NY-Penn president Ben Hayes is pleased with Cafaro Field

The league has set attendance records the past two seasons.
By BRIAN RICHESSON
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
NILES -- Ben Hayes is on tour.
The president of the New York-Penn League, Hayes was in attendance Sunday at Cafaro Field, checking facilities and visiting with Mahoning Valley Scrappers front office personnel.
"Primarily, I'm here to meet people," said Hayes, beginning his third season as president of the 65-year-old league. "I'll walk around and look at the facility, see if there's any issues" that need to be addressed.
So are there any concerns at Mahoning Valley?
"Obviously here, there's none at all to address," he said.
On schedule
Hayes' trip to Mahoning Valley was his sixth stop since his tour of the league began last week. He'll tour facilities again at the season's midpoint and conclusion.
"It's business as usual. There's no pressing issues," in the league, Hayes said. "All of our clubs are very stable, and our major league affiliations are very solid."
Last September, during the period when teams can change affiliations, the New York-Penn League was idle.
"Out of our 14 clubs, we had no changes," Hayes said. "So everybody is real happy with their partners. There's nobody looking to sell, there's nobody looking to relocate. It's really a great time for the New York-Penn League."
The league's popularity has grown in recent years with the addition of new stadiums for Aberdeen (Md.), Brooklyn (N.Y.), Staten Island (N.Y.) and Tri-City (N.Y.).
Brooklyn dominated the league's attendance mark last season by drawing 317,000 fans. Aberdeen drew 231,000, while Mahoning Valley was sixth in the league at 160,000.
"We've set an attendance record the last two years," Hayes said. "Last year we just had a hair over 1.9 million, and hopefully this season we can push it past the 2 million mark."
Sellout streak
In Lowell, Mass., the Spinners are in their fourth straight season of selling out home games, Hayes said, while older teams such as Auburn, Hudson Valley and Williamsport set single-season attendance marks in 2002.
"It could be new general managers or new marketing, or it's just the communities getting behind their ball clubs," Hayes said. "It's just not the new ballparks; the older ones are doing just as well."
After Sunday's game, where he visited with Scrappers owner Alan Levin, Hayes was scheduled to return to his home in St. Petersburg, Fla.
"I try to keep a low profile," Hayes said. "It's not about me. It's about the ball clubs. We just try to provide the clubs with an environment where they can succeed."