively impacting our community for years to come.”

**EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR – Greg Coleman, President, Erie SeaWolves (Double-A Affiliate
of the Detroit Tigers)**
Following the lost 2020 season and the uncertainty surrounding
their future as an affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, President Greg Coleman and the
Erie SeaWolves rebounded with a terrific 2021 campaign.

Under Coleman’s guidance, the SeaWolves attained new franchise highs for ticket 
and merchandise revenues. The team opened a new 1,550-square-foot team store, which
led to more than a 100% increase in game day merchandise revenue compared to the
prior season.

After working with owner Fernando Aguirre and local officials to secure $12 million
in state funding for improvements to UPMC Park in 2018, Coleman and those same parties
worked together to plan and fund locker room upgrades, allowing the team to remain
the Double-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers in MLB’s new PDL system.

Coleman and his staff produced one of the top Minor League promotions in 2021 as
the SeaWolves hosted “Wonders Night.” The event was a celebration of the 25th anniversary
of the release of the Oscar-nominated film “That Thing You Do!” which was based 
on an Erie-based band’s rise to the top of the music industry.

Three primary actors from the movie attended the event, which raised $25,500 for
NoticeAbility, an organization that assists students with dyslexia. The promotion
was featured on Entertainment Tonight and resulted in a season-high crowd.

Coleman has also created and coordinated a scholarship fund in memory of SeaWolves
catcher Chace Numata, who passed away from injuries sustained in a skateboarding
accident following the team’s final home game in 2019. In just two years, the scholarship
program has distributed $13,000 in grants to 26 Erie-area students.

In addition to his professional endeavors, Coleman coordinates fundraising efforts
for the Miracle League of Erie County, is a member of the Erie Rotary Club and serves
on the advisory board for the Dahlkemper School of Business at Gannon University.

“This is a great honor for the SeaWolves organization, and it reflects the hard 
work of our entire team,” said Coleman. “I’d like to thank our fans, partners, staff,
and team owner Fernando Aguirre for their support and commitment.”

**FUTURE STAR AWARD (Top Executive 25 or Younger) – Kennedy Schull, Eugene Emeralds(
High-A Affiliate of the San Francisco Giants)**
Kennedy Schull began working with
the Eugene Emeralds in 2018 as a summer intern selling walk-up tickets at the box
office. Upon her college graduation in 2020, she returned home to Eugene and began
volunteering her services to the Emeralds to gain more experience in the sports 
industry.

In January 2021, at the age of 21, Kennedy was promoted to Director of Tickets, 
where she promptly led a push toward digital ticketing by creating education materials
for fans and staff members and oversaw the initiative’s implementation. The result
was a 74% increase in tickets sold online and a 320% increase in mobile scans versus
2019.

To further the team’s tech push, she created a ticket promotion called “Tech Tuesdays”
that was aimed at increasing online ticket sales. While this promotion was implemented
halfway through the season, it was a resounding success, posting a 201% increase
in single-game tickets sold online compared to 2019.

In an effort to grow the Emeralds season ticket base, Kennedy designed, managed 
and advertised the new Season Membership Waiting List to collect ticket plan leads
in 2021 and beyond. The list currently has 367 submissions and continues to grow.

Schull also developed a method for the Emeralds to begin selling parking passes 
through their digital ticketing platform, which resulted in 10,293 parking passes
being sold via the ticketing platform. Scanners were also outfitted with devices
to take payment allowing the team to take credit and debit cards in the parking 
lot at PK Park for the first time.

Schull also placed an emphasis on reaching out to season ticket holders who were
not using their tickets, which resulted in significantly higher ticket usage rates
and created a customer touchpoint to improve relationships and solve problems in
real time. This was especially useful as the club transitioned to digital ticketing
because it created an opportunity to educate and solve digital ticketing issues 
for patrons with low usage rates.

Schull also organized a ballpark outing for a local teacher that survived a major
COVID scare. This outing was extremely impactful for everyone involved and was picked
up by local and national news outlets.

“I am honored to receive this award, but more so I am thankful that the Emeralds
were willing to take the chance on me and provide me with the incredible opportunity
to learn and grow in this industry,” said Schull. “I wouldn’t have been able to 
do the things I did this past year without the help of so many different people.
This award is as much theirs as it is mine.”  

“We are so proud of Kennedy’s work and this recognition is so well deserved,” said
Emeralds General Manager **Allan Benavides**. “Without her creativity and passion,
we would simply not have been able to navigate such a difficult season and have 
the success that we did as a team.”

**CommUNITY Champion Award – Worcester Red Sox (Triple-A affiliate of the Boston
Red Sox)**
Since the announcement in August 2018 that the Worcester Red Sox were
moving to Polar Park, the valuable perspective of fans and community leaders has
been instrumental in shaping the franchise’s goals and values. The Red Sox show 
their appreciation for those in their community on a nightly basis, using pregame
ceremonies like “Hometown Hero,” “Heart of Worcester” and the ceremonial first pitch
to recognize and honor the contributions of community leaders and unsung heroes.

