Jackson Jambalaya

I'd lay the blame on several factors. First, the economy. The few times I've been there I've noted their concession prices are a little steep. Also, I really don't think that location is a big help. I used to love going to games at Smith-Wills and remain a Mets fan to this day.

The players turned over almost completely each year, so the only consistent presence was the manager, who was very popular with the fans here.

So they fired him.

Great business plan.

Economically the Braves ain't feeling anywhere near the pain being felt by our local golf courses, public or private.

Two words: air conditioning. I was a season ticket holder the first year th Braves were here, and it's a steambath to go to the games after the middle of May. The location is also inconvenient for people from Madison, and there were many nights I ate the tickets just because I didn't feel like driving all the way to Pearl. Still, it's bargain entertainment if you have kids who like baseball, and I'll probably make some games this year just to sit out in left field and enjoy the evening. BB

"The few times I've been there I've noted their concession prices are a little steep"

Yeah -- $8 for a beer? If you want people to come to your games, try Step One: Don't gouge them like suckers.

I agree with Bill.

The Braves attendance is dependent upon Rankin County. It is convenient for Rankin County residents to go there after work on a weeknight. If you live anywhere else is the metro, it is difficult.

Sure, Madison, where I live, isn't too far away, but the games end a little too late and drive time makes in inconvenient on a weeknight.

If the games were earlier, I guess you could get home sooner, but the temp would be higher.

Rankin County wanted the Braves (as they should have!), they got a great park, great team, and great entertainment, and they should support it. If they come out in full force, then anybody else that shows up from the metro is an added bonus.

Shoulda been downtown. Thanks Harvey.

Downtown AA and AAA parks are doing well. Chattanooga, Memphis.

Shoulda been downtown. Thanks Harvey.

You've got more people to thank than Harvey for that mess. You can thank Ramie Ford. You can also thank former radio mouthpiece Ben Allen who hollered on WJNT in morning drivetime over and over again that a ballpark was NEVER going to get built in Pearl or anywhere else for that matter as long as Tim Bennett was involved.

i dont think any one person is to blame for the location. I was involved on the real estate side of this deal. The dodgers had showed interest in the land. SOMEHOW the baseball leagues had done studies on the whole nation and deemed pearl mississippi to be the #1 place in america to put a minor league team and stadium. I was shocked too. but thats what was said. Interesting enough: the dodgers were going to dig a hole and mount bleachers on the slopes, which i thought was genius. see sun devil stadium in tempe, az. BUT the braves ended up stealing the deal from the dodgers. I personally think you could have the Yankees there and still have the same outcome. The smith wills mets had stars: lenny dykstra, d strawberry, d goddin, etc. braves have no one. I saw smoltz get shelled for 4 1/3 innings by a team from shrevport.

It's a combination of the location and the sterile environment. Minor league baseball isn't built for star power, name recognition or even really wins and losses. It's more about the quaint feel of the game and being close to the players. The M-Braves tried to build a mini-Turner field (which is equivalent to a major league McMansion), and that goes against the allure of minor league baseball.

10:19 - have you been to the red birds stadium in memphis. McMansion is an understatement... and who wants to see a bunch of nonames play baseball for the price that they charge. I want to see people go to the next level and excel.

I love going to the games. Only complaint is the sky high concessions prices.

How can you expect the M-Braves players to have name recognition like Dykstra, Strawberry and Gooden (nice spelling) while they are still in AA. No one in this area knew who those guys were before they were tearing up the big leagues.

How about guys like Brian McCann, Jeff Francouer, Jason Heyward, Yunel Escobar, Martin Prado, Tommy Hanson, Mike Minor, Craig Kimbrel, Johnny Venters. Yeah, a bunch of nobody's. Last year they had the #1 pitching prospect in all of baseball, this year they have another guy who is Top 10 in MiLB among pitching prospects. The talent is there. Don't use that excuse.

10:33, I have been to the Autozone Park (red birds stadium) a few times. I completely disagree with it's characterization as a McMansion. It's a brick-facade stadium nestled in the middle of other brick or classically-styled buildings in downtown Memphis (see this link for images - http://www.littleballparks.com/Stadium/2006/Memphis/Memphis.htm). For an image and brief writeup on Trustmark Park see http://www.ballparkreviews.com/pearl/pearl.htm.

As for the no-name comment. Obviously, it's a lot more fun to see big names or serious star power. But the argument that those things are necessary for a minor league team to draw crowds defies the near centry of historical context of minor league ball, i.e. players who haven't yet made a name for themselves because they are, in fact, minor leaguers.

I think the name recognition issue is interesting.

Yes, the rosters turn over constantly with player demotions and promotions. Yes, none of the players are truly "established" in the sense of being Major League stars, with the rare exception of a MLB player on a rehab stint.

But why does it have to be that way? As 11:10 notes, the M-Braves have had some incredible talent even over just the last 2 or 3 years. Why weren't the M-Braves promoting Jason Heyward when he was there? Why weren't they advertising Mike Minor's starts or Brandon Beachy's starts last year?

If you don't promote the talent you have, then you are either expecting people to show up just because they "love baseball," or because they are nerds like me to will look over the roster and keep track of which hot prospects are currently on the M-Braves. Neither strategy targets the majority of casual baseball fans.

There's absolutely no reason why the M-Braves shouldn't have been running "See Jason Heyward while you can!" advertisements 2 years ago. It's not enough to say that there's young talent, or that you're seeing tomorrow's All-Stars today. Tell us WHO these guys are --- help us become fans.

Baseball is an incredibly boring sport. Very little action means very little attention. Without star players or an attractive reason to go, who gives two craps about it.

1:59 - i agree with the like of vision from the M-braves staff.

lack of vision* better correct myself before the f'n grammer police get their panties in a wad

Shoulda been downtown. Thanks Harvey.

Downtown AA and AAA parks are doing well. Chattanooga, Memphis.

Shoulda been downtown. Thanks Harvey.

"baseball is a white people's game"

Harvey the Magnificent

He actually DID SAY THAT.

2:55, You are an idiot. "Incredibly boring sport". You are a complete idiot.

Obviously, 2:55 had a sorry childhood. And, I might add does not have kids. I love watching my son play baseball, brings back memories.

I guess sitting around reading the JFP and drinking coffee would be more in line with amusement 2:55?

Back when I was a kid, when I got a chance to see the Jackson Mets play, I thought I was seeing big time baseball. Seems like minor league baseball has a lot more competition than it did back in the Mets days. Now every major league game is televised, all the different leagues and the select teams kids play on nowadays (gone every weekend playing somewhere), the growth in popularity of college baseball, and frankly, and at the risk of sounding like an old fart, with video games and i-whatevers in every kids hands, a bunch of kids just won't find baseball to be very entertaining.

too expensive concessions and it's really hot out there any time of day or night. The only time I go is Thirsty Thursday's.

The Pearl or Rankin County blue laws stink too. The only afternoon games, the hottest time of day, are on Sunday, when it is routinely over 100 degrees and there's no beer for sale. They have fantastic package discounts on Sunday afternoons, but the heat still keeps us away. By early in the season it doesn't get comfortable in that park until about 8:30.

Found the remarks on the Dodger's research interesting.
It never ceases to amaze me how wrong outside research on Mississippi is when it comes to selling us anything other than political candidates.
Of course, it's always possible , too, to hire a group to make any idea, however lame, look feasible.