{"id":4601,"date":"2014-08-13T06:02:49","date_gmt":"2014-08-13T06:02:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/northwoodsleague.com\/kalamazoo-growlers\/?p=4601"},"modified":"2014-08-13T13:43:18","modified_gmt":"2014-08-13T13:43:18","slug":"growlers-season-recap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/northwoodsleague.com\/kalamazoo-growlers\/growlers-season-recap\/","title":{"rendered":"Growlers Season Recap"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\n\tThe Growlers' inaugural season is over, but the countless good memories will live on. Let's take a look at the best moments and characters of 2014, from the action on the field to the action in the stands. <\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

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\n\t\tAttendance: <\/strong>Blessed with a home city rich in baseball heritage and a ballpark both fan-friendly and expansive, the Growlers were able to draw strong crowds on a nightly basis. The franchise finished third in the Northwoods League in attendance and seventh in the nation in summer collegiate baseball, with 80,761 fans, only coming up short of league mainstays La Crosse and Madison.The Growlers' opening night attendance of 4,910 broke summer collegiate baseball record for most fans on a franchise's opening night, and the crowd of 6,064 on July 4 was the largest non-Madison crowd a league franchise saw this year.  <\/span><\/span><\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\tPromotions: <\/strong>A Growlers promotions made national headlines before the season even started: When Salute to Selfie Night was announced, it made headlines on Deadspin and in Sports Illustrated, among others. When the night, where players sported jerseys with designs made up of a collage of fan-submitted selfies, finally rolled around in late July, the MLB Fan Cave, ESPN's SportsNation and others hopped on the bandwagon. That was only one of the Growlers' many successful promotions. The team donned special jerseys on Purple Community Night, presented by Van Andel Institute; Pink Out The Park Night, presented by Susan G. Komen Southwest Michigan; and the Fourth of July. Those jerseys were auctioned off during the game, with proceeds going to various charities. Star Wars Night featured a popular mini lightsaber giveaway and a hysterical Little Slugger promotion, where Yoda appeared to be dead to rights as he approached home plate but called on Force Push to toss catcher Brett Sunde aside. On Ladies' Night, Michigan native Bob Guiney, formerly of ABC's The Bachelor<\/em>, came out to the game and met with some lucky fans in WorkSquared's Best Seats In The House. The Growlers also collaborated with marketing and printing company Allegra to bring fans four sets of baseball cards, all featuring the fantastic work of team photographer Kimberly Moss. <\/span><\/span><\/span>\n\t<\/p>\n

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