Giveaways, Fenway highlight Scrappers’ season

May 6, 2014 at 12:00a.m.

Curbstone coaches

AUSTINTOWN

The Mahoning Valley Scrappers will open their 16th New York-Penn League season on the road when they take on Pinckney Division foe Jamestown in a four-game set beginning June 13.

When they return home for a three-game set June 17 against division foe Auburn, general manager Jordan Taylor is expecting a heroes’ welcome for manager Ted Kubiak as he begins his third managerial stint at Eastwood Field,

Speaking to the Curbstone Coaches during Monday’s final meeting of the season at Luciano’s Restaurant and Banquet Center, Taylor said several new promotions, three bobblehead giveaways and two non-baseball programs will highlight the 38-game home schedule.

“Every game has a promotion and sometimes we even double up on a given night,” he said. “There are weekly events, our popular Friday fireworks nights and the ever popular ‘Buck Night,’ where hot dogs, drinks and tickets are a dollar each.

“We’re ready to go and cannot wait for the season to start.”

One road highlight — the Scrappers will play Lowell at Fenway Park on July 13. The game begins at 3:30 p.m.

Kubiak will be joined by pitching coach Greg Hibbard, who served in the same capacity with the Akron Aeros last season and Phil Clark, who was the hitting coach for the Class AAA Columbus Clippers last season.

All three coaches are former major leaguers.

“Ted has always been a fan favorite and this year’s staff cannot wait to finalize the roster in order to get going,” Taylor said. “The roster is already taking shape with the remainder to be filled out when the annual player draft is completed in early June. We’ll also have a better idea of who we’re getting over the next two weeks from extended spring training.”

This year’s bobblehead nights will feature Tyler Naquin, the Indians’ first-round draft pick out of Texas A&M University who was with the Scrappers two seasons ago; former manager Mike Sarbaugh, who led the team to the 2004 league title and former area boxing champion Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini.

“Our bobblehead nights will take place on Saturdays, twice in July and once in August while a new promotion, ‘T-shirt Tuesday’ takes on a theme of its own,” Taylor said. “There are five T-shirt giveaways with the first slated for our home opener against the Doubledays. The first 500 fans through the gate will receive a Scrappers specialty T-shirt.”

New on the ticket side this season is the Diamond Club, which features 60 seats behind home plate that have all-inclusive status.

“Over the past two seasons we watched a promotion like this at PNC Park in Pittsburgh and our own Progressive Field really take off, so we decided to add it to our ticket package,” he said. “It’s an all-inclusive ticket where the menu is already on the seat when a fan arrives and both ushers and waiters are ready to serve them throughout the game.

“You can get the ticket as part of a season package or as part of a mini-plan if you so desire.”

Two stand-alone events are also slated over the summer with wrestling coming to Eastwood Field on July 12 and “Pops at the Park,” featuring the Youngstown Symphony, to on Aug. 23.

“Tickets were just placed on sale for the symphony and have been well-received while Impact Wrestling, which can be seen on Spike TV every Thursday night, is also generating interest,” he said. “The symphony is one of the very best around while wrestling is doing a series of shows at minor league parks around the country so we’re fortunate that they will be making a stop at Eastwood Field.”

The organization will break for the summer and return in September.