Their nightly “In Debt to a Vet” promotion honors the sacrifice and bravery of local
veterans, and all fans are invited onto the playing field following Saturday and
Sunday games to enjoy the Polar Park experience with a game of catch or running 
the bases with friends and family.

In celebration of the diverse identities and cultures of the City of Worcester, 
the team introduced “Los Wepas de Worcester” in 2021 and highlighted a different
Spanish-speaking country in each of the Copa de la Diversion games. From Mexico 
to Puerto Rico to El Salvador, Polar Park transformed into a hub of that country’s
local culture, music and food during “Los Wepas” games. Hispanic and Latinx leaders
were honored in pregame ceremonies, the national anthem of the featured country 
was performed, local vendors were invited to sell their food at concession stands
and the on-field “Worcester Red Sox” jerseys were replaced by “Los Wepas de Worcester”
jerseys, with “Wepas” being a Spanish expression of excitement.

In an effort to strengthen the organization’s spirit of empathy and inclusion and
create a clearer understanding of how they can make baseball more inclusive and 
celebratory of differences, the club played host to several events throughout the
season. In July, the Red Sox hosted “Autism Acceptance Night,” where the volume 
of public address announcements and music was turned down across the ballpark to
reduce stimulation and highlighted Polar Park’s Unum Sensory Room, which offers 
a quiet space for fans to take a break on the comfortable couches, borrow noise-
reduction headphones and play with kinetic sand, fidget spinners and coloring books.
In August, “Peanut Allergy-Friendly Nights” were introduced to allow a safe, stress-
free experience for fans with peanut allergies to enjoy a game at Polar Park, and
in September “Deaf Awareness Night” included an interpreter on the videoboard to
communicate pregame ceremonies, in-game promotions and PA announcements.

The WooSox took advantage of the extended season by supporting Childhood Cancer 
Awareness Month and “Going Gold” in September 2021. The WooSox put the spotlight
on children, families and heroes who are helping to conquer cancer. Dressed in gold,
children and families in the battle as well as their nurses and doctors gathered
in center field in the shape of a ribbon as fans raised gold signs from the stands
to honor loved ones who are currently in, or have lost, their battle with cancer.
In their inaugural season, the team and the WooSox Foundation collectively donated
over $50,000 to UMass Memorial Children’s Medical Center, which works to treat and
cure cancer and provide resources and comfort.

The WooSox Foundation also launched the “WooSox Scholars” Program to provide college
scholarships to ensure young students’ dreams of education are funded. In July 2021,
four Worcester Public Schools eighth graders stepped onto the field in front of 
a crowd of cheering fans and were presented with various gifts from the team and
a certificate honoring their achievement. The WooSox have already invested $40,000
into the college funds of local students in just one season.

The WooSox introduced the “WooSox Book Nook” in the Worcester Public Library — a
collection of baseball-themed books donated by WooSox President Dr. Charles Steinberg
and WooSox Chairman of the Board Larry Lucchino. The Book Nook provides young readers
a chance to learn the history of baseball and the power of sports in community while
developing their reading skills. 

“We are so happy, so proud, and so grateful to so many for recognizing the special
bond between the Worcester Red Sox and the Greater Worcester community,” said Worcester
Red Sox President **Dr. Charles A. Steinberg**. “Larry Lucchino has established 
charitable foundations with every franchise he has led, and he has committed that
we would be active participants in the community; we are thrilled to honor that 
commitment. In particular, our thanks go to the leaders and the residents of ‘The
Heart of the Commonwealth.’ Their compassion and excitement inspire these synergistic
collaborations.  May this year, our rookie year, only be the beginning.”

###

**About Minor League Baseball**
Minor League Baseball consists of 120 teams across
four classification levels (Low-A, High-A, Double-A and Triple-A) that are affiliated
with Major League Baseball’s 30 teams. Fans flock to Minor League Baseball games
to see baseball’s future stars and experience the affordable family-friendly entertainment
that has been a staple of Minor League Baseball since 1901. For more information,
visit [MiLB.com](https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.milb.com&d=DwMFAg&c=wveiQRxe0XcXhet-EEJuzw&r=U8lEQ4f0JaHQkP5sTu8A_fsPj1AEcG2jw4IKmA7C6f4&m=gx82ctM9mgoG5g09fj0lduE62Q8_i_GEBKBDEA8mmRY&s=cyYnwERtqZARX25_hnVmAc7UHpqtu7ffOOe7FLrwvfg&e=).
Follow Minor League Baseball on [Facebook](https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.facebook.com_MiLB&d=DwMFAg&c=wveiQRxe0XcXhet-EEJuzw&r=U8lEQ4f0JaHQkP5sTu8A_fsPj1AEcG2jw4IKmA7C6f4&m=gx82ctM9mgoG5g09fj0lduE62Q8_i_GEBKBDEA8mmRY&s=PcQshWKzQ9xOCDK-7A3xPslIPVGX_0FwbHqOtH0kzBM&e=),
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