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CNN Live Today

Fans Pack Minor League Ballparks Nationwide

Aired September 01, 2003 - 10:50   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, baseball's minor leagues wind up their seasons today and 2003 saw their popularity soar. CNN's Sean Callebs is in Chattanooga, Tennessee at South Park the home field of the Chattanooga Lookouts. So, hey, this is the minors huh Sean?
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, exactly Heidi but the minors are doing very well this year in terms of drawing the fans. They are on pace to if not set a record come very, very, close and here in Chattanooga, the Lookouts named for Lookout Mountain where a pretty famous Civil War battle was fought.

Well, nowadays the minor leagues are really battling for the consumer dollar and, today, it's not only the action that's going to bring fans out but also giving away a Hummer. Now, the owners here know that to continue to bring people here they have to give them good entertainment.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CALLEBS (voice-over): The tickets are cheap. The drinks are cold and the play, well it will never be mistaken for the big leagues. But, you know what look around it seems everyone is having a great time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We like the atmosphere of this field. They always do things for the family, for the kids. There's always something going on in between innings.

FRANK BURKE, LOOKOUTS OWNER: You can never forget that people have a choice of where to spend their money.

CALLEBS: With that in mind, owners like Frank Burke of the Chattanooga Lookouts have to be part maverick and part slapstick.

BURKE: Nine times out of ten, people don't know what place we're in or whether or not two days later who we played but what they sure do remember is whether or not they had a good time.

CALLEBS: That's why you can find hot tubs and human bowling in Colorado, lucky dice in Everett, Washington, heck even a chance to win the ultimate muscle car in Chattanooga.

But not all the contests go well. There was that time the Aqua Socks had 600 campers sleep over on the field and someone was supposed to make sure the sprinklers wouldn't go on at 2:00 a.m. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Somebody forgot to turn the sprinklers off. We actually assigned someone to the task and we just forgot. At the time it wasn't so funny but now it is.

CALLEBS: But, of course, it's always better business to get fans to laugh at a stunt that's supposed to be funny.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CALLEBS: And, another good item, say you take a family of four to a minor league game. You get food, drink, parking, tickets you're going to pay about $40 for that entire family.

Now, at a major league game, stats show you're going to pay about $150. So, the owners know that that's a good bargain but they say, and bear with me here Heidi, they also have to give them good entertainment and make them laugh.

COLLINS: Wow, swing, all right Sean Callebs hitting it out of the park today. Thanks so much. Maybe you ought to go talk to the coach there of the Lookouts.

CALLEBS: I don't think so, thanks.

COLLINS: Appreciate it very much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired September 1, 2003 - 10:50   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
HEIDI COLLINS, CNN ANCHOR: Well, baseball's minor leagues wind up their seasons today and 2003 saw their popularity soar. CNN's Sean Callebs is in Chattanooga, Tennessee at South Park the home field of the Chattanooga Lookouts. So, hey, this is the minors huh Sean?
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, exactly Heidi but the minors are doing very well this year in terms of drawing the fans. They are on pace to if not set a record come very, very, close and here in Chattanooga, the Lookouts named for Lookout Mountain where a pretty famous Civil War battle was fought.

Well, nowadays the minor leagues are really battling for the consumer dollar and, today, it's not only the action that's going to bring fans out but also giving away a Hummer. Now, the owners here know that to continue to bring people here they have to give them good entertainment.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CALLEBS (voice-over): The tickets are cheap. The drinks are cold and the play, well it will never be mistaken for the big leagues. But, you know what look around it seems everyone is having a great time.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We like the atmosphere of this field. They always do things for the family, for the kids. There's always something going on in between innings.

FRANK BURKE, LOOKOUTS OWNER: You can never forget that people have a choice of where to spend their money.

CALLEBS: With that in mind, owners like Frank Burke of the Chattanooga Lookouts have to be part maverick and part slapstick.

BURKE: Nine times out of ten, people don't know what place we're in or whether or not two days later who we played but what they sure do remember is whether or not they had a good time.

CALLEBS: That's why you can find hot tubs and human bowling in Colorado, lucky dice in Everett, Washington, heck even a chance to win the ultimate muscle car in Chattanooga.

But not all the contests go well. There was that time the Aqua Socks had 600 campers sleep over on the field and someone was supposed to make sure the sprinklers wouldn't go on at 2:00 a.m. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Somebody forgot to turn the sprinklers off. We actually assigned someone to the task and we just forgot. At the time it wasn't so funny but now it is.

CALLEBS: But, of course, it's always better business to get fans to laugh at a stunt that's supposed to be funny.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CALLEBS: And, another good item, say you take a family of four to a minor league game. You get food, drink, parking, tickets you're going to pay about $40 for that entire family.

Now, at a major league game, stats show you're going to pay about $150. So, the owners know that that's a good bargain but they say, and bear with me here Heidi, they also have to give them good entertainment and make them laugh.

COLLINS: Wow, swing, all right Sean Callebs hitting it out of the park today. Thanks so much. Maybe you ought to go talk to the coach there of the Lookouts.

CALLEBS: I don't think so, thanks.

COLLINS: Appreciate it very much.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com