I have to say, I’m still pretty excited as I begin to write this blog. The Fresno Grizzlies are national champs! What a year it’s been for our team. From the outcry over losing the San Francisco Giants affiliation to now, it’s night and day.
After facing the exit of a popular parent club and welcoming the Houston Astros, the Grizzlies front office and their team rallied to make sure Fresno knew that this is THEIR team, no matter what city the players hail from. The Grizzlies merchandising and marketing crew put together the best line of Fresno gear available in the city.
An emphasis was put on the long history of baseball in Fresno, including theme nights for the Fresno Raisins and Fresno Tigers, as well as a “Where Champions Are Grown” ring celebrating the two MLB teams that have won (multiple) World Series trophies while affiliated with Fresno: the Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals.
There were also a slew of fun, headline-making promotional nights, including that infamous hot dog/pizza Frankenslice, Back to the Future Night and the Fresno Famous bobblehead contest. Of course, the biggest promo of them all and the most popular night at the park was Taco Truck Throwdown 5. The Grizzlies rebranded themselves as the Fresno Tacos for the night, and merchandise was sold to all corners of the globe.
The promotion earned the Grizzlies the “Best Theme Night” Golden Bobblehead Award from the MiLB Promotional Seminar recently. According to the Grizzlies, a record 16,916 fans were at the event, eating 37,954 tacos.
In the midst of all this, the actual baseball team was winning, winning, winning. The team won the first Division Championship since the inaugural 1998 season, set the record for most games won in the regular season with 84 wins and also finished with the second-best record in all of the minors. Along the way, we saw some top-notch players stop in Fresno on their way to Houston, including national phenom Carlos Correa and catcher Max Stassi. Others, like Jon Singleton and Matt Duffy, were big contributors to the Grizzlies’ success and are now with the Astros for their playoff run.
The Grizzlies capped off their amazing season by winning the national championship a couple of weeks ago, something this city has never experienced, of course. You can celebrate with the team this Thursday at the official viewing party for the 2015 Triple-A National Championship Trophy at Chukchansi Park. The free event (including free parking on H Street) is from 4 to 7 p.m., while 2015 Season Ticket Holders can arrive at 3 p.m. for a special VIP viewing.
You can take pictures with the trophy on your phone or pay for photos from a professional photographer. Fans will also have the very special opportunity to play catch on the field. There will be food trucks, and kids can play in the Fun Zone. You can also buy championship gear.
Additionally, Grizzlies representatives will be available to talk about 2016 ticket plans. The new season will be here before you know it, and you know what I’m going to say: Make sure you go out to support the team next year!
Congrats to the Fresno Grizzlies from all of us at FresYes!
- Fresno Grizzlies Unveil New Valley-Centric Uniforms and Logos - January 31, 2019
- Date with your Pup? Fresyes, Please! - December 10, 2018
- AR Workshop takes wine and painting to the next level - October 10, 2018
I will definitely be there!