Former Scrapper moves on

A column by Brian Richesson, Vindicator sports staff
NILES -- To make minor league baseball work in the Mahoning Valley, Andy Milovich asked for unification.
He asked that the entire Mahoning Valley treat the new team as its own.
"Too often what we heard when we first got to town was that people wanted to name the team 'Trumbull something' or 'Niles something,' " Milovich recalled. "Everybody was concerned about protecting their interests."
Milovich, a South Bend, Ind., native, had helped launch the Erie (Pa.) SeaWolves, earning The Sporting News' Minor League Executive of the Year in 1997.
Two years later, he was being asked by Palisades Baseball to do the same in the Mahoning Valley.
"I was really excited about the chance to do that in a bigger market and do it as a Cleveland Indians affiliate in their backyard," Milovich said. "We had a chance to do something special."
And they did. As general manager, Milovich and his staff successfully launched the Mahoning Valley Scrappers, Class A short-season affiliate of the Indians.
"Looking back on it, we were successful not only because we were able to get the fans in and bring excitement to the team and community," Milovich said, "but I'd like to think we played a larger role than providing family entertainment."
Allow Milovich to explain.
New assignment
His tenure in Mahoning Valley ended this past off-season, and Palisades found another challenge for the 35-year-old former Valparaiso baseball player.
Now general manager for the Class A Charleston (W.Va.) Alley Cats, Milovich has been asked to oversee the team's transition into a new stadium for 2005.
But in his time there, Milovich has seen how Charleston and its neighboring city 50-plus miles to the west, Huntington, haven't worked together in the minor league baseball industry.
"Over the years, they've missed the boat," he said. "Charleston and Huntington should be working together in one market. It's one TV market and one metro area. The new stadium and team will help further that regionalization."
Which is exactly what Milovich feels the Scrappers have done for the Mahoning Valley, along with other area institutions.
"When you look back and see how everybody rallied to save the [Youngstown-Warren] airport and GM Lordstown, you see how the community was accepting of this regionalization," Milovich said.
"Hopefully the team played some role in getting people to look at things that way."
Stepping up
What Milovich started, Dave Smith, 31, will be asked to continue with the same rate of success.
Smith, a Hershey, Pa., native, had been Milovich's right-hand man, starting in Erie and continuing at Mahoning Valley, before taking over the Scrappers' general manager position in the off-season.
"The biggest thing from our perspective is to continue to build relationships in the community and be part of the fabric of the community," Milovich said. "Dave Smith understands that, and he has done that."
What Smith faces won't be any less challenging. He must continue to find ways to draw fans despite doubts about the economy and the lack of novelty enjoyed six years ago.
"People are conscious about how they spend their dollars," Smith said. "What we find out is, you can't sell the novelty of coming out to a stadium in year six.
"You have to be a little more aggressive and creative with promotions and create more opportunities for people to come out," he said.
Starting over
Meanwhile, back in Charleston, Milovich may be facing his toughest challenge yet.
He's working in a 54-year-old stadium, with sub-par office facilities and an undersized staff.
But it's all about building momentum for 2005.
"As soon as we arrived at Mahoning Valley [for 1999], all the focus was on the stadium and the new team. It was all positive enthusiasm from the first day we got there," Milovich recalled.
"Here, there's a lot of excitement about the new stadium, but we're trying to balance that with running operations in an older stadium," he added. "Dividing your attention between the two is the most challenging."
Milovich is relying on past experiences to carry the organization through. No doubt, he has a favorable history in such save situations.
XBrian Richesson is a sportswriter for The Vindicator. Write to him at richesson@vindy.com.